The creation of curricula that doesn't just interest your students, but engages them as well, can be a challenge for many instructors. It is often tempting to simply attempt to "pour" information into the heads of the students, but educational research has shown that the application of information is one of the most valuable learning tools. It's also easier in most cases to recycle existing curricula rather than creating your own.
When given the opportunity to develop their own curricula, many teachers and professors take the easy way out, and devise lectures, power points and reading assignments. However, a large amount of research has been done showing that simply giving the information to students is not sufficient. The students must also have the opportunity to apply the information they are given.
One of the most effective ways of helping students to apply their knowledge is to have them discuss aspects of the information in class or via chat boards in online classes. For example, in a class on feminism, a discussion about how women in the 1890s would have impacted the political process without the vote would be a good followup to a presentation about suffrage.
Another option would be having the class work in groups on a project. Using the previous example again, having the students work in groups to write biographies of the men and women involved in the first wave of feminism would help them to absorb the information they have learned.
Additionally, teachers often rely on items created by other educators. While this is unavoidable in some cases, it is better to use other peoples' work as a jumping off point, rather than using it whole cloth.
Of course, time is often a factor in the creation of any curricula. When time is short, its easier to go with simple lesson plans and to pull from other educators' work. That's why its extremely important to give yourself adequate time to develop any kind of lesson plan.
Bouncing your newly designed curricula off people who are not going to be taking the class, but who understand the topic, is a great way to determine if you have met your goals. Of course, it helps if you have different kinds of learners (visual, audio, kinestec) to consider your plans, to ensure that you are accurately meeting the needs of more than one learning type.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Part 2 - Summary Blog
As we progressed through Part 2 of the course, I found I was having a difficult time absorbing concepts and focusing on the work. Sadly, this is because, like many other people, my job situation is in flux. The laying off of two people in my office resulted in both my stress and my work load increasing, stealing my attention away from class.
However, I found that the items we were studying we interesting enough to yank my attention back when time permitted it. I was again reminded that prior to this class, I had no formal education training. While I continue to want to know the "how" of teaching online classes, I once again found the "why" of education to be valuable.
Unit 6 -- Online Portfolios
As I mentioned in the discussion boards, both as a former journalist and a current marketing professional, I found the idea of online portfolios to be a valuable one.
In terms of education, students are able to go back to their previous work to see what they have accomplished and how they have progressed over the time in class. Professors can also view a student's overall work, rather than focusing only on current accomplishments. I feel that the concept of the online portfolio is a valuable one.
Unit 7 -- Learning Theories and Instructional Concepts
Using mini cases to apply the topics was a fantastic way to delve more deeply into learning theories. I have mentioned before that I am a "hands on" learner. For me, applying the items we were learning about was a great help in understanding the concepts.
Earlier in Part 1 we used our own classes/workshops as case studies. I would love to have delved more deeply into learning theories and instruction concepts by formally considering how those would apply to the classes that I am teaching as well as to the case study classes.
Unit 8 -- Online Pedagogy
This was a unit that I got very bogged down in. I'm not sure why, but for some reason, the 7 principles just didn't want to compute and I got very frustrated.
Once I broke past the frustration, I found the concepts to be interesting, but perhaps somewhat outdated. I think applying the concepts to my own class-in-development helped me to wrap my mind around the principles themselves.
Using a case study (in this case my Feminism in Media class) helped me to better apply the concepts and to think about them more deeply.
Unit 9 -- Online Technology
I had a great time with this section, although I didn't have the time to spend on it that I had for our first project. It was a pleasure working with my group again on another project.
As I think I mentioned in the discussion board, working with Wiki Wetpaint was an interesting experience. Formating text in the "easy edit" box was not as "easy" as the name might lead you to think, but being able to comment on each other's items by adding items in a different color font or by using discussion board posts was very helpful.
The project itself was very helpful, especially the development of the rubric for reviewing websites. I found that a lot of websites fell within the "good" category. It took at lot of effort to find some that fell into "exemplary."
Overall, I have been pleased with Part 2 as a whole, and the problems I am having I believe are being caused by outside forces, not by the class itself.
However, I found that the items we were studying we interesting enough to yank my attention back when time permitted it. I was again reminded that prior to this class, I had no formal education training. While I continue to want to know the "how" of teaching online classes, I once again found the "why" of education to be valuable.
Unit 6 -- Online Portfolios
As I mentioned in the discussion boards, both as a former journalist and a current marketing professional, I found the idea of online portfolios to be a valuable one.
