Constructing Quality Questions for Discussions

How to Promote Collaborative Learning Online

The integration of online engagement with collaborative online learning assessment adds value to the teaching and learning experience. Technology has improved the assessment experience with discussion board assignments and group projects, and also by providing helpful resources such as video, audio, articles, and databases. Additionally, icebreaker activities in the early weeks, such as games and simulations further help to engage and attract students to work and communicate together.  Collaborative learning has helped learners achieve a more complete level of knowledge, due to frequent interaction with their peers as they exchange ideas and information. It also gives instructors an idea of the level of students’ knowledge, understanding, and ability to participate in teamwork.

However, many adult learners typically deal with time constraints and various issues in their personal and working lives, and have established patterns and opinions. They may not be particularly receptive to participating much in group discussions or assignments, and it may also be difficult for learners to be available to meet with each other to work on these projects.

Instructions

Please explain the ways in which instructors should implement collaborative learning, and when they are appropriate to use. Additionally, please share your experiences regarding the positive and negative aspects of collaborative projects for any type of learning environment (face-to-face, online, blended, etc.).

Scoring Rubric Link:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/160384526/Scoring-Rubric

Additional Learning Resources

Eberly Center (n.d.). Design and Teach a Course. Retrieved August 13, 2013 from http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/groupprojects/benefits.html

Horton, W. (2006). Designing for the Virtual Classroom, E-Learning by Design. Retrieved August 14, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201360_04/MS_INDT/EIDT_6511/Week%207/Resources/Resources/embedded/Horton_Ch9_DesignVirtual_.pdf

Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. Retrieved August 13, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201360_04/MS_INDT/EIDT_6511/Week%207/Resources/Resources/embedded/Paloff_Ch8.pdf

Sherry, L. (1996). Issues in Distance Learning. Retrieved August 14, 2013 from http://home.comcast.net/~lorraine.sherry/publications/issues.html

Weimer, M. (2011). 10 Benefits of Getting Students to Participate in Classroom Discussions. Retrieved August 14, 2013 from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/10-benefits-of-getting-students-to-participate-in-classroom-discussions/

Plagiarism Detection and Prevention

What plagiarism detection software is available to online instructors?

EVE (Essay Verification Engine) software, and Turnitin.com, an online detection service, are two of the most commonly used plagiarism detection software (Jocoy & DiBiase, 2006). They both compare individual student papers to Web documents and/ or to essay databases. This is done to find and report instances of matching text. Turnitin catches Web plagiarism and checks sources from students’ bibliographies for plagiarism, including articles that are unavailable on the Web. Free online search engines such as Google also allow instructors to track down copied phrases.
Course management systems such as WebCT and Blackboard help to limit access to a test for a specific date, in addition to a precise block of hours on that date (McNett, 2002). They also limit the time available for test completion to increase the difficulty of students searching for the answers. User-tracking functions make it possible for an instructor to determine the time that each question was answered by the student.

How can the design of assessments help prevent academic dishonesty?

Online assessments (or e-assessments) offers flexibility since they can be accessed from any geographic location, prevents schedule conflicts, and avoids wastage of resources. However, academic dishonesty is a major issue with assessments. Academic dishonesty is defined by cheating, plagiarism, and other covert methods to achieve high grades in exams, course assignments and projects. Instructors have to make the assessment a learning experience with “hard” questions, and avoid overly difficult or overly easy tests. It is also important for instructors to create assessments that mirror real-life situations, and can relate to personal experiences (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, n.d.). Employing a proctor for the assessment is also helpful. Proctors help to ensure that students take the assessment at a designated time, without collaborators and unauthorized materials (Rowe, 2004). Assignments can be designed to incorporate collaboration, including discussion posts and online group projects (Boettcher & Conrad, 2011). The instructor also has to be clear about the purpose and content of the assessment. Time limits should be set, along with low stakes (the questions worth few points). The assessments should contain clear definitions of what is considered cheating and plagiarism, including questions that can erase any misconceptions (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, n.d.).

