Metacognition and motivation

I tried my hands on the Movie Maker. Windows Movie Maker allows you to add custom transitions/effects/titles. It is   easy to add effects , by clicking on to the Visual Effects tab,  and selecting on an effect to apply. Titles and captions can be added easily. Users can add desired text and a font, color, or size. Movie Maker enables addition of music and the transition effects automatically so that movie looks professional.

I also reflected on the term metacognition. The simplest definition of Metacognition is "thinking about thinking." It is awareness and knowledge of the cognitive activity. Learners with higher intrinsic motivation and metacognition show improved learning as compared to poorly motivated learners. Clark compares metacognitive activity with hands, those have flexibility to accommodate the kind of thing they are using. Similarly, the metacognitive activities must be tailored so that they can accommodate the needs of the learners.

Journal 8

I’m liking this browsing, reading, creating and experimenting with different tools. There are so many authoring tools available for the teachers who wish to bring a difference in their teaching methodologies. The best part is that for many of the tools a teacher can start authoring almost immediately with one or another Web editor. It is also straightforward to convert existing material into interactive format. This gives teachers an advantage to fully concentrate on the course content, and resulting good course product, rather than first learning technology and then using it. Students learn and retain information for a longer time if blended with interactive quizzes and assessment tools that make the lessons engaging. Other activities include video-based tutorials, games; podcast, slide presentations and other web-based tools attract students and help them transfer the knowledge to real life situations.

I was browsing some tools on the internet and realized that digital natives really need to be taught the way the kind of the world they are born in. Marc Prensky describes modern children as Digital Natives because they have grown up with the technology as compared to the teachers those have adapted to it, the Digital immigrants. Thus, instructors can increase reliance on technology and combine it with the way our brains process information to dramatically enhance student learning through multimedia instruction. Multimedia can certainly improve perception, attention, selection, organization and integration of information (Sweller, 2003). I’m working on my e-portfolio as well. I still have to work a lot and most importantly-I’ve to add the plug-ins.

Reference-
Sweller, J. (2005) Implications of cognitive load theory for multimedia learning. in R. E. Mayer (Ed.). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Game Making

This week has been very interesting. Clark brings some important points regarding the culture of transfer in the workplace. She emphasis that the training should be such that at the end participants are in a position to apply knowledge and skills learnt in real life situations. Chapter 13 further suggests selecting the instructional methods to promote deeper learning (p.342). There may be several reasons behind failure of training and the main reason can be ‘poor learning strategies and monitoring failure.’

I tried to make a game using Gamemaker.com which is free platform to develop free games. It enables users to create basic games from scratch or user can write codes to create one. I started with a game but found that it is a long process and I need to practice before I could create a good game. I tried using Classtoolnet.com to create a basic game and realised the dustbin game was the best fit for my topic. Classtoolnet offers limited options and there are few colors to choose from. But it is a very good free tool which gives teachers and students an option to create their own games, even if, they don’t know coding. Teachers do not have to rely on expensive games or game making software. They can make their own small games using this tool. The only drawback is the color scheme which may not be fit for visually challenged students.

Journal 6

I always wanted to use Prezi for making presentations but never got a chance to use it. This week’s assignment gave me this option. I felt most engaged while creating this prezi presentation. It is a great tool for presenting presentation in liner  or non-linear fashion. It definitely offers more options compared to the powerpoint in terms of templates, colors, object orientation and sharing. Users can add as many frames on the Prezi canvas and keep adding text, graphics and other multimedia to these frames. The objects in the frames can be ungrouped and objects can be presented individually.  I liked the features which allows users to rotate, scale or move objects. The voice over feature is great too. I just added some music.

After reading the DB posts on implicit and explicit instructional styles, I didn’t find myself very comfortable with the idea of using only implicit instructional methods. I think that if explicit instructions are provide prior to the start of teaching, it is helpful for learners and they make sense of what to  do. Also, simple tasks are best learned through explicit instructions.  

E-portfolio

I’m hand-coding my e-portfolio in HTML. It is a little time consuming. Writing and re-writing codes and then refreshing the page, is what I usually do. But, I like it.  I’m not sure of the design of my e-portfolio. It is divided into 4 sections. The home page looked OK but when it came to the web-graphic it was a problem because the graphic was bigger. I researched found an alternative.

