Apparently, yes, really! ProfHacker at the online Chronicle of Higher Ed lays out a nifty set of ideas and guidelines (and links to other resources) for using Twitter to facilitate out-of-class discussion threads, micro-journaling, and other forms of low-stakes writing that might be applied to a wide range of disciplinary and classroom contexts.
Rather than reproduce the article here, I'll just post the link, as there's lots of visuals that I can't migrate over here. So just check it out!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Take it slow, Joe!
I must be all about correctives today... but here's another online Chronicle piece, this one from the ProfHacker columns, on how to introduce tech innovations into the classroom gradually, rather than in one fell swoop. The key:
As many of you will know from your own experiences with kids, we were told to introduce different foods slowly, one type at a time, leaving several days in between each type of new food. Because our boys tried each new food separately, if they had experienced any negative consequences—such as an allergic reaction—we and their doctors would have had a good idea of just what food caused the bad reaction.Click the link to the Chronicle page, for a version of the article with links to loads of ProfHacker suggestions for tech in the classroom. The full post, after the jump:
Another country heard from...
At our faculty retreat on Tuesday, during a session on the possibillities for blended learning I was leading, a colleague who teaches literature expressed concern that using extensive pre-class online student work with couurse material before the in-class lesson might lead students to draw ill-prepared conclusions, and that the lecture time in class was really valuable to set up the discussion to follow. There are several ways to address that concern, but one my BLI colleagues made at the time was that the decision to use technology inn a pedagogical blend needs to be driven by the goals and needs of the class... and it's not always useful, or even appropriate.
Now comes a piece from today's online Chronicle that addresses just such a point -- featuring the voices of teachers who argue that a low-tech pedagogy can have unique value, and in some cases might be superior to a blend with online technology.
I agree... it's key to remember that our initiative is being driven not by the imperative to use tech because, or by the need to compete with online educators. Rather, this excerpt from the piece sums it up nicely:
The article, after the jump:
Now comes a piece from today's online Chronicle that addresses just such a point -- featuring the voices of teachers who argue that a low-tech pedagogy can have unique value, and in some cases might be superior to a blend with online technology.
I agree... it's key to remember that our initiative is being driven not by the imperative to use tech because, or by the need to compete with online educators. Rather, this excerpt from the piece sums it up nicely:
Mr. James is not antitechnology—he said he had some success in his composition courses using an online system that's sold with textbooks. But he is frustrated by professors and administrators who believe that injecting the latest technology into the classroom naturally improves teaching. That belief was highlighted in my College 2.0 column last month, in which some professors likened colleagues who don't teach with tech to doctors who ignore improvements in medicine.
Many low-tech professors were extremely distressed by that charge of educational malpractice. (They told me so in dozens of comments on the article and in e-mail messages.)So, if we keep the objective of effective student learning outcomes in a liberal arts context at the forefront (which isn't a fad, but has been what most of us have always done), then we can consider the possibilities of when online tech can enhance and transform our in-class pedagogy -- and when it might not.
After interviewing a few of them this month, it seems to me the key debate between the tech enthusiasts and tech skeptics is really over broader changes in colleges, and anxieties about the academy being turned into just another business.
The article, after the jump:
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Examples of shifting lectures online
Well, loyal readers, after some hiatus, I'm back. Greetings to those of you checking this out for the first time after the Augustana Faculty Retreat yesterday! How timely -- this article from the "Wired Campus" section of the online Chronicle of Higher Education describes three examples of faculty across the country who are shiting their lecture content online so that they can spend more time in-class on active learning pedagogies. These are primarily big universities, but you can imagine how the method might be tailored for our small campus environment... the concept and processes are still the same, and our ability to interact actively with smaller class sections is even better.
The article, after the jump.
The article, after the jump.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Implementing a case-base e-learning environment in a lecture-oriented anesthesiology class: Do learning styles matter in complex problem solving over time?
Choi, Ikseon, Sand Joon Lee, and Jeongwan Kang. “Implementing a Case-Based E-Learning Environment in a Lecture - Oriented Anesthesiology Class: Do Learning Styles Matter in Complex Problem Solving Over Time?” British Journal of Educational Technology 40.5 (2009): 933-47.
Choi, I., Lee, S. J., Kang, J. (2009). Implementing a case-based e-learning environment in a lecture-oriented anesthesiology class: Do learning styles matter in complex problem solving over time. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(5), 933-947.
Abstract
This study explores how students’ learning styles influence their learning while solving complex problems when a case-based e-learning environment is implemented in a conventional lecture-oriented classroom. Seventy students from an anesthesiology class at a dental school participated in this study over a 3-week period. Five learning-outcome tests and two course-satisfaction surveys were implemented during the case-based instruction using a blended approach (online and face-to-face). The results of one-way ANOVAs with sensing-intuitive, visual-verbal, sequential-global) did not influence students’ learning experience and learning outcomes during the implementation of case-based e-learning. However, the pattern of the students’ performance graph and further analysis with a liberal approach implied that the active-reflective learning style may influence learning outcomes slightly at an earlier time during the case-based learning implantation; however, as time passed, this learning style no longer influenced their learning at all. Thus, learning styles may be considered important or may be considered only during the early stages of instructional implementation in order to facilitate the students’ transition to the new case-based learning environment. It is more efficient to encourage students to adapt to different learning environments than to design adaptive systems in order to embrace diverse learning styles.
Summary
Choi, I., Lee, S. J., Kang, J. (2009). Implementing a case-based e-learning environment in a lecture-oriented anesthesiology class: Do learning styles matter in complex problem solving over time. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(5), 933-947.
Abstract
This study explores how students’ learning styles influence their learning while solving complex problems when a case-based e-learning environment is implemented in a conventional lecture-oriented classroom. Seventy students from an anesthesiology class at a dental school participated in this study over a 3-week period. Five learning-outcome tests and two course-satisfaction surveys were implemented during the case-based instruction using a blended approach (online and face-to-face). The results of one-way ANOVAs with sensing-intuitive, visual-verbal, sequential-global) did not influence students’ learning experience and learning outcomes during the implementation of case-based e-learning. However, the pattern of the students’ performance graph and further analysis with a liberal approach implied that the active-reflective learning style may influence learning outcomes slightly at an earlier time during the case-based learning implantation; however, as time passed, this learning style no longer influenced their learning at all. Thus, learning styles may be considered important or may be considered only during the early stages of instructional implementation in order to facilitate the students’ transition to the new case-based learning environment. It is more efficient to encourage students to adapt to different learning environments than to design adaptive systems in order to embrace diverse learning styles.
