Social media in classroom

o    Which social media do you use? What do you use them for? 

o    Have you had any negative or unexpected experiences with social media? 

o    Do you think social media can be used effectively in educational or workplace settings or should it be limited or even prohibited? If so, at what grade level or circumstance? Please give specific examples about appropriate and inappropriate use of social media and look for articles to share with the class. 

We are heading towards web 3.0 where browser will be a personal assistant thus, it is absolutely essential that students grasp on the social media and other similar tools to cope up with the information technology boom. Young people are using these social media for variety of reasons-sharing good articles, music, videao and ideas. As mentioned in Beloit mindset List 2014, the facebook and similar sites are fastest means to communicate the message after text messaging. The great idea of revolution in Syria was spread through these networking sites only. This is an impressive fact that technology brought people together, and helped in information sharing, which the security apparatus failed to prevent.

But, parents and teachers have to supervise their children all the time so that technology is not misused. A report published in LA times(Nov 8, 2011)  claims that, ’The majority of teenagers who use social networking websites say their peers are mostly kind to one another online, but 88% still say they've witnessed people being mean and cruel on such sites. According to a new study, fifteen percent say they've been the target of bad behavior on social media sites.’  Young children, especially, face some issues related to privacy, inappropriate content and cyber bullying.

Researches and think tanks are repeatedly emphasizing the fact that teachers/instructors should be aware of the critical issues related to the use the social media. While the online discussion threads via  Twitter or Facebook can provide excellent opportunity to teach and, but one should never forget that the personal information posted on these websites are permanent and searchable everywhere. The profile information, pictures and video  can be accessed by anyone. As educators, we should make sure that students understand what are they writing, is public, and potential employers will be able to see any kind of negative comments or tweets.

Personally, before signing up for any kind of newsletter, or any website, I always uncheck the box-Share my information with partner websites. Many of the websites share and spread the personal information to other partner websites, that keep you sending the spam/junk. You might not even know how  your personal information is being used. Youngsters need to know ins and outs of this. The main reason is that the privacy policies of these websites/companies change often and we might not be even notified about it!

Once, I discussed these issues with my next door neighbor, Jeana, a mom of 13 years. She said that sometimes she feels helpless how to tackle these issues. She is too busy with job and other responsibilities. I have found a very useful pdf for parents: “How Does Social Networking Help Children (PDF)” Surf Net Parents. Thus, it is teachers’ responsibility to educate the learners about all privacy issues related to social media, blogs, and other similar applications.

I think children can start using any kind of social media tool only after 14-15 years because after this period they become aware of ‘metacognition’ and demonstrate ‘contextual intelligence’. They also demonstrate conventional morality (Kohlberg). So, they can be educated regarding potential risks related to social media and its overuse.

Social media can be effectively used for discussions and brainstorming with the tools such as twitter, blogs or wallwisher. The other social networking sites can be used to reach out parents, receive feedbacks and connecting with alumni group. While education is delivered electronically where students have to use computers, PDAs, tablets or other similar gadgets, there are greater chances of distraction, which may lead to time management issue and misuse of internet access.

I personally use facebook and twitter. I also have an account with linked in networking sites, which is mainly used to professional tie-ups. I use facebook to connect with friends and family. I have been blogging since 2008 and blogspot is my favorite. My experience has been good till date!

Reference:

Kohlberg, Lawrence (1981). Essays on Moral Development, Vol. I: The Philosophy of Moral Development. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row

Building community in online course

Assignment 3: Write one paragraph in which you explain how you will design your course to build community. Write a second paragraph about how the way you will facilitate learning will help build community. Relate each to the kind of student and content you will be working with

Response:

In order to build effective community, students first need to become comfortable with responding to their classmates and instructor. I’ll give personal response to the participants’ introduction thread during the first week of my course- ABC’s of Chemistry, and help students to develop candlepower within the context of an online class. In the beginning of the course, I’ll clearly mention that the course will encourage thoughtful personal postings within the forum, and discourage “me too, I agree” contributions. I’ll include the group work and peer review to discuss topics such as periodic table and using online tools like unit converter. One way to involve students in discussion is to lead questions that encourage participants to invest in concerns held by other learners, and to share ideas and possible solutions. I think this will be helpful in writing equations and solve thermodynamic problems because these two areas are usually considered to be difficult for the students those are new to chemistry. One/two students will be assigned the role of ‘ice-breaker’ each week. They will initiate the discussion in DB on the given topic. For example, ice-breakers can initiate the discussion on how they performed the experiments in the virtual lab, due in that particular week. They can use storytelling to describe their experience also.  I’ll include role play in organic chemistry in which, students will perform the role of organic and inorganic compounds, and discuss the characteristics of each compound they are playing role of.

Students from high school are most likely to take up this course, so this course might be one of their first online asynchronous learning. The way an instructor facilitates learning helps to build community. According to Moore (2007) initial in‐person contact and a sustained group better enabled students to develop a learning community in an online environment and enable instructor to make interpersonal connection with students. When learners are a part of a group work, a common sense of responsibility exists among participants towards the assigned task and/or in group discussion. This common sense of responsibility acts as a motivational force to work as a community. Ice breakers will promote thoughtful interaction and introduce their classmates to a new procedure or concept. The ice-breakers will use candle power to tell stories about what they learnt through their experiments, helping the ones who have never done any chemistry experiment. Such intellectual discourse can effectively give students the opportunity to show that they have truly learned a concept by sharing with others their ideas. Assigning participants to moderate online discussions, engage in debates, summarize results and reflect on their postings promote interaction too. The storytelling and role play will encourage more student participation and community building, helping especially, those who learn through ‘interpersonal’ learning styles (Gardner, 1995).

References:

1. Jodi, S. (2012, May). [Online forum comment].

2. Moore, J. (2007) Web institutes. Retrieved November 4, 2008, from Sloan Consortium Web site: http://sloanconsortium.org/node/423

3. Gardner, H. (1995). How Are Kids Smart: Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom—Administrators' Version. ISBN 1-887943-03-X

Learning styles in online learning

In what ways, if at all, do you think the concept of Learning Styles can be useful to the online instructor?

I personally feel that no one approach or single presentation style maximizes learning for all students. As an instructor, one may  never know the learning styles of all the students. Thus, it is best to bring a variety in the content and expose students to multiple ways to interact with it. Try and include reading, lectures, journaling, listening to recorded podcasts or watching short screencasts.

 An online instructor should consciously choose diversified teaching material and assignments (visual, auditory, kinesthetic-depending on the class) and integrate different LS modes in classroom interaction and presentations.

I think assorted study material would enable  online learners to study smartly,  utilizing the time more productively. Sometimes minimal adjustments in teaching learning process can impart enormous improvements in students' learning and involvement. The goal of an instructor should be to equip students with the skills associated with every LS, regardless of the students' personal preferences because they will need all of those skills to function effectively.

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Discussion-

Hi Savneet,

Very nicely stated!

But, you missed the best part. While the instructor is creating content that will integrate LS modes in the classroom, the instructor is also working on improving their own learning styles. For example, I registered an 11 in visual and almost nothing on verbal. I think that while I'm working on creating something interesting for my verbal students, it will be a fantastic opportunity for me to improve my listening skills.

Catherine

Yes, we can learn to teach only to our own learning style preferences, but to all of them, just "mixing it up".

Concept of IQ is outdated

Yes. In Frames of Mind , Gardner argued that the concept of IQ was completely outdated and that it represented largely (Western) cultural values for language and math skill. He made the point that different cultures may well value different skills, and thus consider someone "intelligent" in their cultural setting who might not be considered so in another setting. Somehow, his notion of the cultural influence on our definition of intelligence became misappropriated into the identification of intelligence by ethnicity. I can only imagine how outraged he must have been!

Multiple intelligence in an online course

In what ways, if at all, do you think the concept of Multiple Intelligences can be useful to the online instructor?

Gardner (1983) proposed the  theory of multiple intelligences , which claims that there are seven autonomous brain systems that work together in complex ways; no intelligence exists by itself. Knowledge of multiple intelligences helps instructors to find ways to enhance the interplay of all of the intelligences. This is particularly true for the online courses as well. Online instructors can use this concept to make their teaching approach more comprehensive to engage the different types of learners.

The given reading,  "Orchestrating Multiple Intelligences" emphasis the need of group work, “Students with compatible profiles (exhibiting the same patterns of strengths and weaknesses) can work together to solidify and build on strengths”. The group work should be an integrated part of an online course. Students with different intelligence can team up to compensate each other’s weak areas. 

Also, knowledge of multiple intelligence can be used to develop a more inclusive teaching environment by an instructor. The given reading advocates the creation of  ‘ rich experiences in which students with different intelligence profiles can interact with the materials and ideas using their particular combinations of strengths and weaknesses’. 

The instructional strategies and course material should be designed in such a manner that they match with the intellectual strengths of individual students. The inclusive design of an online course will provide a greater access to the curriculum for all students, helping them to excel in their learning. 

References:

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: Basic Books.

Discussion:

Savneet

I agree that group projects/work that include people with multiple intelligences can compensate for other team members weaknesses.

When we did our team project last quarter, there was a natural hierarchy that ensued based on the selection of the team lead ( Don't misunderstand, our team was excellent). Do you think that those in the group who may be weak in a few areas will be overshadowed by those with strengths in the same particular areas?

How do we as instructors make sure that the "team" actually does encourage developing those weaknesses?

Lisha

 Lisha

You have raised an important issue. I think that in order to avoid any such situation, the instructor should lay an emphasis on shared responsibility rather than on individual competition. The instructor can include different interactive or non-interactive material, that requires all team members to give some kind of input/comment. There should be a division of labor among  team members. Instructor should monitor students' progress closely. Further, it is important for all team members to know the details including what will happen if the given task is not completed. Instructors should discuss the importance of distribution of the workload overtly and early on in the process of team formation. For younger learners, a teacher can even assign roles to be performed, keeping in mind the learning styles of individual learners.

----

One interesting way to give credit for group performance is to proceed to an exam or other final assessment and, then...for every student who receives a score above the cutoff you choose (say 90%), everyone in his/her group gets some bonus points. In this way, excellent group work can add to one's grade, but there is no downside risk.

If the reward is for the whole team doing well, it's a great incentive to work in groups in the future

-Jodi

Writing objectives

Assignment 2
After you have seen the critique of your paper in DB 2c, you are to submit one well written (observable) learning objective for the course you are planning to teach. Identify its level on (the new) Bloom's Taxonomy and explain why you think so. Describe the way you propose to assess the attainment of this objective and explain why. At the end, please note who served as your critique partner for this assignment.
Points to be assigned as follows:
Objective meets all four criteria listed in this week's lecture materials  0-5 points
Identification of level on Bloom's and explanation 0-3 points
Description and alignment of the assessment 0-4 points
Professional level, clear writing 0-3 points



Name of the Course-ABC’s of Chemistry

Chapter 3- Atomic number and mass number

Objective:  At the end of this chapter the students will be able to define, inter-relate and determine atomic number and mass number of an atom.
Bloom’s Taxonomy: This above stated objective falls into different categories within Bloom’s Taxonomy-Remembering (define), Understanding (interrelate) and Applying (determine). Remembering is a low level of critical thinking only in the sense that it comes first but it provides the basis for all higher cognitive activity. Only after a learner is able to recall information, is it possible to move on to the next level. Thus, defining the terms atomic number and mass number would help them retrieve the relevant knowledge from long-term memory and find the relation between atomic number and mass number (understanding). As a part of assessment, the students will also label the diagram of an atom to represent the electrons and neutrons using mass number and atomic number. This question requires students to show more in-depth understanding of the terms atomic number and mass number.

The learner at the third level, Application, solves practical problems by applying information comprehended at the previous level. Students will determine the atomic number and mass number of given atoms in the assignment. The given assessment will also help students to infer (analyze)  that, in order to calculate the number of neutrons in a given atom, both -mass number and atomic number- must be known. Analysis includes the ability to distinguish relevant information from irrelevant information. Thus, according to the Bloom’s taxonomy, they will break material into its constituent parts and determine how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure.


Assessment: The students are required to answer the following questions. Each question is worth 2 points and a score of 8 or greater indicates the student has met the objective.
Question No Question Bloom’s taxonomy level
1) Define atomic number and mass number.(one point  for each definition)
Remembering.
2) Show neutrons and electrons in the given diagram of Carbon atom. (2 points)



 12C6

Remembering.
3) What is the relation between atomic number and mass number? (2 points) Demonstrate understanding by finding relation between the two terms.
4) From the information given, can you determine the number of neutrons in following atoms (Choose the right answer): (2 points)
a)  24 12 A                                                                
i) 12
ii) 24
iii) Can’t be determined

b) 42X                                        (2 points)                                                                    
i. 42
ii. 25
iii. Can’t be determined Application as it requires participants to know how to determine the atomic number.



Analysis because thinking about the parts of an idea and their functionality in the whole is involved (The number of neutrons can’t be calculated because atomic number is not given in the question).




There is some excellent thinking here, and some fine evaluation. The objective is rather large and probably should be divided up. You have two general Understanding level objectives and one more specific Application level objective. For example:
Define atomic number and mass number.
Describe the relationship between atomic number and mass number.
Diagram the neutrons and electrons in a given atom.
The simpler the better when it comes to objectives. The rest of what you have said is quite good and your assessment is really excellent.

