Articles
Barker, Dr. K., 2002. Canadian Recommended E-‐learning Guidelines (CanREGs). FuturEd
and CACE (Canadian Association for Community Education). Vancouver, Canada.
http://www.futured.com/pdf/CanREGs%20Eng.pdf
quality guidelines- http://er.educause.edu/~/media/files/article-downloads/eqm0635.pdf
Activities
Virtual icebreaker games- https://sites.google.com/site/onlineteachingstrategies/virtualicebreakers
Tools
https://sites.google.com/a/boisestate.edu/cooltools/assistive-technology
Free Storytelling link
https://elearningindustry.com/18-free-digital-storytelling-tools-for-teachers-and-students
Concept Maps Free tool link
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/18-free-mind-mapping-tools-for-teachers.html
Websites
https://prezi.com
https://quizlet.com
https://www.wikispaces.com
Sunday, 3 April 2016
Summarizing my online learning
The
development of an effective online course
The way to
develop an effective online course is to understand the learner takes on more
responsibility in their learning. The instructor becomes a mentor to the online
learner. The
online community built does take more effort as the instructor orchestrates
this now. Conrad and Donaldson state “planning and utilizing activities that
assist a learner in moving through the developmental phases of engaged learning
ensures that learners are motivated and able to successfully interact and
collaborate in an online learning environment and eventually engage in
independent knowledge building (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, p. 14). This is
very encouraging because it shares the fundamental plan to help learners share
and be involved in their learning.
My online
learning experience
The difference of being in class to
online is a lot. As the students find ways to feel unattached to the people
online then the content of the course. It is the drive and goals that help
students understand the growth of change to an online student is at their
reach. Or not if they choose to feel discouraged that they do not complete the
course online. This frustration is and was a big issue for me, as I felt
discouraged of myself. It took an understanding that it was up to me and all my
excuses to get motivated. This internal lesson changed me to understand there
is a way to be successful and that was to recognize my weaknesses and take hold
of my time.
I would like to address the issue of
knowing how difficult it is to not feel discouraged. I think to acknowledge
this in the online course and then resolve any issues that may occur will be
another journey of trying to find activities that may help online learners. I
think for now it would be to see if a personal email to students at the first
quarter point might be beneficial to see how they are feeling with the
workload.
The workload of the online course
will have to be thought out. If the course is not balanced with the amount of
work needed to finish a course it feels like the little assignments become
rationalized. Students will ‘gamble’ to themselves and ask ‘do I need to hand
this in it is only 5%?’ That is one of my goals is to ensure students are
getting the information and course objectives with the assigned activities and
assignments.
Insights about
online learning experience
I have gained the knowledge that an
effective online course has to follow a quality guideline as you do for an in
class course. The public gains so much access to information online that the
importance of ensuring you are producing and executing an effective online
course is the main goal of an online instructor.
The learner needs to have various tech
tools to help interpret information which acknowledges there is many ways a learner
can receive information As this is the case for the way you deliver different
methods of teaching for the different learners.
Application
to the online course
There are necessary
phases needed to create an effective online course. The “Phases of
Engagement 1 to 4” (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, p. 9) are laid out such as
the expectation of joining in on the online community, working in groups then
moving ahead to the tasks at hand is now incorporated in the online format.
They are active knowledge generators who assume responsibility for constructing
and managing their own learning experience (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, p.
5). The student’s role has changed in many ways and as instructors we have to
access the growing pains of working in a new format. To ask the questions of
comfort level and addressing different learners and generations to work through
the information and course in order to have all students more involved in their
online learning. The guidelines provided in this course have given me an
understanding the necessary steps and tools needed to develop an effective
online course.
References
Conrad, R. & Donaldson, (2011). Engaging the
Online Learner: activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated
ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-‐Bass.
10 best practices for eLearning
Best practice 1
"Be present at the course site. I
would like to be available to the students." This will be indicated
with a recorded welcome video using 'Screen-O-Matic' and written information of
my contact information and availability.