In terms of education, students are able to go back to their previous work to see what they have accomplished and how they have progressed over the time in class. Professors can also view a student's overall work, rather than focusing only on current accomplishments. I feel that the concept of the online portfolio is a valuable one.
Unit 7 -- Learning Theories and Instructional Concepts
Using mini cases to apply the topics was a fantastic way to delve more deeply into learning theories. I have mentioned before that I am a "hands on" learner. For me, applying the items we were learning about was a great help in understanding the concepts.
Earlier in Part 1 we used our own classes/workshops as case studies. I would love to have delved more deeply into learning theories and instruction concepts by formally considering how those would apply to the classes that I am teaching as well as to the case study classes.
Unit 8 -- Online Pedagogy
This was a unit that I got very bogged down in. I'm not sure why, but for some reason, the 7 principles just didn't want to compute and I got very frustrated.
Once I broke past the frustration, I found the concepts to be interesting, but perhaps somewhat outdated. I think applying the concepts to my own class-in-development helped me to wrap my mind around the principles themselves.
Using a case study (in this case my Feminism in Media class) helped me to better apply the concepts and to think about them more deeply.
Unit 9 -- Online Technology
I had a great time with this section, although I didn't have the time to spend on it that I had for our first project. It was a pleasure working with my group again on another project.
As I think I mentioned in the discussion board, working with Wiki Wetpaint was an interesting experience. Formating text in the "easy edit" box was not as "easy" as the name might lead you to think, but being able to comment on each other's items by adding items in a different color font or by using discussion board posts was very helpful.
The project itself was very helpful, especially the development of the rubric for reviewing websites. I found that a lot of websites fell within the "good" category. It took at lot of effort to find some that fell into "exemplary."
Overall, I have been pleased with Part 2 as a whole, and the problems I am having I believe are being caused by outside forces, not by the class itself.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Perspectives of Online Learning -- Self-Selected Blog Topic
I work at a technologically stunted company.
In the trade show industry, there are dozens of new computer-based products and services on the market. From virtual show directories to touch screen maps to "Twitter" style communications programs, new and exciting things are happening.
The company I work for still uses an DOS-based financial system for their shows. The new and exciting things are simply NOT happening there.
This makes me wonder, a lot, about the technological wonders we are seeing in education and how many of them ever actually reach the students.
I know there are universities that are solely online. And I know that universities like GSU and Olivette offer online courses. But are those schools taking full advantage of everything that is available.
The trade show company I work for has websites for their shows. They use blast emails to market, sometimes to excess. But they are not using Facebook or My Space or Twitter or any of the other services that could "sell" the show in other methods.
I think part of the problem stems from the fact that the owners of the company are some of the least technical people I have ever met. They don't understand the technology, so they ignore it and assume no one who attends their shows gets it either.
For f2f classes and online classes, colleges have the ability to reach multiple students with a single click through email, text messaging and robocalling. These technologies are essential for emergency situations.
But are colleges -- and by extension, professors -- making any better use of technology than the company I work for?
Programs like the Certificate in Online Teaching hopefully open more eyes to how tech can be used and manipulated to better serve the students. It would be interesting to know, however, what percentage of professors are using the technology, what percentage of universities either offer or pay for the technology, and the age and gender of the instructors who are interested in using tech.
As education -- and trade shows -- moves further and further into technology, I think its important that those who are recalitrant users are coaxed along into the 21st Century. The more I study this topic, the more I am realizing how sadly underused some of the options are.
In the trade show industry, there are dozens of new computer-based products and services on the market. From virtual show directories to touch screen maps to "Twitter" style communications programs, new and exciting things are happening.
The company I work for still uses an DOS-based financial system for their shows. The new and exciting things are simply NOT happening there.
This makes me wonder, a lot, about the technological wonders we are seeing in education and how many of them ever actually reach the students.
I know there are universities that are solely online. And I know that universities like GSU and Olivette offer online courses. But are those schools taking full advantage of everything that is available.
The trade show company I work for has websites for their shows. They use blast emails to market, sometimes to excess. But they are not using Facebook or My Space or Twitter or any of the other services that could "sell" the show in other methods.
I think part of the problem stems from the fact that the owners of the company are some of the least technical people I have ever met. They don't understand the technology, so they ignore it and assume no one who attends their shows gets it either.
For f2f classes and online classes, colleges have the ability to reach multiple students with a single click through email, text messaging and robocalling. These technologies are essential for emergency situations.
But are colleges -- and by extension, professors -- making any better use of technology than the company I work for?
