- What are three key things associated with delivery of eLearning?
Communication is key to keep students engaged. “There are several ways to keep communicate with students including email, discussions, text based chat, and of course via audio channels.” (Newberry). It has been observed that when students fail to communicate it often results in poor performance in the class. It is beneficial to grade the communication aspect in order to encourage participation.
Quality control is important to minimize frustrations that can accompany e-learning. “Instructors need to devise ways to capture and hold student attention…” (Haugen, LaBarre, & Melrose 2001).
As an e-learning instructor utilizing faculty time effectively is completely different than it is in a traditional classroom. It is imperative for the instructor to be organized and knowledgeable of content and the technology programs that are being used in the delivery of the class.
- What is the difference between assessment and evaluation? Why is understanding the difference important in eLearning?
Assessment is the process whereby the instructors interaction with the students informs the instructor of how well the students are learning the material. It provides the information needed to make changes to the course as needed. Evaluation measures the quality of the students work and how well the are retaining the course content and their ability to apply it.
- One of the readings this week suggests that a chat room should be set up to promote social interaction in online classes. Which reading is this and what are the pros and cons to this suggestion.
The Haugan article suggests creating an online chatroom. Some pros are that it is a beneficial way of including synchronous aspects to the class and it allows students to get to know each other because they can elaborate on the conversation in real time. Some cons are that it can be a distraction, it is close to impossible to require this type of communication due to the asynchronous nature of elearning, and it is difficult to make this a graded activity which will discourage students from using it.
- What is “deep learning” as discussed in the readings? Is “deep learning” something we should promote in online learning? Why and how?
Stansfeild, McLellan, and Connolly describe deep learning as a process in which the student understands the content and is able to relate it to previous knowledge and experience. It is a transformative experience that causes them to link this new information to other situations.
Deep learning should absolutely be promoted in elearning, as it should in a traditional class. More importantly, most elearning classes are designed in a way that requires students to be able to apply their knowledge and show that they are retaining the information. Students are given many opportunities to voice their opinions as well as learn from others allowing students to create a learning experience that can be taken into their everyday life.
- Identify and explain each of Kolb’s four-stage learning cycle.
Experience: new information in introduced
Observation & Reflection: the student reflects on the newly gained knowledge and begins to relate it to previous knowledge.
Formation of abstract concepts & generalizations: The new knowledge is linked to the existing knowledge and relationship between the two are explored.
Hypothesis tested by active experimentation: The new knowledge is applied to current and future experiences. It is now information that can be used in effective problem solving and can be put into practice.
- Explain how the readings this week (and your own research) connects with the Blackboard discussion.
The BB discussion elaborates on deep and shallow learning and interaction between students and instructors. The readings focus on the best ways to make elearning successful. It not only elaborates on the pros and cons but it explains important aspects that should be included in order to have a successful elearning experience. All of the readings highlight the interaction that takes place and the advantages of having an active discussion forum as well as the positive effects of grading student interaction. It describes the importance of instructor interaction and the effects positive and negative effects in could have on the student’s motivation.
- Quote your best entry from this week’s Blackboard discussion. Explain why you chose it and what it demonstrates about your understanding, learning process etc.
Daniel. I really like how you broke down deep learning and numerous resources you used in your description. Do you think students that are truly interested in the particular feild they are studying subconsciously choose whether the content is learned deeply or shallowly? For example, as a liberal studies major I was required to take certain math classes, much of the information I felt made no sense and I found it frustrating to learn. Now that I am seeing common core everywhere I am often shocked at some of the knowledge I retained and my ability to apply it.
I like this entry mostly because Daniel’s post made me apply my new knowledge of deep learning to an actual experience. This demonstrates the power of deep learning. I didn’t realize while I was sitting in those classes that the learning process that was taking place was labeled as either deep or shallow. Looking back I am able to recognize the different teaching methods as well as personal interests that caused this deep learning to occur.
- Identify the student you think was the most important participant in the Blackboard discussion. Explain why and provide at least one quote from that student’s contributions to the Blackboard discussion.
Victor Barocas! He was extremely thorough, he included lots of resources, and I thought is question section was outstanding. He his classmates to engage in a discussion and to dig deeper into the topic.
- Reflect on what you have learned this week. What have you learned that has the potential to inform or influence you or your practice of online learning going forward? Explain why.
The information that I learned in this session really caused me to start to think about the elearning process. I honestly did not care for it before I started this quarter and was quite terrified. I can’t say that that fear is completely gone but it’s slowly making it’s way out of my life. I think that reading about the importance of certain aspects and the method that is behind activities like discussions and blogs has made it a little less tedious.
I enjoyed the deep/shallow learning portion because I was able to relate it to a prior experience. It also proved the point of the importance of teaching techniques.
Not only do I believe this session was important to me as a future educator, but as a student as well.
Click to access The%20difference%20between%20assessment%20and%20evaluation.pdf
Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2009). Assessing the online learner: Resources and strategies for faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
ETEC648 Blog 
Hi, I also had cause to reflect on my own deep, shallow, or strategic learning this week. I think it is important because recognizing the learning levels puts me in the driver’s seat. I can choose when it is important to seek deep learning, or be strategic depending on the material and purpose of the learning.
Laura
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Hi Rachel, thank you for sharing your idea! I enjoyed reading your writing. And I am always wondering that chat room can be really helpful to students’ interaction in e-learning. I think that using a chatroom in cyber space could cause problem although chatroom has both pros and cons. What do you think about this issue? Do you want to create chatroom if you are e-learning instructor? I am just curious others’ opinion 🙂
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