CHALLENGING OUR ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT ONLINE LEARNING: A VISION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF ONLINE HIGHER EDUCATIONDistance Learning Administration 2009Maria Puzziferro, CSU Global CampusKaye Shelton, Dallas Baptist UniversityThis presentation is available for download on Slideshare.net

ONLINE LEARNINGWe have just completed the first generation of online learning…What’s in store for the next generation?

GUIDING QUESTIONSAre our online learning environments really student-centered and interactive?Which theories really apply to online learning and are they accurate?Do we understand what quality is, and do our policies and practices support quality?

Are our online learning environments really student-centered and interactive?

Which theories really apply to online learning and are they accurate?

Do we understand what quality is, and do our policies and practices support quality?

GUIDING QUESTIONSWhat is the real role of faculty in the online learning environment?Is there such a thing as a profile of the ideal online student?Will online learning transform the academy?

Is there such a thing as a profile of the ideal online student?

Will online learning transform the academy?

Online learning is “student-centered,” and students are in control of their own learningASSUMPTION 1

TOP CONCERNS OF ACADEMIC LEADERSLack of control over student learning (foundational, content knowledge)Concerns regarding students cheatingDistracted studentsA lack of faith in student ability to learn independently(Sloan-C, 2007; New Media Consortium, 2008)

STUDENT CENTERED? WHO’S REALLY IN CONTROL?Is our course design for learner control?Learning Management SystemsNo learner controlStandard assessments and discussion activities

Online learning is interactive, collaborative, and engagingASSUMPTION 2

WHAT IS INTERACTION?Interaction is defined as:Number of discussion postingsGroup projectsNumber of contacts“Engagement” vs. “Interaction” vs. “Participation”How do we define and measure engagement?

TOWARD A NEW DEFINTION OF INERACTIONDo our students log into their Facebook page more or less often than their online course? Do students have more interaction within Facebook, or within their online course?“Authentic interaction”SpontaneousSituationalPhysicalQualitatively measured

One learning approach fits allASSUMPTION 3

BASIC APPROACH TO ONLINE COURSE DESIGNCourses as discrete, narrow, sequenced, linear collection of unitsCompartmentalization of faculty and disciplinesConstructivismLearning is an active (rather than passive) process of creating knowledge.Instruction is the process of supporting and facilitating knowledge construction.

CONNECTIVISM?Learning and knowledge are best attained by exposure to numerous and diverse opinionsLearning is a process of connecting nodes of information from multiple sources The ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skillCurrency of knowledge is the goal of learning activitiesDecision making itself is a learning process…decisions may be altered and/or new decisions made(Siemans, 2004)

WHERE DO WE START?Universities begin to “let go” of their content and not see it as a proprietary productStop “shutting off access” to previously completed online coursesFind ways to utilize technology to enable students to save content that they may want to use againCreating more collaboration and connection between discrete courses in degree programs and faculty teaching those courses

Standardized course shells control qualityASSUMPTION 4

STANDARDIZED COURSE SHELLSIs it similar to Marx’ Theory of Alienation?McDonald’s approach or routinizationIs there a better way?

Comparing f-2-f and online courses Should determine the effectiveness of online learningASSUMPTION 5

NO SIGNIFICANCT DIFFERENCEIs classroom superior? 44% of respondents surveyed on how to assess quality responded that a comparison of f-2-f and online student outcomes is necessary (Kim & Bonk, 2006)Classroom BenchmarksInteraction = measured by discussion/participationCritical thinking = measured by case studies, papers, and reflective essaysComprehension of content = measured by online quizzes and examsSynthesis = measured by research papers

POSSIBLE NEW BENCHMARKSStudent ability to spontaneously and intuitively apply course material in real-contextsInteraction that is motivated by interest, rather than quantitative participation requirementsInteraction beyond the discussion board and beyond the course

POSSIBLE NEW BENCHMARKSCollaboration that is individually-driven and comfortable; rather than forced groupwork with assigned groups that hasn’t worked in the f-2-f classroom, and is even worse in the online classroomMore emphasis on student-created content, and less on static, instructor-developed, or “canned” contentStudent ability to make connections between disciplines and knowledge domains

Online instructors should be the “guide on the side” not the “sage on the stage”ASSUMPTION 6

INSTRUCTOR ROLEOne of the most significant complaints of students in the online environment is not receiving enough direction from the instructor, a lack of responsiveness of the instructor, and a lack of feedbackWhen teaching presence is high, students are more successful, feel more connected, and learning outcomes are improved(Shea, Li and Pickett, 2006)

FACULTY DEVELOPMENTThere is no single role of the instructorCultivate an environment of shared and collaborative decision makingFocus on developing faculty, not training facultyDevelop faculty skill and ability to know when to be a leader, a guide, an authority, a scholar, a manager, and an advisor

Faculty workload issues do not applyto adjunctsASSUMPTION 7

WORKLOAD OR OVERLOAD?Consider a typical 25-student class with a weekly student workload of two short papers, and discussion participation with a minimum of 2 posts per week per student. This translates a single week of work into 50 papers, a minimum of 50 discussion postings to read and respond to at least half of them, and 25 discussion postings to grade!

FACULTY WORKLOADHow do online adjunct faculty manage the workload; many of whom are “professional adjuncts” teaching as many as 10 courses concurrently?Do faculty cut corners?If we know it takes more time, then why do we continue to raise class size?

