Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools

Content
• Discussion Boards
• Google Scholar, Scopus, and open access journals
• Wikipedia and search engines
• Podcasts

Communication
• Discussion Boards
• E‐mail
• Blogs, wikis, Skype, Ning
• Social bookmarking
• Instant messaging
• Virtual worlds

Collaboration
• E‐mail
• Group synchronous discussion area
• Wikis
• Virtual Worlds

Reflection: How can you bring the technology the tools learners are using outside of the classroom into the educational process? Which tools and strategies are best for this purpose?


Technology tools that learners are using outside of the classroom that would enhance communication and collaboration could include social networking tools such as Facebook and Second Life.   These tools could be brought into the classroom by creating a class or school page on one of the web resources and invite students to join.  Communication can be improved through the ability to find classmates who are online with whom students can ask questions or comment about the class.


Another technology that many student use it Skype for communication.  Skype can be introduced as a contact method for the instructor and other students.  Many students who need the face-to-face interaction would benefit by having Skype as an option.


Two other technologies currently used outside of the classroom are wikis and blogs.  These two technologies can be introduced into the classroom as student and group projects and to encourage student collaboration.

Durrington, V. A., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190−193. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's Accession Number: 19754742

Siemens, G. (2008, January). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. ITForum.

 

Assessing Collaborative Efforts

Encouraging and requiring collaboration among students in distance education has become increasingly important and popular due to the growth in distance collaboration in the business sector.  Employers want employees who can work and get along with others.  Collaboration can bring problem solving, new ideas and concepts, and much more.  There is a question as to how collaboration in a learning community should be assessed.  How do the varying levels of skill and knowledge students bring to a course affect the instructor's "fair and equitable assessment" of learning?  Siemens (2008) suggest several ways in which online collaboration can be assessed.  “Learners can help to assess assignments by giving ratings or comments” on other members’ wikis or blogs.  Educators must set up an environment where members feel safe to provide information and feedback to others. 

Instructors must realize that setting up an online course is not the same as setting up a seated course.  Different assessments and pedagogies must be used in online education.  Group participation must be assessed and the use of traditional testing (multiple-choice or true false) is not an accurate way to assess what students have learned in the online environment (Siemens, 2008), (Palloff and Pratt, 2007, p. 41).

Other questions and concerns of online collaboration in education are:  If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, what should the other members of the learning community do? What role should the instructor play? What impact would this have on his or her assessment plan?  

If a student does not want to collaborate an instructor can work with the student as much as possible, but should clarify that collaboration with others is a component of the course.  While the student could complete the course without collaborating with others, an instructor should encourage this medium, explain its benefits to the student, and explain that the collaboration component is only one aspect of the course.  Siemens (2008) suggests that instructors be flexible in their assessment of online groups and that “Learners can feel more comfortable when they understand the learning communities aren’t 100 percent of the grade”. 

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Siemens, G. (Presenter). (2008). Assessment of Collaborative Learning. (Vodcast). Laureate Education, Inc. Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author.

Siemens, G. (Presenter). (2008). Learning Communities. (Vodcast). Laureate Education, Inc. Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author

Storyboard for Open Source Video Presentation

Storyboard for Open Source Video Presentation

I. Introduction of project by self.  Provide an overview of Guest Speaker.  Will include experience and credentials of speaker and topic: Open Source.

 

II. Overview: Sources (research and references) for topic will be given and the current uses in education.

III. Types of Open Source

 

IV. Benefits of Open Source

V. Concerns of Open Source 

 

VI. Best Practices for Open Source

VII. Conclusion: Consideration of Open Source in education and educations influence on Open Source.

References

Aydin, C., & Tirkes, G. (2010). OPEN SOURCE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN DISTANCE LEARNING. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 9(2), 175-184. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

NAGY, D., YASSIN, A. M., & BHATTACHERJEE, A. (2010). Organizational Adoption of Open Source Software: Barriers and Remedies. Communications of the ACM, 53(3), 148-151. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Waters, J K (May 2010). Prepare for impact: for years industry experts have been predicting the widespread adoption of open source tools by K-12 school districts. They're about to be proved right.  T H E Journal (Technological Horizons In Education), 37, 5. p.20(5). Retrieved December 17, 2010, from CPSN via Gale:
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=spri43060