The End of the Journey

After a long and busy trimester, the end of our group’s journey is here. It is with a great deal of gratitude and relief that I post this last blog.

Trying to produce a quality product during this summer trimester has been difficult. Like many of my classmates, I have been pulled in several directions. Luckily nothing has been traumatic, but conflicts with work, conferences, counseling, family life, and writing my dissertation have required me to be disciplined and organized in my approach to working on my final project. The project is a work in progress and I know it will be changed often as I put it into action when it is finally fully completed.

This trimester we put the instructional units we created in the last course into action. Although it was tedious to create them, I was happy to have a clear focus for what I wanted to do in the learning units I produced for this course. It was easy to copy and paste the objectives and assignments into the learning modules I designed for the course. More fun was the creativity in creating visually appealing layouts, using graphics, and finding support materials online for “going deeper.”

I enjoyed creating a podcast for the introductory unit. Less fun was the multimedia project. Using Adobe Captivate, I created a presentation on Sigmund Freud for the Psychoanalytic Unit of my course. However, I had a very difficult time pulling everything together and getting it onto the course management server. With the help of my classmate Diane I was finally able to post the presentation with synchronized lecture and playback buttons.

Speaking of Diane’s contribution reminds me to mention how much I appreciate her and all of my classmates. Though I have never met the majority of them, I respect them all and appreciate the support, encouragement and commiseration we shared throughout the entire certificate program. Having seen their early and final efforts, I can see how we all have grown. I know they will all be successful teachers and it has been a pleasure to have shared this learning journey with them.

I am also grateful to our instructor, Barbara, and course designer Jan. Both have been models of excellence in instruction.

As part of my final work I was required to evaluate my course using the Blackboard Rubric for exemplary courses. I rated most of my work as “promising.” I know my work will continue to evolve over time and with experience. As I put the class into action with students, I know I will evaluate what I have already put into the course and will make many changes. “Real World” experience will tell me what works and what needs to be changed. However, I feel that I have a good foundation and look forward to moving my course in the direction of excellence that I have experienced throughout this program.

Now I say good-bye to this phase of my professional development. I will take a brief time-out before I focus on my next challenge – finishing my dissertation. After that – who knows? Let the good times roll!

Image source
Let the good times roll!: http://www.leehansen.com/clipart/Parties/MardiGras/pages/good-times-oval.htm
Computer Friends: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/friendzspot/message/9194
Computer: http://www.smh.com.au/news/laptops--desktops/breaking-the-mould/2006/10/03/1159641329440.html
End of the road: http://tinydancing.blogspot.com/2007/09/its-end-of-road.html

Producing Digital Content: Thoughts from the Starting Line

As we move toward the end of the certificate program, I feel excitement, enthusiasm and trepidation. Already we are busy this first week, with introductions, blogging, reading, and deciding on and creating unit structure. It’s a lot to do!

Just two weeks ago we completed course three of the program – design. I thought design would be less technical. I was looking forward to being creative with graphics, color, layout, etc. Instead I was taught to look at the details of course design. Frankly, I hadn’t even considered this! As a university lecturer, much of what I teach was designed by someone else. I modified the course to meet my own style. I never thought about the rationale behind the design. In particular, I never considered the importance of a specific rubric for evaluation. Now I am much more cognizant of these details. I have become more critical of my own f2f course design, but have also made changes for improvement.

I think “Producing Digital Content” may be what I was expecting in the last course. I am looking forward to putting content into my webct shell. I want to learn more about style, adding sound, video and other tools to enhance students’ learning.

In the article “Tips for Developing Media-rich Online Courses” authors S. Junaidu and J. Al-Ghamdi wrote: “The course should be multimedia rich in the sense that it should contain

text,animations, voice, and possibly video clips. The online course should be comprehensive enoughsuch that it can be considered a replacement of the tradition face-to-face method of teaching. It should be a self-contained learning package with concepts adequately illustrated and explained in voice narrations. The course should provide sufficient interaction with the learner in order to give a ‘human touch’ to online learning.”

The article reminded me that online course content and delivery has to take the place of the relationships that would normally be developed in an f2f class. To engage students content has to be easily accessible and visually pleasing. Students also have to be active participants in the learning process. Course content must be relevant to their interests and up-to-date with active links. This means we must always be checking our sources and updating our work.