Summary
How student satisfaction factors affect perceived learning
Lo, Celia C. “How Student Satisfaction Factors Affect Perceived Learning.” Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 10.1 (2010): 47-54.
Lo, C. C. (2010). How students satisfaction factors affect perceived learning. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 10(1), 47-54.
Abstract
Data from students in two sections of a general education course offered at a research university in spring 2009 were used to explore whether student satisfaction factors are associated with perceived learning as rated by students. A list of 22 elements in the learning environment was explored. The 22 were used in creating 3 satisfaction factors related to the roles of student, instructor, and policy. The study showed all of these satisfaction factors to be associated with higher rates of perceived learning, measured via students’ expectations of academic success. The finding’ implications for practice are briefly discussed.
Summary
Lo, C. C. (2010). How students satisfaction factors affect perceived learning. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 10(1), 47-54.
Abstract
Data from students in two sections of a general education course offered at a research university in spring 2009 were used to explore whether student satisfaction factors are associated with perceived learning as rated by students. A list of 22 elements in the learning environment was explored. The 22 were used in creating 3 satisfaction factors related to the roles of student, instructor, and policy. The study showed all of these satisfaction factors to be associated with higher rates of perceived learning, measured via students’ expectations of academic success. The finding’ implications for practice are briefly discussed.
Summary
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Blended Librarians?
From yesterday's online Chronicle of Higher Education, an article on "blended librarians" and the use of information technology to enhance information literacy pedagogy for librarians who reach out to students, especially those who aren't future librarians.
The expanded duties of the librarian discussed in the article reminded me a lot of our wonderful ranks of librarians at Augustana... so the uses of software and Web applications might be potentially valuable for their explorations in blended learning to enhance the ways they interface with students in particular classes as well as outside of the classroom.
The article references a website called The Blended Librarian, which describes itself thusly in their FAQ section:
The article itself, after the break:
The expanded duties of the librarian discussed in the article reminded me a lot of our wonderful ranks of librarians at Augustana... so the uses of software and Web applications might be potentially valuable for their explorations in blended learning to enhance the ways they interface with students in particular classes as well as outside of the classroom.
The article references a website called The Blended Librarian, which describes itself thusly in their FAQ section:
What is Blended Librarianship?
Here is the definition from our C&RL News article:
An academic librarian who combines the traditional skill set of librarianship with the information technologist's hardware/software skills, and the instructional or educational designer's ability to apply technology appropriately in the teaching-learning process.
What can I learn from the LearningTimes Network online community?
What takes place there is the exchange of information. This takes the form of online chats, webcasted events, the sharing of resources materials, discussion forums, and it facilitates librarians with shared interests and goals connecting with one another.
The article itself, after the break:
Harmonizing technology with interaction in blended problem-based learning
Donnelly, Roisin. “Harmonizing Technology with Interaction in Blended Problem-Based Learning.” Computers & Education 54.2 (2010): 350-359.
Donnelly, R. (2010). Harmonizing technology with interaction in blended problem-based learning. Computers & Internet, 54(2), 350-359.
Abstract
This paper discusses the harmonizing role of technology and interaction in a qualitative study on blended problem-based learning within the context of academic development in higher education. Within this setting, and as both designers and tutors in blended PBL, it is important to seek best practices for how to combine instructional strategies in face-to-face and computer-mediated environments that take advantage of the strengths of each and avoid their weakness. A qualitative study of the lived experiences of 17 academic staff participants in a blended problem-based learning module was considered likely to provide a much-needed analysis of current thinking and practice on the potential of interaction in this form of professional academic development in higher education. Specific aspects of interaction (technical, peer, content and the learning experience) within blended problem-based learning tutorials are analyzed to provide research-based information about the realities of delivering a PBL program using technology. The study argues that the intersection of PBL and learning technologies can offer different ways of teaching and learning that require exploration and reflection of pedagogy and technology as in integrated approach that must work effectively together. The synergy from the collaborative blended PBL approach is this module could result in the coherent and comprehensive provision of training support and research throughout higher education institutions.
Summary
Donnelly, R. (2010). Harmonizing technology with interaction in blended problem-based learning. Computers & Internet, 54(2), 350-359.
Abstract
This paper discusses the harmonizing role of technology and interaction in a qualitative study on blended problem-based learning within the context of academic development in higher education. Within this setting, and as both designers and tutors in blended PBL, it is important to seek best practices for how to combine instructional strategies in face-to-face and computer-mediated environments that take advantage of the strengths of each and avoid their weakness. A qualitative study of the lived experiences of 17 academic staff participants in a blended problem-based learning module was considered likely to provide a much-needed analysis of current thinking and practice on the potential of interaction in this form of professional academic development in higher education. Specific aspects of interaction (technical, peer, content and the learning experience) within blended problem-based learning tutorials are analyzed to provide research-based information about the realities of delivering a PBL program using technology. The study argues that the intersection of PBL and learning technologies can offer different ways of teaching and learning that require exploration and reflection of pedagogy and technology as in integrated approach that must work effectively together. The synergy from the collaborative blended PBL approach is this module could result in the coherent and comprehensive provision of training support and research throughout higher education institutions.
Summary
Transforming traditional lectures into problem-based blended learning: challenges and experiences
Dalsgaard, Christian and Mikkel Godsk. “Transforming Traditional Lectures into Problem-based Blended Learning: Challenges and Experiences.” Open Learning 22.1 (2007): 29-42.
Dalsgaard, C. & Godsk, M. (2007). Transforming traditional lectures into problem-based learning: Challenges and experiences. Open Learning, 22(1), 29-42.
Abstract
This paper presents our experiences and the challenges identified in transforming traditional lecture-based modules at a university into problem-based learning within a social constructivist approach. Our experiment was, among other factors, motivated by an urgent need to meet new curriculum requirements by reducing the lecturing time in a graduate course on the subject of human-computer interaction. The results indicate that it is possible successfully to transform traditional modules into problem-based blended learning using a social constructivist approach, and moreover reduce lecturing time, support repetition and support educational differentiation.
Summary
Dalsgaard, C. & Godsk, M. (2007). Transforming traditional lectures into problem-based learning: Challenges and experiences. Open Learning, 22(1), 29-42.