But for the Discussion board responses, I’m looking for a solution so that it doesn’t look         clumsy. I’ll make the links which work as show and hide. The user can click on the buttons to read or hide the DB topics.

Another issue is the browser compatibility. All browsers do not display the same results. I’m working on this issue as well. I’ll be revising and redoing the pages as per the suggestions I receive from my classmates. I think my portfolio will be evolving till the course ends. I plan to finish my e-portfolio by March 12, 2013.

Basics of Instructional design

I really appreciate the instructional material and the instructors of this program who presented everything in a decent way. I think I’ll be ready to create my own course in few months.

The collaborative learning is a key to human learning. So the interaction that takes place on Discussion board plays an important role. The ideas those may never come my mind are discussed here.

Many of the points discussed in the lectures were new and I was really surprised to read ”How people read online.” All these things added a new dimension to the way I perceived my course before. Instructional design is such an important component of any online or on-ground that it may lead students to either finish the course successfully or drop in the middle. A few basic things related to the design such as color choice, font selection, chunking information in digestible parts, questions placement, using cues, explanatory text, and many more things brought my attention to the fact that a course design is not simply putting some text together along with few presentations and videos. It is much more than that. As teachers we should redefine and redesign the teaching material such that it does not overload the working   memory of the students. The design of the course must align with the learner’s learning style.

If we want our students to pay attention to the material, it should be developed as a coherent structure, and integrated with existing knowledge. We should make sure that every media is relevant to the learning outcome and not included just for its sake. I think some interactive graphics within each section of the lesson should help learners balance intrinsic load with  germane events.

Discussion Boards work

I got answers to a few question though DB. That is why DB are so much important in online classes. Discussion forums are a fertile medium for sharing and development of the ideas. I usually learn more through DB as compared to the readings or lectures because learning is a collaborative activity. The forums which involved discussion on why e-portfolio is important offers multi-staged discussion and it encouraged a deeper level of learning and understanding. While finding answer to the this question I was pushed to extend my current bounds of knowledge and right on what I wasn't much aware of. Thus, I gained maximum understanding of the topic through reading and articulating. These kinds of questions develop experiential and reflective learning. They also enable students to articulate and re-articulate the topics those are being discussed and talked about. Discussion boards provide a platform of comparing ideas, open and transparent to all students in the class.

I liked working on the e-portfolio. I’ll have to work on re-building my resume as it hasn't be updated for a while. I’m not sure if a resume is always a part of a portfolio. I also don’t know if a career e-portfolio replaces a resume or rather it is a way to supplement it in the job market. I've tried seeking a job from last two years, so not very much aware of the current trends in the market.

Instructional Design Principles

After reading this weeks’ material I’m convinced that effective instructional design depends on sensitivity to the cognitive load which, depends on an understanding of how the human mind works.  There are many things about the presentation of the instructional design that I was not aware of. As I began reading Clark and Moreno & Mayer’s article I came to know how pictorial and verbal material is associated with cognitive structures.

I think that a presentation should be broken down into digestible ‘sub-sets’ alternating between a few seconds of narration followed by a few seconds of corresponding animation. Moreno & Mayer found in their experiment (2002) found that people with high-spatial ability have to put less effort in holding and manipulating mental images whereas low-spatial learners may not be benefited of simultaneous presentation. This may require them to devote more time in cognitive processing to hold mental images.

Moreover, segmenting helps in making meaningful subsets of the instructional material. I find when any video/power point is presented with animation continuously, with no breaks between segments; I can make sense from the first segment. But, the additional processes of organizing and integration of information presented in next becomes difficult because my mind is still processing the information presented in the previous segment. Thus, a useful practice is to use the technique that can be called weeding. Weeding reduces load and make the multimedia narration as concise and coherent as possible.

This week gave me an insight on designing my course using multimedia such that it can foster learning. 

Selecting an Educational video

The week started with a lot of excitement about the two courses I’m taking in the winter quarter. I read the article “Appropriate Use of Media in Education” on the very first day. The book Building Expertise: Cognitive Methods for Training and Performance Improvement by Ruth C. Clark presents very insightful ideas on the theoretical framework for developing practical instructional methods. I visited her website: http://clarktraining.com/  to read more about her.  There are many informational articles on the company’s blog. 

The article “Appropriate Use of Media in Education” discusses different forms of multimedia and their appropriate use. I totally agree with the point that, “. Video can help gain and hold the attention of learners.”

