October 26, 2011

I took a course relating to the Respondus program.  Creating tests in Respondus is much more simplistic than creating tests in Blackboard. 
You also have the ability to import tests created in other programs, such as Word.  The learning objectives for the class were as follows:

• Creation of Tests in Various Formats

• Importing Existing Tests from Other Programs

• Retrieving Questions from One Class to Another

• Utilizing the Companion Programs Study Mate and Respondus Lockdown

October 26: 12:30- 4:00 pm

Sandra and I finalized the framework for the class in the School of Nursing to include the Echo 360 Lecture Capture Software.  We stuck to our original plan to infuse more project based activity into the class and make learning more actively student centered.  

The professor normally uses the traditional teacher centric approach where learning is structured through reading assignments, lectures, and tests.  We thought group work using tech tools; such as, online discussion boards and wikis would be appropriate because the students could work together to analyze information and construct knowledge through collaboration.  
 
One concern I had about the class was the amount of information included in a somewhat short timeframe.  To successfully achieve deep learning, students must have the information grouped into meaningful chunks and feel comfortable with the pace of instruction.  I thought the students might find the present class structure overwhelming which of course leads to negative effects and loss of motivation.   By working through teams, it should create a more comfortable learning environment.     
 
Because, the class is set up on lecture, students must possess adequate note taking skills to succeed.   Most people will agree that note taking is difficult at times.  A person normally speaks between 125- 150 words per minute.  People certainly cannot write or type that quickly, so important information may easily be missed.  The lecture captures will give the student the ability to go back through the lecture at her/his own pace and access the information as many times as needed.  Students with learning disabilities and students that use English as a second language would benefit greatly from the ability to watch the lecture content after class.  With the lecture capture resource, students no longer have to be stenographers to succeed. 
 
In summary, we determined the professor could utilize a bank of lecture captures to add more flexibility to her instruction, by having the students access the lecture in sections from home and utilizing class time for more active learning activities.  She could also utilize lecture capture for demonstrations, guest speakers, and cross reference lecture captures from other relevant courses.   

We decided to suggest the professor balance her grading structure by giving more points to group activities or project work as opposed to the bulk of the grading being caught up in tests.  Lecture capture should make the learning environment less stressful and offer the teacher flexible means to create more active based learning within her/his class. If used efficiently, lecture capture can be a tool to promote active, process oriented, student centered learning.


For more information on lecture capture check out the link below:
www.lecturecapture.com

October 21, 2011

On October 21, 2011 I attended “Blackboard Assessments” in the Developing and Delivering Online Instruction Certification Program.

The following learning objectives were covered :

·         Creating Tests

·         Deploying Tests

·         Grading Tests

·         Creating Advanced Questions

·         Creating Question Sets/Pools

·         Creating Surveys

Multiple test question formats were discussed; such as, true/false, multiple choice/answer, fill in the blank, essay, and hotspot.  The instructor also demonstrated how to assign and override test grades in the Grade Center and how to view test statistics.   The four types of metadata were briefly discussed and how to add them to questions.

Later in the day, I spent the afternoon with an AUM instructional designer brainstorming ideas for the use of Echo360 lecture capture for a professor in the School of Nursing.  The professor would like to use the program to record full lectures.  She wants the lectures available as an online resource for the students.  She also wanted other ideas to enhance the learning experience for students.  The course is structured using the traditional teacher centric model where the teacher directs learning and is the active participant and the student the passive.  We thought it would be more productive to add group activity and possibly use the lecture capture program not only to record class lectures, but also to record demonstrations and presentations by guest speakers.  Another idea was to form groups, assign team roles, and task the students with a research project and eventually have the students present their findings in class where the presentations might be recorded through the lecture capture software.

I found an interesting article at the link below where the program is being used to allow students to access the lectures as homework.  The students are then prepared for more active participation in class through discussions and project work.  Many people criticize this use because they think the online lectures are long and tedious.  I agree that Professors should try and break the lectures down into segments/chunks for easier assimilation; however, those (in class) lectures can be just as long and tedious.  So, I think the idea has merit.  Many students would appreciate the ability to access the lectures asynchronously and enjoy more time in class for active participation and project work.   