What facilitation strategies do you propose to use as a current or future online instructor?

In watching the video, I discovered that one of the important functions of a facilitator is to educate learners about copyright, fair use, plagiarism, and cheating (Laureate Education, n.d.). Students should be informed about course requirements, and available support and communication (via syllabus, course announcements). Students also have to be taught to properly paraphrase and cite material, and should discuss their role as self-directed learners. I would also encourage students to make use of libraries and writing centers to learn about correctly paraphrasing and citing resources. I also believe that having TAs and tutors can also discourage cheating, by conducting sessions with students to discuss any questions or difficulties that they have with the course. I have worked with TAs at USF, and it was quite helpful to my overall understanding of the course and subject.

What additional considerations for online teaching should be made to help detect or prevent cheating and plagiarism?

In reading the resources and conducting research online, I discovered that there are several ways in which cheating and plagiarism can be prevented. Drawing questions randomly for each student from a pool is one example, helping to reorder multiple-choice answers randomly if possible (Rowe, 2004). Place one question per page when administering an exam. Placing one question per page when administering an exam or assignment is also helpful, as well as disabling printing and copying options, and requiring some short essay questions (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, n.d.). For the latter, students would apply concepts or material from the course.
CMSs as WebCT and BlackBoard have plagiarism prevention capabilities, which make it possible to administer a proctored examination online (McNett, 2002). Tests can be structured to require the input of a proctor’s ID and student’s ID, so that the exam can’t start until the proctor is present. It is also possible to limit access to a test to a specific computer at a specific Internet address, where a proctor can be present. Another technique that reduces cheating is the use of question banks. This entails use of several course-delivery software packages that supports databases of questions from which the software selects items, according to specific rules. These capacities randomize the sequence of questions, making it more difficult for memorizing and sharing the sequence of answers.

References:

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and
practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Jocoy, C. & DiBiase (2006). Plagiarism by Adult Learners Online: A case study in detection and remediation. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/242/466

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Plagiarism and Cheating [Video webcast]. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2818946_1%26url%3D

McNett, M. (2002). Curbing Academic Dishonesty in Online Courses. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/pointersclickers/2002_05/

Rowe, N.C. (2004). Cheating in Online Student Assessment: Beyond Plagiarism. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer72/rowe72.html

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (n.d.). Desire2Learn 9.0: Tips to Ensure Academic Honesty. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from http://www.uwec.edu/help/D2Lv9/deter.htm

Impact of Technology and Multimedia

What impact does technology and multimedia have on online learning environments?

E-mail, announcements, and discussion forums are the basic technological tools to guide learning and build an effective online learning environment (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Audio and video lectures help with creating a media-rich learning environment by providing accessibility and usability, since they are available at any time during the semester.  Blogs are online journals that capture student's thinking and understanding of the subject, and serves as an avenue for others (including the instructor) to make comments and suggestions. Similarly, Wikis are a collaborative project tool, that supporting student collaboration and teamwork on projects. Text messaging, instant messaging, and Twittering are important tools that faculty can use for quick information checks for students, such as the time before an assignment is due. Other positive impacts include decreased material costs, by creating the environment online, improved training costs, and further savings through decreased travel and reduced material (Tom, 2010). There is also increased productivity and efficiency, since e-learning is not bound by geography or time.

What are the most important considerations an online instructor should make before implementing technology?

Before implementing technology, at the start of an online course, part of the instructor's responsibility is to ensure that all learners are engaged, present, and participating (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). It is also important to ensuring that students have basic technology skills and knowledge for online learning. In the first week of the course, students should create posts about getting acquainted with each other. In my opinion, this is where they post brief biographies, along with some of their interests, hobbies. After the getting-acquainted posting, students should identify their learning goals for the course, which helps to provide insights into the learners' knowledge, confidence, and experience with the course content. As a "social and cognitive negotiator", faculty members have to provide positive, supportive, and encouraging comments about the overall course process and clarify course expectations and learning experiences in the course requirements. Instructors then have to focus on designing and organizing engaging and challenging discussion questions with clear rubrics for assessing the online discussions.