A few points came to my mind. I think these points are imperative while selecting and creating a video  for a classroom or a training.

Learners interest: While creating video learner’s vested interest in the learning, those help them to acquire knowledge or develop new skills, should be kept in mind.

Selecting an educational video:The videos must be selected after watching a range of educational videos/clips, so as to find the best fit for its intended purpose. There is a plethora of videos, ranging from home-made videos to the videos made by professionals. Therefore, one needs to spend time in selecting a most suitable  one.

Dealing with ethical issues: If you find a video on youtube or dailymotion or Vimeo it does mean that it is free for downloading and anyone can use it. A number of times the videos have copyright restrictions and can not be used without permission. For a free video, you always have to provide reference of the video just like we do it for a book or an article. 

Introduction and a summary: While  creating an educational video for a classroom or training, a good practice is to take a few minutes to introduce viewers to the key points and the highlights of the video they are going to watch. Similarly, provide a brief summary of the relevant points at the end.

Length of the video: What is the ideal length of a video. The answer depends upon the viewers’ age and the interest level. Any video between 8 to 12 minutes is ideal. It is best to present long explanations in the form of short clips rather than making a long video. This would retain the attention of the viewers and provide them a better understanding of the concepts being presented.

Quality of the video: The quality of a video matters a lot. While preparing a   video, a close attention should be paid to the sound clarity, lights(if it is being recorded live),and the streaming issues.

A Flipped Classroom

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

How much do we know about our environment?

I keep reading data and findings in the educational field in books and on websites, but somehow I feel that a strong connection between the findings and the changes in education system is lacking. Researchers, practitioners and policy makers should work collaboratively making use of relevant, useful research in improving the education system as a whole.

When I was doing my M.Sc. in Environment and ecology, I had to prepare a research project for the final semester. I was looking for a relevant topic. I happened to visit Centre for Science and Environment located in New Delhi, where I watched a short documentary on sewage and its disposal, which is now available on youtube(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bEZgcGdeZ4). When people were asked the simple questions such as where does drinking water comes from and what happens to the sewage, many of them couldn't answer!

Rather than thinking on the topic the film was made for, I started thinking- how much do our students really know about the environment despite of studying various chapters on Environmental issues in the science books. Thus, I decided to do research on the topic ’Environmental Awareness among high school students’. What I found was that 40 % of the high school students couldn’t answer the simple questions related to the environmental issues because whatever they read was just the bookish knowledge and that was only for answering questions in exams.

 I showed my findings to the principal of the school I was working in. She immediately made an action plan for the next academic year so as to enhance the environmental awareness among the students. The plan included activities such as debates, dramas, tree planting, annual quiz, showing documentary films and demonstrations for students throughout the year.

Thus, my research findings helped in effective restructuring of the instructional methods in environmental science

Game mechanics

Gamigication.org defines game mechanics as the building blocks that can be applied and combined to gamify any non-game context. The purpose of a game mechanic is to present interactivity in a game so that it guides the player towards a fun experience. Game mechanics are more about specifying what there is in the game, how everything behaves, and how the player can interact with the game. Game mechanics are about helping players discover the need of being involved in the game itself. They shouldn’t alone be fun, instead, they should have enough fun to get players to stick with the process and find it useful. Using game mechanics effectively is very important in a game design process.

Some game mechanics have been used for centuries (money, points), whereas  others are relatively new such as feedback loops, virtual gifts and money, loyalty programs and leaderboards. Even in the simple game design mechanics that are technically complex. Some of the simplest games mechanics have been discussed by Greg Siering Indiana University, Bloomington. : http://citl.indiana.edu/news/newsStories/dir-mar2012.php

Another important thing to note here is that game mechanics controls the player’s experience by ‘removing some alternatives and emphasizing others.’ Game mechanics must be placed in opposition to one another to include the element of interactivity in a game. The game using only one mechanic presents no interactivity and no choices. The game mechanics should be woven much like the legs of a tripod, creating a space for interactivity so that players can operate within the game. Will Wright calls it a possibility space which is ‘the sum of all the potential gameplay experiences, sort of the wave function of game design.’ There are several game mechanics (as many as 300) and all games use mechanics. Game designers use different theories and styles to select the mechanics those are ultimately important to the game and to have a fun and engaging experience.