I am glad that we are not creating a full 15 week course as our first efforts! I like the step-by-step approach we have been using so far, and I appreciate that the products we created in the last course will provide the foundation for this course. Let the good times roll!

Graphics sources:
Ready, Set, Go: www.girlscoutsracineco.org
Rubric: www.artlex.com
E-learning: online-courses-education.com
Rolling stone: http://www.theinterpretersfriend.com/pd/online.html

Issues in Design ... Letting go of old paradigms

As my regular readers know, while I am taking this course I am also writing my proposal for my doctoral dissertation. My dissertation research will involve interviewing counselor educators to get their opinions of the pros and cons of online learning.

I am excited about the prospect of using online classes in counselor education. My efforts in this course have been to create three units for the Counseling Theories course. Luckily, my division chair has encouraged me to continue to develop the class. I am excited that there will probably be room for it on the GSU schedule when it is finally completed!

On the other hand, my colleagues usually express dismay when they hear my research topic. This comment from a colleague sums it up: “I don’t care what you say, I will never believe that online learning can take the place of face-to-face courses.” Sigh.

I have learned not to argue with people like my colleague. Instead I will say, “You have to experience it to believe that you can learn about relationships and learn cooperative skills in an online environment. But I respect your right to your opinion.”

When I was writing my comprehensive paper for my dissertation, my topic was on how online learning is currently used in counselor education, and on the issues related to this practice. Not surprisingly, the argument against online learning had to do with skill-building. My research will be a Delphi study in which I will ask the experts in online counselor education to respond to this and other concerns from educators. I am eager to hear what they have to say!

In this course we spent several weeks learning about student interaction with content, instructor and other students. The designer must consider relationships when creating course content. Toward this end, group projects can be an ideal way to create a sense of community. In the theories course students will be required to work together and apply each theory to a case study. My hope is that they will learn not only about theories, but also how to create relationships, even online!

As we wrap up this course, I feel grateful for the support of my friends in the class. Yes, I call them friends, even though we have never met. Our communication with one another has gone beyond class discussions. We have shared happy news and sad, supported one another through loss, and commiserated when we were feeling burned out. It is only in the most intense f2f classes that I see a whole group come together in this way.

We are completing phase three of a four phase program. It’s hard to believe it was a year ago that we began our work together. I am proud of how we have grown, and I know I couldn’t have developed my skills as well as I have without the feedback of my peers. I appreciate all of them. And to our instructor, Jan, I appreciate all the guidance you have given us since class one. I know Barb will do a great job for us, but I will be sorry that you won’t be there when we do our virtual “walk across the stage” as we graduate with our certificates. Thanks, Jan, for all you have done as our instructor!

Graphics sources:

Learn anywhere: http://www.nhtraining.com/misco/enterprisedelearning.htm

Expert: http://www.montrosecoloradorealestate.com/ask.html

Computer graduate: http://webclipart.about.com/od/special/l/blgrad1.htm

Design Discovery

As we have continued through the discovery process called the “Certificate in Online Learning” program, I have learned that what looks so simple is not easy! Designing a good course requires a great deal of planning. It’s not enough to make the site look pretty; designers have to be aware of learners’ issues, the constraints involved in the online environment, types of assessment, instructional strategies, and how to engage the student with the content, with the instructor, and with one another.

Not everyone is a good candidate for learning in an online environment. Students need to be self-motivated, disciplined and well-organized in order to keep up with reading and assignments. In addition, there are technological prerequisites that will influence success. These include having a regular access to computer with an Internet connection (preferably high-speed) and a basic competence in using computers

Online courses have to include a variety of learning activities to address different learning styles. Delivery can be in the form of short lectures, links to online resources, video demonstrations, small online group discussions and projects, readings and writing papers. Courses must be designed to avoid jargon and slang that may not be understood by all students. International students, for whom English is a second language, may access online translation systems to assist when necessary.

I was particularly interested in considering the type of assessment one would choose for an online class. I am a believer in using real world information in classes. This is relevant for students and will help them to generalize their learning to their profession. Authentic assessment in the form of case study application and discussion can be used to teach students how to apply coursework in "real world" applications. For example, in counseling it is not enough to be able to talk about doing counseling. Students need to see it done and practice it themselves with feedback so they can continue to improve.

On the other hand, objective testing is helpful in measuring students' knowledge about the topic being studied. An advantage of this kind of testing is that it is not subjective. There is a right or wrong answer. This kind of testing eliminates some of the disagreements that an instructor might experience when giving feedback on authentic assessment.