Programs like the Certificate in Online Teaching hopefully open more eyes to how tech can be used and manipulated to better serve the students. It would be interesting to know, however, what percentage of professors are using the technology, what percentage of universities either offer or pay for the technology, and the age and gender of the instructors who are interested in using tech.
As education -- and trade shows -- moves further and further into technology, I think its important that those who are recalitrant users are coaxed along into the 21st Century. The more I study this topic, the more I am realizing how sadly underused some of the options are.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
PART 1 Course Review
Looking back at what I have learned in Part 1 of this class, I am reminded that when I began the class I had neither taken nor taught an online class. In fact, I had only taught a single college level workshop.
I came into the class expecting it to be more technical and less theoretical than it has been. I think I anticipated much more detail on the "how" of online teaching as opposed to the "why."
Because I do not have an education background, the "why" has been extremely useful to me.
UNIT 1
I enjoyed navigating the basics of WebCT and learning how the system worked. Using the discussion boards extensively was new to me and I found the html formatting to be somewhat challenging.
The creation of the blog and reading my classmates' blogs was a great way to try out that technology and to see how it could be integrated into classes, both F2F and online.
UNIT 2 - Constructivism and High-Tech/High-Touch
Constructivism
Reading the information on Constructivism was almost an eerie experience for me. Suddenly, I had a name for the way I learn best.
I may not have known the correct term, but prior to this class I knew that I have always disliked courses where the focus was on the memorization of facts, numbers, statistics or terms. I learn better when I am reading about new ideas, then applying the knowledge, creating new applications with the knowledge or using the knowledge to think about things differently.
It seems to me that constructivism would be an excellent teaching method for online learning because the format encourages students to process information and apply it based on their own knowledge. The interactive nature of the online course (discussion boards, blog, chat, etc) makes this kind of inquiry education almost essential.
High-tech/High-touch
I think that online learning runs the risk of becoming depersonalized unless items like discussion boards and the online introductions are used. It would be very easy to immerse oneself in the "nitty gritty" of the information and never go farther than the technical details.
The fact that we have been studying the "why" of online education rather than the "how" thus far seems to me to be a further indication of the importance of creating "high-touch" classes.
UNIT 3 - Online Learning/Mini Case
I enjoyed looking at my self-created workshop, Media & Self-Esteem, in a different way. Since I had only taught the course once, it wasn't difficult to contemplate how it could become an online or hybrid class. I think if I had already taught the class multiple times, I might have been more resistant to making those kinds of changes.
Because this class is already scheduled for S/S 09, I am considering if I can offer it as a hybrid class for Fall 09. I am attempting to apply the high-touch concepts to the actual creation of such a class by considering the use of discussion boards and possibly chats.
UNIT 4- Learning Styles, Accessibility & Group Project
Learning Styles
My DVC results showed that I was Visual/Nonverbal but hovering around Visual/Verbal, while my Felder-Soloman Results were Active and Intuitive, and balanced between Visual/Verbal and Global.
As I said when I saw the results originally, this seems accurate to me. I have always been a visual learner who benefits from having "pictures" as well as words when being taught.
I actually considered these results this past weekend when I was teaching a class last minute. In addition to lecturing on some subjects, I added PPT presentations for my more visual learners and also included some role playing. I think my lessons therefore reached a wider variety of learning styles than I would have normally.
Accessibility
I continue to think that online learning can be extremely beneficial for people with accessibility issues. I do however agree with some of my fellow students that attempting to be universally accessible will add an extra layer of work for us as teachers.
Group Project
I think the group text chat we scheduled made a huge difference in smoothing out any potential rough edges or personality conflicts.
Everyone was very engaged with the project and had insightful suggestions.
All in all, I thought it was a good assignment and that group work is definitely "doable" in the online environment. However, I think that directions need to be extremely clear. As I mentioned on the discussion board, it seemed like different groups interpreted the assignment in different ways.
UNIT 5 - Teaching Styles
According to the Teaching Styles Inventory, I am tied between Facilitator and Delegator. This seems extremely accurate to me. This weekend, however, I found myself having to assume an expert role in a class I was teaching and found myself "out of my element." It was very much a square-peg, round-hole feeling!
Because I have not taught online yet, I am unsure how my teaching style will translate into online learning. As I have just proven that I am flexible enough to change my style as necessary (no matter how forced it felt to me), I think I will be able to teach online no matter what teaching style I am using.
As we continue onward, I look forward to furthering my knowledge of the "why" of online learning as well as delving into the "how."
I came into the class expecting it to be more technical and less theoretical than it has been. I think I anticipated much more detail on the "how" of online teaching as opposed to the "why."