Take a look at Samsung Nation’s website(you need not log in or become a member!) using what different game mechanics to solve Samsung's business problem and bring more visitors to the site. The site was developed with so that consumers can interact with their products and write product reviews to register products that they've already bought. The website uses game mechanics like leaderboards and badges to reward achievements. The whole idea to encourage consumers to buy more products.

Instructor's role in an online class

Elearning

Elearning struggles with high drop out rates. The concept of anytime/anywhere learning often becomes never/nowhere. As many corporations and schools have discovered, the online medium, while still dealing with issues similar to classrooms, faces unacceptable rates of drop outs and failures.

In order to improve student completion rates, organizations have several options: 

(a) Design better learning resources, 

(b) Improve teacher's/facilitator's skills, 

(c) Improve student's capacity to learn through preparation for online learning.

This article focuses on the final point: preparing students for elearning. It is important to note, however, that many of the skills and habits listed here are applicable to any classroom. The divide between classrooms and online is sometimes artificial, and no where is this more true than in student preparation.

Preparation Ecosystem

• Environment -- students need a certain environment (PC, connection, software) and some preparation needs to be done to make sure that the student has that.
• Tech skills -- students need to know something about how to use whatever learning system exists. there has to be a way to impart this knowledge.
• Subject matter skills -- students need to have some pre-requisite knowledge in the discipline to take the course.
• Study skills -- students need to have the discipline and learning skills to benefit from the course. 
• Support -- when students run into problems with any of these there has to be a mechanism to a) find out and b) help them through it.
• Content - designed for interaction - to keep students engaged -page clicking won't necessarily motivate students
• Learner - Disciplined, motivated to learn, has a need for learning, self-directed
• Instructor - aware of students needs/concerns and involvement levels, attempts to draw students in to discussions early, organized schedule, provides resources for learners in need of additional learning (remedial)
• Technology - should play a servant role. Tools should be selected that involve learners and help them to connect with each other/content/instructor. For example chat, discussion questions, voice over IP are useful for connecting students and can be seen as student-centered technologies
• Organization - focused on learning, time and resources made available, learners supported (through help desks etc.)

Many of these areas are outside of the instructors influence, but still need to be considered or if an area is weak (i.e. limited organizational support), other areas may have to play a more prominent role to ensure learners are prepared and succeed.

Transitional support is critical for classroom to online shifts. Instructors need to provide a transition process. Students expect similar levels of support and direction (as they have in classrooms), and suddenly find themselves in an exploratory environment - a disorienting experience. (Is this a reason for the high drop out rates we have in elearning?) For example, one participant stated, ‘I currently have a group of students, and during a recent feedback request, the responses were heavily centered on "I need an instructor to tell me what to do/think/know". Usually, with most courses I've taught online, the number one concern relates to the changed role of the instructor in relation to student activity - e.g. - the instructor allows students to explore content...rather than giving the answer.’ This is not an issue only in online environments - anyone who takes a similar approach (exploratory learning) in a classroom has the same student responses.

 In a classroom, however, an instructor can still give the answers when students are frustrated with the ambiguity of exploration. Learning online, on the other hand, forces students to explore - putting them at the center of the learning experience.

I should expand my statement in a classroom, during a lecture session students can ask and receive clarification immediately. This obviously isn't the only time learning happens, after all, much of the students time is spent reviewing notes and reading texts outside of the classroom lecture. If classroom students have questions outside of the lecture, they actually have less access to an instructor than do online learners (unless the instructor has an email/discussion forum or chat sessions scheduled).

Online, students do not receive information in lecture format. Information is acquired through exploration, so an instructor is often not present at the time the question arises.  As such the student may have to contact the instructor via email to have questions answered - which is not as rapid as asking an instructor a question during a lecture.

Students online can still receive answers to "ambiguity of exploration", but there may be a time delay versus a student in a classroom lecture (though, as stated above - the time in lecture is a small part of the classroom learning process - students online actually have greater access to instructors the rest of the time).

Preparing Students for Elearning

The type of learning, formal or informal, impacts student preparation. Often, formal elearning (online course) tend to create preparation resources that help students to "take a course" (versus learning). This may perpetuate continued dependence on the instructor or course as the "source" of knowledge. Informal learning is learning that occurs independently and often without direction. Few resources are available to prepare for this type of learning.


The instructor should realize and account for the student experience...ways to address it: offering simple assessments on computer skills needed...introductions at the start of a course (let students post pictures - make it personal), offer links to student resources (including remedial), provide clear schedules, have scheduled instant messaging/chat times, etc.
Student's learning styles will obviously impact their success online. Students may benefit from understanding their own learning style by completing and online questionnaire.
 
