1 preparing and guiding learners veronica diaz, phd associate director educause learning initiative,...

1Preparing and Guiding Learners

Preparing and Guiding Learners

Veronica Diaz, PhDAssociate Director

EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, EDUCAUSE

Wiki Site


Your Redesign Toolbox

• Resources– Student Readiness Tools and

Resources (wiki page)

• Handouts – Planning Guide for Assessing and

Addressing Student Readiness– Planning Template and Guide to

Prepare for, Identify, and Preempt Student Crisis Points


STUDENT READINESS


Student Readiness

• Supporting the learner– Before the course– During the course

• Supporting the faculty member (to be prepared and to support the learner)


Support in the blended course?

Identify the top 2 areas that students would need help in a blended course

----http://backnoise.com/?blended

http://backnoise.com/?blended



Step 1: Clear Communication

• http://weblearning.psu.edu/blended-learning-initiative/what_is_blended_learning

• http://online.ucf.edu/modalities.php

• http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CollegesandDepartments/Distance/Academics/Admissions/Military/Delivery.aspx

• http://sirls.arizona.edu/node/867

• 3-4 options

• Use common terminology

• If blended definitions vary from course-to-course, let students know

• Provide examples to students

• Learner readiness assessment strategies

http://weblearning.psu.edu/blended-learning-initiative/what_is_blended_learning




http://online.ucf.edu/modalities.php

http://online.ucf.edu/modalities.php

http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CollegesandDepartments/Distance/Academics/Admissions/Military/Delivery.aspx





http://sirls.arizona.edu/node/867




Assess…• Skills (reading) • Learning styles or preferences• Work and study habits• Technical requirements

(hardware, software, connectivity)

• Need and immediacy for course• Feedback preferences • Ability to self-help (when things

are difficult) • Attitude toward the nature of

learning in a blended environment

7


Readiness Assessment Strategies(see wiki resources)

Formal • eLearning website • Screening surveys • Pre and post enrollment

with feedback• Debunking incorrect

impressions • Advisor meeting

Informal • Website• Welcome materials • FAQs • Examples of blended

courses (syllabi and sites)• Pros/Cons of taking a

blended course• Student testimonials

Blended Learning FAQs:

http://www.berkeleycollege.edu/academics/blended_courses.htm






Students are most successful when they have the following characteristics:

• Informed self selection • Responsibility for their

own learning • An access plan for

taking the course • Know how they learn

(metacognition)

• Have necessary technical skills

• Know how to build a support system

• Respond favorably to technological uncertainties


What happens when students aren’t ready?




Student Readiness ActivityDO: 15 MINUTES• Look over the mapping

handout• Review the Planning Guide

for Assessing and Addressing Student Readiness

• ID a few readiness areas and strategies to address them


STUDENT CRISIS POINTS


What are they?• Moments during your course

when students are most likely to need support and assistance– Example: The first time a student

logs in to your course web site and cannot locate the URL or remember the username and password?

• Identify crisis points in advance, so you can make sure that you have a plan in place to mitigate student problems and avoid frustration


How do you identify them?• Review the sequence of learning

activities and course modules you have planned

• What student skills will be required to be successful

– Technological skills

• Using course management system (tests, finding materials, email, groups, web 2.0 tools, etc.)

– Independent learning skills

• Time management

• Ability to retain and use course content


What are some likely causes of student crisis points?




Supporting the Faculty Member (and the student)• Reviewing the phases and

potential student crisis points in a course

• Technological crisis points

• Curriculum-related crisis points


Crisis Points: Student/Faculty Support

Pre-semester• Learners may have never accessed

any course management systems and may not be aware of the helpdesk or other resources.

• Instructors may be eager, nervous, or anxious. They prepare for the course by reviewing materials and the system.

• Instructors may be teaching in the blended delivery mode for the first time and be planning some spontaneous course design or revision in lieu of advance planning.

First Day• Technology (in and/or out of class) may

or may not work as intended.• Instructors may spend significantly more

time overcoming technological housekeeping and start-up work than anticipated.

• Learners may feel overwhelmed or confused by the technology requirements or expectations of the course, of which they were unaware at the time they enrolled.

• Learners may be unaware of the time demands of a blended course, especially if they are teaching the course for the first time.

Handout



Pre-semester• Learners may have never accessed

any course management systems and may not be aware of the helpdesk or other resources.

• Instructors may be eager, nervous, or anxious. They prepare for the course by reviewing materials and the system.

• Instructors may be teaching in the blended delivery mode for the first time and be planning some spontaneous course design or revision in lieu of advance planning.

First Day• Technology (in and/or out of class) may

or may not work as intended.• Instructors may spend significantly more

time overcoming technological housekeeping and start-up work than anticipated.

• Learners may feel overwhelmed or confused by the technology requirements or expectations of the course, of which they were unaware at the time they enrolled.

• Learners may be unaware of the time demands of a blended course, especially if they are teaching the course for the first time.



