Pros and Cons in Using Interact in Distance Education Lisa Soon

Overview Group Assignment in Distance Education Interact: What Tools to Use for Group Work? Explore the Student Experience Pros of Using Interact Cons of Using Interact Discussion

Group Assignment in Distance Education

Interact: What Tools to Use for Group Work?

Explore the Student Experience

Pros of Using Interact

Cons of Using Interact

Discussion

Group Project in Distance Education? A subject may involve group assignment Employers value group work skills Group work prepare graduates for employments Distance education students: Different locations and time zones Students don’t necessarily know each other A lecturer groups the students Student Characteristics: Work in isolations – to encourage group work Lack interactions and communications with others

A subject may involve group assignment

Employers value group work skills

Group work prepare graduates for employments

Distance education students:

Different locations and time zones

Students don’t necessarily know each other

A lecturer groups the students

Student Characteristics:

Work in isolations – to encourage group work

Lack interactions and communications with others

Group Project in Distance Education! Planning a group assignment in distance edu. Can Interact (Sakai) be used for group work? What Interact tools can help distance education students in their group work? Students experienced difficulties or showed concerns on some tools. Can the tools be improved? Significance and contribution Students shared experience in group assignment projects They learned interaction and communication skills required by future employers.

Planning a group assignment in distance edu.

Can Interact (Sakai) be used for group work?

What Interact tools can help distance education students in their group work?

Students experienced difficulties or showed concerns on some tools. Can the tools be improved?

Significance and contribution

Students shared experience in group assignment projects

They learned interaction and communication skills required by future employers.

Interact: What Tools for Group Work? Communications and Interaction Forum Chat room Group email Resources Web contents Calendar/announcement to plan and schedule interaction/communication Freeware or other devices: skype, 3G roaming mobile, iphone, etc Collaborative Reporting Wiki /blog report Word document - to be placed in a resource folder

Communications and Interaction

Forum

Chat room

Group email

Resources

Web contents

Calendar/announcement to plan and schedule interaction/communication

Freeware or other devices: skype, 3G roaming mobile, iphone, etc

Collaborative Reporting

Wiki /blog report

Word document - to be placed in a resource folder

Student Experience Geographically Distributed and Different Time Zone Full time workers meeting after office hours Weekday night or weekend chats Cultural Difference and Different Work Method International Student Language difficulty in chatting Dominant students in group Some groups lack leadership Member conflicts

Geographically Distributed and Different Time Zone

Full time workers meeting after office hours

Weekday night or weekend chats

Cultural Difference and Different Work Method

International Student

Language difficulty in chatting

Dominant students in group

Some groups lack leadership

Member conflicts

Pros of Using Interact Tools generally help to Share resources, experience and knowledge Facilitate basic communication and collaboration Plan and schedule tasks in Calendar and Announcement. High Response Rate of Use and Adoption Wiki report completed as required in an assignment Most groups show an ability to use Interact tools competently

Tools generally help to

Share resources, experience and knowledge

Facilitate basic communication and collaboration

Plan and schedule tasks in Calendar and Announcement.

High Response Rate of Use and Adoption

Wiki report completed as required in an assignment

Most groups show an ability to use Interact tools competently

Cons of Using Interact New CSU students training/difficulty? Tools have limitations: Calendar – for face-to-face teaching Emails sent from Announcement, group emails and forums are tied with enrolment data – not to be edited, Group emails – monitored by the lecturer Wiki cannot be edited by two or more members at the same time - unexpected changes and destruction Chat room – lack video or voice chat options Forum – thread option to be made by default for easy viewing

New CSU students training/difficulty?

Tools have limitations:

Calendar – for face-to-face teaching

Emails sent from Announcement, group emails and forums are tied with enrolment data – not to be edited,

Group emails – monitored by the lecturer

Wiki cannot be edited by two or more members at the same time - unexpected changes and destruction

Chat room – lack video or voice chat options

Forum – thread option to be made by default for easy viewing

Discussions Who use and who monitor the use? Students, teaching staff Purpose of use? DE vs face-to-face (e.g. Calendar) Group assignment versus group communication in individual assignments How each tool can be used at its optimum? Is a tool effectively used? Further training? Improvement to the tool?

Who use and who monitor the use?

Students, teaching staff

Purpose of use?

DE vs face-to-face (e.g. Calendar)

Group assignment versus group communication in individual assignments

How each tool can be used at its optimum?

Is a tool effectively used?

Further training?

Improvement to the tool?

Suggestions Tool Limitation Improvement Wiki No control over multi-user editing Provide help and tutorial information. Allow multiple users to see who else are editing what section of a document. Warn all users that only one person can save the wiki content at a time. Chat Room Mainly PC-based Support the use of chat room through Iphone, 3G roaming, Palmtop, etc. Chat room in Interact should be enhanced to allow voice or video chatting. Calendar Limited calendar activities for distance learners Add online group discussions, event reminders, individual task deadline, and group assignment deadline. Allow the use of different colours to indicate different levels of important events. Resources No help information on how to organize materials Allow the choices of some standard folder names such as readings, discussion notes, draft report, and shared materials. Announcement/ Group email/ Forum Only send emails to pre-determined email addresses. Lack search options Allow the additions of email addresses of private web-based emails. to their group members. Support threading & searches in forums

Provide help and tutorial information.

Allow multiple users to see who else are editing what section of a document.

Warn all users that only one person can save the wiki content at a time.

Support the use of chat room through Iphone, 3G roaming, Palmtop, etc.

Chat room in Interact should be enhanced to allow voice or video chatting.

Add online group discussions, event reminders, individual task deadline, and group assignment deadline.

Allow the use of different colours to indicate different levels of important events.

Allow the choices of some standard folder names such as readings, discussion notes, draft report, and shared materials.

Allow the additions of email addresses of private web-based emails. to their group members.

Support threading & searches in forums

Questions? Thank you