Wowee kapowee!

(Unfortunately the presentation was much more of a tour of Moodle than it was a guide to best practices in collaboration.)

Kimberly started off polling the audience about what their job is. The crowd was a mix of principals, professional development specialists, technology specialists, and library technologists.

Kimberly then encouraged us to be willing to envision something “complex” in planning for online learning. She encouraged study of options and ensuring that there is sufficient infrastructure, robust training, and clear expectations. Additionally, it is highly recommended to have dedicated support and development personnel.

The Green High school district used Moodle, a free and open source Learning Management System.

Starting small

Before launching into online learning, Green High decided to start by building a professional learning network. They began by converting all hand-out materials to a one-stop-shop online source. This included:

• Staff handbook
• Staff directory
• Links to important information
• Instructions for staff

Additionally, they began in a blended format while they acclimated the staff to using the online tools. They set up a school-wide discussion forum to support teachers. Kimberly encouraged those wanting to dive in to automate tasks normally done on paper, demonstrate collaborative features, and eventually to outright require collaboration from teachers.

Avoid Clutter & Reinvention

Kimberly had these tips:

• Stay focused on district and building goals
• Don’t “crowd the inbox” of staff members
• Make a long term commitment to developing the online learning environment.
• Be prepared to meet people where they are and then move forward.

At this point Cindy took control to show us the setup of their Moodle homepage. She gave us a tour of all the kinds of documents they had posted on their Moodle site.

Cindy explained how Moodle helps them to keep to keep their eye on the goal of accomplishing teaching and curriculum goals.

Craig speaks up

Craig took over at this point. He became interested in Moodle through a course he took from U of Akron. Akron used Springboard (another LMS) and Craig really enjoyed the interaction and reduced paper overhead in taking the class. All class assignments were downloaded from the web and most class participants had laptops.

Craig uses Moodle in his math classes to post lessons and notes as well as quizzes.

Mike’s Take:

The presentation provided a good overview for school districts who have yet to dive into teaching online and supporting faculty development with online learning tools. It wasn’t much up my alley because I’m already in a college system that is using these tools for online courses.

Moodle has always looked really busy to me. Like  it has too much clutter in your face. That said, it’s great to have a free and open source option for learning management.

Discussion question: How could these ideas about intrinsic motivation vs. extrinsic motivation inform the way we teach courses?

Session 1: 9:00AM-NOON
Lunch: Noon-1:00PM (Pizza in TL Lobby)
Session 2: 1:00PM-4:00PM

Grab a seat and prepare to learn about a multitude of online tools you can use in your courses.

• Learn about Blended Learning pedagogy that will equip you to make the most of teaching tools available online and for your classroom.
• Get hands-on experience with online tools.
• Ask questions and enjoy quality discussions.
• Learn about tools such as ChaCha, Ustream, Google Sites, and many more!

See the flyer I made:

This is cutting edge, breaking news in web products. Google announced Wave yesterday.

General information
http://wave.google.com/help/wave/about.html

In a way, it’s a combination of several familiar forms of communication, including:

• Email
• Discussion Boards
• Wiki
• Instant Messaging
• Text Document
• Image sharing, files, etc.

You can have interactive conversations, threaded discussion, and “living documents” all at once. It’s a mashup of email, discussions, wiki, blogging, everything in real time. Google is making it open source and extendable, meaning that anyone can freely take the platform they create, tinker with it for their own needs, and deploy it themselves.

Hard to explain in words, so if your interest is piqued, set aside some time and watch the unveiling here and imagine how we will be able to use this in education.

Why should you care?

This will make engaging, interactive collaboration EASY. It will bridge the gap between these many “separate” tools we have sitting out there, and, here’s what I think is huge: Wave will make it possible to seamlessly shift between different forms of communication fluidly. We can leave messages but also immediately discuss them as well as edit previous mistakes. Finally, there is a way to review what happened in a chronological fashion. Media can be tied into it. You can add/remove recipients on-the-go, so if you think someone should be part of an already ongoing discussion, you can add them just like you add a recipient to email.

It’s all searchable, and based upon contacts/friends akin to email or facebook, but this is email for the 21st century — doing away with some of the old post office metaphor.

It’ll be intuitive, including drag-and-drop support for image sharing and using the latest web technologies included in HTML5.

It will be mobile friendly, both because smart phones are becoming more widespread but also because the technology behind it is all about connectivity.

I know there is lots of skepticism about both the innovativeness and the disruptive potential of this, but in my opinion this is the next big thing. The fact that Google is making it open source is even better. The need for proprietary software is shrinking with tools like this. Imagine the day when the old post office metaphor for email is no longer the dominating understanding of communication.

We should keep it near and dear on the radar to see how we can take advantage of this for distance learning.

Karen Swan introduced Norm Vaughan (Mount Royal College) as he delivered an interactive workshop about blended learning across two sessions divided by a break.

Session 1

Norm tasked us in small groups with writing our own definitions of Blended Learning as well as what we saw as the opportunities and challenges. Some of the things brought up:

Definitions

There were a variety of definitions that differed primarily based upon the degree to which the definition was theoretical vs. logistical.

Theoretical definition example:

Blended learning is creating learning environments using web technologies to enhance, extend, and transcend the traditional face-to-face classroom.

Logistical definition example:

Blended learning is any course that is 50-80% online and the rest face-to-face.

Norm’s definition:

Blended learning is the organic integration of thoughtfully selected and complementary face-to-face and online approaches and technologies (Garrison & Vaughan, 2008)

Why do we bother? Advantages?

• Smash the wall of in-class vs. out-of-class, where learning is accessible anywhere and at any time.
• Institutions can make more efficient use of the infrastructure and resources they already have.
• Less front-end design (compared to Web courses);

Student advantages

• Increase in student accountability for ownership of their learning (control and responsibility);
• Increase in opportunities for dialgue with faculty
• Increase in opportunities for teamwork with peers;
• Improvement in learning outcomes;
• Decrease in drop-out, better retention.

Challenges

• “Timesuck”
• If you’re going to use technology….boy you’d better use it well!
• Adjuncts or part-time staff who don’t want to “teach” outside of the certain night(s) of face-to-face
• Developing faculty thinking around student-to-student interaction and not just lecture. Getting faculty to measure and grade interactions.
• How to get faculty to be willing to learn new tools after round 1 of learning tools.

Student challenges

• Time management, focus, motivation

A series of short (10 minute) presentations of ideas and tools for blended learning.

Theory to Application: Facilitating Team Work with Out-Of-Class Assignments

Catrin Mills presented on how to create collaborative out-of-class assignments. She took us through an interactive process of brainstorming with a partner sitting next to us. First we had to imagine an “umbrella” idea that applies to our course, and then to come up with 2-3 online activities directly related to that umbrella idea. After 5 minutes of discussing amongst ourselves, Catrin explained how she was able to generate good collaborative learning in a severe weather class.

3, yes 3 Firefox Extensions You Can’t Live Without

Jeff Hug (Bellevue University) discussed some very useful extensions for the firefox web browser.

1. PDF Downloader http://www.pdfdownload.org Converts web pages to PDF. Eliminates the pain of broken links when incorporating online materials. Great for two reasons: (a) You can backup materials in case websites change or disappear. (b) Students can use it to view course materials anywhere, even offline.
2. Foxmarks http://www.foxmarks.com Lets you manage and synchronize your bookmarks across multiple computers.
3. Download Helper http://www.downloadhelper.net Allows you to download videos from flash sites such as youtube.com.

Math, Hip-Hop and Technology: Extending Enrichment Activities Beyond the Classroom

Andrew J. Ryan (Montgomery College) presented on doing blended learning with students from a wide variety of backgrounds. He discussed his strategies for engaging 10th grade students, including heavy use of Moodle as an LMS. The hip-hop aspect was his tailoring of course materials to his students. He would create story problems including details such as record sales, cuts going to various parties (artist, lawyer, label, etc.). His discoveries about blended learning:

• Students will embrace technology
• BL provides a good opportunity to “academic-ize” the use of computers
• Lessons must be mapped to prior instruction… students do not connect abstract dots online.
• Avoid multiple choice

Some tools he used and showed us:

• Articulate Engage http://www.articulate.com/products/engage.php
• Jing and Media (movies, audio, Impatica) http://www.jingproject.com
• Google Docs http://docs.google.com
• Raptivity http://www.raptivity.com

“For some reason, students think Impatica is better than powerpoint. If it’s pp, then it’s academic. If it’s flash, it’s somehow better.” Andrew also noted that students seemed to like Google Docs presentation viewing above powerpoint.

“Take Me, Love Me: Marketing Hybrids to Students and Ensuring Their Satisfaction”

Julia Smith (Dallas Baptist University) discussed how to introduce the idea of blended learning to your students/faculty/administration and overcoming fears, opposition, etc. DBU’s online program began in 1998. DBU began offering hybrid courses in 2002 and began an initiative to grow hybrid courses, sections, and enrollments in 2006, with the goal to offer 1/3 of all courses in hybrid formats. Hybrids gained a reputation of “too much work to teach, too much work to take.”

Pushing “Another Online Initiative”

Working with Deans

• Build relationships
• Confront Assumptions and Excuses
• Use Administrative Support
• Provide Data

Working with Faculty

• Focus Groups
• Provide Resources and Additional Training
• Hybrid Forums
• New Faculty Orientation and In-Service
• Provide Data

Advisors

• Advising Workshops
• New Staff Orientation
• Provide Data

Anthony “Tony” G. Picciano facilitated a panel that included George Otte (City University of New York), Karen Vignare (Michigan State University) and Tony himself.