Using various learning styles and intelligences in Online learning

Assignment 1
You are to submit a couple of paragraphs which describe the course you are planning to teach and the audience for which it is intended. Describe any ways you will plan to address the various learning styles and intelligences of your students and/or make an argument for why this may not be necessary.
Points to be assigned as follows:
Description of course and audience: 0-5 points
Specific ideas for meeting the learning styles and intelligence of students: 0-7 points
Professional level, clear writing: 0-3 points


ABC’s of Chemistry: Chemistry on fingertips
Introduction: A general Chemistry course is a prerequisite sequence for students in a variety of  science and health-related fields including pharmacy, chemical, biological and environmental engineering, exercise, nutrition, nursing and natural resources. There is a strong need to introduce online interdisciplinary courses so that, students can earn the required college credits saving time, money, and resources. Other online chemistry courses offer general chemistry and organic chemistry as two separate courses. But the course ABC’s of Chemistry: Chemistry on fingertips will serve as one for these two courses. This course is designed to help students learn basic concepts in chemistry entirely online and will be delivered through the university extension program utilizing the Blackboard learning system. This asynchronous and instructor led eight-week long course would help learners to learn a new skill or enhance the existing ones. Learners are expected to spend roughly six to seven hours each week to complete two course lessons, released every Tuesday and Friday. In order to monitor the progress of students in meeting course objectives and professional standards, classroom participation in discussion forum, assignments and final self-reflection using evaluation tools (rubrics) will be used. Each lesson has an assignment at the end.
Target Audience and pre-requisites: This course will attract leaners who are interested in learning that can be done at home and fitted around work, family, and social obligations. The high school juniors and seniors, looking for a jump start on taking college courses, will find this course extremely useful. This is also a bridge course for refreshing the students who wish to pursue for a degree in Chemistry. This is an excellent college prep course and requires a solid foundation in 10th grade level of reading and math.
Course content: In this Chemistry course, learners will gain an understanding of origin of chemistry, explore the nature of matter and analyze the properties of liquids, solids, and gasses. Learners will be introduced to atomic structure, quantum theory and chemical bonding. They will further examine the concept of solutions, solubility, and the colligative properties of solutions; chemical reactions, and chemical periodicity. But that’s not all:  learners will also study organic chemistry, laws of thermodynamics, and even electrochemistry. ABC’s of Chemistry is transferable for 3-credits. In this course learners can be certain of quality instruction, personalized assessment, and tracked progress.
Plans for meeting the learning styles and intelligence of students
In an online course the instructor can have learners with different learning styles and multiple intelligences. Thus, it becomes important that the instructors adequately invest time in preparing and structuring course material, assignments and other tasks. One of the biggest advantages of the online environment is that a learner centered course material can be designed to match individuals’ learning styles. The constructivist model recognizes learners as active individuals, constructing knowledge as a result of a variety of interactions: learner-text; instructor-learner; learner-learner, etc.
The aim of this course is to provide an optimal and user-friendly format for students with differing intelligence and learning styles. Thus, the course will reach more students effectively because it would provide access to a larger variety of quality resource, teaching important concepts in multiple ways. Assessment criteria would be such that it would let students use their stronger intelligences.
For visual learners- The course will contain videos, interactive flash tutors, activities with fall back scaffolding, virtual labs, pictures, tables, demonstrations, handouts, and mind maps.
Auditory learners: The students who learn best through hearing (aurally) will find video clips, virtual lectures, interviews, seminars, giving of reports and speeches, power point w/audio component and video conferences useful.

Tactile and kinesthetic learners- Learners will have the virtual lab using drag and drop technology, some interactive flash animations and 3D graphics. Discussion boards and collaborative learning will help them build the community and give them real world experience. I also plan to use some kind of haptic technology.
Assessment: Various learning styles and MI will be taken into account while designing exercises for assessment. The exercises will include fill in the blank, multiple-choice questions, identification of terms, variety of short answer and essay questions, diagrams, flow charts, drag and drop exercises, writing assignments and self-reflection. Peer editing, where students examine each other’s work and reflect upon their own learning, will be an integrated part of the course.


References:
1. Levenburg, N. Implementing the Constructivist Learning Environment. Mini lecture 5, EDUI6701.
2. Bravemann, S. (2004, December). Two, Four, Six, Eight, Let’s All Differentiate
            Differential Education: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. New Horizons for               Learning Retrieved June 29, 2006, from http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/differentiated/bravmann.htm

Asynchronous learning -MS OTL CSU Eastbay

What are some of the advantages that the asynchronous environment provides? What may be some of the disadvantages? What kinds of students most benefit from the asynchronous environment and why?


Asynchronous learning is the most rewarding and powerful experience because it provides ‘just-in-time” and “on-demand” student learning. Thus, online teaching and learning space has opened up a new dimension for students and instructors previously unavailable. Asynchronous learning is the most rewarding and powerful experience because it provides ‘just-in-time” and “on-demand” student learning. Unlike synchronous training, the learners do not need to fix up a schedule according to the predetermined time slot planned by the instructor. Asynchronous learning provides ‘any time-any place-anywhere’ teaching and learning possibilities.

