Pegagocial Framework for Implementation of a Successful Elearning Strategy

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Pegagocial Framework for Implementation of a
Successful Elearning Strategy

• David Wilson M.Ed
• Regional Manager, Blackboard, Inc.
• October 2007

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Agenda

• What is eLearning?
• Emergence of the Networked Learning Environment
• The eTipping Point
• Importance of Instructional Theory
• Strengths and Weaknesses of eLearning
• Summary
• Dialogue and Reflection

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What is eLearning?

• E-learning (electronic learning) Term covering
  a wide set of applications and processes, such as
  Web-based learning, computer-based learning,
  virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. It
  includes the delivery of content via Internet,
  intranet/extranet (LAN/WAN), audio- and
  videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive TV,
  CD-ROM, and more.
• Eva Kaplan-Leiserson Learning Circuits

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New Learning Technologies

• Content Tools
• Audio/Video Delivery of Files
• Interactive Simulations
• Multiple-player environments
• Learning Object Repositories
• Pod Casting/RSS Feeds

• Communication Tools
• Asynchronous discussion boards
• Synchronous chat spaces
• Instant messaging text messaging
• Multiple-way audio video interactions

• Assessment Tools
• In-class polling tools
• Online assessments surveys
• Online assignment collection w/feedback
  delivery
• Electronic portfolios
• Electronic journaling/blogging

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Growth of eLearning

• E-learning as we know it has been around for
  ten years or so. During that time, it has emerged
  from being a radical ideathe effectiveness of
  which was yet to be provento something that is
  widely regarded as mainstream.
• It's the core to numerous business plans and a
  service offered by most colleges and
  universities.  And now, e-learning is evolving
  with the World Wide Web as a whole and it's
  changing to a degree significant enough to
  warrant a new name E-learning 2.0."
• Stephen Downes, eLearn Magazine, October 2005

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Modes of eLearning

• Three flavors of eLearning learning
• Supplemental
• Presents and shares some content online however
  mostly same as that provided in-class time with
  tasks often remaining the same.
• Benefits of access to additional resources.
• Hybrid/Blended
• Replaces some portion of in-class time with
  online tasks and activities
• Fully Online/Distance
• Replaces all in-class time with online tasks and
  activities

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Modes of Learner Engagement

• Three flavors of Learner Engagement
• Learner-instructor Engagement
• Provides content selection and activity design
  as well as motivation, feedback, and dialogue
  between the instructor and student
• Learner-content Engagement
• Provides opportunities in which students obtain
  information from the material and/or activities
  to build knowledge
• Learner-learner Engagement
• Provides the exchange of information, ideas and
  dialog between students and synthesizes the
  creation of knowledge
• Toni Pauls, The Importance of Interaction in
  Online Courses

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• eLearning
• The Emergence Of The
• Networked Learning Environment

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The Networked Learning Environment

• A true networked learning environment exists when
  any student or teacher can
• - view instructional content
• - collaborate with Educators and/or peers
• - evaluate academic performance
• - access any learning resources at any
  time to achieve their educational objectives
• - engage beyond the traditional bricks and mortar
  of the classroom

The Classroom
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The Path to the Networked Learning Environment
SCHOOL GROWTH
MISSION CRITICAL
EXPLORATORY
SUPPORTED
STRATEGIC
TRANSFORMATIVETHE NETWORKED LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT

• Course web sites

• Commercial enterprise course management system

• Online courses, organisations, and institutional
  services integrated with back-office systems

• A full online school with learning communities
  and shared digital content resources

• When any student or teacher can view
  instructional content, collaborate with teachers,
  evaluate academic performance, and access
  learning resources at any time to achieve their
  educational objectives.

Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Phase 5
Phase I
TIME
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Driving forces behind the evolvement of
aNetworked Learning Environment
MISSION CRITICAL
EXPLORATORY
SUPPORTED
STRATEGIC
TRANSFORMATIVETHE NETWORKED LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Phase 5
Phase I
TIME
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The Benefits of aNetworked Learning Environment
SCHOOL BENEFITS
MISSION CRITICAL
EXPLORATORY
SUPPORTED
STRATEGIC
TRANSFORMATIVETHE NETWORKED LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Phase 5
Phase I
TIME
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Influence of the Networked Learning Environment
on Teaching and Learning
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Networked Learning Environment 1.0 vs. 2.0
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• The eTipping Point

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The E Tipping Point what we are witnessing

• A new type of student walks into the campus
• He assumes that education and technology have
  already merged
• To her technology is not experimental but is
  mainstream
• Students sees the Internet both for information
  delivery, collaboration, additional support
  mechanisms and interpersonal communication
• A new type of institution is emerging
• Not "if eLearning" but "when" and "in what
  blend
• Not for one unit/course but all units/courses
  across the institution
• Strategically applying technology for
  transformation and sustainability
• Adoption of new pedagogies
• New efficiencies / levels of effectiveness

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Todays Learners Throughout the World
Expect Choice
Networked
Entrenched in Technology
Seek Portability
The Global Millennial Generation
Multi-Taskers
Communicative
Creativity
Education Consumers
Interactive Gamers
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The E Tipping Point What does this mean in
terms of the way we teach?