Because I do not have an education background, the "why" has been extremely useful to me.
UNIT 1
I enjoyed navigating the basics of WebCT and learning how the system worked. Using the discussion boards extensively was new to me and I found the html formatting to be somewhat challenging.
The creation of the blog and reading my classmates' blogs was a great way to try out that technology and to see how it could be integrated into classes, both F2F and online.
UNIT 2 - Constructivism and High-Tech/High-Touch
Constructivism
Reading the information on Constructivism was almost an eerie experience for me. Suddenly, I had a name for the way I learn best.
I may not have known the correct term, but prior to this class I knew that I have always disliked courses where the focus was on the memorization of facts, numbers, statistics or terms. I learn better when I am reading about new ideas, then applying the knowledge, creating new applications with the knowledge or using the knowledge to think about things differently.
It seems to me that constructivism would be an excellent teaching method for online learning because the format encourages students to process information and apply it based on their own knowledge. The interactive nature of the online course (discussion boards, blog, chat, etc) makes this kind of inquiry education almost essential.
High-tech/High-touch
I think that online learning runs the risk of becoming depersonalized unless items like discussion boards and the online introductions are used. It would be very easy to immerse oneself in the "nitty gritty" of the information and never go farther than the technical details.
The fact that we have been studying the "why" of online education rather than the "how" thus far seems to me to be a further indication of the importance of creating "high-touch" classes.
UNIT 3 - Online Learning/Mini Case
I enjoyed looking at my self-created workshop, Media & Self-Esteem, in a different way. Since I had only taught the course once, it wasn't difficult to contemplate how it could become an online or hybrid class. I think if I had already taught the class multiple times, I might have been more resistant to making those kinds of changes.
Because this class is already scheduled for S/S 09, I am considering if I can offer it as a hybrid class for Fall 09. I am attempting to apply the high-touch concepts to the actual creation of such a class by considering the use of discussion boards and possibly chats.
UNIT 4- Learning Styles, Accessibility & Group Project
Learning Styles
My DVC results showed that I was Visual/Nonverbal but hovering around Visual/Verbal, while my Felder-Soloman Results were Active and Intuitive, and balanced between Visual/Verbal and Global.
As I said when I saw the results originally, this seems accurate to me. I have always been a visual learner who benefits from having "pictures" as well as words when being taught.
I actually considered these results this past weekend when I was teaching a class last minute. In addition to lecturing on some subjects, I added PPT presentations for my more visual learners and also included some role playing. I think my lessons therefore reached a wider variety of learning styles than I would have normally.
Accessibility
I continue to think that online learning can be extremely beneficial for people with accessibility issues. I do however agree with some of my fellow students that attempting to be universally accessible will add an extra layer of work for us as teachers.
Group Project
I think the group text chat we scheduled made a huge difference in smoothing out any potential rough edges or personality conflicts.
Everyone was very engaged with the project and had insightful suggestions.
All in all, I thought it was a good assignment and that group work is definitely "doable" in the online environment. However, I think that directions need to be extremely clear. As I mentioned on the discussion board, it seemed like different groups interpreted the assignment in different ways.
UNIT 5 - Teaching Styles
According to the Teaching Styles Inventory, I am tied between Facilitator and Delegator. This seems extremely accurate to me. This weekend, however, I found myself having to assume an expert role in a class I was teaching and found myself "out of my element." It was very much a square-peg, round-hole feeling!
Because I have not taught online yet, I am unsure how my teaching style will translate into online learning. As I have just proven that I am flexible enough to change my style as necessary (no matter how forced it felt to me), I think I will be able to teach online no matter what teaching style I am using.
As we continue onward, I look forward to furthering my knowledge of the "why" of online learning as well as delving into the "how."
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Reflections on Online Learning - Self-Selected Blog Topic
I think the High Tech/High Touch section was most significant to me. Like many people, I had come into the online course expecting to be somehow separated from my fellow students; as if the monitor was somehow a wall blocking me from truly interacting with them.
Obviously, I couldn't have been more wrong. I have more information about my classmates in this class than I would have learned sitting in a classroom. The introductions and the group project have played a huge part in this difference.
Once I begin teaching online courses, I need to remember that the students coming in may have the same flawed assumption that I did, that they will not get to know their fellow students. As a result, I will have to make sure to provide them with the means to get to know other people in the class through online introductions and the discussion board.
As I said in a previous blog, I think the fact that we are getting into the "human" and educational aspects of online teaching before we start looking at the technical aspects is a huge help.
