Resource Sharing Activity #5

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

Polk County Public Schools: A K-12 e-learning success story using BlackBoard.

The Polk County Public School district has implemented Blackboard for professional development activities for their staff and as a technology tool to support learning in the classroom.  Teachers in the video spoke very positively about participating in professional development activities using Blackboard.  It has created a comfort level and acceptance towards participating in future online courses.  Students also preferred using the technology to create projects and complete assignments as opposed to using pencil and paper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQatwcvTr70&feature=PlayList&p=9DBB6FF1F9B23A81&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=10

Different online learning models being used at K-12 schools.

An excellent video about different online learning models implemented at K-12 schools throughout the country and their success.  The type of school and the needs of the students play a large role in the selection of the appropriate online learning model.  Teachers discuss the success with improvement in IEP scores, the use of advance placement courses for college bound students, student athletes, foreign language learners, and makeup courses for students at risk of not graduating.  One model that was introduced involved students participating in face to face meetings two to three days a week and the remainder of the time online.  This allowed teachers more time to address student concerns with parents, monitor and participate with students online, participate in professional development, increased lesson planning time, and grade student work.  As a family online learning allows the student and parent to learn as a family.

Resource Sharing Activity #4

Is Distance Learning Feasible For K-12 Schools?

http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/distlearnk12/

This article compares the pros and cons of traditional learning to distance learning for K-12. There is still some apprehension regarding distance learning, as well as, questions regarding cost, effectiveness, quality of instruction and learning. Nevertheless it has become so popular that the question asked is will distance learning replace traditional learning?

The traditional classroom can help children develop their interpersonal communication skills. However, distance learning can be beneficial for courses where there are teacher shortages. It is also cost effective over the long run. Distance learning can be just as effective as traditional learning, "When the method and technologies used are appropriate to the instructional tasks, peer interactions, and mechanism for assessment." (Moore & Thompson 1990; Verduin & Clark 1991). It is strongly recommended that distance learning should not replace traditional learning but to supplement it at the K-12 level.

Resource Sharing Activity #3

Social Presence and Online Learning:

A Current View from a Research Perspective

Resource link:  http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/PDF/8.3.4.pdf


This article is a compilation of surveys administered to various groups of participants upon the completion of online courses. The purpose of the surveys was to measure the importance of social presence in online learning. The term CMC (computer mediated communication) was used throughout the article and is defined as human interaction through computer technology similar to our online learning community.

Participants in the survey indicated that the role of monitor (facilitator) is critical to creating a sense of online community and enhancing social presence. Useful techniques for enhancing social presence included providing a forum for introductions in order to allow for social interaction along with academic interaction, and providing a collaborative learning experience. It is the techniques for encouraging and promoting social interaction that have proven as vital as the medium itself.

Another study that included a model of community inquiry and identified three core elements of an educational experience: social presence, cognitive presence and teaching presence. Cognitive presence, a vital element in critical thinking, refers to constructing and sustaining meaning through communication. Teaching presence refers to providing subject manner and expertise, as well as, designing and managing learning. Social presence is defined as the ability of participants in a community of inquiry to project their personal characteristics into the community, thereby projecting themselves to others as “real people”.

In another model that was discussed there are three categories of social presence: expression of emotion, open communication, and group cohesion. Emotional expression includes humor and self-disclosure. Open communication consists of reciprocal and respectful exchanges. Examples of open communication are mutual awareness and recognition of each other’s contributions. Group cohesion refers to activities that foster a sense of group commitment and a sense of belonging. Cognitive presence itself is not enough to sustain a community of learners— individuals must feel comfortable relating to each other. Therefore, social presence is critical to cognitive presence and to establishing a critical community of learners.

The results from the research revealed that when information is presented in a way that increases social presence, the participants remember it and the learning process is improved. Gunawardena and Zittle (1997) differentiate social presence and interaction. Interactivity is a potential quality of communication that a person may or may not be aware of. Once the participant is aware and noticed by other participants, then there is “social presence”. In order to increase the level of online interaction, the degree of social presence must also be increased.

The results also revealed that subjects with a low level of social presence did not make use of emoticons (An emoticon is a small picture or symbol that shows how someone is feeling) and therefore had no effect on satisfaction. However, subjects with a higher level of social presence emoticons were used often to compensate for the lack of physical gestures, voice inflects and facial expressions.

My personal experience in this online course is the connection I have to the assigned reading and this article. I understand now from experience how important it is to not only establish a social presence but maintain it as well.  After missing several online post deadlines, I feel disconnected and separated from my colleagues. Logging in DAILY and contributing to discussions are vital to staying connected and maintaining cohension.  Just as this article states, social presence is just as important as the plateform we use to communicate.

To conclude, social presence is a key component in any online learning community. The results from the studies, as reported in this article, basically reinforce the belief that participants in online courses feel comfortable relating and interacting in an online environment.

Gunawardena, C. N., & Zittle, F. J. (1997). Social presence as a predictor of satisfaction with a computer-mediated conferencing environment. American Journal of Distance Education,11, 8-26.

Resource Sharing Activity #2

Knowledge Construction in Collaborative

Inquiry Among Teachers

http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&hid=12&sid=6a00ca19-8249-4b3b-b555-a1b9846bf9bd%40sessionmgr14

How can knowledge productivity be promoted in collaborative settings? There are many approaches towards creating knowledge productivity; however, it depends greatly on the strategies that are used, as well as, the appropriate environment or setting. In a collaborative setting there are continuous tensions, personality conflicts, and lack of openness that can occur between individuals that could sidetrack the outcomes. However, there are several “building blocks” that are critical to achieving knowledge productivity: conceptual exchange through reflective dialogue, self-regulation and motivation to learn, and a commitment to collaborate.

In this article, a study team approach was used in order to look at how three groups of educational professionals worked within their groups to become knowledge-productive learners in their work environment. Study teams can offer an active, collaborative, inquiry-oriented activity for teachers. Study teams organize their own learning based on their own interests (self-regulation and motivation to learn), professional knowledge (conceptual exchange and dialogue) and point of view while working together towards a common goal (commitment to collaboration).

The study teams followed a ten step process and worked together to find answers to problems that existed at their places of work. A questionnaire was developed to evaluate their knowledge construction and productivity to determine if the “outcomes” of their professional discussions were helpful for their own practices. Regularly scheduled meetings were held for problem solving. A participant observer was also present who took notes to capture the process and write an account of the meetings. This account was used to interpret the ratings and evaluations made by the teams. Once there was a tangible product or outcome, which would end the process, the questionnaire was administered at the last meeting and analyzed for means, ranges and standard deviations.

In the end the teams did not completely met all three criteria of knowledge productivity (conceptual exchange through reflective dialogue, self-regulation and motivation to learn, and a commitment to collaborate) which may not be possible in reality, but a positive outcome could mean a new understanding and realignment of beliefs, opportunities to test and explore ideas, and new or continuous implementation of practices. As previously stated collaborative knowledge construction and productivity can be hampered by mismatched beliefs, lack of individual commitment, and absence of conceptual change. However, collaborative efforts can raise the possibility of engaging in study, inquiry and examination of existing beliefs and help put knowledge to the test. (Harm Tillema and Gert J. van der Westhuizen 2006).

This article gave me a clearer understanding about community outcomes by providing three case scenarios that take you through the professional community learning process from beginning to end, step by step and the tools, tangible and intangible that were produced and used.