Asynchronous learning is of two kinds: self-paced and facilitated.
Self-paced asynchronous learning consists of instructional material such as guided tutorials and assessment exercises that can be accessed by the learners online. There is no additional interaction among students or  with the lecturer on regular basis. Although, students can ask any question or clarify doubts via e-mailing  instructor. For example, CD-ROM and discussion forums are kind of self-paced asynchronous learning.
Facilitated asynchronous learning involves interaction among students and with the instructor but not in real time. The instruction material includes assignments, online reading material, or may be text, in case instructor requires that as course material, and assignments/quizzes. There are discussion boards where students get to know each other and respond to others. This kind of  learning provides personalized attention and guidance from the teacher. Our MS program is one such example.
Advantages: Rudenstam and Scoenholtz-Read assert that, “In the asynchronous course ecologies of Teleland, architecture remains important for supporting course objectives.” Asynchronous discussion board facilitates new models of teaching and learning where knowledge is networked in the affordances of people, tools, and technologies to meet the learning objectives. Moreover, this kind of online learning has ability to build learning conditions that facilitate equitable participation for all students irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, language, and social-cultural backgrounds. The discussion boards used to facilitate asynchronous learning is a place where students can post questions and responses at any time. Also, students can read the postings and instructional material in nonlinear order. This helps in promoting critical thinking because it allows students to reflect and make use of resources such as books, tools, people and websites before they complete an assignment or respond to someone.
Disadvantages: Asynchronous learning has certain disadvantages. It may not be a learning solution for students who need prompt responses from instructors and have some kind of ‘technophobia’. Rudenstam and Scoenholtz-Read mention in ‘Presence in Teleland’ that building relationships with teachers can be a challenge for students who see teachers from a different angle. This is called as ’power distance’. It means that teachers is given due respect and high status. Thus, teachers' admiration and affirmation is very crucial for most Asian students, who strongly believe in this. This may not happen in asynchronous learning.
As an Indian, I highly respect my teachers whether they are in f2f or online. The teacher or GURU is next to God in Indian culture. I remember, once my personal trainer asked me to kick on the boxing glove he was wearing as a part of strength training. It  was difficult for me because he was my ‘teacher’ and I simply can’t kick him!
Also, Piskurich, G.M. (2003) indicates that’ using asynchronous tools might slow down collaboration although it does not certainly eliminate it, nor does it eliminate the value that working with other people can create’.
Asynchronous learning works best for students who can’t do well in authoritative, linear, hierarchical and competitive traditional instruction atmosphere. Asynchronous learning environment provides an opportunity for dialogue, anonymity, and equality among students coming from any part of the world. It is also good for the instructors who face problems in f2f classes because of the large number of students and difference that exist in the accent and the way students respond in classes because of cultural differences. This is called as ‘Trait and state characteristics of the participants’ in ‘Presence in Teleland’s  by Rudenstam and Scoenholtz-Read.
References:
Gee, J. P. (2007). Pleasure, learning, video games, and life: The projective stance. In Knobel, M. & Lankshear, C. (Eds.), A new literacies sampler (pp. 95–113), New York: Peter Lang.
Piskurich, G. M. Preparing learners for e-learning. San Fransico: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer; 2003. p.73.Unlike synchronous training, the learners do not need to fix up a schedule according to the predetermined time slot planned by the instructor. Asynchronous learning provides ‘any time-any place-anywhere’ teaching and learning possibilities.


I totally agree with your statement, "Asynchronous environments can also make conversations and learning easier for students who need time to think and construct responses".
Yes, asynchronous learning environment is definitely a blessing for shy and slow thinkers but if we look at the other side of the coin, we’ll find that  most of the responses in online discussions are articulated in written form. It may not favor some who are more inclined to vocal expression and look for visual cues. Moreover, text alone cannot ‘communicate the whole idea’, and it lacks the tone of the conversation’ also.

I think, in order to help students who “may not feel the connection to their classmates” instructor needs to reduce barriers and take steps to establish social relationships. Students should be given the opportunity to build confidence and competence with the online education process, fellow students and supporting technologies.


Many incarcerated people are actively involved in learning and building community with the people outside the jails. One such program is "Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program".
Their website describes their actual work. It says- "The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program creates avenues for social change through education and civic engagement. By generating opportunities for incarcerated and college students to come together and learn in the same classroom, Inside-Out opens the door for people to gain an education that emphasizes collaborative learning and problem-solving."
Source:http://www.insideoutcenter.org/

The Handbook of Online Learning-candlepower

Is candlepower really important? Is it more important in certain types of courses than others? Are some instructors naturally better at creating it, or can anyone do so? What ideas related to candlepower seem meaningful to you for your course?