What implications do usability and accessibility of technology tools have for online teaching?

Usability is defined as the extent to which specified users use a system to effectively and efficiently meet specified goals. (Irbe, 2012). Accessibility is the ability of a learning environment to adjust to the needs and preferences of all learners. Accessibility is contingent on the environment, tools, abilities, or disabilities. Usability and accessibility for online teaching accentuates the importance of not only providing physical access to learning, but providing access to online learning for all learners, including special needs learners. This can be accomplished through application of Universal Design for Learning principles.  The system’s design with particular attention to features of the user interface are important usability factors for learners with disabilities. Accessibility and usability also impacts pedagogical effectiveness, and compliance with anti-discrimination legislation (Cooper, Colwell, & Jeffs, 2007).  Other aspects of accessibility and usability include consistent navigation, the ability to change font and picture size, properly labeled and visible links, and visually appealing and safe graphics (Irbe, 2012). Proper implementation of accessibility and usability positively impacts online learning experience for all learners.

What technology tools are most appealing to you for online teaching as you move forward in your career in instructional design?

Blogs, wikis, social media, PowerPoint slides, streaming audio and video, and videoconference tools are the most natural and appealing online teaching tools for instructional design. Furthermore, I did some research and found some other examples of useful technology tools that are appealing. EduBlogs is a site that I used in a previous course, and offers a safe and secure place to set up blogs for personal or educational use (Writer, 2012). Additionally, the functionality of creating and managing blogs for students gives teachers the ability to decide if students can post on blogs, and approve posts and comments. Skype can be a great videoconfereincing tool for keeping in touch with students, educators, administrators, and other professionals, and for attending meetings online. Teachers are able to connect with other classrooms internationally. Twitter is a social media tool for teachers to connect with other educators, participate in chats, and share and exchange ideas with various users. Google Education is also particularly appealing, with email and collaborative apps, videos, lesson plan search, professional development, and educational grants.

References:

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Cooper, M., Colwell, C., & Jelfs, A. (2007). Embedding accessibility and usability: Considerations for e-learning research and development projects. ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology, 15(3), 231-245. Retrieved June 5, 2013 from http://www.slideshare.net/martyncooper/embedding-accessibility-and-usability-considerations-into-elearning-research

Irbe, A. (2012). e-Learning Accessibility & Usability. Retrieved June 6, 2013 from https://www.ssbbartgroup.com/blog/2012/04/09/e-learning-accessibility-usability/

Tom (2010). Why E-Learning is So Effective. Retrieved June 6, 2013 from http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/why-e-learning-is-so-effective/

Writer, G. (2012). 50 Education Technology Tools Every Teacher Should Know About. Retrieved June 6, 2013 from http://www.edudemic.com/2012/08/50-education-technology-tools-every-teacher-should-know-about/

Setting Up An Online Learning Experience

What is the significance of knowing the technology available to you?

There are basic technological tools that are important for instructors to know, such as email, uploading text documents, setting up and creating discussion forums, and setting up and using the grade book (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011). Other available technology tools such as audio and video lecture resources, blogs, wikis, social networking enhance various learning experiences for a face-to-face environment. The primary tool that instructors will need to become familiar with is the course management system (CMS) or learning management system (LMS) used by the institution. This provides a virtual place for learners to gather meet, converse, and interact, and serves as a virtual classroom or campus.

The aforementioned tools are all essential communication tools for guiding learning and building a learning community.  Learning how to use them can keep instructors busy but can be painstaking. However, it's important not to get overwhelmed. It is advisable to choose a few that are best suited for learning goals and discipline.

Why is it essential to communicate clear expectations to learners?

It is essential because teaching and learning from remote locations (oftentimes worldwide), and using a set of tools and systems that may be faulty or unavailable can cause misunderstanding and potential failure. Clear and unambiguous guidelines not only reveal expectations to learners, they also significantly help with ensuring overall understanding and satisfaction in an online course. Doing this also helps to establish a smooth and trusting learning environment.

What additional considerations should the instructor take into account when setting up an online learning experience?

There are several important lessons that I learned from this exercise that should be taken into account for an online learning experience. The first is that instructors have to devise course content that allows students to identify their learning goals and technological skills. This can be facilitated through the syllabus, course announcements, and communication via blogs, wikis, and discussion forums. Instructors are also required to serve as social and cognitive negotiators by providing positive and encouraging comments about the overall course process. I learned that instructors should be sensitive to students’ desire for privacy by encouraging that their bio picture do not have to be their actual photo, but an aspect of personality or physical appearance. I was comfortable posting my picture for the Week 2 assignment, but this is not the case for all students. Some may not want to use photos for various social or personal reasons. Students should post a brief personal biography in the first week of class. Instructors have to reference those student biographies throughout the course in order to make informed responses and comments to their assignments. Instructors have to discuss the course content, expected learning goals and technology skills.

Another interesting thing that I learned was about icebreakers. The purpose of an icebreaker activity is to establish the presence of individuals and create open and non-threatening lines of communication for a learning community. Icebreakers prevent course attrition, and helps to ensure that students are engaged from first week (Laureate Education, n.d.). Because instructor introductions tend to be academic and mundane, personal revelations unveil human aspects of the instructor, and builds trust. When creating a course, not only would I implement icebreakers in the first week, I would also include them in the middle of the course, to re-engage and “wake up” students.

References:

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Launching the Online Learning Experience [Video webcast]. Retrieved May 23, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2818946_1%26url%3D

Online Learning Communities

How do online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses?

Online learning communities have significant impacts on student learning and satisfaction (Laureate Education, n.d.). These communities create a dynamic in which facilitators and learners are actually equal participants. The instructor is not the focal point, but is still responsible for creating an environment that is dynamic, safe, beneficial and interactive for students. Facilitation is a critical component of the online learning community. Instructors have to maintain their presence in order to facilitate student satisfaction, enhance their perception of learning, and to break down isolation that can occur for students working at home, or even instructors that aren’t working in a classroom. For example, instructors and other faculty members (i.e. academic advisors) should call students and send personal e-mail in early weeks to keep them engaged in the course, and to help gauge their overall interest.

What are the essential elements of online community building?

The elements of community building include people, purpose (students coming together in class), process (way in which course is delivered), and methods. These are all impacted by instructional methods, social presence, communication, and having a sense of who the student is in the communication process. The purpose does not just involve the class, but guidelines for how to communicate, how learners engage, who is expected to participate, institutional guidelines, and how often institutions expect learners to participate.

Student orientation is also important in online community building. New students and adult learners are typically used to traditional face-to-face teaching model. Naturally, the transition from onsite to online learning can be something of a culture shock. Therefore, brief course orientations (perhaps a week or two) can help students in getting to know each other, as well as introducing them to course management.

How can online learning communities be sustained?

There first has to be a realization that everyone is responsible for creating a successful learning community. This includes students, faculty, and administrators. Learner-to-learner engagement is the power of learning communities. This involves a process for connecting and empowering students, and enhancing their responsibility for learning (defined as a social constructivist approach). Students have to be fully engaged to make meaning of the content, figure out the content together, and to obtain a sense of co-created knowledge and meaning. Instructors should design and conduct learning activities that result in proper engagement and facilitation of learning (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011).

What is the relationship between community building and effective online instruction?

The relationship between community building and effective online instruction goes hand-in-hand. In effective online instruction, students are often transformed as learners, their perception of learning is deeper, and they have an increase in self-direction (Laureate Education, n.d.). Students can also positively change how they present themselves in an online environment, as a real person. Engagement and learning is facilitated by tools such as learner-facilitated discussions, articles, and links to related websites and databases (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011).
It is also possible to create an online learning community without a structured course. Similar to a classroom, in a corporate environment, there are typically a diverse set of learners with different learning styles, opinions, and agendas (Laureate Education, n.d.).  An online forum should be created within a learning management system, where users communicate with each other, and post their questions or concerns, typically with an expert available to answer.

Conclusion

In this article and throughout my experience as an online learner, I learned that instructors, as facilitators, have to properly explain to students the type of support they will receive in a learning community approach. Additionally, as an aspiring instructional designer, I learned that instructors have to devise engaging content for diverse audiences, along with training that properly explains to students the type of support they will receive in a learning community approach. It was also interesting to read about the desired length for course orientation. In my opinion, long-winded orientation can overwhelm the student, and potentially diminish their interest in continuing their enrollment in the course. This is why orientation should occur for no more than 1 to 2 weeks.

References:

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Online Learning Communities [video]. Retreived May 9, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2651291_1%26url%3D

Introduction

Welcome to my blog for the EIDT 6510-2 Online Instructional Strategies course! Comments are welcomed and appreciated. I also look forward to working and communicating with Dr. Pratt and many of the students enrolled in this course!

Analyzing Scope Creep

Project scope is the work that has to occur to deliver a product, service, or result with specified features and functions (Wikipedia, 2013a). Scope creep refers to sometimes-uncontrolled changes in project or course requirements, in addition to continuous growth in a project's scope (Wikipedia, 2013b). Scope creep is commonly caused by new features that are added to the project (Lynch & Roecker, 2007). Scope creep can be beneficial as long as the project team can properly respond sensibly to the project’s changing conditions (Greer, 2010). However, the changes can cause the project to stray from its original obejctives and design. It can also occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled.

The project that I am describing occurred in the Intro to Computers & Technology class during my first college semester. We were required to create a PowerPoint presentation about IT and computers, and then explain it to the class. My group consisted of three students: two others and myself as the group leader. However, from the initiation of the project there was a problem with communication. Even though we were in a group, we seldom communicated. As the time approached to gather information, there was little input even after making contact with team members. Consequently, I wound up doing the bulk of the project work to research, compile information, and create slides with graphics for the presentation. The scope creep resulted from lack of communication and underestimation of time. It was not until the final day for completing the project that we eventually met as a group. The result was members hastily putting together their parts of the presentation within a few hours before class. Slides added at the last minute had to be adjusted to fit into the presentation. But because I had done so much of the work already, these last minute revisions created a potential for collapse of the project, or for a completely different version. Also, due to lack of time to properly rehearse my speech, I stumbled occasionally during the presentation. Still, this did not negatively affect my overall performance and grade. I received an A for the presentation and course, respectively. But in my evaluation, the process to complete the project was very inefficient and quite stressful at times.

As the unofficial project manager, in retrospect, I realize the mistakes that I made. I could have insisted on devising times where we could meet in the library, and communicate more often via email and phone. This would have given us the opportunity to keep within the timeline, discuss exactly what information was needed from members, and how their input fit into the presentation. This is an important part of controlling and creating a project, because any proposed changes should be discussed and approved by team members and stakeholders (Lynch & Roecker, 2007).

References:

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Retrieved February 14, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201340_02/MS_INDT/EDUC_6145/Syllabus/Syllabus/embedded/pm-minimalist-ver-3-laureate.pdf

Lynch, M. M., & Roecker, J. (2007). Project managing e-learning: A handbook for successful design, delivery, and management. Retrieved February 14, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201340_02/MS_INDT/EDUC_6145/Week%206/Resources/Week%206%20Resources/embedded/6145_Wk6_Lynch_Ch5.pdf

Wikipedia (2013a). Scope. Retrieved February 14, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scope_(project_management)

Wikipedia (2013b). Scope creep. Retrieved February 14, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scope_creep