exploring pedagogical practice within an online learning community

U n i v e r s i t y o f S o u t h e r n Q u e e n s l a n d

www.usq.edu.au

Exploring Pedagogical Exploring Pedagogical Practice within an Practice within an Online Learning Online Learning

CommunityCommunity

Alison Mander, [email protected] Mander, [email protected] Redmond, [email protected] Redmond, [email protected]

USQ, Australia, Toowoomba campusUSQ, Australia, Toowoomba campus

T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f S o u t h e r n Q u e e n s l a n dU n i v e r s i t y o f S o u t h e r n Q u e e n s l a n d

Where are we headed?Where are we headed?

• From the literatureFrom the literature

• ContextContext

• ProcessProcess

• ResultsResults

• ImpactsImpacts

• Implications for future practiceImplications for future practice


Online Learning CommunityOnline Learning Community

• Collaboration forms the Collaboration forms the foundation of a learning foundation of a learning community online (Palloff & community online (Palloff & Pratt, 2005)Pratt, 2005)

• Support the learning of Support the learning of individuals and the groupindividuals and the group

• Promotion of creativity and Promotion of creativity and critical thinkingcritical thinking


Learning communities onlineLearning communities online

• Online enables differentiation in Online enables differentiation in participation and membershipparticipation and membership

• No longer place based, No longer place based, geographically disconnected can geographically disconnected can become connectedbecome connected

• Community requires social Community requires social presence of the individualspresence of the individuals


Why online?Why online?• effective and efficient access to effective and efficient access to

information and multiple othersinformation and multiple others

• ““(t)echnology tools can now bind (t)echnology tools can now bind students, peers, mentors, students, peers, mentors, instructors, practicing teachers, and instructors, practicing teachers, and experts in an array of resources, experts in an array of resources, discussions and curriculum discussions and curriculum recommendations” (Bonk, Angeli, recommendations” (Bonk, Angeli, Malikowsk & Supplee, 2001) Malikowsk & Supplee, 2001)


Online dialogueOnline dialogue• ““the reflective and explicit nature of the the reflective and explicit nature of the

written word that encourages discipline written word that encourages discipline and rigor in our thinking and and rigor in our thinking and communicating” (Garrison, Anderson, & communicating” (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 1999). Archer, 1999).

• ““that the very basis of thinking is rooted that the very basis of thinking is rooted in dialogue, drawing on a socially in dialogue, drawing on a socially constructed context to endow ideas with constructed context to endow ideas with meaning” (Hudson 2002) meaning” (Hudson 2002)

• Participants (both students and Participants (both students and teachers) written dialogue required them teachers) written dialogue required them to “speak”, listen, observe, challenge, to “speak”, listen, observe, challenge, support, persuade and be persuaded.support, persuade and be persuaded.


Community of practice with Community of practice with peers and expertspeers and experts

• education is “moving the emphasis education is “moving the emphasis of learning away from what we of learning away from what we learn to who we learn from” (Fowler learn to who we learn from” (Fowler & Mayes,1999)& Mayes,1999)


BenefitsBenefits

• access to curriculum experts;access to curriculum experts;

• promotes deeper understanding;promotes deeper understanding;

• view models of professional online view models of professional online interaction; andinteraction; and

• time to make considered time to make considered responses, reading, reacting, responses, reading, reacting, responding and reflecting at their responding and reflecting at their own convenienceown convenience


Teacher facilitator rolesTeacher facilitator roles• expose them to different approaches and expose them to different approaches and

definitions of teaching and learning;definitions of teaching and learning;• to welcome them into the profession;to welcome them into the profession;• assist pre-service teachers in developing assist pre-service teachers in developing

pedagogical content knowledge: provider pedagogical content knowledge: provider of information, offer encouragement, of information, offer encouragement, negotiate meanings, give feedback, negotiate meanings, give feedback, question, share experiences; question, share experiences;

• professional role model, provide professional role model, provide emotional support.emotional support.


Student rolesStudent roles• share and critically reflect on share and critically reflect on

experiences which are memorable, experiences which are memorable, inspirational or bothersome;inspirational or bothersome;

• explore and debate issues;explore and debate issues;

• confirm some of their preliminary confirm some of their preliminary ideas about teaching or re-examine ideas about teaching or re-examine their prior understandings of their prior understandings of learning and teachinglearning and teaching


Student response obligationStudent response obligation• Course assessmentCourse assessment• In hope to move the pre-service teachers’ In hope to move the pre-service teachers’

thinking beyond recording or initial reaction and thinking beyond recording or initial reaction and responses, engaging them in critical dialogue responses, engaging them in critical dialogue with others, sharing insights, carrying out with others, sharing insights, carrying out research, and reflecting back research, and reflecting back

• assessment of participation was based onassessment of participation was based on– Building and sustaining a community of learnersBuilding and sustaining a community of learners – Promotion of deep discussionPromotion of deep discussion – Engaged in professional self reflection and Engaged in professional self reflection and

metacognitionmetacognition– Professional standards of literacyProfessional standards of literacy– Reflection of the online community processReflection of the online community process


