Week 8 Discussion

The technological tools learners are using outside the classroom can be brought into the educational process in a number of ways. Some tools and strategies are better for this purpose. Some of the best suited are wikis, blogs, chat, and Skype.

Wikis, blogs, chat, and Skype are examples of current developments with technology and social software that are significantly altering how learners access information and knowledge, and how learners dialogue with the instructor and each other (Siemens, 2008). The act of interacting, up to this point, has been controlled by the instructor. But these technology tools allow the learning to be more learner-centric and encourage collaboration.

Some benefits and advantages these technology tools provide are that the majority of today’s students embrace this technology. Students entering higher education today are often described as millennials. The millennial learner, due to their digital lifestyles, and having grown up in a digital, networked world, have “expectations of education as a participative, engaging, and active environment” (Siemens, 2008, p. 6).

Reference
Siemens, G. (2008, January). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. ITForum

ConceptMapOprishD

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Project reboot

I have had to reboot, for two reasons.
Since virtual worlds for training was already spoken for, I selected games for learning.
Also, my .ppt SB was not a viable or useful product.

So, I restarted the entire process.
Which has put me precariously behind the power curve.
I may have underestimated to enormity of the project.

Pls look over my SB and offer comments and/or suggestions for improvement.
thanks

PS The viewing screen is tiny.
I don't know how to enlarge that.

Week 6 / Module 3 Assessing Collaborative Efforts

Assessing participation in a collaborative learning community does not have to be difficult. George Siemens suggests four different models of collaborative assessment that relieve the educator of the responsibility of being the sole evaluator (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). The first is peer evaluation. This is where students assess their peers. The second is when the educator directs students to an online community where they receive feedback. The third model is the educator’s evaluation. This model is the one that will most likely result in a grade. An example of this would be wiki participation and by monitoring the activity log of the learning management system (LMS) for participation. The final model is the actual coursework submitted through the LMS. 

The varying levels of skill and knowledge students bring to a course can affect the instructor's fair and equitable assessment of learning. The instructor must deal with these differences on a case by case basis. But these differences can be a good thing. The stronger students have more to share and the weaker students have more to gain. George Siemens suggests educators move beyond a strict mark-based assessment, where the student is graded on a test or paper, and consider and assessment based on student growth (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). 

Many students enter into an online program because of the freedom of study that it offers. They appreciate the idea of completing the coursework, at their own pace and their own convenience. They like the idea of independent study, and ”are resentful when asked to work with others” (Palloff & Pratt, 2005, p. 31). If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, other members of the learning community have some options. Students in the group should try to resolve the problem at the lowest level possible. Some gentle coaxing through email asking if there is a problem could get the recalcitrant student back in the mix. Or a message sent out to the entire group reminding everyone of their responsibilities outlined in the group charter could also jumpstart participation. 

The instructor plays an important role in reducing these risks. One way to do this is by setting the stage for successful collaboration by requiring group charters and providing clear and concise participation and expectation guidelines (Palloff & Pratt, 2005). This is further facilitated by securing buy in at the beginning through the use of learning contracts or agreements on how they will work together (Palloff & Pratt, 2005).

 
References

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Assessment of Collaborative Learning. Baltimore: Author.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Week 5 / Module 3 (initial storyboard posting)

"At professional conferences, the keynote speaker is often introduced through the presentation of a short video that focuses the audience’s attention and provides background and insight on the speaker’s topic. This year, you have been given the honor of participating in a distance education conference by introducing the keynote speaker’s address. Your introduction may focus on any aspect of distance education that you find timely and interesting. In order to introduce the speaker, you are required to develop a 5- to 6-minute video on the distance education topic you selected."

In partial fulfillment of 5- to 6-minute video requirement, I must develop a storyboard. Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence.

Please look this SB over and offer comments, critiques, and any useful insight that you may have.

Storyboard oprishd (mod 3)

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