Final Blog for Designing Online Courses, Evaluation of Online Courses

Class is almost over, and this is my last blog entry for this trimester. I decided to write this post about evaluation of online courses. I chose the evaluation process because personally, evaluation was the most important concept in my journey through the design course. As I learned how to evaluated online courses, I saw my course from another perspective. I feel certain that this skill will change the way I design and teach online courses.

When I look at courses, I check to see if they include information regarding learner support, and links to campus and technology resources. In addition, I look for access to a wide variety of resources to support the course content and different learning styles. Courses that provide visual, textual, kinesthetic and auditory activities enhance student learning.

Other areas I consider are whether the syllabus is clear, the site well organized, the links maintained and the pages are consistent in style. The pages should be aesthetically pleasing, easy to read and navigation should be logical and intuitive. In addition, the design of the course should offer ample opportunities for student interactions. Exemplary courses offer student-student, student-content, and student-instructor interactive activities.

Learning objectives should be clearly stated, and appropriate for student academic level. All course readings, assignments, discussions and assessments should align with the objectives. Effort should be made to offer activities that help students develop problem solving and critical thinking skills.

The course should have multiple ongoing assessments that measure knowledge of course content, and skills. Adding formative, summative and authentic assessment enhances online courses. Because feedback is so important to the facilitation of online courses, regular feedback of student performance should be planned in the design. Student self assessments and peer feedback assignments can make a course more effective.

There is an opportunity to add a variety of technology tools and applications to a course that can increase communication and learning. Provided the core content is established, these additions can be very effective. As in a face to face class, any activity engages students will make content more relevant to students.

Several articles on course evaluation I found were interesting.

This link provides an easy to follow checklist that covers many areas of online course evaluation. http://opi.mt.gov/pdf/advplacement/OLC_Checklist.pdf

This article offers a concise article about online evaluation.
http://www.fastrak-consulting.co.uk/tactix/Features/evaluate/evaluate.htm

Lessons Learnt from...My First Facilitation Session.

The week I played the role of the facilitator in the Facilitating Online Teaching Course.

I was required to respond to the asynchronous discussion board and facilitate a synchronous Wimba session. I have to say I enjoyed the discussion board experience. I felt confident that I could keep a constant instructor presence, be responsive, ask questions to encourage further depth of concepts, be supportive and provide information and links to valuable information. However,...The idea of the Wimba session, I found daunting.

What is it about being in charge of a Wimba session that made me so nervous? I have been in charge of classrooms, and given presentations to my peers. Maybe it was my inexperience with the subject matter that threw me. My plan to do extensive research was sound, but it was obvious to me that my nerves were in high gear.

None-the-less, I finished the session and learned valuable lessons from the experience. My topic was Common Problems in Online Teaching. My research yielded solutions from experts on problem students, university policies, and class preparation tools to head off problems.

Having a great deal so of content to address, my presentation was in a lecture format for the first half of class. The second half was interactive with a question and answer session. If I had to do it all over again, I would have made the first half more interactive.

From this experience, I found that interacting with the class is even more important in Wimba sessions. These discussions enable the facilitator to gauge whether students are engaged in the content. In addition, I found by the end of the session being nervous was unnecessary. As long as you prepare, you will be in good shape. The Wimba class facilitation requires many of the same skills as the face to face classroom.

I am glad I had the opportunity to lead a class on Wimba. While the facilitation class prepares students by exposing them to the skills and tools necessary, there is not substitute for actually jumping in and teaching a class on Wimba.

Lessons learnt, I cannot wait to teach a class on Wimba in my chosen field.

Facilitating Online Courses

Everyone who teaches has pedagogy, a style that expresses their “art and science of teaching.” So what has changed with the additional information and experience I have gained from online teaching? My pedagogy has become more purposeful and focused. Teaching and designing online classes requires instructors to plan for many eventualities and challenges. Therefore the pedagogical style changes to a less intuitive and more conscious intentional approach to make the class more effective in an online environment.

