Sloan report about online learning

The Sloan Report about online learning has been posted: http://sloanconsortium.org/sites/default/files/class_differences.pdf.

Hybrid format courses - best practice #2

In my research regarding hybrid format courses, the second best practice found in the literature was to maximize the traditional classroom learning environemnt by helping learners perpeare for classroom sessions.

Direct from my book (Gray, 2010), "The dual access to course content and navigation also supports learners who cannot attend a class session due to illness, transportation, and similar reasons, allowing them to minimize the impact of the classroom attendance disruption and focus on learning content missed during that session before the next session occurs."

"Online learning tools and components can provide ongoing and dual access to course content and navigation. Learners can download instructor presentations before classroom meetings, bringing the presentation handouts to class. Such preparation for class allows learners to then take strategic rather than copious notes to supplement the presentation information (Blake, 2000; Byrne, 1997; Galloway, 1998; McEwen, 2001; NcNeil & Robin, 2000). As a result, they can spend more time interacting in the classroom with the facilitator and the content. The same is true for student presentations if learners are presenting content during traditional classroom meetings."

ERIC, No. EJ604694.

Blake, K. R. (2000). Using the World Wide Web to teach news writing online.

Byrne, R. (1997). Written feedback on student assignments: Another look. Business Communication Quarterly, 60(2), 100-108. Retrieved December 27, 2006 from the Business Source Premier database.

Galloway, G. M. (1998). A model of Internet usage for course delivery. Retrieved June 28, 2007, from ERIC database.

Gray, D. K. M. (2010). Hybrid format courses: Best practices and model. Germany: Lambert Academic Press.

McEwen, B. C. (2001, June). Web-assisted and online learning. Business Communication Quarterly, 64(2), 98-103.

McNeil, S. G. & Robin, B. R. (2000). Using web database tools to facilitate the construction of knowledge in online courses. ERIC No. ED444528.

Hybrid format course design - best practices #1

In my research, I identified six best practices for hybrid format course design. The first is to move administrative tasks to a secure and private environment.

This includes everything from attendance to grades to personal feedback on assignments. Much of this type of information is personal and confidential. Distributing it in the classroom setting in the presence of class wastes precious group learning time and also risks breaking individual student confidentiality. Personal and confidential discussions between the facilitator and the student about their individual performance, their grades, their attendance should not be shared in a classroom venue. At the same time, it wastes the time of every other student attending the face-to-face class at that time.

Defining hybrid format courses

Hybrid format courses - also known as blended learning - is a method of instructional course design that promises to blend the best of both worlds: the best practices of effective classroom teaching with the most effective practices of the online learning environment. The growth in popularity of this style of course design as been called "the single greatest unrecognized trend in higher education today" (Young, 2002, p. 12) and is “quickly becoming the most popular format in distance education” (Reasons, 2004, p. 3). The challenge is to design the course so that it optimizes the learning process and  more fully engages the learner. 

I firmly believe that learning should be fun. Why? When a person enjoys learning then they tend to learn more and retain more. Whether or not a person has enjoying the learning process can affect how much they engage with the course content, with their peers, with their facilitator, and within themselves through reflection. How a course is design can affect how engaged learners become.

Effective hybrid format course design: A hybrid format model and study of best practices

Distance Education Report, 8(7), 3.

References

Reasons, S.G. (2004, April). Hybrid courses – hidden dangers?

Young, J. R. (2002, March 22). Hybrid teaching seeks to end the divide between traditional and online instruction.

Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(28), A33.

Children with adult responsibilities

Recently I've observed what I sense may be a growing theme among high school and college students. Almost all of my 16-year-old son's friends work - and many of them have to. The vast majority of my college students work multiple part-time jobs or a full-time job in addition to a full load.

This is not like the days of ole' when I was in high school when kids only worked during the summer or maybe weekends. Kids today have more responsibilities and multiple demands on their time.

Given that, what happens when we as facilitators begin to treat high school and college students as adult learners - at least in the andragogical terms of tying new learning concepts to existing knowledge and experience, explaining why something is important to learn and getting buy-in before beginning learning experiences, etc.

Reflective journals and humanism

Because of technology's influence on education in recent years, I think we've seen a shift to the right in philosophy (from classicalism and behavioralism to pragmatism and humanism). Malcolm Knowles said adult learners were self directed, built knowledge based on previous experiences, had to see an application or reason to learn something so they could apply the new knowledge right away (forgive my paraphrasing).

These are characteristics of humanism and align with the shift in focus of the student from passive to active, the focus of the teacher from sage on the stage to facilitator, and the growing awareness that students have different learning styles and strategies and are there is more than one appropriate way for students to learn. Humanism also points to learning that is social and constructed.

I've been working on my prospectus and the literature points to growing acceptance of a learner-centered approach to education. Simply put, students who are more actively engaged in the learning process (whether in the classroom or online or somewhere in between) tend to have better learning outcomes. Reflective journals are a good example of a learning component that engages the learner.

Having said that, one criticism of humanism is that it can become permissive. The focus is on learning rather than teaching and concepts such as assessments must be clearly communicated or students can become disoriented and disengage.Thus the pros and cons (or cautions) of learning components such as reflective journals.

Writing for the eye vs. writing for the ear

The use of IM language in education . . .

One of the online universities that I teach for has synchronous weekly seminars. The students all pile into a big chat room and I facilitate the discussion. They know the general topic before the seminar begins and receive participation points for making substantive comments. Because the seminar is one hour it is very fast-paced and there is an acceptance and understanding of misspelled words and shortcuts such as IM phrases.

But, more importantly, it's conversational. The intent is to develop social interaction in the virtual classroom and to facilitate learning through communication. That's the purpose.

I say that to say this: professional writers understand that there is a distinct difference (and talent) in writing for the eye and writing for the ear. If you've ever heard a television or radio commercial that sounded "fake" or stilted, you've witnessed an example of a writer who wrote for the wrote sensor. When we write for the eye, we write for print.

The printed word is most easily comprehended and digested when there is clear and correct grammatical structure. Paragraphs, commas, proper grammar all facilitate easy reading which improves comprehension.

The verbal or broadcast word is most easily comprehended when it's conversational, natural, and we hear phrases used in everyday speech. This type of scripting ignores the parts of grammar that deal with complete sentences and sentence construction. Concepts like verb agreement and avoiding jargon and slang are important because they improve understanding and comprehension - if, again, that is the goal.

There are very, very few writers who are talented and effective in writing for both styles - the eye and the ear. The reason is simple: they use very different (and often opposing) concepts and structures to be effective in facilitating communication.

I think we keep coming back to this point over and over again in articles, books, etc. There are simply different standards and styles that work best in facilitating communication for the eye (print) or for the ear (speech and broadcast).