Working together at all levels: A look at successful implementation of online collaboration

Working together at all levels: A Look at Successful Implementation of Online Collaboration E XTENDED L EARNING I NSTITUTE Pat Daron Bob Loser Cindy Miller Kim Monti Rebecca Wright

Overview
Professional development need and partnership with VA Tech
VA Tech Course – Facilitating Online Collaboration for Adult Learners
Tangible results – Enhancement of online courses in anatomy and physiology

Project Origin
ELI organizational development needs
Increase student interaction
Engage students in deeper learning
VA Tech ALHRD program outreach
E XTENDED L EARNING I NSTITUTE

NOVA-VA Tech Partnership
New VA Tech graduate course
Focus on ELI needs
Students from ELI and VA Tech
Tuition assistance by NOVA
E XTENDED L EARNING I NSTITUTE

Facilitating Online Collaboration for Adult Learners
Online course
Modeled objectives of the course through the facilitation of the course
Online discussions with facilitators guiding interaction
Group projects
Investigating online collaborative tool
Discipline related project

DIGITAL DIVIDE Gamers Versus Traditional Learners

LEARNING STYLE ASSESSMENT
Self-assessment:
Visual, Auditory, or Kinesthetic/Tactile learner?

Why Collaborate?
Increase connections to
Reduce the potential for learner isolation
Increase retention of students in course
Extend and deepen student learning experience

Background on Adult Learning
Andragogy
Adults enter an educational context when they are ready to learn
Adults are in control of their learning
“ Meaning making" is transformed during learning process.
Critical reflection is important
Learning to learn (metacognition) is essential for adult development

Background on Adult Learning
Constructivism
Active learning and knowledge construction based on prior knowledge
Real-world problem solving
Interacting with other learners and teachers/facilitators

Learner-Centered Online Learning
Learner-centered versus teacher-directed
Developing online learning communities
Collaboration guidelines
Facilitation of learner-centered online courses

Needs – ELI A&P Courses
Low Success Rates in NAS 150 and NAS 161-162
35-52% A, B, C
Our own observations
Poor self-pacing
No Teachable Moment
Course is weak at the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy
ELI is strongly encouraging the adoption of collaborative practices in all online courses

Theory into Practice – ELI A&P Courses
Goals of today’s presentation by A&P faculty
Design “How To’s”
Theory
Examples of student work

Collaboration in NAS 150
Most fundamental A&P course
Content heavy course
Two considerations about adding collaboration
No significant addition of information
Goals
Improve student performance
Assist students in making connections with each other

Collaborative Activities
Three collaborative activities:
Self-Reflection papers on studying for exams (students grouped according to results of Learning Styles Assessment)
Experience sharing of chosen medical problem
Reflection of a memorable medical experience while working in a health field

What is the Self-Reflection Paper?
Critically evaluates material studied for each exam
Extends knowledge beyond course material
Identifies strategies used to learn difficult concepts
Study aids that helped?
Previous knowledge or experience that assisted?

A Student’s Post: An Example E XTENDED L EARNING I NSTITUTE

An Example - A Visual Learner's Reflection
She believes she has no previous knowledge about muscles and develops a strategy for learning them:

I looked at the chapter on muscles and confirmed that I am totally clueless about them. Then I looked at the 2 figures in the coloring book with numbered arrows pointing to each muscle. There was not one muscle that I had ever heard of. I didn't panic like I did in the first chapter when everything was new because I was pretty surprised at how fast I was able to learn chapter 1 once I set my mind to it and it was actually fun learning new stuff. As I was looking at the figures from a front and back view it hit me that I have a very close friend who is a body builder so I called him and left him a message asking him if there was any quick way to learn this. He called me back and told me to come to his gym and he would help me .

An Example - A Visual Learner's Reflection (continued)
"I began to become secure in the fact that I could learn this!"

I took the pictures of the muscles on the front and back of the body in the coloring book to the gym with me. My friend's body is very muscular so it was easy to see the individual muscles that I needed to learn. So we went over each muscle in the picture and we found them on his body and then I tried to picture where each one was on me even though they weren't prominent. Some were more obvious on his body than in the pictures and I started seeing familiar terms in the new words because I had already learned regions of the body and bones - like the gluteus maximus muscle was in the gluteal region, pectoralis major muscle was in the pectoral region; the biceps brachii muscle was in the brachium; the tibialis anterior muscle covered the bone called the tibia; frontalis muscle was in the frontal region, etc. I began to become secure in the fact that I could learn this!