• How we organize, deliver and support the learning
  process to meet the changing needs and
  expectations of the student
• Not just managing, but managing change
• Institutions must be flexible and responsive
• Change is not really about technology it is
  about people, organisations and accountability
• Need to be constantly monitoring and improving
• Interactive resources and new pedagogies
• Education is about enriching the student
  experience

Re-think.
Adapt.
Engage.
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Four Es of the Evolving Classroom
eLearning
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• Influence of Instructional Theories
• Individual Learning Styles in an Online
  Environment

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Influence of Instructional Theory The Challenge

• Effective online instruction depends on learning
  experiences appropriately designed and
  facilitated by knowledgeable educators.
• The biggest challenges technology-infused
  teaching have faced in the past are making
  activities meaningful, engaging, efficient and
  student centered.
• In designing online courses, this can best
  accomplished by utilising multiple instructional
  strategies based on sound instructional theory.

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Instructional Strategies

• Jonassen, Grabinger and Harris (1991) described
  instructional strategies as
• Instructional strategies operationalize
  pedagogical models which are in turn derived from
  learning theory
• The plans and techniques that the
  instructor/instructional designer uses to engage
  the learner and facilitate learning

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Enhancing Student and Teacher Learning Experience
through Best Practice

• Best Practice Example 1 Problem-based Learning
• Organize the course around the problem/theme
  and/or stages of the problem/theme- selectively
  reveal stages as the course progresses
• Present content from multiple perspectives,
  linking content with the course link creator and
  course map functions
• Present and share a resource library of materials
  (or encourage students to build one) that is
  searchable based on customized keywords
• Hold office hours in the lightweight chat space
  to answer questions and post transcripts for
  other students to review
• Give students access to a blog, wiki, or
  ePortfolio to share collective progress and final
  projects in an open creative environment

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Enhancing Student and Teacher Learning Experience
through Best Practice Blackboard

• Best Practices Suggestion 2 Constructivist
  Learning
• Utilize the Discussion Board Selective Release
  functionality for student-centered discovery,
  research and reflection include discussion
  moderation, peer assessment and grading
• Facilitate synchronous discussion in the Virtual
  Classroom- students share documents, web sites
  and ideas in text/on the whiteboard
• Encourage student collaboration through the use
  of ePortfolios- students share the progress of
  their learning for colleague commenting
• Enable a shared collection of materials for
  student creation, management and discovery
• Develop a customized module that will allow
  students to grade each other and themselves using
  our open APIs

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Enhancing Student and Teacher Learning Experience
through Best Practice Blackboard

• Best Practices 3 Fostering Learning Communities
• Create a personalized, role-based experience for
  students upon entry into the online academic
  space
• Foster the online presence of community
  sub-groups, like organizations or working/study
  groups
• Allow key participants to directly manage their
  information and facilitate associated
  collaborative activities- encourage the
  delegation of responsibilities (think experts and
  novices)
• Build a learning object catalog for all members
  of the community to contribute to and utilize
• Provide mentoring opportunities for students by
  connecting them with the community in a central,
  focused location

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Enhancing Student and Teacher Learning Experience
through Best Practice Blackboard

• Best Practices 4 Measuring Learning Outcomes
• Establishing a Matrix of Evaluation Components
• Quantitative (Student) Performance Report,
  Course Statistics, Gradebook
• Qualitative (Student) Discussion Boards, Chat
  Sessions, Assignments, Essay Exams, ePortfolios
  and In-class Activities
• Map desired outcomes (Course) to activities
• Create evaluation tools (Course) PRIOR to
  starting the course
• Designing Sharing Expectations
• Present students with detailed process and
  outcome descriptions
• Build activities that promote performance desired
  learning values
• Remember that Blackboard is a tool and should be
  treated as such not a second instructor

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• Strengths and Weaknesses of eLearning

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Strengths Weaknesses

• Harvard Business School reported that students
  not only learn better when traditional classrooms
  were supported by online sessions, but student
  interaction and satisfaction improved.
• Thompson Learning and Netg released findings in
  2003 that reported increased performance in real
  world tasks by people who experienced a blended
  strategy faster than those who studied through
  eLearning alone.