Obviously, I couldn't have been more wrong. I have more information about my classmates in this class than I would have learned sitting in a classroom. The introductions and the group project have played a huge part in this difference.
Once I begin teaching online courses, I need to remember that the students coming in may have the same flawed assumption that I did, that they will not get to know their fellow students. As a result, I will have to make sure to provide them with the means to get to know other people in the class through online introductions and the discussion board.
As I said in a previous blog, I think the fact that we are getting into the "human" and educational aspects of online teaching before we start looking at the technical aspects is a huge help.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Two Classes for GSU in S/S 09!
I am so excited! Not only will I be teaching my Media & Self-Esteem 1-credit workshop again in the spring, but I am adding a 1-credit workshop on Feminism & the Media. I have the bare-bones outline of the second course, but it's not on the schedule until July, so I have time to get all the ducks lined up.
Of course, this means I will be teaching two classes while also taking one, maybe two, of the Online Learning Certificate classes. And working full time. And raising a family, keeping a house, etc. Thank goodness for my understanding family and my very helpful friends who will help me stay on track. And luckily, I don't travel for work from March through September, so that will be a huge help!
Now I just need to get ready for my Public Speaking non-credit workshop at GSU/Kanakakee in March and the two workshops I am teaching for the Park Forest Park District, and of course ace the Online Learning class......It's a very good thing I have understanding and helpful people to lean on!
:)
I really hope that although these are "face to face" classes, some of what I learn in the Online Learning classes can be applied. From what I've read so far, I believe it will definitely help!
Of course, this means I will be teaching two classes while also taking one, maybe two, of the Online Learning Certificate classes. And working full time. And raising a family, keeping a house, etc. Thank goodness for my understanding family and my very helpful friends who will help me stay on track. And luckily, I don't travel for work from March through September, so that will be a huge help!
Now I just need to get ready for my Public Speaking non-credit workshop at GSU/Kanakakee in March and the two workshops I am teaching for the Park Forest Park District, and of course ace the Online Learning class......It's a very good thing I have understanding and helpful people to lean on!
:)
I really hope that although these are "face to face" classes, some of what I learn in the Online Learning classes can be applied. From what I've read so far, I believe it will definitely help!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Online Learning
My husband completed his entire Master's degree via online courses. At the time, I thought he was crazy. Take all your classes via computer? Never meet your classmates, sit in a classroom or even stir from your comfy chair? No way!
After all, I am a "people person." How could an online class hope to match up to the experience of actually attending school?
Over the past three years, working in the trade show industry, I have participated and conducted webinars, web conferences and teleconferences. As a result, I have learned what my husband figured out when he decided study completely online: remote education is not the same as onsite education. It's not necessarily better or worse, but it is different.
Relationships have to form in different ways. You get to know people through their words and their work. Emoticons take the place of body language. "LOL" takes the place of tone of voice.
I would imagine that teaching online is a challenge the first time a professor teaches a course, as much as it is for an online student, if not more. The teacher doesn't have the benefit any longer of looking out over his or her classroom and seeing who is engaged and who is falling asleep. However, the teacher does gain the ability to consider his or her students' work more objectively, and to incorporate different methods of learning and teaching into the online "classroom."
I hope that this class will make me a better teacher both online and in person, and will also give me the tools to create engaging and educational online classes using Web CT and other programs. As I am not educated to be an educator (I have a background in public speaking, adult training and communications, but I have not taken any formal education classes), I also hope this class will give me a better understanding of education techniques and tools.
After all, I am a "people person." How could an online class hope to match up to the experience of actually attending school?
Over the past three years, working in the trade show industry, I have participated and conducted webinars, web conferences and teleconferences. As a result, I have learned what my husband figured out when he decided study completely online: remote education is not the same as onsite education. It's not necessarily better or worse, but it is different.
Relationships have to form in different ways. You get to know people through their words and their work. Emoticons take the place of body language. "LOL" takes the place of tone of voice.
I would imagine that teaching online is a challenge the first time a professor teaches a course, as much as it is for an online student, if not more. The teacher doesn't have the benefit any longer of looking out over his or her classroom and seeing who is engaged and who is falling asleep. However, the teacher does gain the ability to consider his or her students' work more objectively, and to incorporate different methods of learning and teaching into the online "classroom."
I hope that this class will make me a better teacher both online and in person, and will also give me the tools to create engaging and educational online classes using Web CT and other programs. As I am not educated to be an educator (I have a background in public speaking, adult training and communications, but I have not taken any formal education classes), I also hope this class will give me a better understanding of education techniques and tools.
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