An Example - A Visual Learner's Reflection (continued)
Then he took me to his stretch class. The trainer of the class knew a lot about muscles and as we all stretched, he would point out exercises for the triceps, biceps, rhomboids, adductors, glutes, etc. That was very helpful because It gave me more of an idea of how to apply the names to actual muscle actions.
She uses personal and novel ways to reinforce her learning:

As I was leaving the gym we had to go through the room with the exercise machine. I noticed that there was illustrations on each machine that showed how to use each machine, what specific muscles were being exercised, and a picture of where the muscle was located on the body. After going home and learning as much as I could, I came back to the gym and checked the machines for information that seemed more difficult.

Making Self-Reflections More Meaningful
Have students perform learning styles assessment and post results
Group students based on results
Provide specific tips on how to study based on the results
Provide rubric

Why Do An Experience-Sharing Paper?
Adult learners are motivated if they can relate knowledge to their lives.
Real life stories come alive
Helps in retention
Deepens knowledge

A Student’s Post: An Example E XTENDED L EARNING I NSTITUTE

An Example - A Student's Experience Sharing
She shares her experience -
It was around 2:00 in the morning when my sister. Hosay, went in to her third child’s bedroom to check up on her. Her nanny slept on the bed across her 8 month old daughter and all seemed quite and peaceful. Too peaceful she thought. She made her way to her infant daughters crib and noticed that she was lying on her stomach and was unusually still. She decided to turn her on her back and as she was doing all this, it became clear that her daughter was not breathing and she was very cold and discolored. She checked her pulse and put a hand over her mouth, but nothing. Hosay's legs started to feel incredibly week and shaky and panic and terror struck in. Yelling and crying loudly, she woke up the nanny who was in the room, and her husband came in from the master bedroom, all very shaken with anticipation of what was causing all the commotion. They all found out what had happened… but it was all too late. Little Rihanna was gone. This is the story of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and it has hit my sister so I that is how I got to know about it. It is heartbreaking when something like this happens, but when you know the person it is even more difficult.

An Example - A Student's Experience Sharing (continued)
She deepens her own knowledge and that of her readers -

There are clearly no warning signs and it happens without anyone suspecting it, which makes it all the scarier. Signs and symptoms include apnea (stopped breathing), change in color (typically pale or blue/gray). If SIDS has occurred then it is clearly too late, as the child is already dead. However, there are ways to minimize the risk of an infant from dying in this very unnecessary and preventable way. Here are ways to reduce risk: firm mattress, clear area of clutter (i.e. stuffed animals, blankets, etc.), control room temperature, don't over-swaddle, avoid smoking, drinking, and drugs during pregnancy, prenatal care should be high quality, regular check-ups for infant, breastfeed, use a pacifier for sleeping, infant should sleep in own crib/bassinette and in same room as parents, most of all, don't put infant on stomach while sleeping.

An Example - A Student's Experience Sharing (continued)
Another student relates the knowledge to her life
Personally, this medical problem is all new to me and has really had an impact! Right now I am pregnant. It makes me worried that it could happen to my baby. It also makes me want to more actively search for preventative measures so that I can educate myself and my husband. Everyone needs to know about this very serious issue and not just parents or expecting parents. One day you may need to babysit a niece/nephew or a friend’s child and must know all that can be done so that all will go well. My friend tells me you can buy contraptions that prevent the baby from turning over and lying on its stomach

Reflection & Experience Sharing

An example: reflection & experience sharing It’s a Boy! About 10 months ago while doing clinical rotations in Fair Oaks Hospital I had the privilege to assist in the delivery of a baby in the Labor and Delivery Section of the hospital. I have selected this event specifically because up until that time it was my first time viewing a live natural delivery. I thought it was incredibly fascinating witnessing a child being delivered from a mother. Not only was the delivery interesting, but the preparation the team of nurses, doctors, and anesthesiologists put into it was superb. At first the anesthesiologist allowed me to assist him in preparing the epidural given to the mother. Watching the doctor perform this was appealing in that you are administering a medication blindly, and know when you are in the epidural portion of the spinal column by the passing of air through a syringe. The epidural worked as planned and the mother felt nothing below her umbilicus. The nurses would monitor the mother’s vitals and her cervical dilation in cm’s to see when she was ready to start delivering. The unborn babies heart tones were also monitored using a Doppler device which would show if the baby was in any immanent danger. Due to the Petocin taking effect just as it was meant for (synthetic oxytocin, used to stimulate uterine contractions) the delivery would soon commence and the doctor allowed me to assist with this also.