Best practice 2
"Create a supportive online course
community." There would be an icebreaker activity. Also an area where
fellow students can have discussions such as a 'water cooler' area.
Best practice 3
"Develop a set of explicit
expectations for your learners and yourself as to how you will communicate and
how much time students should be working on the course each week." (Boettcher
& Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) Having these quality guidelines will ensure
the students to best reach you and their partners. Let the students set up
meetings with each other and ensure they know the deadline of each
assignment with a course outline assignment schedule.
Best practice 4
"Use a variety of large group small
group, and individual work experiences." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg.
36, 2010) Once the ice breaker(s) have been completed and the students know the
process of communicating and interacting will be with partners and small group
work. Can have partners work on a project using 'Wikispaces' or 'Prezi'. There
would be an assignment rubric which indicates which tasks such as pre
reading in textbooks, chapter available to read for the students. I would
give examples of tech tools they may use in order for the students to know that
their expectations are.
Best practice 5
"Use synchronous and asynchronous
activities." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010).
This activity
which students can participate in (different log in times) asynchronous
activity is “IRA’s (Insights, Resource Sharing and Applications” (Conrad
& Donaldson, 2011, pg. 88) Instructions for this activity are to; "Start this activity before a case
scenario. Post an IRA in a discussion board. The Insight section you create
bullet points from the reading (approx. one sentence each). This is your
insight. Grab them during your readings and be prepared to summarize them
briefly on the discussion board. Share one other resource that amplifies themes
form the assigned reading. Cite your Resource using APA give one more than one
or two sentences about how this resource is relevant to the assigned readings
and discussion. Then for the Application provide a one-paragraph example form
current clinical or past experience. This captures your thoughts about how the
reading is related to something that is currently happening or something from
your clinical past. Does the reading validate your insights about a particular
event or situation help to clarify what a different approach may have looked
like?" (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, pg. 88) The activity enables students to learn
and share material and their thoughts of the knowledge. “The ability to
critically think, evaluate and share perception.” (Conrad & Donaldson,
2011, pg. 90) The students are actively learning and sharing insights for this
activity.
Best practice 6
"Ask for informal feedback early in
the term." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) A check in activity
can be completed in a form of an email or multiple question style
survey.
Best practice 7
"Prepare discussion posts that
invite responses, questions, discussions and reflections." (Boettcher
& Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) An activity "I didn't know that."
(Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, pg.87) The instructors will get students to
add to a "discussion thread where you post something new that you've
learned this week, either from another student, from the text or from class
discussions. Indicate how you will use the new information."(Conrad &
Donaldson, 2011, pg.87) This brings the student to reflect on the course
material but most importantly is the critical thought of what they will do
with the information.
Best practice 8
"Search out and use content
resources that are available in digital format if possible." (Boettcher
& Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) Contact your library resources, as there may be
online resources available to use in online courses. There are copyright
guidelines to ensure there are no copyright infringements in your online
course. Below is the Canadian government site, which give you the basics of
copyright.
Also here is an article about copyright
in online courses; Copyright Issues in Online Courses: A moment in Time
from Athabasca University written by Lori-Ann Claerhout. http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch9.html
Best practice 9
"Combine core concept learning with
customized and personalized learning." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg.
36, 2010) A reflective paper on what was learned and how will you use the
information in your life.
Best practice 10
"Plan a good closing and wrap
activity for the course." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) Can
ask the students what were the key highlights and frustrations with
examples.
References
Boettcher, J. & Conrad, R. (2010). The
online teaching survival guide: simple and
practical pedagogical tips. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
(2015). A guide to copyright. Retrieved from http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipoInternet-Internetopic.nsf/eng/h_wr02281.html
Claerhout, Lori-Ann, (2004). Copyright
Issues in Online Courses: A moment in Time. Athabasca University.
Retrieved from http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch9.html
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