An unplanned additional benefit to becoming certified in online teaching is that my education now includes pedagogical principles, and educational strategies. Like many instructors in higher education, my degrees are in the field I will teach. Despite my content experience and exposure to teaching I have gained from being a graduate assistant, I decided to gain this certification to give me an edge in the currently depressed job market. I believed it would provide a certification and skills that some of my fellow job seekers lack. I hoped it would qualify me to more opportunities and I would not be restricted to local jobs.At the time I had not considered that I would be gaining knowledge and experience in education, or that the new skills I have gained would transfer to make my face 2 face teaching more effective.

Many teachers have a natural gift for providing a dynamic and engaging experience for their students. Sometimes they intuitively offer active learning experiences to the class. Because providing these experiences in the online environment must be planned and requires extra clarification and clear directions, I will never approach the face 2 face teaching without these factors consciously considered or implemented in my traditional classes.

The Seven Principles of Effective Teaching have found a new home in online teaching. Student-instructor interactions are some of the most satisfactory components in teaching. The myth that these interactions are diminished in online teaching is simply not true. As a student I knew that interactions, when a class is designed and facilitated correctly could be extremely effective. The process begins with simple tools like welcome emails. The interactions continue throughout the course in feedback, responses, synchronous lectures, asynchronous discussion, and assessments that are compliant with syllabus and rubrics.

Student to student interactions should be incorporated into the course. Ice breakers, group activities, student introductions and class rosters with pictures begin to build a sense of community in the classroom. When students feel part of this learning community they are more successful. There is an assumption that online classrooms lack a learning community and that student’s feel isolated. I have found this is not always the case. In the majority of my internet classes, I have interacted more with my peers than I do in a classroom. Some of my more introverted peers feel more comfortable contributing to class in a online written format.

A well-organized class includes more than these interactions. It includes an intuitive navigation, a syllabus, an orientation, links to resources, and an accurate class calendar that reinforces due dates, deadlines and class events. A course question discussion topic and a chat discussion topic should be included. Course question that are posted and answered, save students and instructors from asking and answering the same questions twice. Chats improve setting the stage for a learning community.

Timely replies, appropriate turn around time on grading and proper management techniques that are employed from start to finish leaves instructors more time to teach. Course management systems help instructors manage their class, so being proficient in this technology is key. To complement my technical skills I have become proficient in basic html, using search engines efficiently and various external tools like google documents and wiki’s. Obviously, the technical abilities I gain will be a lifelong process due to the ever-changing computer world.

Self Selected Blog...Motivating Online Students

While it has been said "Good Teaching is Good Teaching, whether face to face or online.", designing an effective online class can lay the foundation for successful online facilitation and learning.

Instructional design principles can be used to create lessons for online classes in abnormal psychology, history, art appreciation, ect. The basics of good design can be applied to almost any subject.

Many students may come to class with little or no experience. This class could be the student's first online class. This class could conceivably be their first college class, period.

Helping students stay on schedule, interested, and motivated can go a long way.

Incorporating motivational elements in your design, and stimulating student interest in the subject can offer students reasons to dedicate time and effort to learning.

While motivation and encouraging student interest can be offered to students through facilitation skills, such and encouraging feedback. Design issues can also influence motivation.

In the process of my first class design Abnormal Psychology Online , I have included case studies and supplemental videos to encourage interest and relevance to mental disorders.


According to Pintrich and DeGroot (1990), motivation depends on three variables:

Value -- Student question: Why should I spend the time and effort on this lesson?

Expectancy -- Student question: Can I achieve the objectives of this lesson?

Emotions -- Student question: How do I feel about myself and the work required in this lesson?

httpp://cvc3.coastline.edu/Telelearning2001Web/Default.htm


If we, as designers, remember... that when students consider information relevant or meaningful, they value the information and remember it more easily,.. our design will be more effective.

Design plans should include assessments throughout the course. Assessments determine if students are learning the material , and provide information on what they have mastered and what areas need further study.

Designing activities in class lessons to promote students staying on time with assignments and requirements can help new students stay on task. Journals, weekly quizzes and clear deadlines are just a few tools that can help the student stay current,and organized.