Before the panel format began, Tony talked a bit about the emergence of blended/hybrid courses over the past 6 or 7 years. Tony had put together a multimodal model of blended learning intended to address both learning styles, student learning outcomes, and relevant web technologies and tools to create quality blended learning environments that are interactive, engaging, and collaborative.

Articles that served as the basis for the panel discussion:

Anthony G. Picciano. Blending with Purpose: The Multimodal Model

Mary Niemiec and George Otte. An Administrator’s Guide to the Whys and Hows of Blended Learning.

Kathryn Lowell and Karen Vignare. MSU Medical Colleges Blended Learning for First Year Science Courses: Uniting Pedagogy to Maximize Experience and Real World Limitations.

Multimodal Model

“Why are we here?” Tony posed the question, and his answer was that we are here to learn about how to engage our students to help them get an education. He argued we needed to address student engagement regardless of the modality (face2face, blended, online).

He moved on from there to smash the naive hope that “just adding technology” will make a course engaging. There has to be a reason behind it, a pedagogical impetus.

Learning Styles

People learn in different ways. Teachers teach in different ways. Content lends itself to various formats and deliveries as well. How do we reconcile these three variables?

We should organize instruction using multiple modalities that allow learnes to engage in learning in a way they prefer while also challenging them to learn in other ways where they have less preference, interest, or ability.

From here, Tony showed his multimodal model (I will try to track down an image) that demonstrates a link between pedagogical objectives and the choice of technology to engage students.

Tony also discussed the future of higher education with regard to assessment and evaluation. He cited a recent NY Times article (I’ll try to track it down) that prophesied the end of the University unless, among other things, assessment changed. Some things on the horizon are more widespread use of eportfolios.

An Administrator’s Guide

George Otte took over at this point to discuss how to reap the institutional benefits of Blended Learning.

He argued that Blended Learning was a “sleeping giant” and included an image of a giant sleeping dragon (which was unattributed! ha!). Not only from a future potential standpoint, but also from an untapped present potential.

Some Whys of Blended Learning

Economic motivations

• Reaping what is already sown.
• Justifying new investment

Less quantifiable reasons

• Getting up-to-speed technologically
• Giving impetus, visibility to faculty development

The Challenges of Blended Learning

Developing a plan

• Achieving Clarity on Institutional Mission and Goals
• Foreseeing Barriers
• Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses

Thinking through Implementation

• Ensuring Adequate Resources
• Clarifying Policies and Principles
• Providing Effective Information
• Having an Effective Assessment Plan in Place

Asking questions UP FRONT

George stressed the importance of asking the hard questions up front. Such things as policies, faculty load, development process, assessment, resources, intellectual property, and more.

The keys to success:

• Match blended learning to institutional goals
• Match goals to specific strategies (and vice versa)
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses (and proactively tackling the latter)
• Providing critical support
• Ensuring effective communication (a blended approach)

Community of Inquiry Model

Based upon the Community of Inquiry model by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000) and the How People Learn model by Bransford, Cocking and Broan (2000), Karen Vignare discussed this interesting conceptual and theoretical model of developing blended learning environments.

This particular model showed a progression from semester/quarter/year where three aspects of learning become more and more apart of the learning environment, resulting in highly collaborative learning. That is, making the education learner centered, knowledge centered, and assessment centered.

Karen cited the ability to go back and review lectures after-the-fact is used by just about every single student, even the “best” students.

She said students were still skeptical about discussion boards. Medical students are more interested in discussing cases. By moving lectures online, they were able to utilize class time for discussing patient cases.

Mary Niemiec kicked things off at the 2009 Sloan-C Blended Workshop by speaking a bit about the evolution of blended learning. “When we first started it was an invited 30 people. Blended learning wasn’t well defined (hybrid? tech-advanced?).”

“It took almost two years to agree on a common definition that seems to be permeating both the US and Canada.”

Blended learning, she explained, is an intentional blend of online and face-to-face instruction. That could be just a blended course or an entirely blended program.

Data Collection

Other problems she noted were the lack of a consistent method of collecting data about these courses. Generating data about performance, retention, and more remain issues regarding blended learning.

The dominant theme she sees is that blended learning is becoming a part of almost every institution, especially as budgets get tight.

Niemac, finally, stressed her hope that we would leave this workshop (“Not a conference, a workshop!”) with new ideas for planning and teaching in blended formats, but also to become committed to collecting good data and assessments of how blended courses and programs are working.

You can find more information on the conference page, but during the event I will be:

• Blogging from this elearning blog.
• Tweeting from my twitter account, http://twitter.com/medwardsrhodes.
• Recording video on my Flip Mino HD for later editing and posting to my Vimeo account.