Module 6: Motivating Students Through the Use of Game-Based Learning

Module 5: Static vs. Dynamic Tools

Online tools have been changing at a rapid rate and new tools are always being released. I feel as if I barely mastered PowerPoint and have just been introduced to the wonders and ability of BrainShark for creating presentations.  After analyzing static vs. dynamic tools, it seems as if the static tools are the ones that have been around the longest and the dynamic tools are constantly growing, developing and evolving. Granted, a lot of what makes a tools dynamic depends on the user. 

While I have the most experience using static tools, I have been learning and enjoying the dynamic ones. It feels like just a few weeks ago I started hearing the term Web 2.0 tools and I learned that there are now Web 3.0 tools as well! I started doing some research on all of the different tools that are available and am amazed at how much is out there and how little I knew about it all! There is a plethora of Web 2.0 tools out there! I really enjoyed the Introduction to Web 3.0 Tools written by Kecia Waddell and Prashanthi Selvanarayanan.  Web 3.0 is also known as the Semantic Web and is being developed to not just provide us with information but to help organize and evaluate the information for us.  Jason Ohler wrote about The Semantic Web in Education for Educause back in 2008. 

One of the most exciting tools that I just learned about is Duolingo.  It is a new tool in it's beta version at the moment that promises to help you learn a language while it quickly and accurately translates the web.  Luis von Ahn talks about his new project in a recent TedTalk called Massive-scale Online Collaboration.

Module 4: The Three Cs - Communication, Collaboration, Content



Tools for Communication -

• Chat - Several different email suites, such as Gmail, have a chat and group chat feature
• Email - Sending emails to individuals or groups of people is a great way to communicate and preserve a copy of the communication. These days it seems that every school district or educational institution has their own email suite. Free email accounts can be created through services such as Gmail or Yahoo. It costs a small fee but Gaggle is a great service for K12 students.
• Edmodo - Social networking becomes academic networking.  Students and teacher can access Edmodo for free and privately.  Edmodo is a microblogging platform to communicate online.  Through Edmodo students and teachers can also share and store files.  Students can post directly to the class account or the teacher page, but not to each other. It is very easy for teachers to monitor student activity as well.
• GroupTweet - GroupTweet enables Twitter users to communicate and collaborate privately.
• ooVoo - With ooVoo, users can access 2-way video chat and 6-way text chat for no charge.  The site has the ability to record and send short video messages.
• Skype - Another free video chat services enables up to 5 people to chat with video and up to 25 people to chat with audio. 

Tools for Content -

• Vyew - A free collaboration platform that can be used for webinars, online conferences, real-time learning and instruction.   All activity can be tracked and logged. a great tool to use to deliver content.
• EditGrid -  A free web-based application that works similar to Microsoft Excel. Some of the features of EditGrid include sharing, collaborating and publishing capabilities.
• Keep and Share - Keep and Share is a free group file sharing system that allows for content to be shared and stored.  The accounts are password-controlled and secure. 
• Stixy - Stixy is a free platform that works like an online bulletin board or whiteboard.  The workplace is perfect to share content and collaborate with other people.
• Twiddla - Twiddla is a free platform that is ideal for online meetings and co-browsing. Groups can mark-up and comment on webpages, images, and other content.

Tools for Collaboration -

• Wikis - Wikis are free collaborative platforms that allow for members to add, modify and delete content generally using a rich-text editor.  A personal favorite is Wikispaces. 
• Writeboard - With this free collaborative writing software, groups can write, edit, track change and roll back to previous versions.
• Mikogo - Mikogo is a free desktop sharing software that is ideal for online meetings, web conferences, presentations, remote support and collaborative efforts.
• Wridea - Groups can collaborate and share ideas with this brainstorming tool that organizes and categorizes ideas on different pages, has unlimited storage and allows users to comment on topics and ideas.
• ReviewBasics - ReviewBasics was a free online service that allows groups to collaborate and edit different types of content.  Users are able to share, annotate, and markup images, videos, and documents. The service is no longer offered for free, but for a small fee it can be accessed.

Module 3: Assessing Collaboration

Collaboration is an essential skill for today’s society.  We do not live in a world that is full of individual geniuses; we live in a world that is dependent upon the collective minds of many (Laurette, 2008).  Collaborative learning through distance education is a way to prepare students for jobs where they will be required to collaborate in a variety of ways.  Randy Nelson speaks about what schools need to do to prepare students for the new models in the work place. One of the questions that arises is how should students be assessed for their work and participation in a collaborative learning community?  The answer is through a variety of methods. 

Dr. Siemens states assessment should be fair and direct based on stated outcomes (Laurette, 2008).  One effective way to do this is through the use of rubrics. Rubrics clearly define expectations set by the teacher and shared with the student.  Students who have a clear understanding of what is expected of them are able to perform better with a higher level of self confidence (Palloff and Pratt, 2005). Online tools that can be used to create rubrics are Rubistar and Teach-nology.

Self and peer assessments are examples of other effective ways of assessing students (Laurette, 2008).    This gives students an opportunity to reflect on their own contributions as well as the contributions of others in their group.  Evaluating and reflecting on one's collaborative activity and doing a self assessment is an essential part of online learning (Palloff and Pratt, 2005).  Dr. Parsons and the University of Dundee worked with the Blackboard Learning System to create a software program that allows for self and peer assessments.  This software program is now an embedded feature of Blackboard.