An example: reflection & experience sharing The positioning of the mother was handled by the nurses and the doctor observed until the baby he began to crown (babies head begins to show). With everyone dressed in scrubs, facial coverings and protective eyewear, we were prepared for the slight mess that is usual during a natural childbirth. When time came the doctor began to exert slight pressure on the child’s head, just enough to grab hold of the shoulders and allow for a smooth delivery. The newborn was then suctioned, dried, warmed, stimulated, and positions with its head slightly lower than his lungs in order for remaining amniotic fluid to drain. This is the first portion of the neonatal resuscitation inverted pyramid. The newborn did not need anything else; the next step however would have been blow by oxygen. As told by the doctor and some nurses, it was as “textbook” as a delivery can be. I even had the opportunity to cut the babies umbilical cord thus detaching it from its old life source (the placenta and the mother). The newborn was then handed over to his mother shortly, and then he was packaged up in order to be cared for by a nurse who started to finish the second APGAR score. The first being a 12 and the last being a 15. The experience was like none other, and since then I have witnessed many more births, some not so “textbook,” however all a learning experience.

STUDENT RESPONSE Thanks for sharing your experience. I've had the pleasure of experiencing the delivery of a baby from a mother's point of view twice, but it was very interesting to hear the perspective and details you were able to provide as part of a medical team delivering a baby. Thank you for your terrific description of a delivery. This will be so informative to other students in our class. The first delivery I ever saw was in paramedic training also. It turned out to be a forceps delivery. It was very stressful to watch as the OB first inserted the instrument, (which reminded me of a set of hedge clippers) and then, once he had a firm grasp of the infant’s head, he was pulling on the head so hard that I couldn’t believe that it wouldn’t cause damage. The next was a normal delivery. What a welcome relief.

RSS FEEDS IN NAS 161 CONSTRUCTIVISM FORUMS USING RSS FEEDS AND CURRENT EVENTS Facilitating Collaboration in Online Science Courses E XTENDED L EARNING I NSTITUTE

Why Use Current event articles?
Give students familiar material to facilitate collaborative, constructivist and active learning
Use available technology to lighten load for students and instructor

RSS: Really Simple Syndication
A “feed” of frequently updated articles
Instructor monitors content
subscribes to the feed
Chooses & shares articles
Linked to LMS
Reduces the workload for the students
Ours uses Google Reader

The Sources.....

Why “Layman's" Sources Give Students a Base for Construction of new knowledge
Extend knowledge
Deepen knowledge
Be critical
Synthesize knowledge
Evaluate knowledge

Directions for the Assignment
Step 1
Summarize the article. Please relate the article to the course material you are studying this week of the course.
The Subject line of this post must be : SUMMARY--followed by the full title of the article which you are summarizing.
Step 2 :
Bring the article up to the level of the course: You will need to include a brief description of the anatomy and physiology appropriate to your discussion and you must use correct anatomical and medical terminology at the level of this course. You will need to support your article with information from your text books. You may add other sources as well if you wish. You must cite any sources you use.
The Subject line of this post must be: COURSE LEVEL--followed by the full title of the article which you have summarized .
Step 3 :
Relate the article to your professional or personal life. An anecdote is an appropriate way to do this.
The Subject line of this post must be : MAKE IT MY OWN--followed by the full title of the article which you have summarized..

Constructivist Learning Forum Student’s Post in several parts E XTENDED L EARNING I NSTITUTE Watch for: Constructivism Teachable Moments Extension of knowledge at Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy levels: Synthesis and Evaluation

An Example of Constructive Learning A student relates the article to her previous knowledge
The summary forum entry:

I read the article Cold sores secrets revealed, posted by
ajcann. I find this article interesting because I have never
had cold sores but my daughter H. has. When we first to
moved to Virginia, she came down with her first cold
sore. I took her to the doctor and was told that it was
common for them to come out in cold weather. Unsure of
who she came in contact with, I have always been puzzled
on how she could have contracted the virus.
The Heart of Constructivism: We have not included the summary of the article here, but the students comments make it clear that she is building on her own knowledge.

