E-learning Mythbusters - COTC Keynote

E-Learning Myth-busters Is Conventional Wisdom Wrong?

Lake Superior College Duluth, Minnesota

Vital Stats
Approx.2,000 students take at least one online course each semester at LSC.
141 sections of online courses were taught during spring semester 2008.
89% of all available seats are taken.
Approx. 65 faculty members teach at least one online course per year at LSC.

ITC - North Central States

What is your experience with online education?
Taught an online class.
Taken online class.
Both 1 & 2 above.
Neither 1 nor 2 above.

Famous Quotes #1
George Washington once said (re: the cherry tree incident):
"I can't tell a lie, Pa; you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet.“
(Or did he?)

Famous Quotes #2
Al Gore once said:
“ I invented the Internet.”
(Or did he?)

Famous Quotes #3
George W. Bush once said:
“ Too many OB-GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across this country.”
(Or did he?)

Choose the accurate quote.
George Washington
Al Gore
George W. Bush
All of the above are true
All of the above are false

Against USC, the Buckeyes …
Got jobbed by the refs
Were looking ahead to game with Troy U.
Were suffering from jet lag
Were distracted by California girls
None of the above

E-Learning Myth-busters Point of View: The Student Perspective

Student Perspective: Questions 1-3
E-Learning students believe that a sense of community is important
Online students plagiarize more than “traditional” students
e-Learning enables anytime, anywhere learning

E-Learning students believe that a sense of community (in their e-learning) is important
Reality
Myth

Online students plagiarize more than “traditional” students
Reality
Myth

e-Learning enables anytime, anywhere learning
Reality
Myth

Student Perspective: Questions 4-6
Digital natives are well prepared for e-Learning
Cheating is rampant among online students
Online students are less satisfied with their college experience than F-2-F students

Digital natives are well prepared for e-Learning
Reality
Myth

Cheating is rampant among online students
Reality
Myth

Online students are less satisfied with their college experience than F-2-F students
Reality
Myth

Importance Scale - PSOL

Online Students Plagiarize More
Really? Prove it!
Could it be that online students get caught more?
Do you really think that on-ground students don’t use mainly the same tools to write their papers?

How Important is AAL?
From Birmingham Grid for Learning:
AAL – Potentially the single most significant educational initiative in decades

Anytime, Anywhere Learning
Anyone can learn anytime and anywhere .
Ummm, no, they can’t!
This rarely applies to individual students.

Net Generation

Next Generation

Nexters

Generation Y

Generation Why

Millennials

Digital Natives

Generation Now

iGeneration

Echo Boomers

Google
Generation

Nintendo
Generation

Screenagers

That’s Crazy talk.
Let’s consolidate.

Digital
Net Gennials

“ Digital Net-gennials” Get It
Um, no, they don’t!!
They get MySpace and FaceBook.
They get IM and text messaging.
They have very few technology skills that we expect them to use in e-Learning.
Is that their problem, or ours?

Cheating is Rampant
Really? Prove it!!
Stanford dorm resident?
Troy University – Big Brother device
Lucky for us, Congress is ready to save us from the cheaters.

Student Satisfaction Ratings

E-Learning Myth-busters Point of View: The Faculty Perspective

Faculty Perspective: Questions 7-9
Faculty are embracing the concept of shared electronic learning objects
Online faculty work harder
I don’t have the time to learn any of this new stuff

Faculty are embracing the concept of shared electronic learning objects
Reality
Myth

Online faculty work harder
Reality
Myth

I don’t have time to learn any of this new stuff
Reality
Myth

Faculty Perspective: Questions 10-12
Web accessibility is NOT my job!
Entertaining students is NOT my job!
Highly interactive online courses are better than courses with little interaction.