Learning how to use new software often feels like a daunting challenge. In our section on instructional strategies, however, I was introduced to several new options for use in online learning. I am particularly interested in Captivate, which is a software program that can produce simulations, scenario-based training, and quizzes. Source: http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/

As we approach the midpoint of the course, we are beginning to focus on the student-content interaction that must be considered in design. I like this quote from Interaction ELearning: “The goal of interaction is to lead students to a point of reflection that causes them to evaluate existing assumptions and then choose to integrate or discard the new information.”
Source: Interaction Elearning Course http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/Interaction.htm

When I read this I was excited and stimulated. I hope that I can create a course that will facilitate this kind of process in my students!

Graphics Sources:

Spaceship:www.deptford.k12.nj.us
English as second language: www.storyboardtoys.com
Rubric: edtech.kennesaw.edu
Learning Model: engandcompscicoop.dal.ca

Online Course Design - What I know now and what I expect to learn next

I am looking forward to thinking about online teaching from the designer’s perspective!

During the first course in this series, I experienced what it is like to be on the receiving end of a well-designed course. I realized that the layout of the course was important so that I could easily find what I was looking for. The lesson modules addressed the appropriate subject matter. The links were (well, usually!) active, though I learned that the instructor must always double check resources when relying on online support for learning.

I enjoyed the discussions and found the questions stimulating and purposeful. Most of the responses from my peers were meaningful, but I did find that the responses became less constructive as the week went on. I found that I became more discerning in what I read and how I responded as the class continued. I learned that the facilitator has to be active in stimulating new questions so that the discussions stay lively.

I learned that a student must be self-disciplined and committed to doing well if he/she wants to be successful in an online class. While not all online classes are rigorous, those that are well-designed can take more time and work than a face-to-face course. There is no “hiding” online!

In the second course I learned about facilitation. It was great fun to create and deliver the live session via Wimba technology. I was excited to be presented with information about assessment and creating rubrics for evaluation. As a university lecturer, I have become more and more aware of the importance of having specific criteria in place for evaluation. It saves a lot of argument when it comes time for grading.

As I begin the design course, I am optimistic that I can take what I learn in it and apply the practices to my face-to-face courses. I consider myself to be a constructivist teacher, and I enjoy drawing learning from my students rather than pumping it in through lectures. I think I will be able to adapt well to creating an online class. I anticipate some difficulty in finding the right amount of information to put in a learning module, though. I will have to identify what the important concepts are in the lesson and learn to eliminate some of the peripheral information. I will also want to focus on creating good, open questions to stimulate discussion.

I think I have good instincts about teaching and design. However, in this class I want to be sure I consider learning styles and theory when I create my learning module. My university colleagues are skeptical about online learning. When I show them my design, I want to be able to give a rationale for my choices based on solid theory and knowledge of best practices in education.

Finally, I am looking forward to meeting new classmates and re-connecting with friends from previous classes. It is the interaction with others that truly makes the class satisfying.

PS: If you click onto the graphics, you will be linked to more resources on online teaching and learning!

Graphics sources:

Online learning model: http://www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/tutorials/overview/nutshell.asp

Constructivist teacher:http://www.krauseinnovationcenter.org/ewyl/modules/module3-6.html

Four stage design model: http://teach.ucf.edu/nowwhat/pedagogy_id.html

My Experience with Online Facilitation

As my facilitation week grew closer, I approached the assignment with a mix of emotions. On the one hand, I was excited to have an opportunity to experience the facilitator's role. On the other hand, this was one more thing to add to my schedule, which is already very full. I knew that being the discussion facilitator was going to be time-consuming; reading the instructor's diary had given me a new picture of the load that is put on the online instructor.

I don't like to do things half-way, so as the week approached I began to research the topic of Issues Facing an Online Facilitator. Using resources from the University of Phoenix Online (Managing Conflicts in the Online Cooperative Learning Environment:A Discussion of Recent Trends in Pedagogy and Practice) and from Penn State University World Campus (Best Practices in Online Teaching - During Teaching Deal with Conflicts Promptly) as well as information provided in the learning module from our class, I was able to put together a powerpoint that enhanced the class discussion. I forwarded my work to Sue, my facilitation partner, and asked her to add her ideas. Finally, I added graphics and color to keep the presentation visually engaging for participants. I enjoyed the creativity involved in this part of the process.

To prepare for facilitation, I attended the Wimba Live training. I found this to be extremely useful, and I became excited as I realized all that I could do on Wimba. Sue and I met on Wimba earlier in the week and rehearsed our presentation. To our chagrin, we both had connection problems so were only able to do a brief rehearsal. However, we both agreed that we felt confident for the final presentation.

A challenge we faced was the timing of our presentation. We had not realized that it would fall on the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Sue and I discussed how to plan so that the time would be most convenient for us and for the participants. Finally we agreed on Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m.; we hoped that this time would catch people before they got involved with family or shopping.

I was gratified that 3 of the 5 other students and the instructor, Bonnie, chose to join us. Luckily our connections stayed strong and Sue and I delivered the presentation as a well-balanced team. I enjoyed engaging the participants in discussing this very interesting topic. The time seemed to fly by, and I was pleased that we managed time in a way to cover everything without going longer than an hour. Participant feedback was very positive!

The asynchronous discussion proved to be most challenging part of assuming the facilitator role. The group members had eight topics to discuss. This was a lot to monitor! Sue and I tried to balance our input so that the group would not be “over-facilitated.” In addition, I saw that the group members were asking questions of each other. As facilitator I was pleased with this and observed where this was going rather than add to the questions. As the discussion continued, I could see that the participants were winding down, so my remarks tended to be encouragers or general comments rather than questions to stimulate new discussion.

I went into this experience feeling confident that it would go well. I have trust in Sue, and it was nice to have her as my partner. It was good to have had such good models from the previous student facilitators. I knew we could count on our fellow students to be supportive and engaged in the process. I was surprised, though, how much I enjoyed the Wimba presentation, and found myself thinking of how I can incorporate this into the classes I currently teach!

Graphics sources:
Circle:thankingcustomers.com
Wimba:http://www.wimba.com/
Turkey cake: http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/

Developing an Identity as an Online Facilitator

As I learn more each week in this class, I find I am beginning to create a more accurate identity of myself as an online facilitator. In the intro course I felt a bit lost and wondered if I would be able to learn everything necessary to become an effective online designer and teacher. I am now beginning to feel more confident. It has been helpful to look at this as a step-by-step learning process, rather than expecting I will be an immediate expert.

I am a constructivist at heart, so this type of teaching and facilitation feels natural for me. I like the discovery learning process, and I find that I learn from my students’ discovery while they learn from me as well. Moving into an online environment will give me an outlet for my creativity and I am looking forward to moving ahead in my learning.

Many of the readings have been instrumental in helping me make the shift toward my own competence. A helpful reading was from Dr. Knox regarding The Pedagogy of Web Site Design (http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/magazine/v1n2/knox.asp). He described his own learning curve as he learned how to develop and facilitate the online course. I thought it was interesting that in his desire to apply constructivism to teaching online he forgot that he still needed to teach! Knox also gave guidelines on how much text is enough/too much. I like how he equated the total number of words in his essays to the equivalent of a textbook. Similarly, he questioned the value of having too many links to online resources in a class. Too many links can be frustrating to students and can lead them on a course that can take them away from the primary purpose.

One of the questions people have about the online learning experience is “How can I create a sense of community when I can’t see other participants?” Our sharing of ice-breakers helped to address that issue. As I shared on the discussion board, I think it is very important that any ice-breaker is relevant to the topic being taught. I have been to many workshops in which an icebreaker is used, then the instructor begins to discuss the topic of the workshop, and makes no connection to the subject matter. Thus, any icebreaker I choose will be useful and relevant to student learning.

While I am becoming more and more eager to facilitate my own online classes, I admit I was a bit daunted after reading the diary of the online teacher. What I learned from this is that I must understand what I am getting into as a teacher, but also that I need to create clear boundaries for myself as an instructor, so that I have a life outside of the online classroom! With help from the other class members, I was able to develop a clear idea of what I believe is reasonable class management. Together we identified management tools that address the needs of both instructor and students.

Finally, it is always helpful for me to see good examples of effective online facilitation. It was a great exercise to look at existing sites and to critically evaluate them. What was also interesting was to read the different perspectives from students who visited the same sample classrooms. It shows that, just as f2f instructors differ in their approaches, so do online instructors! As a result, I feel more freedom and look forward to expressing my own creativity in designing my classes.