Good Morning Everybody.
It has been a long time since I have posted on this blog. The reason I am is a great reason for my Fire and EMS Audience, as well as my academic colleagues.
After a very eventful beginning of 2018, my application was selected to join the latest cohort of students obtaining their Doctor of Education. As part of this program, we are completing a course that is dedicated to technology and implementation into the classroom. The delivery of this program is through technology based platforms, in that it is an online program.
Here are some questions that I have about technology, and online learning.
1) To mimic some of the classroom interaction and discussion, online educators use the discussion board with each module to foster communication. For those of you having completed online educational programs, what made the discussion board useful?
2) Does the set-up of the online course material make a difference in the success of the student? (As an example, content being coordinated into modules, or simply coordinated with the syllabus and all material just placed in a alpha order.)
3) What are examples of technology inclusion that area deemed to be detrimental to learning? (This could include learning management systems, or hardware such as computers, virtual reality, and software such as powerpoint or prezi).
Thank you for responding to the questions, and I look forward to including your responses in my daily life.
David
It has been a long time since I have posted on this blog. The reason I am is a great reason for my Fire and EMS Audience, as well as my academic colleagues.
After a very eventful beginning of 2018, my application was selected to join the latest cohort of students obtaining their Doctor of Education. As part of this program, we are completing a course that is dedicated to technology and implementation into the classroom. The delivery of this program is through technology based platforms, in that it is an online program.
Here are some questions that I have about technology, and online learning.
1) To mimic some of the classroom interaction and discussion, online educators use the discussion board with each module to foster communication. For those of you having completed online educational programs, what made the discussion board useful?
2) Does the set-up of the online course material make a difference in the success of the student? (As an example, content being coordinated into modules, or simply coordinated with the syllabus and all material just placed in a alpha order.)
3) What are examples of technology inclusion that area deemed to be detrimental to learning? (This could include learning management systems, or hardware such as computers, virtual reality, and software such as powerpoint or prezi).
Thank you for responding to the questions, and I look forward to including your responses in my daily life.
David
1. Until recently, I was never a fan of discussion boards. Sometimes at the undergraduate level, my professors required them as a preparation for in-class discussions, and they seemed like nothing but busy work. Basically, the “good” students would take the time to respond thoroughly and the “bad” students would just reword what the good students said. With this background, I wasn’t look forward to completing my doctoral discussion boards; however, my view on discussion boards was completely changed when I realized that my peers were actually interested in engaging with each other. Responses are thorough, helpful, and individualized based on each classmate’s background. I look forward to reading the discussions and participating in them as they often supplement what I’m learning.
ReplyDelete2. I don’t think the set-up of an online course makes a difference in a student’s success. I feel I can be equally successful regardless of whether a professor uses modules or merely places material on a syllabus. I feel it is the student’s responsibility to accept how the professor decides to present information. That said, professors should constantly be updating their online information and using advanced technology tools to supplement their instruction.
3. I feel that if learning management systems have not been testing fully, they can be detrimental to student learning. Moreover, if a student is only familiar with using a Mac which uses the OS X operating system and he or she has to switch to a PC which runs on Windows, then their learning could be severally impaired.
1. The discussion boards for me have been a big time sink. I think I may have to alter the way I engage in them. Possibly by checking them later in the week I will feel like they are helpful Currently the problem is the timer built in to them. If someone posts the "I agree with that comment, thank you for posting" comment I have to wait for the timer to come up before I am off to the next thread. Also If I comment on something monday night, will forget I have commented on it and need to go back through the comments to see what I have or if I have already spoken.
Delete2. The set up of the online discussion in conjunction with the course content would be helpful. For instance this week I have a few questions about the law class and I have found a few articles that are related and interesting but have no way to share them with the class. If the modulus were aligned with the discussion it would make for a much richer conversation. As it is I will not be able to share the interesting articles or discuss much about the finding before I write the paper.
