Online Teaching - Breaking the Distance Barrier

Online Teaching: Breaking the Distance Barrier [email_address] North Bay, Ontario, Canada A presentation for the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka March 18, 2009

Online Teaching: Breaking the Distance Barrier

Communication Technologies & Online Learning

Online Learning/Teaching Mechanisms

Practical Learning in the Online World

Preparing to go Online

5 Myths

What Online Students & Teachers Say

Communication Technologies and Online Learning

Cutting Edge?

One word

The Engineers of Tomorrow Interest in on-line education is growing with students AND teachers Source: Project Tomorrow Report – US Data, April 8, 2008 Rapid Acceleration of Access to Mobile Devices

Educational Cutting Edge Communication Technologies….

Internet-Based Education

Video conferencing, Wiki’s, Global Projects

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismasan/3256193110/

How Many Online Students? Source: Sloan Surveys

Size Matters Larger institutions teach, on average, far more online students Institution Size Source: Sloan Surveys

What’s happening in the World of Online Learning?

Synchronous / Asynchronous / Blended

Webinars

Online Workshops

Courses / Programs

Blended with F2F

Online Communities

Synchronous/Asynchronous/Blended

Webinars

Online Workshops (Synchronous/Asynchronous/Blended)

What’s happening in the World of Online Learning? scope.bccampus.ca/

Courses / Programs (Growth of Moodle)

Courses / Programs (Growth of Moodle)

Close to 9 million online users

160 Countries

75 Languages

(as of January 2007)

Growth of Moodle Sites (by month) 2001 2007

Online Communities

What’s happening in the World of Online Learning? Over 20,000 members

OCW

Learning Object Repositories

Curriki

Connexions

What does this mean if you are an institute thinking about going online? Open Educational Resources (OER)

More than just Internet Cafes www.nodes.lk Matara Anuradhapura Ambalangoda Colombo Kandy

Online Learning/Teaching Mechanisms

What does it mean

To know?

To learn?

To teach

Four views….

www.flickr.com/photos/mushon/197192450

Attainment Motivation Engagement Critical Thinking The Basic Requirements for Learning

Learning Theories MOTIVATION GOOD PRACTICE CONTENT

STUDENT

Social Constructivist Cognitive Behavioural

Teaching Process Pathway to Learning Direct Instruction Indirect Instruction Experiential Instruction Independent Content Interactive Instruction Prior Knowledge Learning Style Motivating Factors Student Environment Instructional Strategies Adapted from Jones, 2005 - with input from Honsberger, Peach and Phillips Assessment of & for Learning Goals Content Assessment Preparation Stage Delivery Stage Evaluation Teacher to Student Student to Teacher Student to Student Student to Content Learning Activities Student to Environment

Good Learning… Student to student Student to teacher Student to content Student to interface

Components of Good Learning… Online Everything about the course should reflect your organizations’ beliefs about learning

Components of Good Learning… Online Student to student Student to teacher Student to content Student to interface

Anatomy of an online Lesson Applying Learning/Teaching Beliefs Learning Activities

Good Learning… Student to student Student to teacher Student to content Student to interface Learning Activities

Lesson Level Activities

Web Research / WebQuests

Discussion Forums – Student Moderated

Discussion Forums – Instructor Moderated

CD-Based Materials

Course Notes – Printed

Course Notes – Online

Chat Sessions

Online Meetings

Hand-In Assignments

Research Projects

Wikis

PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint Presentation with Audio

Flash Interaction

Online Crosswords

Surveys and Polls

Self-Correcting Quizzes

Hand-in Assignments

Role Plays

Debates

Online Case Studies

Video Streaming

Rollovers / Flash Cards

Journals

Engineering Examples http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/software/simulations/ http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/antenna/climatechange/ http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/R/robots/ http://www.mathcasts.org/gg/student/anim/cannon5/indexw.html http://www.jhu.edu/~virtlab/bridge/truss.htm https://learningspaces.njit.edu/aggregator/sources/4 http://biomine.skelleftea.se/html/flotspel/MCAOresomeFroth_v3/oresome.html http://www.eduweb.com/portfolio/designsatellite/

Discussion Boards Community Building…

Group Work – From Human Relations Course

Three Questions…

What do you think are the Benefits / Problem Areas for some of the online activities I have presented?

Which of the examples would you like to revisit in more detail? WHY?

Which examples do you feel would be best suited to inclusion in an online engineering course? WHY?

Preparing to go Online – Institute

What supports are necessary?

www.flickr.com/photos/ravegedmonkey/105673061

A vision for success – be realistic

A Plan – you know what they say….

HOW NODES CAN HELP

Mark Lamontagne, International Team Leader, Distance Education Modernization Project Video Appearance From North Bay

Preparing to go Online – Teacher

What does a teacher do online?

THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS…. Provide important information repeatedly - Home page message, email, Discussion Board. Humour and Humanism – the instructor is REAL! I am VERY available – email (within online environment and outside), discussion boards, telephone, virtual office hours. Pre-Course “Sandbox” First, come to understand the job of the online teacher, then provide the supports that are necessary for him/her to be successful. After all, an online teacher is the new ‘front door’ to your institute!

Expectations of Students (you should hear your students more than yourself)

HOW NODES COULD HELP

Preparing to go Online – Student

Benefits for Student:

Interactive Education

Hidden Curriculum (IT Skills, Research Skills, Collaboration Skills)

Savings on Travel Time

Savings on Travel Costs

More Time with Family

What are the attributes of a successful online students? <see handout>

What can the teacher/institute do?

Preparing to go Online – Student

HOW NODES COULD HELP

5 Myths about Online Learning

Student: “It’s an easy credit”

Not so, if higher order thinking and social constructivist learning is incorporated into the design

Student: “You need a high speed internet connection”

Not so, if institute is mindful of bandwidth when designing online course – good learning mustn’t be digitally ‘heavy’.

Institution: “You can’t do soft skills or practical skills online”

Think LEARNING first, Online is only a delivery system

Institution: “It takes a huge amount of time and resources to develop an online course”.

Not so, if a systems approach is applied and thoughtful attention to human resource requirements.

Teacher: “It’s easy for a student to cheat”

Not so, if a pro-active approach is taken when designing assessments.

Final Thoughts

Five Habits of Successful Online Institutes

Develop a long term plan – 5 years at least

Know why you are jumping in, review learning/teaching beliefs – incorporate into design & communicate it!

Students, students, students

Teachers, teachers, teachers

Opportunity to rejuvenate – reinvent

What Students and Teachers Say about Online Education

From the students …

I actually learn more when it is an online course versus in-class. Why? Simply because I find that in-class people tend to deviate, and the same people are the ones always talking. I much prefer this learning.

I must admit, my motivation for an on-line course was to avoid an inflexible schedule and time obligation that a classroom course requires. I was very surprised to see the depth of discussion and level of participation.

Reproduced with permission from ODL students

DO IT!