Successful preparation for online learning is not significantly different from classroom preparation. As with any new concept, however, it is important for an instructor to communicate how existing practices integrate with a new concept (in this case, learning online).

Consider the following, 

(a) Amount of time to be devoted (usually 10-15 hours per week), 

(b) Degree of interaction required (and tools used), 

(c) Emphasis on self-motivation, 

(d) The use of an instructor (and therefore preparation related to that), 

(e) Entrance Requirements,

 (f) A 'classroom', 

(g)Time-dependency

These may be accurate requirements (and important information) for learning online, but the emphasis is not explicitly on learning - it is how to function effectively according to the manner in which the course is designed. Informal learning (like listservs, Internet searches, or even this "noncourse") have few restrictions and allow learners to perform at their own level of need.

Regardless of the formality of online learning, basic computer and Internet skill, decent connection are a must. These are, however, foundational skills that must be developed in students before learning can occur. They may not be included in every course, but remedial resources should always be listed to direct students to additional help.

Role of the Student

Student preparation is not exclusively the responsibility of the instructor. One of the defining traits of online learning is the increased independence of learners. Online students can contribute to successful learning/preparation through the following:
(a) Awareness - evaluate expectations, assess time needed to complete work, understand motivations/value of the learning, assess personal skills -technical and study skills, 

(b) Orientation - online, a student goes through several stages before engaging the content - the computer, internet, the virtual classroom, software, instructor and students, and finally the content. Different students will enter a course at different levels of preparedness...but in online courses, and instructor should be able to accommodate a student at any level, 

(c) Disciplined - follow course schedule and complete assignments, 

(d) Organized - schedule study time and online time to ensure all course obligations are met, (e) Self-directed - able to motivate her/himself...ask for help when needed, etc., (f) Internal or externally motivated (ie, some requirement or just because it's something that really interests them).

Role of the Instructor

Additional instructor roles are 

(a) Establish rapport with students - make them feel at ease and encourage them to participate, 

(b) Communicate constantly - regular emails, active involvement in discussion forums (but still allow private student-only forums), 

(c) Flexibility - often online learners are adults who have varying time constraints - expect it and accept it, 

(d) The instructor is the creator and curator of the online environment - levels of respect, concern for learning, etc. are all set by the instructor. An attitude that accepts failure as critical to learning is needed

It obviously helps the process if the instructor has taken an online course and knows the frustrations and headaches.

High online dropouts can be (partially) addressed through solid student-centered course design, student preparation (i.e. bringing to the student's consciousness the reality of the online experience), clearly communicated expectations (i.e. instructors), and active instructor involvement in drawing students into discussions.

Role of Learning Styles

Students have different learning styles--characteristic strengths and preferences in the ways they take in and process information. Some students tend to focus on facts, data, and algorithms; others are more comfortable with theories and mathematical models. Some respond strongly to visual forms of information, like pictures, diagrams, and schematics; others get more from verbal forms--written and spoken explanations. Some prefer to learn actively and interactively; others function more introspectively and individually...A learning style model is useful if balancing instruction on each of the model dimensions meets the learning needs of essentially all students in a class."

Tasks to Complete Before Course Start

If this is the first course you've taught online (in this environment), this is what you should do, 

(a) Identify tech support available, 

(b) Take an online course as a student, 

(c) Familiarize yourself with the tools and support available

If this is the first time you've taught this course online,

 (a) Pilot the course - with colleagues and potential students, 

(b) Prepare a "back up plan" for technology/server failure

If you are assembling (some of) the elements of an online course that you or others are going to teach, 

(a) Pilot the course - with colleagues and potential students, 

(b) Back up the course content, 

(c) Prepare or determine support mechanisms for students and instructors, 

(d) Ensure workload and assignments are reasonable, but challenging, 

(e) Verify that copyright/IP concerns have been addressed

Things you have to do for every course even if none of the above apply,

 (a) Prepare learners - send out welcome emails, 

(b) Test links, 

(c) Test assumptions about student readiness and technology access (i.e. are some students on 56k? if so, how will video work? or even complex activities?), 

(d) Plan a course initiation activity - phone conference, chat, in person...this activity should focus on connecting students with each other...and create a degree of comfort

Conclusion

High dropout rates are not a function of the online learning environment - they are a function of poor course design, lack of instructor familiarity of the environment, and learner preparation. Preparing learners to learn online is perhaps the greatest skill that we can offer. In an era of "lifelong learning", skills for acquiring knowledge play a greater role in success than do knowledge concepts (as they often cycle to obsolescence). 

