IMPORTANT-ETC545: Module 3: Instructor’s Notes

(Same message posted to Twitter, Discussion Board, & Email)

Dear students,

Congratulations on finishing our Module 2 instructions and requirements. Below are a few my observations and reflections on our first week instructions to help you to advance your online learning experiences. Assignment 2 Part I and Module 2 discussion are graded and returned to you. See NAU e-mail and Google Docs for the feedback and comments.

Module 3 Highlight (9/23-10/6)

DUE: 9/29, Sunday

·         Due: 1st posting period for Module 3 discussions: You must respond to ALL KEY discussion questions.

DUE: 10/06, Sunday:

·         2nd posting period for Module 3 discussions: TWO or more postings: Respond to all KEY questions; Respond to others' postings. Total TEN postings at least for this module.

Module 2 Discussion Notes:

• Instructor's Reflections: I shared my reflections below to help you to summarize and to understand our discussion topic. Don't miss to help you to get deeper understanding on the topics.
• More active: Great to see. We were more active and interactive, particularly in 2^nd posting period and engaged in Learner-Learner interaction and more free-flow discussions.  In addition to learner-content interaction & learner-instructor interaction.
• Respond to Instructor's AND others' postings. Our classmates and I frequently ask the others questions. Don't forget to respond them.  Frequently, I respond to your postings.  Don't overlook them.
• Greeting: It would be more effective that we greet with the classmate's name(s) when we reply their postings.  It is easier for others to know "who is talking to whom about what." For example, if we reply to Mary's posting, we should greet with her name then our responses.
• Follow-Up Postings: It is not required to respond the Follow-Up questions posted by the instructor in the 2^nd posting period but feel free to respond them if you have any thoughts and reflections to share with us, if any. 
• Challenging Discussion Question: Don't be afraid to try to address "Challenging Discussion Question" so you can learn more from our class.  Give it a try even it is not required.

Assignment 2: Part I: Web Tool Evaluation

• Kaizena's multimedia feedback:  I use Kaizena, a Google Doc's Add-on tool, to provide some multimedia feedback.  Take a close look on this tool.  I think it is very useful for educators to provide more interactive feedback. 
  • You can reply to my comments to continue our conversations on certain comments. So it is more like a collaborative conversations/feedback/comments.  It makes our online interaction more dynamic.

Assignment 3: WBI Unit Proposal

• It is due on the last day for Module 3.  If you complete your proposal early and would like your proposal to be reviewed early. Please notify me by NAU e-mail, Chih.Tu@Nau.edu.  I will review it early and return it with my feedback and comments.  Therefore, you can have more time to develop your actual WBI unit.

Assignment 4: WBI Unit

• Have you thought about your final unit topic and ideas? It is due on the last day of the class. Don't wait for the last minute.  Technology frequently may not work well in the last minute because often we need problem solve on technology production.  Need assistance?  Do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Instructor's Reflections on Module 2 Discussions

Here are my reflections on Module 2 discussion topics to help you to conclude each discussion topics.  It is important for us to conclude each discussion topics; therefore, we can make valuable reflections on what we learned.

M2-KEY-1-Legal/Ethical Issues-Instructor's Reflection: Checklist for Students

Now you have better understandings on the copyright and fair use of online materials.  You created a checklist for yourself.  Do you think your students should create a checklist for themselves as well?  Rather than creating one for your students, shouldn't we ask them to create one for themselves as a learning activity?  Agree?

 

M2-KEY-2-Evaluate Resources-Instructor's Reflection: For Students?!

Most of your analyses are relevant and logical.  I hope this activity has been useful for your future teaching in integrating online resources.  I wonder that the website evaluation checklist used here can be integrated for your classroom teaching.  Do you think your students should have the same capability, ability, and knowledge to evaluate any online learning websites?

 

M2-KEY-3-DL-Instructor's Reflection: Designs Meet Diversity

We learn that DL can be as effective as FTF instructions.  It is not the point to replace FTF with DL. Both DL and FTF have their strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps, we should see DL provides different learning channels to meet different needs.  In other words, learning context is the key to determine when go with DL or FTF.

More importantly, as educators with technology integration knowledge, we should have knowledge and skills in how to design effective DL to meet diversified learners' needs.

 

M2-KEY-4-Blended learning: Instructor's Reflection: Wide Range of Skills/Knowledge

When it comes to learning and teaching delivery format, it is hard to determine which format is the most effective one, complete online, FTF, or blended.  