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/lecture-capture-can-change-classroom-dynamics-for-the-better/

October 20, 2011

I attended “Quality Standards for Online Courses” in the Developing and Delivering Online Instruction Certification Program at AUM.  The course covered the subject of quality in online instruction.  One major point was that online instruction like any designed learning event is based on measurable outcomes.

The instructor encouraged class discussion on whether we thought Online Learning is an art, science, or craft.  At first I thought craft might be more appropriate because I see teaching as a learned skill; however, science fits as well because teaching involves obtaining professional knowledge through experimentation and observation.  Most of the class chose science.  However, I believe it takes art (visual), science (structure), and craft (skill) to design quality online learning.

A checklist should be followed when designing online courses and the following elements considered:

·         Structure

·         Design

·         Pre-Course Communication

·         Syllabus & Course Information

·         Course Activities

·         Assessments

·         Learner Support

·         Quality Assurance

In summary, online courses should be usable to the student and the instructor.  It should be easy to navigate, simple, and consistent to avoid confused results.

October 14, 2011

On October 14 I attended a course relating to Echo360 lecture capture software.  Lecture software is any technology that allows instructors to record what happens in their classrooms and make it available digitally.  Audio, computer content, and video of the instructor may be recorded using the program. 

I can’t help but think about the time saved by recording lectures.  A teacher could record a bank of classroom lectures during a full face to face class and then utilize the lectures in a future hybrid or blended class.  By doing this, the teacher’s schedule opens up a bit to allow more time for other job related activities.  Another benefit is the ability for teachers to share lectures through the bank to other related disciplines.  Students that access the lectures can manipulate the video…speeding it up or down to find information they may have missed in class or didn’t understand right away. 

It seems to add flexibility to face to face or blended courses. 

The downside is how the recordings will be managed.  How will the recordings be stored and for how long?  What policies will apply?  Another consideration relates to copyright issues as to who owns the intellectual property. 

October 11, 2011

I collaborated with an instructional designer today and developed ideas for the use of a Netbook in an undergraduate writing class.  The Netbooks will be used in a face to face classroom.  According to (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010) a web facilitated course uses web-based technology; such as a CMS to facilitate a face to face course.  The instructor in this case plans to utilize Blackboard tools in a face to face class setting.  We developed five ways the Netbooks could be used.

After looking at course learning objectives, we determined that online concept mapping through a program like bubbl.us or mindmeister would be an effective tool to visualize the organization of ideas related to the construction and deconstruction of an argument.   This activity will be important to a student’s understanding of debate and how to effectively research the pro’s and con’s of a topic to better build a case for their viewpoint in the final project which is to write a persuasion paper.  The brainstorming tool could be used by student/students independently or used as a collaborative tool in group activity.  The instructor would like the students to be capable of writing a persuasion paper by course end.  

Other uses for the Netbook are to set up a backchannel through Twitter and Tweetdeck for students to use during class to express research findings or for shy students to express thoughts that they would otherwise refrain from.

The instructor is using a textbook associated with a computer lab, so we thought it would be a good idea to use the activities in the online comp lab during class as a compliment to textbook readings.

We also thought it would be a good idea to utilize the Webquest concept during class…by perhaps giving students a learning objective and having the students research the topic independently or with a group.

It would also be a great idea to give students a list of web resources to access as needed during class. 

I found a link on the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) website forwarding me to a good presentation by Tom Barrett called “12 Interesting Ways to Use a Netbook in Class.”  Check out the link below:

http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2008/11/29/interesting-ways-to-use-netbooks-in-the-classroom/

I also attended a Webinar on Selecting and Using Technologies in Online & Blended Courses.  Content was presented by Tony Bates, the President and CEO of Tony Bates Associates Ltd., a private consulting company specializing in the training and management of e-learning and distance education.

Mr. Bates went over a list of considerations when choosing technologies for learning.  He used an acronym “Sections.”