Abstract
This paper presents our experiences and the challenges identified in transforming traditional lecture-based modules at a university into problem-based learning within a social constructivist approach. Our experiment was, among other factors, motivated by an urgent need to meet new curriculum requirements by reducing the lecturing time in a graduate course on the subject of human-computer interaction. The results indicate that it is possible successfully to transform traditional modules into problem-based blended learning using a social constructivist approach, and moreover reduce lecturing time, support repetition and support educational differentiation.
Summary
Monday, August 2, 2010
OpenScholar: A free tool for academic website building
As profiled in an online Chronicle blog post, OpenScholar is a free, open-source tool that enables academics with limited technical savvy to build websites for personal, research and teaching uses.Besides being potentially useful for blended learning classes (e.g., source for downloading podcasts; collaborative tools for student research teams), this tool might be really useful for faculty wanting to build portfolios of their teaching, scholarship and service for tenure and promotion reviews...?
Only thing I'm not sure about is the server issue -- better for the individual to host with a PC that has the requisite hardware and software reqirements, or should this be hosted by the institution's servers? Something for ITS to explore?
Anyway, Sophia Li's profile of the tool and the project that created it after the jump:
Only thing I'm not sure about is the server issue -- better for the individual to host with a PC that has the requisite hardware and software reqirements, or should this be hosted by the institution's servers? Something for ITS to explore?
Anyway, Sophia Li's profile of the tool and the project that created it after the jump:
Tools for Lecturecasting from ProfHacker
From the ProfHacker column in the online Chronicle of Higher Education, a description of five software and hardware tools that one lecture vodcaster/podcaster uses to put together his productions. Quick observations after the jump:
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tutorials: Using Eyejot and Eyejot This!
Hi! So, are you enticed about the video e-mail possibilities for Eyejot to enhance your teaching and professional communications? Click here for a brief tutorial. If you haven't yet checked out my initial demonstration of Eyejot, see my blog post on Friday, July 23, 2010.
Once you've used Eyejot to send video e-mails, you might decide to use the Eyejot This! plug-in for web browsers, which will enable you to send students, colleagues and friends links to any webpage along with a video commentary provided by you -- pretty neat if you want to contextualize and/or direct viewer attention to particular website features. Click here for a brief tutorial.
So, why use these? Because e-mail is an efficient and accessible form of communication, but it's also one that can be easy to ignore, especially for students. If one of the things you want to accomplish as a teacher is a social presence and rapport with students, providing a video can provide what may be the best approximation of face-to-face interaction (short of synchronous video messaging like Skype) in an online environment. If another thing you want to do is to increase the likelihood that students will engage in course work and resources outside of class, using tactics like reminders and brief explanations might provide some extra incentive... and, potentially, using video might improve the effectiveness of such messages by making them more personalized, engaging, and novel (i.e., more fun, and with your own personal presence).
Once you've used Eyejot to send video e-mails, you might decide to use the Eyejot This! plug-in for web browsers, which will enable you to send students, colleagues and friends links to any webpage along with a video commentary provided by you -- pretty neat if you want to contextualize and/or direct viewer attention to particular website features. Click here for a brief tutorial.
So, why use these? Because e-mail is an efficient and accessible form of communication, but it's also one that can be easy to ignore, especially for students. If one of the things you want to accomplish as a teacher is a social presence and rapport with students, providing a video can provide what may be the best approximation of face-to-face interaction (short of synchronous video messaging like Skype) in an online environment. If another thing you want to do is to increase the likelihood that students will engage in course work and resources outside of class, using tactics like reminders and brief explanations might provide some extra incentive... and, potentially, using video might improve the effectiveness of such messages by making them more personalized, engaging, and novel (i.e., more fun, and with your own personal presence).
Friday, July 23, 2010
Welcome to Eyejot!
I discovered Eyejot after reading an article in this morning's online Chronicle about the recent Sloan-C conference on technology and teaching. There's other good stuff in the article, FYI, about using social networking (especially Facebook) as a teaching tool.
But one conference contributor suggested the use of video updates for students, as a means to potentially increase the level of student engagement with things like assignment reminders and course updates. Since a key concern in my project is the potential impacts of blended learning technologies and strategies on perceptions of teacher immediacy and social presence, this option sounded really attractive -- instead of reading verbal text that's easy to ignore and delete, students can see my face and hear my voice as I provide a brief message of explanation and reminder. As well, as you can see, you can get embed code for the video file so you can put in in, say, a Moodle course page.
Later on, I'll post a brief tutorial video on how this works. Like any good online tool, the basic version is free! Check it out.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
How can mobile SMS communication support and enhance a first year undergraduate learning environment?
Jones, Gerladine, Garbriele Edwards, and Alan Reed. “How Can Mobile SMS Communication Support and Enhance a First Year Undergraduate Learning Environment?” ALT-J, Research in Learning Technology 17.3 (2009): 201-218.
Jones, G., Edwards, G., & Reid, A. (2009). How can mobile SMS communication support and enhance a first year undergraduate learning environment? ALT-J, Research in Learning Technology, 17(3), 201-218.
Abstract
In this paper we discuss a case study investing how the academic and personal development of first year students on an undergraduate sports education degree can be supported and enhanced with mobile SMS (Short Message Service) communication. SMS-based technologies were introduced in response to students’ particular needs (in transition to Higher Education) and characteristics (adept mobile communicators). Despite being unaccustomed to using their mobile phones for academic study, students willingly accepted SMS communication with their tutor via a texting management service. This communication was used in concert and integrated with a more traditional learning and reaching context (lectures and a virtual learning environment). Drawing on evidence from two student surveys, focus groups and a tutor’s journal, we illustrate how mobile SMS view of the learning environment we use Laurillard’s (2002) conversational framework (Laurillard, D. 2002 Rethinking university teaching: a framework for the effective use of learning technologies. 2nd edition. London: Routledge.) to analyze and discuss the role of texting in supporting student transition to higher education.
Summary
Jones, G., Edwards, G., & Reid, A. (2009). How can mobile SMS communication support and enhance a first year undergraduate learning environment? ALT-J, Research in Learning Technology, 17(3), 201-218.
Abstract
In this paper we discuss a case study investing how the academic and personal development of first year students on an undergraduate sports education degree can be supported and enhanced with mobile SMS (Short Message Service) communication. SMS-based technologies were introduced in response to students’ particular needs (in transition to Higher Education) and characteristics (adept mobile communicators). Despite being unaccustomed to using their mobile phones for academic study, students willingly accepted SMS communication with their tutor via a texting management service. This communication was used in concert and integrated with a more traditional learning and reaching context (lectures and a virtual learning environment). Drawing on evidence from two student surveys, focus groups and a tutor’s journal, we illustrate how mobile SMS view of the learning environment we use Laurillard’s (2002) conversational framework (Laurillard, D. 2002 Rethinking university teaching: a framework for the effective use of learning technologies. 2nd edition. London: Routledge.) to analyze and discuss the role of texting in supporting student transition to higher education.
Summary
Friday, July 16, 2010
Instruments to explore blending learning: Modifying a method to analyze online communication for the analysis of face-to-face communication
De Leng, Bas A., et al. “Instruments to Explore Blended Learning: Modifying a Method to Analyse Online Communicaiton for the Analysis of Face-to-Face Communication.” Computers & Education 55.2 (2010): 644-51.
De Leng, B. A., Dolmans, D. H.J.M., Muijtjens, A. M.M., & van der Vleuten, C. P.M. (2010). Instruments to explore blended learning: Modifying a method to analyze online communication for the analysis of face-to-face communication. Computers & Education, 55(2), 644-51.
Abstract
In the complex practice of today’s blended learning, educators need to be able to evaluate both online and face-to-face communication in order to get the full picture of what is going on in blended learning scenarios. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability and feasibility of a practical instrument for analyzing face-to-face communication that is in alignment with tools for analyzing online communication. We examined whether an existing coding scheme for online communication could be modified to evaluate face-to-face communication. We investigated the reliability, validity and usability of a modified version of the Transcript Analysis Tool (TAT) in analyzing communication among students during small-group sessions comprising presentations by students and discussion. The modified TAT proved to be effective in obtaining a detailed description of students’ participation in the communication and of the focus of the communication. Evaluation was more efficient when direct video analysis was used than when a transcript of the same video was analyzed. Direct analysis took about 2 h for 20 min of video recordings and had an inter-rater reliability of k = 0.56. The modified TAT appears to be an effective and efficient instrument to face-to-face communication in small group sessions. Its combined use with an evaluation instrument for online learning may create a powerful evaluation instrument for blended learning. Further studies are needed to establish the value of such an instrument.
Summary
De Leng, B. A., Dolmans, D. H.J.M., Muijtjens, A. M.M., & van der Vleuten, C. P.M. (2010). Instruments to explore blended learning: Modifying a method to analyze online communication for the analysis of face-to-face communication. Computers & Education, 55(2), 644-51.
Abstract
In the complex practice of today’s blended learning, educators need to be able to evaluate both online and face-to-face communication in order to get the full picture of what is going on in blended learning scenarios. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability and feasibility of a practical instrument for analyzing face-to-face communication that is in alignment with tools for analyzing online communication. We examined whether an existing coding scheme for online communication could be modified to evaluate face-to-face communication. We investigated the reliability, validity and usability of a modified version of the Transcript Analysis Tool (TAT) in analyzing communication among students during small-group sessions comprising presentations by students and discussion. The modified TAT proved to be effective in obtaining a detailed description of students’ participation in the communication and of the focus of the communication. Evaluation was more efficient when direct video analysis was used than when a transcript of the same video was analyzed. Direct analysis took about 2 h for 20 min of video recordings and had an inter-rater reliability of k = 0.56. The modified TAT appears to be an effective and efficient instrument to face-to-face communication in small group sessions. Its combined use with an evaluation instrument for online learning may create a powerful evaluation instrument for blended learning. Further studies are needed to establish the value of such an instrument.
Summary
A blended community of inquiry approach: Linking student engagement and course redesign
Vaughan, Norman D. “A Blended Community of Inquiry Approach: Linking Student Engagement and Course Redesign.” Internet & Higher Education 13.1 (2010): 60-5.
Vauhan, N. (2010). A blended community of inquiry approach: Linking student engagement and course redesign. Internet & Higher Education, 13, 60-65.
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to describe an institutional initiative created to support faculty engaged in blended course redesign. This Inquiry Through Blended Learning (ITBL) program adapted Garrison, Anderson and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry framework in order to provide faculty participants with a guided inquiry process for discussing and reflecting on key redesign questions, exploring blended learning from a student perspective, integrating the new experiences and ideas, and then applying this knowledge through the implementation of a course redesigned for blended learning. An overview of the ITBL program, the methods used to evaluate the redesigned courses, the findings, and conclusions are presented in this article.
Summary
Vauhan, N. (2010). A blended community of inquiry approach: Linking student engagement and course redesign. Internet & Higher Education, 13, 60-65.
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to describe an institutional initiative created to support faculty engaged in blended course redesign. This Inquiry Through Blended Learning (ITBL) program adapted Garrison, Anderson and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry framework in order to provide faculty participants with a guided inquiry process for discussing and reflecting on key redesign questions, exploring blended learning from a student perspective, integrating the new experiences and ideas, and then applying this knowledge through the implementation of a course redesigned for blended learning. An overview of the ITBL program, the methods used to evaluate the redesigned courses, the findings, and conclusions are presented in this article.
Summary
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Book Report Seven: Student Perceptions of Assessment Efficacy in Online Learning
Today's summary from Blended Learning: Research Perspectives isn't necessarily groundbreaking stuff -- but it does underscore the importance of considering the developmental experience and capacities of our students as we develop blended learning activities and assessment of those activities. That's the focus of Brown, Smith and Henderson's study:
The authors follow the relevant literature on "social" learning in their presumption that collaborative, social learning is deeper and more meaningful to enable students to participate in academic "conversations" in a subject area, rather that just regurgitate material on a test or in a perfuctory paper. The study distinguishes between "school" activities, those involving interaction between the individual student and instructor (think multiple-choice exams and traditional term papers) and "community" activities, those involving peer interaction and assessment (think peer discussions and collaborative activities in which peers evaluate each others' work). Predictably, perhaps, the study confirms that younger and less experienced students prefer traditional "school" work, while older and more experienced students are mpre likely to see "community" activity assessment as more reflective of learning.
Given the relatively homogenous student population at Augie, perhaps a predictable implication is that younger students are less ready for online collaboration in blended classes than older students. On the other hand, the authors argue that their findings aren't just reflective of developmental learning theories, but also imply that younger students are less receptive because they have been less exposed to richer learning activities beyond conventional classroom pedagogies. They argue that if more students are exposed to collaborative "community" pedagogies sooner and more frequently, they'll be more receptive to it. The truth of that assertion will require more research. But it's a provocative assertion, for sure.
Less provocative research summary after the jump.
Brown, Gary, Tamara Smith, and Tom Henderson. "Student Perceptions of Assessment Efficacy in Online and Blended Learning Classes." Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. Eds. Anthony G. Picciano and Charles D. Dziuban, eds. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2007. Print. 145-160In brief, this study surveyed students of varying age levels and levels of learning experience who took online and blended courses, in order to compare their perceptions of whether the ways they were assessed (i.e., "graded") in the course was a meaningful assessment of what they actually learned.
The authors follow the relevant literature on "social" learning in their presumption that collaborative, social learning is deeper and more meaningful to enable students to participate in academic "conversations" in a subject area, rather that just regurgitate material on a test or in a perfuctory paper. The study distinguishes between "school" activities, those involving interaction between the individual student and instructor (think multiple-choice exams and traditional term papers) and "community" activities, those involving peer interaction and assessment (think peer discussions and collaborative activities in which peers evaluate each others' work). Predictably, perhaps, the study confirms that younger and less experienced students prefer traditional "school" work, while older and more experienced students are mpre likely to see "community" activity assessment as more reflective of learning.
Given the relatively homogenous student population at Augie, perhaps a predictable implication is that younger students are less ready for online collaboration in blended classes than older students. On the other hand, the authors argue that their findings aren't just reflective of developmental learning theories, but also imply that younger students are less receptive because they have been less exposed to richer learning activities beyond conventional classroom pedagogies. They argue that if more students are exposed to collaborative "community" pedagogies sooner and more frequently, they'll be more receptive to it. The truth of that assertion will require more research. But it's a provocative assertion, for sure.
Less provocative research summary after the jump.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Book Report Six: "Discovering, Designing and Delivering Hybrid Courses"
There's a lot this time, friends. In this latest installment of summaries from the research anthology Blended Learning: Research Perspectives, Kaleta, Skibba and Joosten present the results of in-depth interviews with faculty from three institutions who adopted hybrid learning courses.
Besides providing insights to faculty who might potentially adopt hybrid teaching, this chapter is really useful in providing guidelines for faculty development programs that institutions need to adopt in order to motivate and prepare faculty to adopt blended/.hybrid course (re-)design. The authors repeatedly emphasize the need for institutional support through an awareness and faculty development initiative... I guess we're starting that now? Anyway, the guts of this program were developed by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Learning Technology Center -- you should find a link to their blended/hybrid learning resources on the bar on the right of your screen, actually.
Lots of nifty chapter summary after the break.
Kaleta, Robert, Karen Skibba, and Tanya Joosten. "Discovering, Designing, and Delivering Hybrid Courses." Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. Eds. Anthony G. Picciano and Charles D. Dziuban, eds. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2007. Print. 111-143Note: "Hybrid" teaching and learning is the same as "blended"... just a different term scooting around in this literature. This study does a helpful job of examining the process of adoption, development and execution, using the Diffusion of Innovation Theory as a framework for analysis and discussion. Lots of emphasis is made on core issues such as the need to consider the relationship between course goals, FtF vs. online environments and learning activities carefully, as well as the (sometimes radically) changing roles that new hybrid teachers must navigate.
Besides providing insights to faculty who might potentially adopt hybrid teaching, this chapter is really useful in providing guidelines for faculty development programs that institutions need to adopt in order to motivate and prepare faculty to adopt blended/.hybrid course (re-)design. The authors repeatedly emphasize the need for institutional support through an awareness and faculty development initiative... I guess we're starting that now? Anyway, the guts of this program were developed by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Learning Technology Center -- you should find a link to their blended/hybrid learning resources on the bar on the right of your screen, actually.
Lots of nifty chapter summary after the break.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
‘I’ve stuck to the path I’m afraid’: Exploring student non-use of blending learning By Orton-Johnson
‘I’ve stuck to the path I’m afraid’: Exploring student non-use of blending learning
Orton-Johnson, Kate. “’I’ve Stuck to the Path I’m Afraid’: Exploring Student Non-use of Blended Learning.” British Journal of Education Technology, 40.5 (2009): 837-847.
Orton-Johnson, K. (2009). ‘I’ve stuck to the path I’m afraid’: Exploring student non-use of blended learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(5), 837-847.
Abstract
This paper draws on qualitative data from a study of student use of blended learning as part of a conventionally taught undergraduate Sociology course. Findings from an early evaluation questionnaire highlighted an overwhelming pattern of non-use of the material and subsequent research with a group of 16 students evidenced limited and inconsistent engagement with the resources. In an analysis of the category ‘non-use’, the students’ rejection of the materials is seen to be closely related to a trust in traditional texts as authentic academic knowledge and an instrumental and strategic approach to study. Blended learning resources are shown to challenge existing learning patterns and practices, reconfigure existing understands and expectations of academic scholarship and reconstruct academic boundaries in new spaces.
Summary
Orton-Johnson, Kate. “’I’ve Stuck to the Path I’m Afraid’: Exploring Student Non-use of Blended Learning.” British Journal of Education Technology, 40.5 (2009): 837-847.
Orton-Johnson, K. (2009). ‘I’ve stuck to the path I’m afraid’: Exploring student non-use of blended learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(5), 837-847.
Abstract
This paper draws on qualitative data from a study of student use of blended learning as part of a conventionally taught undergraduate Sociology course. Findings from an early evaluation questionnaire highlighted an overwhelming pattern of non-use of the material and subsequent research with a group of 16 students evidenced limited and inconsistent engagement with the resources. In an analysis of the category ‘non-use’, the students’ rejection of the materials is seen to be closely related to a trust in traditional texts as authentic academic knowledge and an instrumental and strategic approach to study. Blended learning resources are shown to challenge existing learning patterns and practices, reconfigure existing understands and expectations of academic scholarship and reconstruct academic boundaries in new spaces.
Summary
Giving Reluctant Students a Voice By Redekopp and Bourbonniere
Giving Reluctant Students a Voice
Redekopp, Reynold and Bourbonniere, Elizabeth. “Giving Reluctant Students a Voice.” Learning & Leading with Technology 36.7 (2009): 34-35.
Redekopp, R. & Bourbonniere, E. (2009). Giving reluctant students a voice. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36.7, 34-35.
No Abstract
Summary
Redekopp, Reynold and Bourbonniere, Elizabeth. “Giving Reluctant Students a Voice.” Learning & Leading with Technology 36.7 (2009): 34-35.
Redekopp, R. & Bourbonniere, E. (2009). Giving reluctant students a voice. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36.7, 34-35.
No Abstract
Summary
Hybrid Learning By I.Q.
Hybrid Learning
I.Q. Hybrid Learning. Vol. 29. Editorial Projects in Education Inc, 2010.
Abstract
The article presents a case study of a “hybrid learning” program in Wichita, Kansas that integrates traditional and online learning methods to fight a dropout problem.
Summary
I.Q. Hybrid Learning. Vol. 29. Editorial Projects in Education Inc, 2010.
Abstract
The article presents a case study of a “hybrid learning” program in Wichita, Kansas that integrates traditional and online learning methods to fight a dropout problem.
Summary
Melissa joins the team!
A brief heads-up, loyal readers -- you will soon notice a new voice on this blog. Melissa Shore, a senior Communication Studies major at Augustana, is my student assistant for this summer's phase of the project. She has been tasked to read, summarize and review scholarship on blended/hybrid learning and on teacher immediacy, so that we can explore the potential impacts of introducing blended learning strategies on student perceptions of teacher immediacy in the classroom.
So, starting soon, Melissa will post brief summaries of research studies in these areas, to supplement my own posts. From time to time, I may ask her to comment on her reactions to this literature, and on the prospect of using blended learning pedagogies, from the student's perspective.
Thanks in advance for your help on the blog, Melissa!
So, starting soon, Melissa will post brief summaries of research studies in these areas, to supplement my own posts. From time to time, I may ask her to comment on her reactions to this literature, and on the prospect of using blended learning pedagogies, from the student's perspective.
Thanks in advance for your help on the blog, Melissa!
Book Report 5: Graham and Robison, Transformative (vs. Enhanced) Blended Learning
In today's installment of summaries from Picciano and Dziuban's anthology of blended learning research, Charles Graham and Reid Robison share the results of their survey and interview research concerning the types of different approaches to blended learning being used at Brigham Young University.
Graham and Robison conclude that, while examples of truly transformative blended pedagogies are out there, and may evolve from less aggressive enhanced learning strategies, an initial emphasis on convenient access and greater productivity in traditional pedagogy might provide barriers to the kind of paradigm shift required for genuinely transformative uses of educational technology.
Enjoy the summary, after the jump!
Graham, Charles R., and Reid Robison. “Realizing the Transformational Potential of Blended Learning." Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. Eds. Anthony G. Picciano and Charles D. Dziuban, eds. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2007. Print. 83-110The study is particularly useful for two primary emphases: its approach to understanding institutional and course-level adoption of blended learning in terms of three key variables (scope of use, purpose of use, nature of use), and its distinction between blended learning strategies intended primarily for convenient access, strategies that enhance traditional pedagogy, and strategies designed to transform pedagogy. The researchers have an admitted bias in favor of pedagogy that moves away from a traditional "information transmission" paradigm to an active, engaged learner-centered paradigm (one involving interaction, engaged participation, frequent feedback, and connection to real world contexts).
Graham and Robison conclude that, while examples of truly transformative blended pedagogies are out there, and may evolve from less aggressive enhanced learning strategies, an initial emphasis on convenient access and greater productivity in traditional pedagogy might provide barriers to the kind of paradigm shift required for genuinely transformative uses of educational technology.
Enjoy the summary, after the jump!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Book Report 4: Allen and Seaman, Survey Data on Blended Learning Adoption in Higher Education
Yes, I've been busy today. The latest installment from Blended Learning: Research Perspectives examines survey data from Chief Academic Officers in US higher education between 2003 and 2005, to get a sense of the adoption of blended learning courses and programs.
Anyway, for what it's worth, comparative survey data on blended learning adoption after the jump.
Allen, I. Elaine, and Jeff Seaman. “Blending In: The Extent and Promise of Blended Education in the United States. Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. Eds. Anthony G. Picciano and Charles D. Dziuban, eds. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2007. Print. 65-80This is a tricky business, as blended courses aren't as easily recordable at the institutional level as fully online courses (because blended courses use regularly scheduled classrooms and meeting times, just like face-to-face classes, and unlike fully online classes). This, coupled with the fact that the best of this data is coming up on 10 years old now, limits its utility. We might surmise that blended learning penetration may have escalated in the following five years. But perhaps not. Hopefully Allen and Seaman are keeping this data collection going, and will give us an update soon.
Anyway, for what it's worth, comparative survey data on blended learning adoption after the jump.
"A Vision of Students Today"
Michael Wesch, a cultural anthropologist at Kansas State University, runs a "Digital Ethnography" project and produces provocative videos for YouTube to explore the interactions of media and culture. Here's a video he did on "A Vision of Students Today" that is based on the collaborative contributions of 200 college students.
Some of these characteristics and descriptions don't apply to Augustana very well, but many do, and the whole package is a bit jarring -- these are the kids we're trying to reach in higher education today. Is blended learning going to be an important potential response? We'll see...
Some of these characteristics and descriptions don't apply to Augustana very well, but many do, and the whole package is a bit jarring -- these are the kids we're trying to reach in higher education today. Is blended learning going to be an important potential response? We'll see...
Blendblog... Christmas came early this year!
Not much to say on this one... only that it seems most cool! Blendblog is a blog sponsored by the Blend XL project, an EU initiative.
It's European, so there's that... (just kidding), and the project focuses on extra-large groups of students, which isn't our primary concern at Augustana, but there are tons of resources here... it will take a while just to browse and sift, but this is a heckuva find!
What is Blend-XL?
This is a three-year EU funded project in the Minerva programme. ‘Blend’ in the title is a reference to the development of blended learning and teaching. This ‘blending’ is done on a variety of dimensions such as pedagogy, design, delivery, technology.
The Blend-XL project defines blended learning as the effective, efficient and creative combination of modified face-to-face instruction and online, networked learning supported by pedagogically sound uses of technologies, tools and media.
The project work is aimed at the improvement of the overall learning and teaching practice within specific, locally defined problem areas such as student motivation and active forms of learning.
