connections in online classes “ teaching online is an exercise in continual incremental...

Connections in Online Classes

“Teaching online is an exercise in continual incremental improvements”

(Dykman & Davis, 2008, p. 162)

Presentation created for a faculty flex workshop at MiraCosta CollegeFriday, April 9

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.Presenter: Laura Paciorek

Note: Some revisions were made after the presentation (in italics).

Please note: This presentation is being recorded.

Overview:

• Background information

• Six types of connections

• Timelines for fostering connections

• Specific strategies for each type of connection

• Sprinkling of research here and there throughout the presentation


First Things First: Background Information about Connections


Opening Thought:

• “Learning is a very human activity” (Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2009, p. 129)


• Even early in research, connections were noted as important.

• Terry, 2001, stated, “an obvious positive aspect associated with the online community is the potential to improve course quality by making the virtual classroom more than a technology based correspondence course” (p. 9).

• However, Terry also noted that, “the most significant problem with the online community is that course time and efforts are used on a subject that is not directly related to course content” (p. 9).

Why think about connections?


• More about “time”:

• Dykman and Davis (2008): “[Instructors] also need to learn to cultivate and sustain relationships with their students online, which can be a time consuming… process but which is also a critical part of online teaching effectiveness” (p. 158).– Online vs. face-to-face– Misunderstandings and unclear expectations

Dykman, C., & Davis, C.. (2008). Online Education Forum: Part Two - Teaching Online Versus Teaching Conventionally. Journal of Information Systems Education, 19(2), 157-164. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1550276871).


• Dykman and Davis, continued: “When there is a failure to communicate expectations and the student is not doing what the teacher intends, the situation can deteriorate without either party realizing that there is a problem until it is too late” (p. 158).– Online and face-to-face– Prevention is key = Connections


Learning Benefits

Dunlap & Lowenthal, who cite Vygotsky (1978) state:– “We subscribe to the theory that learning, as a human activity,

occurs within a social context, with higher cognitive processes originating from social interactions.”

– Furthermore, “[Dunlap and Lowenthal] also believe that social interaction and connection has significant influence over student engagement”

– (p. 130, Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2009)– http://www.patricklowenthal.com/publications/Using_T

witter_to_Enhance_Social_Presence.pdf


http://www.patricklowenthal.com/publications/Using_Twitter_to_Enhance_Social_Presence.pdf

http://www.patricklowenthal.com/publications/Using_Twitter_to_Enhance_Social_Presence.pdf

My Own Informal Survey

• Most enlightening results = Open-ended– I interpreted results: same amount of people

wanted more connections as wanted no additional connections.

– Some made suggestions for how to increase connections in the course (which I will discuss later).

– NOTE: I want to thank Linda Shaffer for giving me ideas about how to use surveys!


Summary of Research

• Connections are important.

• Some students want connections more than others.

• The amount of time connections take can be something to consider for faculty and students.


My Thoughts

• Creating connections is worth the time!– Learning– Community

• Finding what works well for each class is probably the most effective (i.e., don’t spend time on something that the class does not want).

• Sometimes it’s something small that can make a huge difference for students.


Next: What I Do (Strategies)


Initial Thoughts

• As I sat to prepare, I thought of three types of connections:– Content

– Fellow classmates

– Me (the instructor)

– NOTE: All three of these connections are noted in research cited by Dunlap and Lowenthal (2009) including: Dunlap, Dobrovolny, & Young, 2008; Dulap, Furtak, & Tucker, 2009; and Dunlap, Sobel, & Sands, 2007.


Expanding Thoughts

• My list quickly doubled:– Content– Fellow classmates– Me (the instructor)– *Course site (different from content)

– *Wider campus and community– *Themselves as learners

• “Perfectly good students can ‘burn out’ and be lost” (Dykman & Davis, p. 159).



Please note: In reality, we are working on all of these all the time… the focus shifts.

Course site (beginning)

• I make the course available 1 week early– I email students to let them know, but do not require

login until the first day.– Some colleges do not allow this due to when the

courses are populated (it depends!).– This does require some upkeep in terms of seeing

who is new on the roster and making sure they get the login information in a timely manner.

– It’s a personal preference (not required!)– This serves as an extended “orientation” period.


• Syllabus/Course Website Quiz– Common method– Allow multiple attempts

• Select Menu Items (again, orienting students is the focus)– Show all left menu items– Some might say, “Coming Soon!”– Supporting vs. overwhelming students


Course site

Course site

• “No stakes” and “low-stakes” activities:– Practice Turnitin.com assignment– Syllabus/course website quiz– Helps with students who have limited

technology skills– I keep the technology simple at first

• Before video: Screenshots

• First lecture (more orientation)– Explain course site, menu items, etc…


• To sustain help in this area: Q&A Board


Course site (beginning… or beyond?)