·         Students

·         Ease of Use

·         Costs

·         Teaching

·         Interaction

·         Organization

·         Novelty

·         Speed & Security

Questions that must be considered when choosing technology:

The students are the most important consideration. 

Do they have the motivation and computer ability/access to succeed?  What are their learning styles?  Do they have disabilities?  What are their life schedules (work, home)?

Do the technologies possess ease of use for the student and instructor? Is the technology reliable and easy to maintain? 

What are the cost categories, drivers, and structures and how are costs estimated?

What teaching styles and skills do the teachers possess? 

The types of interaction are important as well.  He discusses the four types of interaction…student-teacher, student-student, student- learning materials, and student- with him/herself.

Organizational influences impact technologies used.  Does the organization have the support structure to utilize technology?

Does the technology have the novelty to attract attention and support?

Are students identities protected?  Is technology fast enough to be effective?

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

Online Teaching Certification Program: September 28th

I attended another course in the Online Teaching Certification Program on September 28, 2011.  The course called (Blackboard:  Communicating with Students) focused on the set up and management of communication tools within Blackboard.   In this class I achieved the following learning objectives:

·         How to Add Announcements

·         How to Choose/Set-up Email or Messages for Course Communication

·         How to Create/Edit Calendar

·         How to Create a Syllabus or Upload an Existing Syllabus Document

·         How to Navigate the Discussion Board from the Student and Instructor View

·         How to Create Discussion Forums/Threads

·         How to Assign Discussion Forum Roles & Moderate Posts

·         How to Collect/Tag Posts & Assign Grades

·         How to Create Effective Questions for the Discussion Board

September 28, 2011

On September 28, 2011 I spent the day at AUM.  I attended a meeting between the Information Services group and faculty from the School of Liberal Arts.  The meeting was called to brainstorm the potential use or viability of iPads within several undergraduate classes in the English department.  The faculty wanted to use the iPads to encourage more effective communication literacy skills, offer better research opportunities, and greater visual appeal in learning for face to face classes.  Hardware, software, and security program costs were discussed, as well as, the pros and cons of the iPads in relation to how faculty planned to use the technology within the classroom. 

It was determined fairly quickly that Netbooks are more viable, because they actually possess a processor, more memory, and a raised keyboard for easier typing.  The Liberal Arts faculty proposed to use the equipment on a check in/out basis and made the decision to go ahead with the purchase.  They planned to test the technology with  a few pilot classes and collect feedback through some type of online survey. 

After the meeting, Sandra and I discussed potential uses for the Netbooks in relation to collaboration between students during face to face interaction.  We talked about many programs that might be utilized through the technology.  Students could use an online meeting room; such as, Wimba, Yugma, Elluminate, or DimDim to share information during group activity.  Because of privacy concerns, we agreed it might be best to utilize Blackboard tools; such as, Wimba Classroom, Discussion Boards, Blogs, & Wikis to collaborate in class or from home.    Blackboard has elements that might be utilized in any setting…face to face, hybrid, or online.

We also talked about the research potential and motivational aspect for in-class use of the Netbook.  We concurred that it would be a fun way to add visual elements to the classroom experience.  Many students would also enjoy the technology because it would give them immediate access to information and would allow them a greater ability to organize the information as opposed to the traditional paper notebook.  I completely agree.  As someone who has (at times) had difficulty reading her own scribbled notes…the Netbook might be an attractive alternative to paper notebook chaos.  On the other hand…people speak on average 125-150 words per minute.  I am not aware of anyone that can type 125 to 150 words per minute…maybe a court stenographer? 

Many students have limited physical mobility or lack typing skills to actually use a Netbook for taking in-class notes.  However, the Instructor could very well give students the choice of how they want to take notes.  This would certainly ease the stress level within the class.  Another recommendation I had was to offer any pre-class training that would help a student feel more comfortable with the equipment.    