An added element to this definition is a focus on the implications for learning and teaching in extra large student groups. 'XL' in the project name refers to this focus.
It's European, so there's that... (just kidding), and the project focuses on extra-large groups of students, which isn't our primary concern at Augustana, but there are tons of resources here... it will take a while just to browse and sift, but this is a heckuva find!
As long as I'm shilling... RealPlayer SP
So, as long as I'm shilling, and the subject occurred to me as I was writing my last post, a brief explanation of how I grab online video from YouTube and similar websites -- the free (natch!) RealPlayer SP software package. It includes an easy-to-use player that is similar to Windows Media Player in many respects (but feels rather different than iTunes... fine for me, as I don't use iTunes) that allows you to organize your audio and video media, create and shatre playlists, sync with external devices, etc.
But the real fun for me is in the Downloader and Converter programs. The Downloader plug-in for Internet Explorer is fun -- as the following video (grabbed by Jing!) illustrates, it provides a pop-up box with a link that allows you to download the Flash (FLV) video file to your hard drive. Then, after the download, you can use the Converter software to convert the FLV file to a format easier for you to use -- say, a Windows Media file, if you want to embed it in PowerPoint, or a MOV or MPEG-4 file, if you want to use it on a Mac device. You can even convert to an audio-only MP3 file (if you're only interested in the song but not the video, for instance... this has come in handy a lot for me).
Check out the coolness after the jump.
But the real fun for me is in the Downloader and Converter programs. The Downloader plug-in for Internet Explorer is fun -- as the following video (grabbed by Jing!) illustrates, it provides a pop-up box with a link that allows you to download the Flash (FLV) video file to your hard drive. Then, after the download, you can use the Converter software to convert the FLV file to a format easier for you to use -- say, a Windows Media file, if you want to embed it in PowerPoint, or a MOV or MPEG-4 file, if you want to use it on a Mac device. You can even convert to an audio-only MP3 file (if you're only interested in the song but not the video, for instance... this has come in handy a lot for me).
Check out the coolness after the jump.
Screencast.com -- free storage, easy sharing
As promised, gang, here is an introductory video that briefly describes Screencast.com, a web-based file sharing application from TechSmith, the folks behind Camtasia and Jing. Just like Jing, the basics of Screencast.com is totally free, and basically involves not only 2 GB of storage for images, videos and other files, but also enables you to easily share those files with whomever you want by sharing a URL weblink, and/or generating code so you can embed the content in a webpage (like a Moodle site for you course, for instance). Just like Jing, if you want more storage space and more snazzy options you can pay for them, but I like free, especially to get started.
Click here to check out the Screencast.com introductory video. And then check out my assessment of the video quality after the jump.
Click here to check out the Screencast.com introductory video. And then check out my assessment of the video quality after the jump.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Get Jing-y With It!
Just discovered Jing! It's a free software application connected to Screencast.com (which is also free), created by TechSmith -- the folks who do Camtasia, the software we're using for our lecture podcast construction.
Anyway, why type this? Click here for the link to the tutorial I captured (I embedded it below as an experiment, but as you can see I still have to learn how to resize it).
Anyway, why type this? Click here for the link to the tutorial I captured (I embedded it below as an experiment, but as you can see I still have to learn how to resize it).
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Book Report 3: Vignare, Literature Review of ALN Online/Blended Learning Research
Long time no post, I know... the conclusion of summer school, a training consultant gig and a few end-of-month personal commitments derailed things a bit, but now your faithful blended learning explorer is back in the game... presenting a summary of Chapter 3 from Picciano and Dziuban's edited volume Blended Learning: Research Perspectives.
In this installment, I summarize Karen Vignare's literature review of studies that have examined the use of online asynchronous learning networks (ALN) in fully online and blended learning environments. This chapter is pretty darned helpful, not only in synthesizing a bunch of work done before the publication of this 2007 volume, but also in framing that discussion in terms of the Sloan-Consortium's Five Pillars of quality education. This framework seems promising in order to identify the key concerns of faculty and institutional constituencies, both in thinking strategically about adopting blended learning resources and in determining how to assess pilot efforts for continuing quality improvement. My wife, a one-time Certified Quality Engineer, would perhaps be pleased (or bemused) to hear me talking like this.
The emphasis on ALN as a mode of online blended learning (see the list of pedagogical strategies below from the chapter's able 1) also makes me wonder whether the approach I'm considering -- online mini-lectures and quizzes, followed up by more intensive in-class collaborative critical analysis and discussion exercises -- is the best way to go. Clearly, my approach emphasizes the face-to-face venue as the primary location for student/student and student/faculty engagement of the course knowledge, which might be more appropriate for our student population and college culture than the models put in place by larger institutions with a student population more in line with the averages Vignare describes. I must admit some surprise in the finding that 75% of all higher ed students are aged 25 and up (although this includes graduate and professional programs, as well as community colleges, etc.), and that surprise is reminding me that any of the stuff in this literature needs to be considered, in part, in terms of how we at Augustana (a small, residential liberal arts college) differ from the institutional cultures and needs described in this research literature.
In any event, enjoy the summary after the jump.
Vignare, Karen. "Review of Literature Blended Learning: Using ALN to Change the Classroom -- Will It Work?" Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. Eds. Anthony G. Picciano and Charles D. Dziuban, eds. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2007. Print. 37-63
In this installment, I summarize Karen Vignare's literature review of studies that have examined the use of online asynchronous learning networks (ALN) in fully online and blended learning environments. This chapter is pretty darned helpful, not only in synthesizing a bunch of work done before the publication of this 2007 volume, but also in framing that discussion in terms of the Sloan-Consortium's Five Pillars of quality education. This framework seems promising in order to identify the key concerns of faculty and institutional constituencies, both in thinking strategically about adopting blended learning resources and in determining how to assess pilot efforts for continuing quality improvement. My wife, a one-time Certified Quality Engineer, would perhaps be pleased (or bemused) to hear me talking like this.
The emphasis on ALN as a mode of online blended learning (see the list of pedagogical strategies below from the chapter's able 1) also makes me wonder whether the approach I'm considering -- online mini-lectures and quizzes, followed up by more intensive in-class collaborative critical analysis and discussion exercises -- is the best way to go. Clearly, my approach emphasizes the face-to-face venue as the primary location for student/student and student/faculty engagement of the course knowledge, which might be more appropriate for our student population and college culture than the models put in place by larger institutions with a student population more in line with the averages Vignare describes. I must admit some surprise in the finding that 75% of all higher ed students are aged 25 and up (although this includes graduate and professional programs, as well as community colleges, etc.), and that surprise is reminding me that any of the stuff in this literature needs to be considered, in part, in terms of how we at Augustana (a small, residential liberal arts college) differ from the institutional cultures and needs described in this research literature.