ContextContext• Exploring asynchronous conferencing tools to Exploring asynchronous conferencing tools to

facilitate exploration of pedagogical practicesfacilitate exploration of pedagogical practices• Situated in specific curriculum areasSituated in specific curriculum areas• Each secondary pre-service teacher involved in Each secondary pre-service teacher involved in

2 different curriculum forums2 different curriculum forums• 2 x Curriculum courses joined in online 2 x Curriculum courses joined in online

discussion with practicing teachersdiscussion with practicing teachers• Across 2 different campuses, therefore 4 Across 2 different campuses, therefore 4

cohorts of studentscohorts of students• Blended courses: both f2f and online Blended courses: both f2f and online

componentscomponents• Participation in online component significant Participation in online component significant

assessment item for both coursesassessment item for both courses


ProcessProcess• Finding an online space which would Finding an online space which would

allow for multiple classes and online allow for multiple classes and online guests (Drupal)guests (Drupal)

• Recruitment of curriculum specialists to Recruitment of curriculum specialists to act as online facilitatorsact as online facilitators

• Establishing online forums for each Establishing online forums for each different curriculum community of different curriculum community of practicepractice

• Establish starter questions for each Establish starter questions for each weekweek

• Unpacking of sample postings during Unpacking of sample postings during class – construction of understandingclass – construction of understanding


Data sourcesData sources• N = 150N = 150

• Archived online discussion threadsArchived online discussion threads

• Survey on completionSurvey on completion

• Assessment reflective activityAssessment reflective activity


Results – The positivesResults – The positives

• Focus questions made ‘them Focus questions made ‘them think’think’

• Enjoyed interaction with peers Enjoyed interaction with peers and mentors over real issuesand mentors over real issues

• Development of trust and Development of trust and support built confidence over support built confidence over timetime


Perceived negativesPerceived negatives

• Too much time taken to get into Too much time taken to get into online environment, find online environment, find something to comment on and something to comment on and prepare a reflective responseprepare a reflective response

• Association with assessmentAssociation with assessment

• Unsure of the reliability of peer Unsure of the reliability of peer commentscomments


FindingsFindings

• ““interactions were often one-way interactions were often one-way serial monologues” (Pawan, et al. serial monologues” (Pawan, et al. 2003) 2003)

• students like to share experiences students like to share experiences and question their own thinkingand question their own thinking

• Unsure of who is the leader – is it Unsure of who is the leader – is it the ‘blind leading the blind?’the ‘blind leading the blind?’


ResultsResults

• the pre-service teachers regularly the pre-service teachers regularly acknowledged previous postings, made acknowledged previous postings, made connections to previous posts and added connections to previous posts and added their own experience;their own experience;

• Responses to initial postings showed Responses to initial postings showed more deep understanding and more deep understanding and integration of ideas from other sourcesintegration of ideas from other sources

• very few drew conclusions or provided very few drew conclusions or provided other sources of information to justify other sources of information to justify comments when responding to their comments when responding to their peerspeers


ImpactsImpacts• New interface: new to academics, pre-service New interface: new to academics, pre-service

and in-service teachers – a learning curveand in-service teachers – a learning curve• Online discussion as a means of learning rather Online discussion as a means of learning rather

than socializing new to many students (although than socializing new to many students (although range of results from exceptional to poor)range of results from exceptional to poor)

• Time: although the online discussion replaced 2 Time: although the online discussion replaced 2 hours of f2f + 50% of assessment students hours of f2f + 50% of assessment students noted the increase in time commitmentnoted the increase in time commitment

• Post/response cycle rarely evident: not Post/response cycle rarely evident: not dialogue, but post for sake of postingdialogue, but post for sake of posting

• Difficulty experienced adding to conversation Difficulty experienced adding to conversation i.e. nothing new to sayi.e. nothing new to say

• Variable size of groups – between 5 - 25Variable size of groups – between 5 - 25


BenefitsBenefits• online environment meant that facilitators were online environment meant that facilitators were

not limited to those within the local area; not limited to those within the local area; • flexibility of access in terms of time and place flexibility of access in terms of time and place

enabled collaboration with curriculum experts;enabled collaboration with curriculum experts;• Pre-service teachers’ response obligation gave Pre-service teachers’ response obligation gave

rise to the sharing of “air time”;rise to the sharing of “air time”;• provided collaborative opportunities for pre-provided collaborative opportunities for pre-

service, and in-service teachers to exchange service, and in-service teachers to exchange ideas, ask questions, and engage in dialogue ideas, ask questions, and engage in dialogue within a community of learners without the within a community of learners without the assessment associated with professional assessment associated with professional experience. experience.


ImplicationsImplications

• To continue or not?To continue or not?

• Time, flexibility and assessment Time, flexibility and assessment issuesissues

• Development of deep thinking, Development of deep thinking, and community of practice and community of practice protocolsprotocols


Questions?Questions?

• For more information contact:For more information contact:– Alison Mander, Alison Mander,

[email protected]@usq.edu.au– Petrea Redmond, Petrea Redmond,

[email protected]@usq.edu.au

exploring pedagogical practice within an online learning community

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