I found interesting information related to the use of Netbooks in the learning environment at the following link:

ISTE: Netbook

September 23, 2011

On September 23, 2011 I spent the afternoon with Sandra Vigilant.  We resized and embedded images in Blackboard for one professor.  We also embedded  videos for a liberal arts professor within his course content.  We had a few issues with html and had to adjust the code to allow the videos to open in another window.  

Later in the afternoon we used the Respondus program to import several quizzes into Blackboard.  Respondus is a Windows based desktop quiz making program that allows you the option to create Blackboard quizzes/surveys offline.  The quizzes were originally created in Microsoft Word.  Sandra demonstrated how to pull the quizzes into Respondus, edit and from there import into Blackboard. 

Online Teaching Certification Program: September 22nd & 23rd

On September 22 and 23rd, I attended two AUM faculty professional developmental courses in the Online Teaching Certification Program for a total of six hours.  The 1^st course in the series entitled “Blackboard Basics and Presenting Content” was designed to introduce the novice online instructor to the Blackboard CMS interface.    In this class I achieved the following learning objectives:

·         How to Create the Course Menu

·         How to Add/Hide Tools

·         How to Create Content Areas & Add/Organize Content

·         How to Add/Organize Links

·         How to Add Textbook Information

·         How to Create a Learning Module

·         How to Utilize Mashups and Add URLs & Tests to a Learning Module

·         How to Create Web-Friendly Content

The second course in the series entitled “Blackboard:  Assignments, Groups, and Grade Center,” focused more on how to create collaborative groups and how to manipulate the grade center.  The following learning objectives were achieved.

·         How to Create/Edit/Review Grade Assignments

·         How to Create/Manage Single Groups & Group Sets

·         How to Create Group Assignments

·         How to Navigate the Grade Center Interface

   

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a free open source library of over 2,400 videos covering everything from basic math to calculus, finance, civics, history, science and the list goes on and on.  The site also offers fun brain teasers and over 150 practice exercises!  The site offers the share feature so videos may be shared through email, Facebook, and Twitter.  Lessons may also be downloaded.

Sandra found several good videos to use for the class dealing with the French Revolution.  The professor liked them and will possibly have us add the link to his Blackboard class. 

 Check out the French Revolution at the link below!
French Revolution (Part 1) 

September 14, 2011

On day 3 of my practicum, Sandra and I worked to develop questions for a graduate level MLA class’s discussion board.  The questions pertained to material from last weeks’ video lecture.  The lecture dealt with an interpretation of a book related to the experiences of a Holocaust survivor. Because of the subject matter, we both agreed that it would be better to ask open ended questions that encourage students to seek more information and link concepts.  Developing problem solving questions designed to create cognitive dissonance was my first choice. 

The topic is from a dark and often controversial period of history; therefore, we wanted to provoke discomfort and possibly uncover misconceptions through classroom participation through the discussion board.  We agreed that questions pertaining to themes of survival, fate/chance, poverty and religion in relation to individual and group behavior would garner a productive discussion.

We also recommended that the professor task the students to not only answer the series of questions, but to actively respond to at least two other students to encourage intelligent discourse on the topic.  In the online environment students can still gain the benefits of peer interaction through the discussion board.  By actively engaging in an online discussion thread, students can gain new insight from the different perspectives and knowledge/experiences of their peers.

I was surprised to see that the professor does not grade participation on the discussion board.  As a matter of fact, it is really unclear how students are graded.  The class is very structured online, but there are a few missing elements that I would recommend the professor do to make the learning environment more comfortable and organized.  I would clearly state learning objectives, grading protocol, and include a calendar for class activity on the syllabus. 

According to Knowles’s andragogy a number of things are needed in systems designed for adults; such as, clear course descriptions, learning objectives, resources, and timelines for events (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009).  I also suggested the professor might want to try a rubric to give the students some guidance on expectations about class participation through the discussion board.  I mentioned Rubistar which is a free online tool with many different templates.  Another link to help a teacher learn how to create rubrics is  http://712educators.about.com/od/rubrics/Rubrics_Writing_and_Grading_Rubrics.htm.