At times a group may run into problems with an individual who does not carry his or her weight.  Instructors have the opportunity to be proactive by setting the stage early on, clearly outlining expectations and modeling behavior.  Instructors should also frequently monitor participation and send an e-mail or make a quick phone call if there is a concern.  Often times a simple e-mail will help diffuse a small problem before it becomes a more complicated mess.  Providing students with conflict management and conflict resolution tips is another way that instructors can help students (Palloff and Pratt, 2005).  The University of California has a Conflict Management Skills site that has resources including a free downloadable book on Mediation and Conflict Management Book. 

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Assessment of Collaborative Learning. Baltimore: Author.
Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.



Module 3: Learning to Storyboard

In order to create a video presentation for class on Motivating Students Through Online Games, my instructor wants a storyboard to be created and presented for feedback. I have never attempted to make a storyboard before, but am open to any and all feedback. I will be updating this post when I add on more or make changes. Thank you in advance for taking the time to view my storyboard and *extra* thanks to anyone who comments!

Module 2: Collaborative Tools

Distance education has been more prevalent and gaining more acceptance these days. George Siemens identified three different factors that are leading to better quality experiences in distance education: global diversity, communication, and collaborative interaction. One factor that I find particularly beneficial is collaborative tools.

An increasing number of school districts have an online suite of tools through Google including Gmail, online email,  and Google Docs, a web-based office suite.  Google Docs allows for people to create documents, forms, spreadsheets, and presentations online as well as upload existing files. Not only does Google Docs allow for creating, editing and data storage, but it also allows for real time online collaboration.  A teacher could share a document with the class and the students would be able to access it and add to it. Google Docs is also a great way for teachers to share data for tracking and analyzing. Last year I created a color-coded spreadsheet for all of the students in fifth grade. I included their scores from Arizona's standardized test, AIMS, as well as scores for the predictive testing, Acuity, that they take during the school year. There was a column on the far right side for teachers to add in comments about any intervention and/or enrichment that the students were receiving. This was a handy tool for us to use and update as we received more information on our students. During our Professional Learning Community time, the spreadsheet was a handy tool to facilitate conversations about where are students were and where we wanted them to be. 

Another collaborative tool that has been around for a while are wikis. A wiki is a website where users can add and edit through a web browser usually using a rich-text editor.  Wikispaces is one of the many different host websites that offer people to make their own wikis.  A wiki that I am currently participating in is Clickers, Cloud, and Cyber Teaching. The other members and I are able to post work that we are doing on the wiki.  We are able to view what each member is doing and provide feedback and engage in discussions. It is a wonderful tool that is designed for collaboration.

Cloud computing is another collaborative tool that I have just begun to learn about. It is a way for people to store and access files and documents online from any device that can connect to the Internet. April Lawrence wrote an article, Go Into the Light: Succumb to the Power of Cloud Computing, where she talks about the benefit of cloud computing for business. 

There are numerous ways that these collaborative tools could be used within education all areas of education - traditional, hybrid and distance.  One of the biggest barriers I have currently being a traditional classroom teacher is the limits the school district places on what we are able to access and use.  Right now only one pilot school has given students access to the Google suite of online tools.  We are discouraged by blocks and firewalls to use wikis in the classroom as well.  In time I have hope that the "powers that be" in the school district will open up these tools for all of us to use. 

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author.

Module 1: The Evolving Field of Online Education

Online learning has been growing at an increasing rate over the past several years.  Students of all ages from little ones beginning kindergarten to adults pursuing advanced degrees have the option to take classes and programs online. With the growth of online learning, professionals in the field face challenges to providing a quality education.

Simonson (2000) stresses the importance of equivalency of learning online.  Students will not have the same learning experience as they do online as they would if they were taking classes in a traditional stone and mortar setting, however they can have a “different but equivalent learning experience.”  Four steps are outlined by Simonson to achieve equivalency which include assessing technology to be used, defining learning objectives and learning experiences along with preparing the learning experience to be delivered online (Simonson, 2000). 

Huett, Moller, Foshay and Coleman (2008) write about how the field of instructional design and online learning needs to evolve in the training, higher education and K-12 education divisions.  The focus needs to be on sound instructional design and practices.Huett, Moller, Foshay and Coleman feel that there are many opportunities for the field of instructional design to grow and evolve but it is at the utmost importance for professionals to commit to the task without being encumbered by theoretical or ideological differences. They emphasize how we need to reach these goals by working collaboratively and cooperatively. 

Over the past decade since I first began taking online courses, I have seen the quality of my own classes change.  The platform for instruction has improved along with the vigor of the course work.  The classroom discussions that I participate in now are of real quality whereas in the past it seemed like another hoop to jump through with no real meaning.  It is exciting for me to see the changes and to hopefully be able to help with the continuing evolution of online learning.

References:

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63–67.

  

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75. 

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, July/August). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.

Simonson, M. (2000). Making decisions: The use of electronic technology in online classes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 84, 29–34.