First Week

• Learners may still be adding and dropping courses and may not have fully committed to the courses.

• Instructors get to know the learners and respond to first activities/assignments.

• Instructors become aware of who is not accessing course materials, but may be unable to reach those learners.

First Five Weeks• Learners may be confused, feel

isolated, or start procrastinating.• Learners may require and ask for

extra support as they become used to online and face-to-face assignments, feedback, and communication.

• Instructors may be overwhelmed with student communication, are gradually adjusting to flow of their blended course(s), and beginning to anticipate what will work and what needs work in course design. They may implement course revisions mid-stream.



Second Five Weeks

• Learners may have anxiety about grades, or overwhelmed by expectations in their courses, which may all be in different delivery formats (online, face-to-face, and blended).

• Instructors make sure learners have enough information about progress, analyze course pace and learner progress, and make adjustments as needed.

• Instructors may have added or compressed coursework to compensate for unanticipated delays in delivering curriculum earlier in the course.

End of Semester

• Learners may be overwhelmed, withdrawn from course activities, missing assignments.

• Learners may begin to prepare or anticipate their first final exam, which may be delivered online—possibly a new format for them.

• Instructors may begin to fatigue of dual (online and face-to-face ‘presence’).


Student Crisis Points Activity

DO: 15 MINUTES• Look over the mapping handout• Take a moment to review Planning

Template and Guide to Prepare for, Identify, and Preempt Student Crisis Points

• Identify 2 areas where your students might be underprepared and what you might do to support them during those parts of the course


Supporting Student Success with Course Design Rubrics

Wiki Site


Thoughts on the Use of Course Design Rubrics?




Why a Use a Course Rubric?

• Organizational tool • Checklist • Focus on critical course

components • Alignment of

components


Other Considerations

• Coherence of the course as a whole: student perspective

• Continuous improvement through peer review and professional development for reviewers


Quality Assurance & Alignment

• 8 general:– Course Overview and Introduction– Learning Objectives – Assessment and Measurement– Resources and Materials– Learner Interaction– Course Technology– Learner Support– ADA Compliance

– http://www.qualitymatters.org

Alignment of Key

Components

http://www.qualitymatters.org/


Course Peer Review Process


Course Design Standards• A statement introduces the student to

the course and the structure of the student learning

• Navigational instructions make the organization of the course easy to understand.

• Learning activities foster interaction:– instructor-student– content-student– student-student (if appropriate)

• Clear standards are set for instructor response and availability


Course Design Standards

• Assessment strategies should provide feedback to the student

• Grading policy should be transparent and easy for the student to understand

• Implemented tools & media should support learning objectives and integrate with texts and lesson assignments

• The course acknowledges the importance of ADA compliance


Quality Assurance: Other Uses

• Internal review processes• Guidelines for blended course

development• Checklist for improvement of

existing blended courses• Faculty development/training

programs• Institutional distance learning

policies• An element in professional

and other accreditation processes


Quality Assurance ResourcesNote: May need to cut and paste some links into browser.

• CSU Chico, Rubric for Online Instruction: http://www.csuchico.edu/celt/roi/index.shtml

• Illinois Online Network http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/initiatives/qoci/rubric.asp

• University of Southern Mississippi Learning Enhancement Center http://www.usm.edu/lec/docs/LEC_Online_course_rev2.pdf

• Houston Community College http://online-course-design.pbworks.com/f/Online_Course_Rubric08.pdf

• Craven Community College www.cravencc.edu/faculty/cccderubricsp2009.doc

http://www.csuchico.edu/celt/roi/index.shtml

http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/initiatives/qoci/rubric.asp

http://www.usm.edu/lec/docs/LEC_Online_course_rev2.pdf

http://online-course-design.pbworks.com/f/Online_Course_Rubric08.pdf

http://online-course-design.pbworks.com/f/Online_Course_Rubric08.pdf

http://www.cravencc.edu/faculty/cccderubricsp2009.doc

http://www.cravencc.edu/faculty/cccderubricsp2009.doc


Resources • Sloan online and blended learning survey reports:

http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/freedownloads• Campus Computing Project: http://www.campuscomputing.net/• ELI Blended Learning Workshop Guide:

http://www.educause.edu/blendedlearning• ELI Blended Learning Focus Session Resource List:

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELIFF10res.pdf• ELI Blended Learning Focus Session Recordings:

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/ELIFF10/39333• UCF Research: http://dl.ucf.edu/research/rite/dl-impact-evaluation/• Diaz Blended Resources: http://www.delicious.com/drvdiaz/

blended

http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/freedownloads

http://www.campuscomputing.net/

http://www.educause.edu/blendedlearning

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELIFF10res.pdf

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELIFF10res.pdf

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/ELIFF10/39333

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/ELIFF10/39333

http://dl.ucf.edu/research/rite/dl-impact-evaluation/

http://www.delicious.com/drvdiaz/blended

http://www.delicious.com/drvdiaz/blended


Promoting Successful Blended Teaching: Competencies and

SkillsSource: Lawrence C. Ragan, Paula Bigatel, Janet May,

Shannon Kennan, Brian Redmond

Penn State University


New Skills and Course Design

• Facilitating online discussions and small group activities

• Developing new forms of student assessment

• Scheduling and communication challenges as courses meet online and face-to-face

• Learning new technologies • Supporting students to understand their

active role in the learning environment


Goal: Support the Development of Blended Instructors

• What are the skills and competencies necessary for blended teaching success? • At what point in the

instructor's career should these competencies be developed?