An Example of Constructive Learning (continued) The Course Level Post
Then she relates it to herself.
Could she have been exposed to the virus from me? The article talks about how the virus can lay doormat in nerves
showing occasionally at the original site of the infection. HSV-1 tends to involve the face and lips and is known as cold sores.
It also states that the herpes simplex virus attacks the immune system by shutting down the production of virus encoded proteins completely. The virus stays in latent state for longer period of times before it starts to replicate. In Chapter 13 of Microbiology page 411 under the heading Latent Viral Infections it says in some people the viruses are formed but symptoms never appear. Only 10-15% of people carrying this virus actually have breakouts.
Information is synthesized into previously knowledge & critically extended
Reading chapter 13, in the Microbiology textbook page 404 under
Herpesviridae, I find it interesting that HHV-4, genus
Lymphocryptovirus, which causes mononucleosis and HHV-3, genus
Varicellovirus, which causes chickenpox are 2 species of human
herpes virus that I have had
The next part of the assignment The student is required to bring the article she read into the context of the course—actually doing the construction.

And There’s More….
She extends and deepens her knowledge

The article also talks about testing on mice and injecting them with
the HSV-1 and then waiting for it to go into the nerves and become
silent. Once that happens they examine the cells to see if the
dormant virus contains traces of RNA that match latent RNA. HSV-1
microRNAs tend to bind to virus mRNAs preventing translation and
the cells are prevented from making 2 virus proteins, (ICPO and
ICP4) which allow the virus to escape dormancy. The last paragraph
of the article talks about drugs that block the production of
microRNA’s and how they could possibly wake up all dormant
viruses, allowing them to become vulnerable to the immune system
and to antiviral therapy. Stating that eventual there might be a
possible cure for herpes.

The Collaborative Part of Constructivism
Responses from other students:
Another student extends and deepens her knowledge
Since we have taken our daughter off of Gluten and her
Malabsorbtion is healing she has not gotten one cold sore!
How amazing is that? I believe that her Immune System was
weakened from her eating the Gluten(since she is allergic to
it). Amazing how our bodies respond.
And she's curious!
I am curious to see how this Winter goes.

An Example of Constructive Learning (continued)
Another student relates new to old knowledge
I tend to get a lot of cold sores this time of year. I knew they originated from the herpes virus.

She extends and deepens knowledge:
The interesting thing is my article also talks about the herpes virus relating to the Epstein-Barr virus. I am surprised that researchers are thinking of activating the viruses to treat the with antiviral drugs.

And she also exhibits curiosity
This thought is scary and I am not convinced it would work. On the up side, I would love not to get cold sores.

Assessment
Grading of this Assignment
You can receive a maximum of 10 points for this assignment. Grading is based on going participation, completeness, relevance, and your ability to synthesize and analyze the information from the current events article with course material from your texts and /or labs, and into anecdotes from your personal or professional lives. All of your sources must be documented and appropriate, your grammar and spelling must be correct. If your answer is plagiarized from any source you will receive a zero for this assignment.

THE FOLLOWING TWO SLIDES PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF GRABBING A TEACHABLE MOMENT. WITHOUT THE COLLABORATION, WE CANNOT KNOW WHAT ERRORS THE STUDENT MAY BE MAKING. The Teachable Moment The Discussion Board as a teaching tool using a Quick Write Assessment

This is a student response to a case study question— it contains an error, shown here in red
Hormonal problem causing symptoms:

1. Low levels of TSH from the Anterior Pituitary Gland would account for the low levels in his thyroid. TSH is essential for normal growth and development. One of the first symptoms of a low functioning thyroid is loss of coordination.

Low levels of Calcitonin (not a hormone) could cause a decrease in the actual building of bones during childhood and could cause his bones to be brittle…. .