In any event, enjoy the summary after the jump.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Book Report 2: Shea, "Toward a Conceptual Framework for Learning"
As promised, loyal readers, a continuation of my summary of an informative anthology of blended learning research:
Shea, Peter. "Towards a Conceptual Framework for Learning in Blended Environments." Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. Eds. Anthony G. Picciano and Charles D. Dziuban, eds. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2007. Print. 19-35
Teaser for next time: Chapter 3 is a review of the blended learning literature (at least through 2005) -- should be useful! Before we get there, though, Shea discusses a possible framework for how blended learning can be theorized, researched, designed and implemented, focusing on quality teaching and learning principles.
Shea, Peter. "Towards a Conceptual Framework for Learning in Blended Environments." Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. Eds. Anthony G. Picciano and Charles D. Dziuban, eds. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2007. Print. 19-35
Teaser for next time: Chapter 3 is a review of the blended learning literature (at least through 2005) -- should be useful! Before we get there, though, Shea discusses a possible framework for how blended learning can be theorized, researched, designed and implemented, focusing on quality teaching and learning principles.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Book Report 1: Picciano and Dziuban, Introduction
OK, gang, part of what I want to do on this blog is to share what I'm learning in my reading of the relevant literature on blended/hybrid learning. In the near future I will have a student research assistant reading and annotating a good bit of this literature; I may have her posting her research summaries to this blog. For now, I want to do some of this myself.
Part of my work in the BLI right now involves reading what looks to be an important first step in grasping the current work-to-date on blended learning SoTL research:
Picciano, Anthony G., and Charles D. Dziuban, eds. Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2007.
Part of my work in the BLI right now involves reading what looks to be an important first step in grasping the current work-to-date on blended learning SoTL research:
Picciano, Anthony G., and Charles D. Dziuban, eds. Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2007.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
It's nice to feel validated...
OK, so yesterday I joined the ACTL Blended Learning Initiative (BLI) in participating in a multimedia training presentation on "Organizing Blended Courses for Optimal Student Engagement," presented by Ivan (Ike) Shibley of Penn State - Berks and sponsored by Magna Online Seminars. It was a recording of an online webinar, and the presentation style was PowerPoint, with a video talking-head window in the corner -- precisely the format I'm using for my podcasts (theirs is a more polished version, natch), so already I have a sense that developing this kind of online learning experience may not be as hard as I thought.
Moreover, the suggestions Shibley presented led me to conclude that there are many folks (myself included) who already use "blended learning" in the way experts conceptualize it. Thus, it seems that presenting this concept to campus will be that much easier, as there's a basis for identification with elements of the status quote.
As Inigo Montoya began, "Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up."
Moreover, the suggestions Shibley presented led me to conclude that there are many folks (myself included) who already use "blended learning" in the way experts conceptualize it. Thus, it seems that presenting this concept to campus will be that much easier, as there's a basis for identification with elements of the status quote.
As Inigo Montoya began, "Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up."
Saturday, June 5, 2010
1st prototype podcast!
OK, here we go -- my first attempt at a mini-lecture podcast composed with Camtasia and PowerPoint!
It's not pretty... for one thing, it's not scripted, so at times I sound like a blithering idiot. As well, the lighting on the webcam video is poor, and I didn't even bother to shave. But this gives you a sense of the sort of thing I'm driving at with these mini-lectures. It's a skosh over 17 minutes, so it could be tighter (I'd like these all to be 15 minutes or less), but it's close.
A note on uploading: I'm doing it at home tonight (wireless connection, cable modem), and (a) it's taking forever to upload, and (b) it's sucking the internet connection, so my wife's online work on her laptop with some course management software is really slow and sluggish. I'll need to see if things are faster or slower on campus, but usually my home network is a lot faster than the campus network. This might not bode well, at least under current campus network bandwidth conditions. How rough will this be when students are back on campus in full force?
Anyway, enjoy, and I'd be happy to receive any feedback you care to share.
It's not pretty... for one thing, it's not scripted, so at times I sound like a blithering idiot. As well, the lighting on the webcam video is poor, and I didn't even bother to shave. But this gives you a sense of the sort of thing I'm driving at with these mini-lectures. It's a skosh over 17 minutes, so it could be tighter (I'd like these all to be 15 minutes or less), but it's close.
A note on uploading: I'm doing it at home tonight (wireless connection, cable modem), and (a) it's taking forever to upload, and (b) it's sucking the internet connection, so my wife's online work on her laptop with some course management software is really slow and sluggish. I'll need to see if things are faster or slower on campus, but usually my home network is a lot faster than the campus network. This might not bode well, at least under current campus network bandwidth conditions. How rough will this be when students are back on campus in full force?
Anyway, enjoy, and I'd be happy to receive any feedback you care to share.
Some clarification of purpose
OK, it makes sense at this point to flesh out the purpose of this pilot a bit more fully, at least from my perspective. There are at least two sets of goals: institutional and personal. Both of these are outlined, more or less, in the grant application I've linked here, requesting a stipend for a summer research assistant to aid me in the preliminary preparation for this SoTL study.
Institutionally speaking, the group is guinea-pigging some possibilities for incorporating online content delievry and pedagogical options into the classroom learning experience for students. Slow down -- no one's moving to a University of Phoenix model here. But here's what we've noticed so far that has provided the impetus of this project.
Institutionally speaking, the group is guinea-pigging some possibilities for incorporating online content delievry and pedagogical options into the classroom learning experience for students. Slow down -- no one's moving to a University of Phoenix model here. But here's what we've noticed so far that has provided the impetus of this project.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Let's get this blog started!
Welcome to this inaugural blog post! For those of you who don't know who I am (and are therefore reading this blog for reasons I cannot understand or anticipate at this time), I'm an Associate Professor of Communication Studies, and the Chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Division, at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. As part of a group organized in the spring of 2010 by Augustana College's Center for Teaching and Learning (ACTL) and the Academic Affairs Office, I began exploring the possibilities for blended/hybrid learning in my political communication classroom. This blog will record that journey.
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