These activities also provide self assessment information to students. Nothing can be more disheartening and frustrating to a student than when they unclear of their progress, and confused on whether they are achieving the course objectives and goals. They begin to feel lost, and motivation and learning will diminish.

Supplemental resources regarding student motivation:

http://community.flexiblelearning.net.au/TEachingTrainingLearners/content/article_3340.htm

http://advancedacademics.blogspot.com/2007/04/keeping-students-motivated.html

Changing Roles and Pedagogy

It's a Bird?.... It's a Plane?... No,.. It's Super Online Instructor.....!!!

While it is true that good teaching is effective regardless of the setting, there are several differences between teaching face to face as opposed to online teaching. The consistent presence of the instructor and the facilitation in the online discussion process is a valuable asset to promote desired student learning outcomes.

Every educator hopes for their students to succeed. When students are required to to participate and receive feedback on their discussion posts, the class in enriched. Online discussions are more effective when student grades are tied to their efforts, discussion groups stay small and posts are focused. By providing both informational and acknowledgement feedback students will be provided as clear idea of what is required of them. Instructors should be clear about what they expect from discussions, and students should be evaluated and guided toward those standards.

Facilitators of online classes should strive to project sincerity and flexibility. The job requires instructors to be comfortable with written communication. A instructor that is not an advocate of the effectiveness of teaching online, compromises the learning experience.

When students not only having credentials in the subject matter, but are trained in online teaching methods the class is improved. Online discussions should be used to share knowledge, increase reflection and challenge critical thinking.

The first week of class is the perfect time to address access and technology issues, while getting to know the students. Once class is up and running, instructors can introduce key concepts and provide new perspectives while reinforcing creative and insightful responses.

The asynchronous discussion board is the hub of the online course. Much like traditional classes, instructors will encounter difficult student behavior. Redirection and encouragement can be helpful in many of these situations. Group activities increase collaboration, and student to student interaction.

The online instructor has various roles. They guide and provide resources by asking questions designed to provoke thoughtful answers. Instructors provide a structure designed to be a launching pad toward self directed student learning. They emphasize key points, while introducing multiple perspectives. The online teacher sacrifices some control to encourage the student to take and active role in their educational experience. They are the guide to students, as they navigate their own role changes in the online learning process. The online student can not sit back and simply receive and memorize information in online learning. Students must be self-motivated, independent and manage their time.

Face to face instructors must stay current in their field, but online teachers must additionally stay current with online technologies enlisting any available faculty support. Instructors should take a frank self evaluation of their strengths and areas where they need to focus efforts toward successfully navigating the personal changes and challenges as the strive to become increasingly effective online instructors.

Then they will be on the road to becoming Super Online Instructors....

Designing Online Courses

Introduction to Online Teaching has been completed and I am onto Designing Online Content. Once again I am feeling stress from the overwhelming amount of content and resources available to the online instructor. My goal is to approach everything with an eye for what is most effective for my objective which is to provide exemplary courses that teach psychology in an active and comprehensive manner.

I am very excited to start the design process. The organization, planning and artistic aspects of design appeal to me. As a student I have become aware that a properly designed course can be the difference between an average and great learning experience. It is of note, that active facilitation of a well designed course is also necessary.

I find it daunting when I consider the amount of detail involved, the deliberate planning and executing of every aspect, and the amount of work ahead of me. But, none-the- less, I am looking forward to the challenge.

I have decided to design a fully online course for Abnormal Psychology. Let's hope I did not bite off more than I can chew!

Facilitating Online Learning... The First Week

It is the first week of Facilitating Online Learning which is the second course in the sequence to Online Teaching Certification. I am required to sign up to act as a facilitator for a week in the class. I will be expierencing the instructor role of responding to asynchronous discussion threads with feedback that is informative and moves the discussion toward further learning using facilitation strategies taught in the course. In addition, I will be delivering a synchronous virtual classroom session on Wimba. The session I signed up for is called "Common Problems In Facilitating" which asks me to apply information learned throughout the course to solve common problems encountered in online teaching.

How do I feel about this assignment? Like someone pushed me in the deep end of the pool.

I am excited to have a chance to facilitate and look forward to the experience. I feel confident that I can handle Wimba, and other technical issues. However, I am concerned about the subject I will be teaching. I find it daunting to be asked to facilitate a subject where I am currently a student and lack expertise. I expect this will be the most difficult aspect of the assignment for me. I definitely expect to find this exercise challenging yet rewarding.

My plan is learn from my fellow students while being supportive of their efforts. In addition, I intend to PREPARE. I believe that the best thing I can do to combat my anxiety is take the course one day at a time, and work hard.

It is time to dive in!

Final Blog... Introduction to Onine Teaching

I DID IT !!!!!

The first class in the sequence I began to become certified in online teaching is wrapping up. The focus of this post is to reflect on the information that the class introduced, and clarify how these concepts can translate to exemplary effective teaching of fully online and hybrid classes.

The second half of course reviewed learning theories. As a graduate student in the field of psychology I have an in depth knowledge regarding learning theories, but this class has guided consideration toward how these theories can be applied to the design of online learning activities.

My basic goal is to promote learning. An understanding of how students learn is necessary, especially when the instructor and student are geographically separated.

Cognitive psychology proposes that learning involves memory, thinking, reflection and motivation. The student that applies effort and in depth processing to their existing knowledge learns best.

Constructivists believe that students interpret information according to the way they perceive reality. Observation, processing, interpretation are key to constructivism. Learners that can contextualize what they learn and apply it immediately, learn best because information takes on personal meaning.

I believe that the design of online materials should include ideas and principles from both theories.

Learning activities that promote active learning, student-to-instructor interaction, student-to-student interaction, and student involvement in the learning processes all improve online courses.

Instructors that are able to communicate high expectations, give immediate feedback, plan appropriately with consideration to time on task, and encourage students with a respect for their individual talents and learning styles make exemplary teachers.

Learning Contracts, discussion threads, activities the require self directed learning, providing case studies, small group work assignments, and the inclusion of collaborative learning are activities I plan to add to classes. Online access to textbook information, links to web resources, use of learning repositories such as Merlot will all improve my online teaching.

In addition, I will continue to maintain and update my e-portfolio, while adding to my education of new resources that are available to online teaching. New resources will continue to be designed, and current ones will be improved. It is my goal to stay abreast of what is offered and how to creatively, and effectively apply them to my courses.

I feel confident that when I finish becoming certified, I will be a competent and effective instructor of online psychology, and be capable of enhancing face-to-face courses by providing online resources.

Self Directed Blog on Wikis

We are coming near the end of my first class in the online teaching certification course. After completing my first online group collaboration I have found myself interested in Wikis.

The term ‘wiki’ is derived from the Hawaiian phrase ‘wiki-wiki’ which translates to quick. A wiki is a application that allows users to collaborate, create and edit websites. The most well-known is Wikipedia. Visitors can read the Wikipedia website content, edit content and create topics. While wise students know that they need to evaluate this source for accuracy, this wiki is an interesting use of collaborative technology available on the web. Wikipedia is a good example of the unique and powerful information sharing features of a wiki.

The collaborative features of wikis are well suited for learning environments. A wiki can actively involve learners in the construction of their own knowledge and enhance the learning process. When a wiki is used by a group of students peer interaction is increased. In addition, the facilitation and sharing of knowledge, and student cooperation is promoted.

During our group project, the Wetpaint wiki helped us interact with one another and negotiate solutions to problems. We found it allowed us the ability to seek assistance from each other, while sharing and clarifying our ideas.

While researching creative ways educators use wiki’s, I found many interesting ways to apply the wiki to education.

Duffy and Bruns (2006) list several possible educational uses of wikis:

• Students can use a wiki to develop research projects, with the wiki serving as ongoing documentation of their work.

• Students can add summaries of their thoughts from the prescribed readings, building a collaborative annotated bibliography on a wiki.

• A wiki can be used for publishing course resources like syllabi and handouts, and students can edit and comment on these directly for all to see.

• Teachers can use wikis as a knowledge base, enabling them to share reflections and thoughts regarding teaching practices, and allowing for versioning and documentation.

• Wikis can be used to map concepts. They are useful for brainstorming, and editing a given wiki topic can produce a linked network of resources.

• A wiki can be used as a presentation tool in place of conventional software, and students are able to directly comment on and revise the presentation content.

Other novel wikis:

Some students use wiki’s for groups of students to keep notes online. This adds the benefit of peers reviewing, editing and changing the notes.

Check out http://studyhall.wikispaces.com/ where students in a study hall have compiled notes, and study guides to share with one another. Things have changed since my study hall days, where I spent 45 minutes passing notes.

Or take a look at http://bothellcampus.wetpaint.com/ where students can find information on clubs, service learning or campus resources offered at thier school.

Even college counselors have a wiki. The site http://collegelists.pbworks.com/is a wiki where school advisors share information with one another about colleges and universities that are categorized by specialities ranging from architecture to video gaming design.

If you have an interest in how wiki’s are being used in classroom, I recommend the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul9YM7QZZis&feature=related video for an in depth analysis on the subject.

Duffy, P. & Bruns, A. (2006). The use of blogs, wikis and RSS in education: conversation of possibilities. Proceedings of the Online Learning and Teaching Conference 2006, Brisbane: September 26. Retrieved November 2006 from http://olt.qut.edu.au/udf/OLT2006/gen/static/papers/Duffy_OLT2006_paper.ppdf

Introduction To Online Teaching Certification Course - The Half Way Benchmark

Looking back on the first half of my introductory course to the Online Learning Certification program, I am amazed how at the amount of ground we have covered.

We have learned about the Online Learning Environment, Models of Online Learning, Learning Styles, Teaching Styles, Accessibility Issues, E-portfolios, Wimba, Blogs, Group Teaching Projects and more. All this and we are only half way through the class!

When I started the class I checked the syllabus, and became anxious yet excited about learning so many new computer technologies. I had no idea how many resources were available to enhance an online course. I lost my anxiety as I became more competent in the computer applications, and now look forward to the second half of class. Bring it on!

Beyond the computer skills I have gained, I paid special attention to the areas of the course that focus on teaching and learning. Obviously, it is mandatory for an online instructor to be competent in teaching. I have enjoyed participating in discussion threads and group activities.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I felt as connected to my classmates in this class, as I have in face-to-face classes. I have found my student-instructor interactions at the same level compared to my face-to-face classes. My instructor has responded quickly, consistently and provided helpful critiques of my work. I plan to live up to her example.

I have found the assumption that online learning lacks interactivity and a sense of community to be false. In this class I have experienced an interactive community of learners. If an online instructor uses the email, Wimba, discussion threads, activities, chat rooms and conferences available and productively, students will not feel disconnected.

Unique characteristics that define online learning (most commonly asynchronous text-based interaction) can actually lead to enhanced or hyper communications (Walther, 1996).

I completed a survey and found my learning style was balanced. I now know that I want to enhance any courses I design with activities that suit all learning styles. Visual, Audio and Kinesthetic learners can be engaged in many ways which we began to apply in our group teaching project.

http://www.eazhull.org.uk/initiatives/KingswoodFS/learning_styles.htm

It has become clear to me that my learning and teaching styles should be considered when I design courses. I plan to develop strategies that improve student comprehension by reflecting on the strengths available to my learning and teaching styles.

I want to build courses from a constructivist approach so that the educational experience is an active process. I have learned that my innate teaching style is as a facilitator. I plan to focus on integrating this style when teaching psychology by facilitating student-centered discussions and activities. Designing group activities that promote active learning and student-to-student problem solving will improve student comprehension and memory recall of key concepts.

In addition, I have learned about the challenges that disabled students encounter when they take online courses. Whenever possible I plan to keep these students in mind. By adding audio and visual content for accessibility reasons, benefits can be extended to all students.

I am convinced that becoming certified in online teaching is going to enhance my online and face-to-face teaching skills. The current generation of students has been enmeshed in connective technology.

More than one-third of public university faculty have taught an online course while more than one-half have recommended an online course to students, according to an unprecedented study of administrative and faculty views toward online learning released today by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning. (http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/pdf/staying_the_course.pdf)

Online teaching is no longer the future. It is the present.