WHAT TO DO?Review workload and faculty issues as institutional issues, not just faculty performance issues Do more to understand the impact of workload issues on adjunct faculty, their professional lives, and their instructional practicesDo online courses contain “busywork” for students, which translates to “busywork” for faculty?Are our teaching expectations reasonable, and accomplish the learning goals we intend?

There is a typical “profile” of the online learner ASSUMPTION 8

IS THIS FOR REAL?

TODAY’S ONLINE LEARNERS73 percent of all undergraduate students are nontraditional students39 percent of all undergraduate students are 25 years or older(NCES, 2000)

TYPICAL ASSUMPTIONSDelayed entrance or later return to higher educationAttends school part time and works full timeIs considered financially independentHas dependents other than selfIs a single parentHas a GED

NO HOMOGENOUS PROFILEDon’t allow marketing materials to influence our assumptions…students are not stress freeHow do we meet diverse educational needs?Diversity should be leveraged

Those who oppose, doubt, or resist online learning are afraid of technologyASSUMPTION 9

THOSE WHO DO AND DON’TResistor conversion necessary?It’s not about technology but learningStill about learning which can promote unity, shared visions, and shared goals

Online learning will transformthe traditional academyASSUMPTION 10

CAN IT CAUSE TRANSFORMATION?The online education revolution represents the changing landscape of the global economy and the impact on higher educationNew values for new learners are necessaryNew definitions are emerging of education, quality, access, learning, and relationshipsCan higher education adapt…?

OR IS IT TOO LATE FOR PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION?Online education is still not mission-critical at many public higher education institutionsPrivate, for-profit schools continue to experience the highest percentage of growth among nontraditional studentsUniversity of Phoenix was reported to enroll more students than any other university in AmericaUS News and World Report (2009) reported that the largest Business program in the U.S. is offered by the University of Phoenix. Top 5 Largest: Walden University, University of Phoenix, National University, Nova Southeastern University and Capella University

Shift in Higher Education ValuesTraditional Higher EducationNext Generation Higher Education

Shift in Higher Education ValuesTraditional Higher EducationNext Generation Higher Education

Shift in Higher Education ValuesTraditional Higher EducationNext Generation Higher Education

Shift in Higher Education ValuesTraditional Higher EducationNext Generation Higher Education

Shift in Higher Education ValuesTraditional Higher EducationNext Generation Higher Education

Shift in Higher Education ValuesTraditional Higher EducationNext Generation Higher Education

How can we make online learning more student centered?Is this the end of the “learning management system” and the rise of the “personalized learning environment?”What new assessment measures are needed to assess engagement, interaction, self-directed learning, and learner control?

What new theories of learning are needed to propel us to the next generation of online learning?Have we boxed the definition of quality into only the things we can measure? Is there no significant difference between f-2-f and online learning because there is no significant difference?

How can we best support faculty in moving toward a less defined and more dynamic role in the online classroom? What is the future of online learning for traditional higher education?Should traditional universities just step aside and leave it to the for-profits to step in and serve nontraditional students?

WILL TECHNOLOGY PUSH US THERE?Pew Foundation (2008) predicts that by the year 2020, most people across the world will be using a mobile device as their PRIMARY means to connect to the InternetThe potential for education is largely untapped!

TECHNOLOGY and THE FUTURE:KEY TRENDSGlobalization and the connection of learnersCollective intelligence with multiple answers, grassroots intelligence and learners controlling their learning environmentsGames as social interaction, civic engagement and engaged learningVisualization literacy and toolsMobile devices(The Horizon Report, 2009)

TECHNOLOGY and THE FUTURE:KEY TECHNOLOGIESMobilesCloud ComputingGeo-everythingThe Personal WebSemantic-Aware ApplicationsSmart Objects(The Horizon Report, 2009)

TECHNOLOGY and THE FUTURE: CRITICAL CHALLENGESGrowing need for formal instruction in visual literacy, information literacy, and technological literacyStudents are different, but educational materials are notStudents who are living and learning with technologies that generate dynamic content may find the current formalism and structure of the academy “dead”Current assessment systems are not equipped to measure learning that occurs in real-time, authentic waysHigher education is obligated to reach its constituents in new and compelling ways(The Horizon Report, 2009)

Maria PUZZIFERRODean, ACADEMIC AFFAIRSCSU Global CampusMaria.puzziferro@csuglobal.orgKaye SheltonDean, online educationDallas Baptist Universitykaye@dbu.eduQuestions…

RESOURCESAllen, E., and Seaman J. (2007). Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning. Available online: http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/pdf/online_nation.pdfFindings from the Condition of Education 2002: Nontraditional Undergraduates. (2002). http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2002012Horizon Report. (2009). http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2009-Horizon-Report.pdfKim, K., and Bonk, C. (2006). The Future of Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: The Survey Says. Educause Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 22–30.New Media Consortium Report. (2008). http://www.nmc.org/pdf/Future-of-Higher-Ed-(NMC).pdfShea, P., Li, C.S., and Pickett, A. (2006). A study of teaching presence and student sense of learning community in fully online and web-enhanced college courses. The Internet and Higher Education, 9(3), 175-190.Siemens, George (2004). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm