This document discusses pedagogy and online learning. It notes that 20% of higher education students take at least one online course, and online enrollment is growing rapidly. While online courses increase access, they also present challenges like student isolation, high dropout rates, and uneven access to resources. The document also discusses issues like ensuring students develop meaningful understanding rather than superficial knowledge, creating interactive learning environments online, and rethinking pedagogical models to take advantage of connectivity and multiple perspectives.

1. Pedagogy, Understanding and Online Learning Patrick Schmidt, Ph.D. Westminster College of Rider University

2. Status and Growth 20% of all students in HE in US enrolled in at least one online course (Allen & Seaman, 2007) Over half of 3.9 million students receiving online instruction are in 2-year colleges 36.5% growth since 2005 35% of higher education institutions offered entire programs online by 2006 (Bolliger and Wasilik, 2009) 12 States adopt statewide ‘standards’ provided by ‘Quality Matters’ group – ‘Peer review’ based upon 8 criteria divided into 40 standards 173 virtual Charter Schools: 98, 235 Sts in 18 states (Tucker, 2007) US DOE 2009 report: Importance of Online; but differences don’t allow for direct comparison between online and traditional classrooms

3. Pedagogy and Function Cost-efficiency and Investment Development and delivery Market based client satisfaction in ‘student satisfaction’ (‘the’ most important issue according to American Distance Education Consortium) – problem? While online courses present higher degree completion rates, students often lack online socialization Student Drop-out: single courses; lack norms for interactivity Assess to larger and diverse population? (Local phenomena) Unequal access to resources Workload perception – Initial Curve & Stasis Phenomena Teacher Burnout – (Hogan and McKnight, 2007) Does online provide PD or Learning environment for teachers Co-optation of system? CUNY is moving to ‘partial’ online classes, diminished class time and more classes in schedule

4. Fluency and Fragility Technology no longer as mere tool, but the way in which the world shows up for us Evaluate if students understand what they know is significant issue David Perkins characterizes ‘fragile’ knowledge specifying: forgotten, inert, naïve or ritual Challenge of unthinking responses to low-level questions Higher-order-thinking and ‘postings’ (McLaughlin, 2009): Triggering: 3.4%; Exploration: 52.5%; Integration: 34.3%; Resolution: 5.4%. Classroom and personal interaction can ‘veil’ understanding by equating it with ‘personal expression’ Challenge to create ‘predicting processes’ in uncovering knowledge

5. Dialogue and Reflexivity In Practice Expertise Redefined From Accumulative to Congregative Model Convergence Requires: Ramification, Sampling, Critique Better pedagogy depends on appropriate platforms Connectivity between learning and social network (Barbour, 2009; Lebler 2008) New parameters for peer-review In nursing – (Battin Littler, 2009)

6. Conceptualizing and Re-thinking Understanding requires motion Lines of Flight “Noisy” Contexts Complex and Multiple understandings Podcasting Model: Self-Evaluative & Productive (not responsive) communication. Connectivity Model: Explodes Learning potential and de-centers teaching) Swarm Model: Collage or multiple centers for learning. Move away from ‘Sequentialism’.