• Selections from the “Help! (Resources)” area.– Two main sections addressing the course site.


Inside “Help! (Resources)”

• Consistency:– “Following a regular module structure throughout an

online course helps to establish and sustain the pace of the course and makes it easier for students to keep track of what is due and when” (Dykman & Davis, p. 158).

– Same discussion board deadlines weekly– Same assignment deadlines every other week– Layout of weekly folders same week to week



Classmates (beginning, middle, end – whole course)

• Dykman & Davis:– “Students sometimes feel that they are learning more from

interacting with fellow students than from other aspects of an online course” (p. 160).

• Set up this environment for them• Maintain the environment for them• Facilitate interactions• Probe deeper thought and discussion• Discussion board guidelines help


Classmates

• Typical ways to have classmate interaction:– Content-Related Discussion board

• First week: get to know each other– Photos

• Later on: How was your break? (November, Spring…)• Options each week

– Types of topics– Encourage respectful disagreement

• Required: initial post (word count)• Required: two replies to two classmates



“Student Lounge” Discussion Board Area

Classmates

• Remember the survey I discussed in the beginning?– Students wanted to have the choice of NOT

sharing email addresses.– Some students wanted to share email

addresses.– Created an area where students could make

the choice.


Classmates

• Surveys themselves create connections between classmates:– Post results about class– See how they compare/contrast with classmates


Classmates

• Online Review Sessions through Elluminate Live!– Exam study sessions– Project descriptions– Specific topics


Classmates

Classmates

• Meeting in person (Make a Difference Day):


YouTube Video URL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQt5imErNq4

Service Learning Program Contact:

Carol Wilkinson: [email protected]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQt5imErNq4



Me (beginning, middle, end – the whole course)

• Dykman & Davis:

– “Structured, regular communication is a basic principle behind teaching online. Friendliness, diligence, and empathy all play a role with students.”

– (p. 160)


Me

• Some of the things that connect classmates together, also connect students with me:– Discussion boards

• Help boards, weekly boards, “getting to know you” boards (I reply to all “getting to know you” posts through email)

– “Make a Difference Day” (or other in-person events)– Online Review Sessions

• Possibly better for connecting with me than with fellow classmates


• Emails I receive (direct email link in course)

• Google Talk Chatback Badge– Not my idea! (Thank you: Pilar Hernandez, Lisa Lane, and Jim Sullivan)

– http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=86171


Me

http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=86171

• Emails I send (copied in “Announcements”):

– Individual emails when a student submits early work (e.g., “Congrats!”)

– Individual email when students miss an assignment or discussion (e.g., “Hope all’s well.”)

– Individual email about discussion board content (e.g., “Here’s more detail for you.”)

– Group email about discussion boards, graded items (feedback), reminders, etc…


Me

• Office Hours– I ask students what they want in a survey:


Me

• “About the Professor” Area:– Staff information– Office hours– Email– Hobbies, experience, etc…

• For example:– Teach preschool– Photography in documentation of children’s work


Me

• Written Feedback– My most-used method

• Written comments for weekly discussions• Written feedback on assignments• Grademark (Turnitin.com) makes this easy

– This semester: Experimenting with Jing!• Project descriptions• Feedback (individual)• Short explanations• http://www.jingproject.com/


Me

http://www.jingproject.com/

http://www.screencast.com/users/CDProfLaura/folders/Jing/media/b230675b-7818-48f6-9e97-c44b15e640e7




• Audio– Wimba:

• Not my idea! (Thank you: Pilar Hernandez)

– MP3 Files - Audacity– Content: Weekly Overviews


Me

• Making sure I am approachable!


Me

Content (beginning, middle, end)

• Lectures – “Conversation Starters”– Ask questions– Prompt students to do an activity– Encourage deeper thought– Prepare for readings– Highlight technical aspects of reading– Give examples– Provide more information– Tie into discussion boards


Content

• Videos– Also tie into discussion boards/lectures– Captioning– Transcripts– http://www.intelecomonline.net/

• MiraCosta has a login (can get from library)• Embed videos into course


http://www.intelecomonline.net/

Content

• Discussions– Ask questions relevant to students’

experiences• May have different opinions• May share examples from work/life• Require incorporation of course concepts• The way you do this depends on the discipline and

your students


Content• To know how to connect content to

students, I ask questions in a survey at the beginning of the semester such as:


Content• Survey – Checking in about Student

Learning Outcomes


Content

• Collaborative Study Guides– Discussion board– Google Documents– Wikis (probably!)