Walther, J. B. (1996). Computer mediated communication: Impersonal, interpersonal, and hyperpersonal interaction. Communication Research, 23(1), 3-43.

Self Selected Blog About Wimba

I found Wimba interesting. I have been a student in classes that used Wimba but found during the class demonstration that it can be used in many new and innovative ways.

21st century students are growing up in a world where they are as comfortable texting and facebook posting as they are with face to face communication. Many students start college later in life, stay in school longer and juggle work and school commitments. The tools are available to allow instructors to be more creative in the way they engage an increasingly diverse student population.

Having been exposed to Wimba classroom as a student, I found myself interested in how Wimba can be used to increase student engagement with teachers and other students. I wondered what practical or creative uses instructors found to remove geographic barriers to learning and enrich traditional classroom experiences.

A Day in the Life links to Dr. Gary O’Connell and how he enhances his classroom with Wimba Collaboration Suite.

http://www.wimba.com/assets/swfs/DIL/DayintheLife-HE.html

Wimba can be used to archive lectures. While especially appropriate for an auditory learning style, archived lectures benefit all learners. Students like to be able to review lectures and “rewind their instructors.” Lectures can be archived MP4 files that students can access on computers, ipods or MP players.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_3JYflilHI

During the demonstration Professor Engle mentioned using the doorbell feature for office hours which led me to consider if there are other ways to bring services to students via Wimba.

Some schools are using Wimba Pronto to offer school services. The Pronto application has been very successful for community colleges. Pronto gives immediate access to school services for commuting students. Providing easy access to services can be challenging for schools when the student body does not reside on campus.

Pronto is instant messaging that integrates with Wimba classroom. Students can check who is online and discuss class materials anytime, anywhere, and share applications with one another. Computer help, library services, tutoring, financial aid and advising can be set up and manned by university employees. Schools can provide students access to these services during hours that services are available on campus. Surveys have shown that most students that live on campus still prefer to use Wimba Pronto when given the choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z39qYKDQAk&feature=related

As technology has increased, the needs and demands of students have changed. Technology has changed the role of students, educators and administrators in higher education.

Reflections From An Anxious Student

When I registered for my first class in the online teaching certification sequence I was excited. I have taken many online classes and found them both challenging and interesting.

The Online Teaching Certificate will take me one step closer toward my goal to teach Psychology in traditional and online classrooms. I hope this class will make me more marketable in the limited job market our economy is experiencing. I am attracted to teaching online for the same reasons I enjoy learning online. I find the medium both flexible and informative. I expect the time commitment and workload to be higher in online teaching, because I have found this to be the case as an online student. I think this class will prove to be invaluable to my goals because it combines the experience of online education from a students perspective, while learning the necessary skills of educating effectively in an online environment.

Then class began. Although I am still looking forward to the class, I became overwhelmed. I began to worry about my schedule and the amount of work required. I wondered if I could handle the demands of learning new computer skills. In addition, I was concerned if I could write a blog, when I have never read one. Late one night, nearing panic mode I asked myself why I went back to school.

That is when I knew I needed to get a grip. I know why I went back to school, and how fortunate I am to have this opportunity. I realized that I often feel overwhelmed when I look at the big picture. I am more successful when I take things one step at a time. It is daunting to worry about if I can accomplish everything required to succeed in this course. However, I do feel confident I can do what is required today.

I realize that I must stay organized and need to dedicate the appropriate amount of time to this course. But I know from past courses, that if I break the work into smaller chunks I will be less stressed. Basically, I need to stop being anxious, move forward and jump into the blog.

I checked out the tips for successful online learning. It suggests logging on to course every single day, and I can do that. It says to be polite and respectful. I always try to do that, but I will go over the netiquette information knowing that things can be misconstrued in an online environment. I browsed that Pedagogy and Learning links and find them helpful.

I notice in this course and in application of teaching online, there is a huge amount of resources available to students and educators. It seems that the amount of information available could be a blessing and a challenge simultaneously.

But there I go again trying to tackle too much at once and getting stressed. For today, all I have to do is finish some reading and my blog. I think I can do this.