The professor also sent various media for Week 6.  He sent a PowerPoint with audio and a script in Microsoft Word.  The PowerPoint consisted of inserted images with very little text with the exception of headers.  We discussed how we could bring all the media together and appeal to visual/audio and verbal learning preferences. 

The pixilation of the images were not very clear because they were stretched to fill the entire slide.  We copied, resized, and pasted the images, into the actual script.  Our idea was to convert the Word document to PDF for easier reading and have a separate audio file for students to listen along as the professor read through the material.  After listening to the audio files, Sandra decided she would like to clean up the audio WAV files through Audacity. 

Audacity is a free open source audio editing/recording program.  It allows you to manipulate digital audio files in many formats including WAV, AIFF, MP3, and Ogg Vorbis.  You can record or import files and perform editing functions; such as, cut, copy, paste, delete, insert silence, duplicate, and split.  You can also customize the playback rate for each track.  Important note:  The LAME MP3 encoder plug-in is necessary to export MP3 files with the Audacity program. 

References

Simonson, M., Smalding, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4^th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Retrieved September 15, 2011 from http://712educators.about.com/od/rubrics/Rubrics_Writing_and_Grading_Rubrics.htm.

September 6, 2011

Activities:

I spent 4 hours with at AUM.  We met with a liberal arts professor at the new communications lab in the Liberal Arts Building to video a one hour lecture pertaining to a book review for a graduate level course.  Sandra has been working with the professor in the development of one of his classes online.  She is presently in the third week and has invited me to assist her in the final development of the class on Blackboard. 

We recommended that we split the hour long lecture into four 15 minute segments, because of file size.  We also thought it would be easier for students to process the information in chunks.  The professor agreed.  We shot the video and afterwards we discussed how we could improve the experience for future tapings. 

This was Sandra’s first time actually videoing a lecture.  Most professors send video files and have her add them to Blackboard.  It was also the professor’s first time making a video lecture, so there were a few glitches in the process.  I recommended Sandra have a short planning meeting before the next video and she agreed.  Because the video was spontaneous, it was difficult for the professor to make his point at the end of each segment and transition to his next point.  I thought some type of outline or simple script might be added next time to create a more polished product.  Sandra also made a good point when she suggested that the entire book didn’t necessarily have to be reviewed in the video…only the key elements.   Because students were tasked to read the book, they should make connections on their own. 

Discussion:

After making the video, Sandra and I analyzed the first three weeks of the professor’s class and both concluded the online version is very teacher centric with little to no collaboration between students.  Students are expected to read the textbook, watch the lecture videos, and answer questions through a discussion board.  It is a very traditional approach; however, because it is adult learning and a graduate level class, I recommended that a more student centered approach might be more effective.  According to Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek (2009), the student-centered approach works well with distance education programs, mainly because adult learners like to be active and engaged in the learning process. 

As for the discussion threads, it is obvious the professor uses the discussion board as formative assessment to determine student comprehension of content throughout the course.  Sandra noticed the students were not necessarily encouraged to actually discuss content through the threads, but simple answer questions related to content.   Some students probably do read other student interpretations of information to possibly gain another perspective, but there really isn’t any active interaction in the threads.   

Sandra and I plan to propose more interaction/collaboration between students.  I mentioned threaded discussion through a program such as Voicethread to Sandra.  I explained that asynchronous communication through Voicethread would possibly appeal more to “visual/audio” learners instead of the more “verbal” discussion threads the class is now using.  As long as class size is around 20 – 25 people Voicethread should be an effective technology to establish a “community of understanding.”  The professor must also ensure the thread stays on track and erroneous information is not shared (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009).

References:

Simonson, M., Smalding, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4^th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Adobe Captivate

I have dedicated myself to Adobe Captivate tutorials today.  I have a video training DVD for version 4.  Captivate is a great program for designing/developing product demonstrations, simulations, quizzes, elearning content, games, podcasts, and screencasts.  The program is somewhat complex, but it shouldn’t take very long to grasp the basics and build upon that.  I look forward to using this program!