In The Handbook of Online Learning, ‘candlepower’ is referred to the intimacy created as a result of the interaction among the participants in an online program. In online discussion forums, a participant may feel as if “there is only one other person involved. The mind’s eye narrows to that particular person involved. It seems as if you are sitting across a candlelit table, with the rest of the space in shadows”. This intimacy is not dependent on having latest sophisticated software. The participants spend hours sitting in front of the screen to gain that “out of body experience”. The very fundamentals of an online learning community require collaborative learning, interdependence and reciprocity. This leads to intimacy!
Candle power is absolutely important for any online course, because it requires communication, social interaction and participation to build relationships that can be used to increase individual effectiveness. Candle power is equally required in language, science, math, law, health, HR training, marketing, self-help and many other long term programs or short courses. Candle power enables participants of face-to-face and/or online interactions to share experiences, stories, network, and learn from each other over the time.
Some instructors are good at naturally creating it and others can learn it. But, the instructor must consider a variety of factors related to people, processes, and technology, if they are to design and orchestrate online environments that inspire collaborative learning.
For the learning to be effective, the text further suggests, the importance of developing group trust and self-trust. I’ll take care of these two in my course so that it can help participants “ evoke third voice”. This would also help the participants to learn in an environment  where they "feel safe, encouraged, supported, free from fear of intimidation or embarrassment"(Jodi, S.). The idea of using chaos as a catalyst can be useful because it helps learners to ‘construct’ their own learning. In subjects like chemistry it may help them to be aware of the general rules and how to apply them in a different situation. I also plan to use role play to help learners understand the difference between organic and inorganic compounds.

I like your idea that "creating a 'community'  is what humans need and seek out - no matter in the real or virtual world". In an online learning environment, the instructor can no longer “look” around the room to see if students are attending to the material, or are even present. Learners lack a natural social outlet which can lead to the feeling of isolation lead to attrition. So in order to reduce the dropout rate and encourage the students to support each other, they should feel themselves to be part of a community.  Without active participation in discussions and other class activities, the learner is not part of the community.

Assessments in online courses

What are some of the challenges we face when we prepare assessments in online courses? What are some ways of dealing with those?


In my opinion,before an instructor designs an assessment, she/he must be sure that it is warranted. Unless the instructor’s reason for testing is clear, the test will fail. Thus, the real challenge that instructors face when preparing assessments in online courses is to actually find the purpose for assessment itself. Jeanne P. Sewell's mentions clearly in  "Online Assessment Strategies: A Primer’  that, ‘Assessments should be tightly connected to the objectives’. Does instructor designed the test to let learner apply what they have been learning and thereby, learning it more and deeply, or instructor wants to certify that learners have mastered certain knowledge or skills. There may be a few other reasons for assessing the learners, one of them is to emphasis what is important to learn and then motivate the participants to focus on it and another one is using assessment as an ‘ motivational tool’(Sewell). The primray aim of assessment should be very clear. The instructor may focus on either or both of the following points:
 Will this test enhance learning?
Or/and
Am I more interested in  measuring learner’s abilities?
The instructor must consider the assessment carefully because the knowledge required for completing a course may not be sufficient for doing a job. If the learning objectives of the course are clear, then it shouldn’t be a problem. Clear and measurable objectives make everything go better.Once the purpose of assessment is clear, instructor can make strategic decisions on what kind of activities/ task will serve as evaluating tools.



You are right before we write the clear, measurable and observable objectives for a given lecture/lesson, the assessment can’t be prepared.  A well-written objective will assist in aligning the objective to activities and assessment. The objectives provide basis and guidance for the selection of instructional content and procedures. They help in evaluating the success of the instruction. The success of  instruction can only be determined if students have done well in assessment. Thus, an instructor should provide students with the opportunities to learn problem solving skills and  “good grades” will automatically translate into “good learning”. Consider the ‘magic triangle’ in the image below:


Assessment for learning usually involves both teacher and learners in review and reflection. If students are engaged in some kind of reflection of their own work or the work of their peer, the assessment will enhance learning. Moreover, if the questions/ assignments/tasks are chosen from the higher level of thinking from Bloom’s taxonomy, assessment will help learners to learn more. These kind of activities/assignment will discourage students to cheat because they will be required to produce original answers/responses.
I think that  an assessment for learning is much more than marking and grading. It should rather provide guidance for improvement. An instructor should aim at assessing quantity rather than quality.

