Week 3 Overview, Readings and Resources

Overview

This week we’ll focus on issues of online design and selection of collaborative tools to facilitate online learning. We’ll draw on some of the ideas around supporting learning in an online environment from last week by analyzing a case study that presents experiences of learners and an online instructor within the context of the design of the course environment and the preparation of the instructor.

Keeping our focus on the pedagogy of online learning and the needs of learners, we’ll introduce ideas of how to evaluate the strengths and challenges of online collaboration tools. The need to engage learners in online learning and to support and facilitate the kinds of collaborative learning that are expected in higher education today requires that we have a “toolbox” of options.

In Week 3 there are TWO mini-sessions:

• Course Review Task Force
• Choosing Your Tools

Mini-sessions - Introduction

1. Course Review Task Force

This case highlights challenges related to the topics we discussed last week: the needs of diverse learners in online environments.

It seems clear (from the survey data) that learners' needs aren't being met. And, because this course has had bad reviews before, we can't simply blame the instructor (who is new to online teaching). Many of us "inherit" courses designed by someone else and we have to find ways to teach effectively. This can mean we inherit a course that doesn't match our teaching perspectives or preferred approaches.

Goals of this mini-session:

Analyze a detailed case study and make recommendations on course design changes and instructional strategies that would lead to increased learner (and teacher!) satisfaction.

Tasks for participants

• Review the case study documents (course evaluations and instructor comments).
• Identify the critical issues and concerns.
• Discuss options to resolve (improve) the situation (drawing on readings or other relevant resources)
• Provide constructive feedback (in the Feedback forum) when the session is complete.

Tasks for facilitator(s)

• Lead the participants through this process (how / where) within the time allowed (Mon-Fri).
• Remind participants to provide feedback at end of the session.
• Complete the FLIF (final reflective survey)

2. Choosing Your Tools

Explore a selection of collaborative online tools to support learning. Discuss ways in which you could select the appropriate tool for a learning activity. What criteria would you use? If you try cloud-based collaborative tools, consider privacy issues and terms of use.

Goals of this activity:

Explore the use of online collaborative tools to support learning.

Tasks for participants

• Participate in an assigned task, using selected online collaborative tools.
• Provide constructive feedback (in the Feedback forum) when the session is complete

Tasks for facilitators

• Apply what you’ve learned about online facilitation, from readings and the sample mini-session facilitated by the FLO facilitators, to support your participants to achieve the intended learning outcomes.
• Take time to read/view the resources for this week’s topics to ensure you are able to support participants effectively in their learning.
• Facilitate the week’s activities in the time available (ensure that you allow time for participants to provide feedback and for the facilitators-your team-to complete the FLIF) Review the Mini-session ILOs in the Workshop Handbook to guide your planning and assessment.

Issues and Tools

What are you trying to achieve (in practical and pedagogical terms)? Take some time and think about the ways in which you believe learning can be supported effectively online. What kinds of learning do you want to stimulate? What do you have available to you already? Why are you looking at selecting different tools? Could you work with the tools available to you at your school? The advantages of working with tools you have available are many - you will be able to ask for technical assistance, you are likely to be able to ask for sage advice from other instructors who have used the tool, you may have access to additional training in the effective use of the tool. Finally, you shouldn’t have to think about protecting student privacy or administrative tasks like maintaining the currency and functionality of the tool. If you decide to look beyond the boundaries of your in-house technologies, what other issues should you think about?

Tool Characteristics and Affordances

Although there are different definitions of “affordances” of technology, a simple way to think about tool choice can be to consider the possibilities the tool offers to support the learning activity you are going to use. What potential does the tool have to allow collaboration, knowledge construction, posting to your course site, sharing within the class, sharing publicly, etc.

An important affordance to consider is whether the tool requires users to use it at the same time (even if they don’t have to be at the same place)? Can the tool support learning, for each learner, when they want to use it? Can the tool be used for both kinds of learning - synchronously or asynchronously?

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Tools

Is this really the question? Perhaps. But it is not the first question we ask. Before deciding that one tool, or group of tools, is better than another, we need to ask, "Better for what?"

Synchronous: existing or occurring at the same time* (e.g., Skype, Collaborate, Google Hangouts, etc.)

Asynchronous: not occurring at the same time* (e.g., Moodle`s discussion forums, blog posts and comments, online bulletin boards, etc.)

* Definitions from The Free Dictionary

Johns Hopkins University School of Education, Center for Technology in Education ©2010 suggests that "Asynchronous learning can be effectively used for in-depth discussions that take place over time, role playing, application-based case study scenarios, one-to-one interactions among students, and activities that require more independent thinking time." And,

"Synchronous learning can be effectively used for showcasing web or computer applications, explaining difficult concepts, delivering lectures via PowerPoint, structured group brainstorming, hosting guest speakers, new topic introductions, community building, and question and answer."

Often students have a preference for one environment or the other, depending on their individual learning preferences. Students who are vocal, think on their feet and are confident - may prefer a synchronous learning environment while more reflective learners may prefer asynchronous learning activities.

As you work through this week's activities, take note of your own preferences. Where do you think you are a more effective learner? Which tools support you in which kinds of learning activities?

Read and View

Choose two:

• Carnegie Mellon University (2009) Collaboration Tools, A Teaching With Technology White Paper, retrieved from https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/technology/whitepapers/CollaborationTools_Jan09.pdf

• John Hopkins University School of Education, Center for Technology in Education, (2010) Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Distance Learning Activities, (pdf, 3 pages)

• Paramio, S. (2015) Online Collaboration Tools: Selecting the right tools, Pedagogy First! blog, Program for Online Teaching, retrieved from http://mccpot.org/wp/2015/04/online-collaboration-tools-selecting-the-right-tools/

• Tyndale Library Research Guides - Checklist for selecting the best Web2.0 tool, Web2.0 Resources for the Classroom, retrieved from http://libguides.tyndale.ca/content.php?pid=257788&sid=2164759 

Public Apps and Privacy

So, you found the perfect application and now you want to build it into your course - yay!

Oops - in order to use it students have to create an account.  Does the application sit on a Canadian server?  If not, do you need students to give informed consent or might you have to offer an alternative assignment or learning activity to those who object to creating an account on a server that sits outside of Canada?

So many people of all ages and walks of life seem perfectly happy to create Facebook or Twitter accounts or use other social networking and collaborative tools - do we really need to worry about this?

How about public tools that do not require an account?  For instance, they contribute their ideas to a Google Doc that someone with an account has created and made public. Can a student object to or refuse to participate because their work is public?

British Columbia has some of the strictest FOIPOP rules in Canada.  Do you know what they are?  Does your institution have additional policies that restrict or encourage use of third party tools?

Lots to work out over the next few years!