The Instructor’s Response
Calcitonin surely is a hormone. It is not made by the anterior pituitary gland. Rather it is made by the thyroid gland, and it is humorally regulated--by a simple negative feedback loop involving only the gland that made it. (It's (c) on figure 13.8)

You will need to understand the cascade of hormones from the hypothalamus to the anterior pituitary to the end organ, and their feedback mechanisms to do this case study well. Make sure you understand chapter 13--and particularly figures 13.8, 13.10 and 13.13 and 13.15.
Additionally take a look at this site from the Colorado State Pathophysiology Web site: http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/

TEAM PROJECTS IN NAS 162 Facilitating Collaboration in Online Science Courses E XTENDED L EARNING I NSTITUTE

Why Team Projects?
Development of “real world” skills
Working with others & learning how to resolve conflicts
Sharing the workload
Synergistic effect
More people = more solutions
Promotes active learning & teaching
Synthesis and evaluation
Researching to teach others = deeper knowledge
Synergistic effect
More solutions = deeper, more complex knowledge
Connectedness

What Issues Do Teams Have in an Asynchronous Online Course?
Team members may be
separated geographically or temporally
Technology for communication amongst team members is (more) critical (Morris 2005).

Group Project Tools Students prefer the discussion boards…
Discussion Boards
Google Docs
Wikis
Google Chat
Wiki

What Are the Steps Involved in Team Projects?
Choose a team name
Create a charter
Pick a case study
Answer case study questions by discussing the case
Submit project as a cohesive whole
Briefly reflect on each other’s case studies

What is a Charter?
Guidelines for how the team will work
Communication
Role assignment
Conflict management
Alteration of the charter
This sets the rules and the tone for the rest of the group work.

The Case Studies
The Unfortunate Nurse: A case of Dengue Fever and Social Policy
Parasitology, immunology, epidemiology, public policy, and science writing.
A Friend in Need
Respiration and the transport of blood gasses
The Strange Case of Jennifer Strange
Fluid homeostasis, osmotic gradients, fluid compartments, urinary system, endocrine system
Chemical Eric
Endocrine System
MDR (multiple drug resistant) Tuberculosis
Respiratory system, mechanisms of tuberculosis
Keeping up with the Joneses.
Circulatory system, blood laboratory values and eating disorders

The Peer Review Process
Each team has 4 members
Each member has 30 points to distribute
May not give self any points
May not give anyone more than 15 points
Do not have to distribute all points
If a member receives an average of 7 points, that person will receive a 0 for the team project.
Not a popularity contest; should be based on work done.

SUCCESS RATES IMPROVED TO 68.7% How’d We Do? Disclaimer: Only one class measured so far Old rates: 34-52% YAY!

What Successes?
The RSS is a particularly useful exercise
… the News and Views was …Definitely interesting though. It helped me learn applicable material.
I did not want to do a group project, but it turned out to be the best part of the course. It is where I learned the most.
This has been an interesting project and I felt the 3 of us worked well together. Each of us brought to the table our strengths and weaknesses and filled in the gaps for each other when needed.
FYI - It was a process I was not looking forward to, but it turned out to be not so bad. It is probably a good idea to incorporate some form of a group thing in other online courses.
Shockingly, (as much as I hated doing it), the group project made me feel like I really have a grip on inflammation, swelling and tissue/cell injury. I have been able to use this information quite a bit in nursing school

My Favorite Post
OK--I hardly know any of you. And after this course many of us will not have much, if any, contact-- but I missed you all today!
All of our required Discussion Boards are done and we really have no reason to keep in touch but it was like I come to class and no one else showed up! I didn't expect this. And I didn't really realize it was happening but I feel less motivated to work these last assignments--more isolated. Oh-- I will get them done but this must be what it is like in an on-line course with NO "Social Presence" and only yourself to motivate you--the group kept the course going for me--I felt like I had to show up and if I didn't everybody would know--not that I really thought you would mind--but being with a group makes you feel included and therefore responsible--wanting to do your share (even if you think at the time that you can not face one more 'respond to at least..." instruction!)--suddenly there is nothing to do with the group and I realized the value of the group in my learning! (I came to the BB site today--just to see if I missed a posting or if anyone was hanging out--guess I'm just looking for someone to have coffee with after class) Anyway thanks this has been a great eye-opening experience and a real lesson in how interactive and vital on-line instruction can be. I just didn't realize it until it was over! Best to all of you.

Do You Have Feedback?
Contact Information
Pat Daron
[email_address]
Bob Loser
[email_address]
Cindy Miller
[email_address]
Kim Monti
[email_address]
Rebecca Wright
[email_address]

Working together at all levels: A look at successful implementation of online collaboration

by K Monti on Oct 14, 2009

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