Phase I Process and Results• Used survey to rate skills as “Not Very

Important” to “Very Important”• 200+ individuals completed survey• Half had “5+ years of online/blended teaching

experience”– Interesting note: No significant difference between

respondents according to years of teaching experience

• 2:1 Females: male• Cross discipline domains represented


Multimedia Technology

Administration/Leadership

Active Learning

Classroom Decorum

Policy Enforcement

Technological Competence

Responsiveness

Competency Categories


How would you rank these?

1. Multimedia Technology 2. Administration/Leadership 3. Active Learning 4. Classroom Decorum 5. Policy Enforcement 6. Technological Competence 7. Responsiveness


Competencies by Mean

1. Active Learning 2. Administration/Leadership 3. Responsiveness 4. Multimedia Technology 5. Classroom Decorum 6. Technological Competence 7. Policy Enforcement


Competency 1: Active Learning• The instructor encourages students to interact with each other by assigning team

tasks and projects, where appropriate. • The instructor includes group/team assignments where appropriate. • The instructor encourages students to share their knowledge and expertise with the

learning community. • The instructor encourages students to participate in discussion forums, where

appropriate. • The instructor provides opportunities for hands-on practice so that students can apply

learned knowledge to the real-world. • The instructor provides additional resources that encourage students to go deeper

into the content of the course. • The instructor encourages student-generated content as appropriate. • The instructor facilitates learning activities that help students construct

explanations/solutions. • The instructor uses peer assessment in his/her assessment of student work, where

appropriate. • The instructor shows respect to students in his/her communications with them.


Competency 2: Administration/Leadership

• The instructor makes grading visible for student tracking purposes.

• The instructor clearly communicates expected student behaviors.

• The instructor is proficient in the chosen course management system (CMS).

• The instructor adheres to the university's policies regarding the Federal Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA).

• The instructor integrates the use of technology that is meaningful and relevant to students.


Competency 3: Active Teaching • The instructor provides prompt, helpful feedback on

assignments and exams that enhances learning. • The instructor provides clear, detailed feedback on

assignments and exams that enhances the learning experience.

• The instructor shows caring and concern that students are learning the course content.

• The instructor helps keep the course participants on task.

• The instructor uses appropriate strategies to manage the workload.


Competency 4: Multimedia Technology

• The instructor uses a variety of multimedia technologies to achieve course objectives.

• The instructor uses multimedia technologies that are appropriate for the learning activities.


Competency 5: Classroom Decorum

• The instructor helps students resolve conflicts that arise in collaborative teamwork.

• The instructor resolves conflicts when they arise in teamwork/group assignments.

• The instructor can effectively manage the course communications by providing a good model of expected behavior for all course communication.

• The instructor identifies areas of potential conflict within the course.


Competency 6: Technological Competence

• The instructor is proficient with the technologies used in the blended classroom.

• The instructor is confident with the technology used in the course.


Competency 7: Policy Enforcement • The instructor monitors students' adherence

to policies on plagiarism. • The instructor monitors students' adherence

to Academic Integrity policies and procedures.


Task Importance Rankings: Top 10

1. The instructor shows respect to students in his/her communications with them.

2. The instructor provides students with clear grading criteria.

3. The instructor clearly communicates course goals.4. The instructor clearly communicates course content.5. The instructor shows enthusiasm when interacting

with students.6. The instructor provides clear, detailed feedback on

assignments and exams that enhances the learning experience.


Task Importance Rankings: Top 10

7. The instructor communicates with students about course changes, reminders of due assignments, relevant additional resources through announcements/emails.

8. The instructor can effectively manage the course communications by providing a good model of expected behavior for all course communication.

9. The instructor provides prompt, helpful feedback on assignments and exams that enhances learning.

10. The instructor clearly communicates expected student behaviors.


Faculty ReadinessSource: http://weblearning.psu.edu/resources

http://weblearning.psu.edu/resources


Faculty Readiness


Take-Aways

• Fit for the blended instructional mode • Support for redesigning the course • Learn by doing (blended learning experience) • Technology support • The “launch” environment (release time,

support) • Constant reflection about teaching in a blended

environment • Mentoring and ongoing support/evaluation


Discussion?



1 preparing and guiding learners veronica diaz, phd associate director educause learning initiative,...

Documents

blended slide

guiding learners students

guiding learners support

guiding learners crisis

course content slide

guiding learners step

learner slide

course technological