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Strengths

• Synergy
• Student Centered
• High Quality Dialogue synthesis and reflection
• Access to Additional Resources
• Any time Place
• Any Pace within reason ?
• Level Playing Field - removal of discrimination
  factors
• Creative Teaching

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Weaknesses

• Access and Level of Technology skills
• The Online Environment
• The Curriculum
• Administration
• The Students
• The facilitator

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• Guidelines for Effective
• Online Facilitation

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What do we mean by Online Facilitation?

• The act of managing the learner and learning
  through an online medium.
• The management of the communication of others
  online (Coghlan 2001).
• A pedagogical term that applies to
  student-centred approaches to teaching as apposed
  to teacher-driven the teachers role moving
  from expert to one of facilitation sage on the
  stage to guide on the side (Kempe 2001)
• In eLearning all three are inextricably entwined
  when it comes to online teaching

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Why is effective Online Facilitation important?

• Online teaching is moving from an emphasis of
  simply making content available via the web to a
  more interactive environment which recognises the
  social and interactive elements of knowledge
  construction, and the pedagogical approaches that
  enable student centred experiences e.g.
• Problem based
• Inquiry based
• Discovery
• Authentic based learning
• (Janinski 2001, Ambrose 2001, Salmon 2000)

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How do we define effective online facilitation?

• Effective online facilitation should engage,
  guide, and motivate learners, and provide a safe
  and conducive environment for learning and
  communication exchange for all learners
  regardless of their prior experience and
  predisposition or otherwise to online learning.
• (Australian Flexible Learning Network 2003)

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Challenges of Online Facilitation

• Achieving the right mix of online and offline
  activities blended
• Keeping tabs on individual student progress
• Catering for different learning styles and needs
• Adopting student centred approaches and learning
  to become a guide on the side
• Standing back and enabling students to direct
  group and self learning without stifling or
  dominating the discussion
• Developing techniques for communicating and
  responding to achieve particular outcomes
• Avoiding the dangers of misinterpretation of
  responses and assisting students to do the same
• Dealing with silence and getting students to
  actively participate

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Guidelines for effective online facilitation ?

• Embed technology into the entire learning
  environment
• Provide a safe and non threatening environment
  for online communication
• Encourage students to take responsibility for
  themselves
• Articulation of reasoning, knowledge and problem
  solving processes assist students to become
  more aware of their own thinking and reasoning
  and encourage them to inquire into the thinking
  and reasoning of others
• Use authentic activities when possible in
  preference to generic
• Recognise the importance of the social aspect
  of learning and not just the learning task at
  hand
• Encourage respecting and valuing multiple
  perspectives - first requires conscious thought
  of your own
• Utilise probes and supportive comments to extend
  conversations

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Guidelines for effective online facilitation ?

• Utilise smaller group work / discussions to help
  keep students focussed and being overwhelmed by
  large group communications
• Encourage Co-construction of meaning to break
  the student-teacher dependency model
• Create spaces with parallel processing (not
  sequential)
• Include random access to support/extension
  content/resources (through hypertext)
• Recognise the need for instant gratification and
  regular reinforcement
• Provide clear expectations and guidance for all
  assessment activities
• -

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Guidelines towards effective online facilitation ?

• "Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I may
  remember. Involve me, and I'll understand"Chinese
  Proverb
• "Online you get to know your students' minds not
  just their faces."Harasim, L., Hiltz, S.R.,
  Teles, L., and Turoff, M. in Learning Networks A
  Field

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• Concluding Comments

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Concluding Recommendations

• Lead with your academic and administrative
  strategies at all levels institution,
  department, course.
• Plan your entire course, not just the
  technology-based components, based on your
  teaching values and practices, before building
  anything
• Connect in-class and online activities directly
  make students aware of why you chose each
  environment and technology tool(s)
• Be aware of the various learning styles of your
  students and use appropriate learning strategies
  technology to address the differences
• Provide an environment that is built upon your
  existing strengths as an teacher and/or
  educational institution and that addresses
  changing learner needs. No two learning
  environments will look alike but we can learn
  from best practice.
• Most importantly, encourage a safe and supportive
  learning environment in which students can
  reflect, synthesise and collaborate with both
  their teachers and peers and are aware of their
  abilities as learners as well content and concept
  acquirers.

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Dialogue Reflection

• Contact Information
• David Wilson, david.wilson_at_blackboard.com
• http//www.blackboard.com

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Parting thoughts

• "If we don't focus on the experience dimension of
  learning, we run the risk of mistaking the
  publishing of information for learning and
  training"Elliott Masie
• "You can't teach people everything they need to
  know. The best you can do is position them where
  they can find what they need to know when they
  need to know it." Seymour Papert
• "People love to learn but hate to be
  taught"Michael Yacobian, internationally
  renowned trainer