Wider campus/community (beginning and middle)

• Demystifying the student help desk– Talk to them about how I use it!

• Posting the website for the service learning office

• Posting resources about the profession– Community agencies– Profession-specific (e.g., California Child

Development Permit information)

• Service events (e.g., “Make a Difference Day”)


Wider campus/community• Looking out into the community:


Self as learner (beginning, middle, and end)

• Self-assessments (self-reflections)– Dialogue between the student and I– Currently doing two:

• Three weeks into the course• Just past the halfway point of the course

– Have student look at their own progress– Encourage the student to make plans and come up

with strategies for success– Invite open, honest questions

• I respond to all of these

– Students almost always earn full credit unless brief, inaccurate, or late


Self as learner

• Study help– Discussion boards set up for students helping

students

• Originality reports– I allow students to view originality reports on

Turnitin.com work– Allow students to resubmit work until the

deadline


Self as learner• Discussion Board Guidelines (the short version):

– 1) Did I meet the deadlines? – 2) Did I integrate course information in my initial post (actually mention

some detailed specifics from the reading and/or quote the book or lecture)?

– 3) Did I write a reply that makes people want to reply back to me? – 4) Did I add something new to the discussion board with my post? – 5) Did I write a lot more than just “me, too” or “I agree?” – 6) Did I include a detailed personal or professional example to help

illustrate the concepts more deeply? – 7) Did I write well (appropriate grammar, spelling, and punctuation)? – 8) Did I provide references when the idea was not mine? – 9) Did I meet the posting minimum for number of words? – 10) Was everything I wrote respectful of my classmates, instructor, and

others? – 11) Was I 100% confidential in my post?


In sum – Six areas for connections:

• Content

• Fellow classmates

• Me (the instructor)• Course site (different from content)

• Wider campus and community

• Themselves as learners


Never forget the quote from the beginning of the workshop:

“Teaching online is an exercise in continual incremental improvements” (Dykman & Davis, 2008, p. 162)


Resources and Works Cited• Dunlap, J. C., Dobrovolny, J. L, and Young, D. L. (2008). “Preparing eLearning Designers Using

Kolb’s Model of Experiential Learning.” Innovate, Vol. 4, No. 4. [Online journal – http://innotateonline.info/?view=article&id=490]

• Dunlap, J. C., Furtak, T. E., and Tucker, S. A. (2009). “Designing for Enhanced Conceptual Understanding in an Online Physics Course.” TechTrends, Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 67-73.

• Dunlap, J., & Lowenthal, P.. (2009). Tweeting the Night Away: Using Twitter to Enhance Social Presence. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20(2), 129-135. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1755224721).

• Dunlap, J. C., Sobel, D. M., and Sands, D. (2007). “Supporting Students’ Cognitive Processing in Online Courses: Designing for Deep and Meaningful Student-to-Content Interactions.” TechTrends, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 20-31.

• Dykman, C., & Davis, C.. (2008). Online Education Forum: Part Two - Teaching Online Versus Teaching Conventionally. Journal of Information Systems Education, 19(2), 157-164. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1550276871).

• Terry, N.. (2001). ORGANIZING AN ONLINE COMMUNITY. Allied Academies International Conference. Academy of Educational Leadership. Proceedings, 6(2), 8-10. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1557131741).

• Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind In Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press

• W Randall Thomas, & S Kim MacGregor. (2005). Online Project-Based Learning: How Collaborative Strategies and Problem Solving Processes Impact Performance. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 16(1), 83-107. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 857277771).

• --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------• Also: Thank you to Lisa Lane, Jim Sullivan, and Pilar Hernandez for numerous

ideas shared at the Program for Online Teaching mini conference this Spring 2010 and last Fall 2009.

• Thank you to all of my colleagues in the Pedagogy First! Blog and POT certificate program. I get so many ideas from all of you!


Technology Resources

• Elluminate live: http://www.elluminate.com/

• Jing: http://www.jingproject.com/

• Screen Hunter: http://wisdom-soft.com/products/screenhunter_free.htm

• Google Documents: https://www.google.com/

• Intelecom: http://www.intelecomonline.net/


http://www.elluminate.com/

http://www.jingproject.com/

http://wisdom-soft.com/products/screenhunter_free.htm

http://wisdom-soft.com/products/screenhunter_free.htm

https://www.google.com/




connections in online classes “ teaching online is an exercise in continual incremental...

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online community

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online teaching effectiveness

online education forum

laura paciorek note

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types of connections

social context