Faculty: Web accessibility is NOT my job!
Reality
Myth

Faculty: Entertaining students is NOT my job!
Reality
Myth

Highly interactive courses are better than courses with little interaction
Reality
Myth

Learning Objects?
Define SCORM.
What is a SCO?
Name 3 different ways that an LOR can be used effectively.
Huh? What’s an LOR?

Faculty Effort
Work harder?
Really? All of them?
Highly interactive, highly engaged faculty work very hard – regardless of the delivery method.

I Don’t Have the Time
Since when is it okay for a teacher to stop learning?
Are you sure that all the things you do now are more valuable that learning new things?
What if the new things make you better, or more efficient, or more effective?

Web Accessibility is Not MY Job
Um, yes, it is!!
If you truly believe that, then STOP teaching on the web.
See how frustrating this is? Don’t do this to your students!!

Entertaining Students is Not MY Job
Um, yes, it is!!
If you truly believe that, then STOP teaching on the web (and everywhere else for that matter).
Have you ever listened to an incredibly boring keynote address?

Interaction
Interaction is good (we think) – but what exactly is it?
How does one interact with static content?
“ Interactive” is the most overused and abused term in e-Learning today.

E-Learning Myth-busters Point of View: The Broader Perspective

Questions 13-15
A VLE is an important component of e-Learning
Second Life will be the Second Coming for teaching and learning.
Through web analytics reporting, we are learning a tremendous amount of useful information about the behavior and activities of our online students.

A Virtual Learning Environment (or LMS) is an important component of e-Learning
Absolutely Essential
Very Important
Important
Slightly Important
Not Really Necessary

Second Life will be the Second Coming for teaching and learning.
Reality
Myth

Through web analytics reporting, we are learning a tremendous amount of useful information about the behavior and activities of our online students.
Reality
Myth

Questions 16-18
Through the use of rubrics and standards related to the quality of online courses (i.e. Quality Matters™), we are sufficiently addressing the questions about e-learning quality.
The cost to the institution and the price (tuition) to the student should be lower for e-Learning than traditional bricks-and-mortar education.
Online learning is plagued by a huge number of fictitious students.

Through the use of rubrics and standards related to the quality of online courses (i.e. Quality Matters™), we are sufficiently addressing the questions about e-learning quality
Reality
Myth

The cost to the institution and the price (tuition) to the student should be lower for e-Learning than traditional bricks-and-mortar education.
Reality
Myth

Online learning is plagued with a huge number of fictitious students
Reality
Myth

VLE or PLE?
Virtual learning environments need to become more open, more flexible, more creative and less reactive.
Embracing Web 2.0 concepts in a more open, more personalized learning environment is the future.

Second Life in Education

Web Analytics
The amount of information available about our students is mind boggling.
However, we are not mining it and using it.

QualityMatters is Sufficient
QualityMatters looks at the quality of course design.
That’s good, but it’s only one leg holding up the stool.
Um, no, it isn’t!!
Learning Quality Concerns Design Teaching

Learning Level Is High Teaching Level Is High Course Design Meets Standards Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is Low Teaching Level Is High Course Design Meets Standards Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is High Teaching Level Is High Course Design Below Standard Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is High Teaching Level Is Low Course Design Meets Standards Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is Low Teaching Level Is Low Course Design Meets Standards Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is Low Teaching Level Is High Course Design Below Standard Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is Low Teaching Level Is Low Course Design Below Standard Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Lower Cost for Online?
Why tuition differentials?
Just because we can?
Or because online learning has been an add-on at all campuses with new and additional costs incurred?

Fictitious Students?
This has been the #1 fear since online learning began.
To this date, there is no credible evidence that I am aware of that indicates that this is a real problem.

Other Myths or Realities?
I have 35 items on the list so far.
Send me your ideas to add to the list.
[email_address]

More about e-Learning Myths at: Desire2blog.blogspot.com

E-learning Mythbusters - COTC Keynote

by Barry Dahl on Oct 13, 2008

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E-learning Mythbusters - COTC Keynote — Presentation Transcript