3. The way that mobile has taken hold and can be used to improve the quality of life is amazing however the EDU systems have been slow to implement interfaces that work seamlessly with the mobile environment. It seems that for profit organizations are able to move to integrate new technologies in ways that EDUs are not. In the future with education becoming so expensive and the competition between private and public education this will need to be addressed or public edu will quickly move to a second rate education in the online world in my opinion.
thank you
todd
Good Evening Everyone,
Delete1. I feel discussion boards are are very useful. Being online it is difficult to get a sense of your classmates. All of us coming from many different disciplines, we can utilize our discussions to help each other and also give advice on what works and what does not work. To make discussion boards successful, the online program has to have participation from the students and instructor. I have taught online for 6 years and I use discussion questions to foster learning. However, some constructive critisim is I did not participate. I do feel as leaders we need to lead by example, so I started participating and the students started to participate more as well. I know if sounds trivial, however, as instructors we need to show our student why a certain online tool is important and how that same tool and help them learn.
2. The set-up on the course will foster success. I am starting an online course on Monday 6/4, and I posted the syllabus but who knows who will actually read the document. I set up each module like the syllabus. This will help the class flow and help the student know exactly what is expected. I also do not put any date restrictions on the course material. I will restrict the assesments, for obvious reason. The modules have the due dates and each assigment with detailed instructions. Each module is a week and it is very easy to follow. The flow and set-up will foster success.
3. The learning management system can be detrimental to the students learning. There are many different updates on the management system and some of them have not been tested. If the learning management system is installed and causes a delay in the instruction, students as well as the instructor get frustrated. The systems need to be tested and the technology department needs to give better instruction on what is changing with updates and how it will affect the learning environment.
Andy
You made an excellent point in your first paragraph. As faculty, we must engage. If we sit back and simply state that things are great and don't give any constructive feedback or participation you won't see anything.
DeleteI like the idea that you use the modules. That works best for me personally.
David
1. I think discussion boards are useful as long as the folks involved are engaged. If you have a lot of "great post" and "I agree" then there is not much benefit in that. I think if learners are engaged in other ways then it will bleed into the discussion posts.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that the organization of content is important, but it is the teacher that makes it engaging. I have used live meetings using a tool such as Zoom or WebEx to help engage students.
3. Mobile technology is great for communication and collaboration, it can also be a major distraction in the classroom. I tell my students, "don't drive, or learn, distracted!" While that usually gets a giggle from some students, it is something that I am passionate about. I have gone as far as to ask my students to sign an agreement stating they will not let their mobile device distract them while learning. They use their mobile devices for collaboration projects, but not in class.
Dave...
DeleteThank you for your feedback. Engaged is a key term, and what I think should be emphasized in educational programs. Passion isn't something that can be taught, you it is the biggest thing to teach that is out there. You can provide content to anybody, and some people will learn by receiving that content alone. Others you have to light a fire within them and they will excel.
I have long thought that some individuals could simply receive the text book list for a medical school and they will educate themselves to be doctors while others have to have professors that are working to ignite that passion. The key here is that some people have the internal passion while others need some external motivation.
David
1. I feel discussion boards provide you with a broader view of what the content of a course can encompass. Often I will read a post and say to myself, "I never thought of that." If you classmates come from various areas and professional positions, it is a good way to see something from a different perspective.
ReplyDelete2. If the content is not organized, I find it hard to understand expectation. I like to use the checklist in my online classes because it provides the student with a quick way to verify they have completed all of the activities of a module. It also provides me with an outline during development.
3. I find that, with mobile technology, if a lesson can be improved by adding a component on this technology, then, by all means, you should add it. I do see often that professors will add in technology in order to say they have a technical piece and that just causes the course to become cluttered and disjointed and yes distracting.
Daphne...
DeleteThank you for your reply.
I agree with you on the organization. The formatting of this program in comparison to my previous is slightly different in the development of the content section and I am learning (trying to be quickly) the difference so I can stay on track.
David