Bloom's taxonomy in online teaching

Are some levels of Bloom's taxonomy easier to teach online than others? Are some levels more of a challenge to teach online?


Bloom's taxonomy and the verbs associated with it, are excellent tools when developing objectives, teaching tools and assessment techniques for an online course. The taxonomical vocabulary is an effective way to determine the learning level of the participants. I think that all levels of the Bloom’s taxonomy can be taught through an online course.
The first level is remembering, with an aim to check if students can recall or remember the given information. This is particularly important because if students are unable to remember the basic concepts, they won’t be able to move towards critical thinking described in the Bloom’y s taxonomy. For example, if a student can’t remember the basic formula and definition of an organic compound from the chemistry lesson, he/she can’t move to the second level of understanding where he/she is required to recognize and classify organic and inorganic compounds. Other elements of these levels can be easily taken care of in an online course by including some simple assessment questions (such as fill in the blanks, define the term, classify the given items in categories). I found the free source for creating flash cards :http://www.studyblue.com/teachers/. This can be used to create flash cards online and help students remember and understands the basic concepts.
The third level is application where information has to be used in new and concrete situations to solve a problem and can be taught through exercises which include illustration, interpretation, preparing and solving activities. At this level, dramatization can be an important tool and can be used in online teaching and learning. The website http://www.xtranormal.com/, helps students to make their own stories.
The fourth level requires a student to analyze a situation, examining and breaking information into parts by identifying motives or causes; making inferences and finding evidence to support an idea, differentiating, illustrating,comparing and solving a given problem. This can be included in the form of creating graphs, doing surveys and  making reports. When students use the Internet to conduct research for their classes, they can move beyond the basic 'knowledge', or fact-gathering, stage and apply analysis to the information they find.
The fifth level is of higher critical thinking in which,  student is expected to judge material based on personal opinion and values. Learners may be involved in a debate, criticism, recommendation, judgment and assessing kind of activities. The discussion board and argument against the peer’s work are some activities those can help students to demonstrate their evaluation skills.
This is highest level critical thinking which involves creating new point of view or the product. Students are required to compile information together in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions. Interactive activities, like blog writing, scenario simulation games and case study analysis, can lead to higher levels within Bloom's hierarchy of learning. Students learn better when they are actively engaged in the coursework rather than just being passive listeners. A website called ElectroCity,  is an online computer game that enable players to create and manage their own virtual towns and cities.(http://www.electrocity.co.nz/)


I totally agree that it may seem that teaching and asking a predominance of lower-level questions in the assignments or as part of classroom question–a nswer dialogues may fixate student thinking at the lower levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. We won’t be able to develop students' more complex intellectual capabilities. If an instructor does a careful content analysis of instructional objectives, activities, assessments, and other student experiences, then students can strive the higher levels of thinking.

Discussion:

Most tests are not, in themselves, learning experiences. But if, as Savneet points out, a teacher  wants to learn how students are achieving and also enhance learning, might he/she find another assessment technique to do both?

I designed the weekly assignments in this course to be learning activities, in which you must apply various theories and strategies to your own course. I agree that assessments should be part of the instruction!-Jodi

Hi Savnett,

I'm having a bit of a problem figuring out how to determine the challenges in preparing assessments before I've written the objectives that they're assessing.

The think that in answer to "Will this test enhance learning?" that - If the objective is clear, and the lecture supports that objective, and the student demonstrates the measurable learning outcome when assessed -  then we have a successful learning event. and we have closed some kind of a loop.

On the other hand, my brain is spinning at the moment.

Catherine

Learning Styles- Gardner

In what ways, if at all, do you think the concept of Learning Styles can be useful to the online instructor?


I personally feel that no one approach or single presentation style maximizes learning for all students. As an instructor, one may  never know the learning styles of all the students. Thus, it is best to bring a variety in the content and expose students to multiple ways to interact with it. Try and include reading, lectures, journaling, listening to recorded podcasts or watching short screencasts.
 An online instructor should consciously choose diversified teaching material and assignments (visual, auditory, kinesthetic-depending on the class) and integrate different LS modes in classroom interaction and presentations.
I think assorted study material would enable  online learners to study smartly,  utilizing the time more productively. Sometimes minimal adjustments in teaching learning process can impart enormous improvements in students' learning and involvement. The goal of an instructor should be to equip students with the skills associated with every LS, regardless of the students' personal preferences because they will need all of those skills to function effectively.