Gilly Salmon’s Five Stage Model of E-learning

 Models of on-line learning are still being developed and one model presented by Gilly Salmon (2000) and describing an individual learners experience is presented here: 

STAGE	STUDENT ACTIVITIES	TUTOR ACTIVITIES
Stage 1            Access and motivation	Setting up system and accessing	Welcome and encouragement Guidance on where to find technical support
Stage 2            On-line socialization	Sending and receiving messages	Introductions Ice-breakers Ground rules Netiquette
Stage 3            Information exchange	Carrying out activities Reporting and discussing findings	Facilitate structured activities Assign roles and responsibilities Support use of learning materials Encourage discussions Summarize findings and/or outcomes
Stage 4 Knowledge construction	Conferencing Course-related discussions Critical thinking applied to subject material Making connections between models and work-based learning experiences	Facilitate open activities Facilitate the process Asking questions Encourage reflection. Tutor is very active at this stage.
Stage 5            Development.	Use of conferencing in a strategic way Integration of CMC into other forms of learning Reflection on learning processes Students become critical of the medium	Support Respond only when required Encourage reflection Tutor is less active and hands over to the students

This model can be used to identify the typical activities tutors may be involved in at different stages of the students’ learning processes. 

Here are responses to some some questions related to this model:

How could you build the first stages of Salmon's model into the online class?

Response: Salmon’s model recognizes the fact that the key issue at stage one of this model is motivation and access. An obvious approach would be to provide links for the help and FAQs as a part of announcement, so that learners get an access to the solutions for any kind of technical problems they may come across. I also plan to create a video using camtasia showing how to move on with the course, and guidance on where to find technical support. This stimulates and scaffolds constructive activity.

I wish to include an icebreaker so as to help learners move to the stage two - Online socialization.  I’d make it clear from the first day that participation from all students is expected and last minute appearance will not be appreciated. I'll explain students that participation in this kind of forum is a skill that will be useful in their community building and careers in long run. I’d make participation in discussion a part of the students’ grade. This will help learners move towards the second stage of the theory.

Are there contexts in which the model is more important than others?

Response:The model is more important in the areas like science, technology and management. The given article describes, “stage three, a form of co-operation occurs, i.e. support for each person’s goals. At stage four, course-related group discussions occur and the interaction becomes more collaborative.” In the subjects like Chemistry a few concepts can be better understood when there is an academic discourse promoting increased student engagement. It may open unprecedented opportunities for educational interactivity among learner. Moreover, first time e-learners and undergraduates may need more support from peer as compared to other learners. The role of a facilitator here is to take care of the  'social' aspect of learning and promoting ‘deeper level engagement’ among the participants.(Sherry et al. 2001; Ambrose 2001).

Are there contexts in which you would not encourage students to form social networks with each other? 

Response: Yes. I’d discourage learners  getting involved into  too much details of their personal life. This is to forestall any kind of misuse of the private information.

Are there particular students who will be challenged by encouraging social networking, and if so, how do you support them?

Response: I think international students might become a little conscious of  covert and implicit messages, and find heavy use of metaphor and reading between the lines, an issue while networking with the foreign e-moderator and fellow learners. For me, “Language should be an asset, not a liability.” My role would be to welcome shared language, metaphors, rituals and jokes. I’d adapt a flexible approach and use open grouping patterns to enhance learning outcomes for such students and provide adequate time for communication and coordinated planning.

References

Ambrose, L 2001, Learning Online Facilitation Online, Moving Online Conference II, 2-4 September, Gold Coast, Australia. http://flexiblelearning.net.au/leaders/fl_leaders/fll00/lyn_ambrose.htm

Sherry, L, Tavalin, F & Billig, SH 2001, Good Online Conversation: Building on Research to Inform Practice, Journal of Interactive Learning Research. Vol 11 (1).
http://www.webproject.org/pdf/oeri.pdf.

Salmon, Gilly.  Psychological and Group Learning Perspectives: Their relevance to e-learning. 
http://oubs.open.ac.uk/gilly

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