I agree with your statement that, 'In the same way as an instructor prepares lectures directed towards the obvious differences in students, an understanding of how students may actually be absorbing the information gives a new meaning to the facilitator-learner relationship.'
Traditional teaching methods require students to attend classes, listen to lectures, and read textbooks and articles. But, we know that  these methods may not be very good at imparting knowledge. If the content is presented in the same manner every time, students may not see the immediate relevance of the content they are learning. The pedagogical approaches that connect course content to the learning styles of the students can bring out the desired outcomes.

Multiple Intelligences

In what ways, if at all, do you think the concept of Multiple Intelligences can be useful to the online instructor?

Gardner (1983) proposed the  theory of multiple intelligences , which claims that there are seven autonomous brain systems that work together in complex ways; no intelligence exists by itself. Knowledge of multiple intelligences helps instructors to find ways to enhance the interplay of all of the intelligences. This is particularly true for the online courses as well. Online instructors can use this concept to make their teaching approach more comprehensive to engage the different types of learners.
The given reading,  "Orchestrating Multiple Intelligences" emphasis the need of group work, “Students with compatible profiles (exhibiting the same patterns of strengths and weaknesses) can work together to solidify and build on strengths”. The group work should be an integrated part of an online course. Students with different intelligence can team up to compensate each other’s weak areas.
Also, knowledge of multiple intelligence can be used to develop a more inclusive teaching environment by an instructor. The given reading advocates the creation of  ‘ rich experiences in which students with different intelligence profiles can interact with the materials and ideas using their particular combinations of strengths and weaknesses’.
The instructional strategies and course material should be designed in such a manner that they match with the intellectual strengths of individual students. The inclusive design of an online course will provide a greater access to the curriculum for all students, helping them to excel in their learning.
References:
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.
Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: Basic Books.


You have raised an important issue. I think that in order to avoid any such situation, the instructor should lay an emphasis on shared responsibility rather than on individual competition. The instructor can include different interactive or non-interactive material, that requires all team members to give some kind of input/comment. There should be a division of labor among  team members. Instructor should monitor students' progress closely. Further, it is important for all team members to know the details including what will happen if the given task is not completed. Instructors should discuss the importance of distribution of the workload overtly and early on in the process of team formation. For younger learners, a teacher can even assign roles to be performed, keeping in mind the learning styles of individual
learners.

Yes you are right. The earlier teacher training programs centered on Pavlov and Skinner only. But, the things are like upside down from the last decade. During my teacher training program we studied the most modern educational concept of e-learning, MI, LS and other theories and pedagogical practices. When I was a teacher, there were mandatory in-service teacher training for everyone. All teacher training programs  integrate latest technologies and methodologies now a days.

I think that some senior teachers must  have this ‘ basic awareness about MI theory'(especially in India where in-service teacher training is not an integrated part of the  government school teachers' job).  They must  have that ‘lens’ to see through and  accept the fact that whatever they learnt in their teacher’s training some 30-40 years back might not hold true for today’s scenario. I remember when I was in primary school a few senior teachers considered students with high score on their mark sheets as ‘good’ students. I was lucky to be a ‘good student’ because I could adjust myself to their monotonous traditional way of 'telling(teaching)' facts in the classroom. But then,  in order to keep that good score on the mark sheets, I compromised my athletic activities. I never participated in a sport in my school life because I was too busy with the books. Ironically, other students those were good in art, sports or music never got a place in good student book of Math, English and Science subject teachers. I used to feel bad for my friends who didn't have highly developed auditory skills to cope with only lecturing method and thus, couldn't do well in class.

MS OTL- 6702

Hello everyone
I am Savneet Singh from Bellevue, Washington. Bellevue is a satellite of Seattle and lies between Lake Washington to the west and  Lake Sammamish to the east. I’m not working at this point of time but I used to teach English and Environment Studies to grade three and five for two years. Later, I worked with seventh to tenth grade students for three years, teaching chemistry and environmental science.
I plan on using my experience of teaching Science to develop an online college-level chemistry courses which can satisfy prerequisites for a variety of the science and health-related fields including, pharmacy, chemical, biological and environmental engineering, exercise, nutrition, nursing and natural resources.
The memorable experience that I would like to share is from grade 11. I remember that, that was the week of submitting final projects for physics. I was pretty much busy with that throughout the week and didn’t do my math homework. On the Saturday of the same week, there was a parent teacher meeting. I thought that my Math teacher Ms Renu is going to complain about my incomplete home work. But, to my surprise, Ms.Renu didn’t mention anything about it in front of my mother and father. Instead, she gave a positive feedback and praised my hard work and performance in the class. I wasn’t expecting this at all. After this incidence I started loving Ms Renu and never went to my math class with an incomplete homework. I learnt that teacher’s positive attitude initiates a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It can even change a student’s life.