Based on our discussion, there is no surprise that many of us in favor of blended learning because we can pick and choose different instructional designs and activities.  

Often, we have to be practical because our design and teaching contexts may be predetermined.  As the experts and leaders in educational technology, we need to prepare ourselves with different teaching and design knowledge and skills, even we have our own personal preferences

No one teaching/learning delivery format is better than the other.

For instance, many students couldn't complete a FTF degree, if colleges do not offer completely online programs. In this case, we must focus on how we can make online learning more effective.

Another example, international students are not allowed to take more than one online course each semester. In that case, we can consider FTF or blended learning.

Prepare ourselves with competent knowledge and skills in a wide range of different learning/teaching delivery formats. As a competent educational technology expert/leader, we need to learn each format's limitations, weakness, and strengths based on the teaching and learning context. Remember, frequently, we may not design for our own teaching.

If you did not have a chance to read the optional reading. Here is the further information for you.

Staker and Horn (2012) classify blended learning into four different models: the "Rotation model," "Flex model," "Self-Blend model," and the "Enriched-Virtual model."  What are they?  I highly encourage you to read it.

References

Staker, H., & Horn, M.B. (May, 2012). Classifying K-12 blended learning.

M2-KEY-5-Flipped-Instructor's Reflection: Supporting

It is great to see many of us demonstrated a great deal of interests in Flipped Classroom.  I know it is relevant to your own teaching.

Here are more information for you.

Flipped classroom is one of the subsets of blended learning, not the equivalent

Hamdan et al (2013a; 2013b) identify four pillar characters that support flipped learning:

 

To support flipped learning, the learning environment must be flexible.

The classroom culture needs to shift from an instructor-centered culture to a student-centered culture, where in-class time is used for exploring topics in greater depth and creating creative learning opportunities.

Instructors need to carefully balance and evaluate what learning content should be taught directly and what content should be placed in the self-learning space.

Instructors are not replaced by flipped learning. On the contrary, professional instructors are even more crucial in this model than in the traditional face-to-face teaching model.

 

References

Staker, H., & Horn, M.B. (May, 2012). Classifying K-12 blended learning.

Hamdan, N., McKnight, P., McKnight, K., & Arfstrom, K. (2013a). The flipped learning model: A white paper based on the literature review. Retrieved from the Flipped LearningNetwork website http://researchnetwork.pearson.com/wp-content/uploads/WhitePaper_FlippedLearning.pdf.

Hamdan, N., McKnight, P., McKnight, K., & Arfstrom, K. (2013b). A review of flipped learning. Retrieved from the Flipped Learning Network website http://www.flippedlearning.org/cms/lib07/VA01923112/Centricity/Domain/41/LitReview_FlippedLearning.pdf.

 

M2-KEY-6-Wiki-Instructor's Reflection

I hope to this point that all of us have better ideas how we can integrate wiki to support online learning.  It is critical to have effective strategies and guidelines to integrate twiki to support the culturally diversified students.  Instructors should be familiar with the cultural backgrounds of their students to determine what strategies to integrate.

 

The power of wiki technology and Web 2.0 environments is rooted in social interaction by nature.  In wiki learning environments, the social context and the network surround learners rather than just content.  The educators' roles are to support learners in weaving their social networks through social interaction and to help learners apply Wiki to enhance their learning experiences.

 

M2-KEY-7-VT-Instructor's Reflection: Multimodality Representations (MMR)

When we think of online learning activities, what probably comes to mind first is using computers to participate in text-based online learning. In fact, online learning activities are not limited to text-based communication, to computers, nor to online discussions. Instead, they can be implemented as multimodality representations (MMR). The media can be text, audio, video, or all three. The devices can be computers, telephones, tablets, or smartphones. The tools can be VoiceThread, Vialogues, or Twitter.

 

Activities can involve online discussions, storytelling, language learning, drama, and more. With the features of multimodalities representation, open network learning can become more creative and diversified and move beyond desktop computers to meet learners' personal needs, as well as reflect social and cultural contexts. It is among your responsibilities to ensure that the integrated online instructions are interactive and to foster and facilitate learners' creativity and learning needs.

 

MMR is a powerful way to engage learners in active learning. Don't limit your MMR design to online discussion activities or the VoiceThread tool. Digital storytelling, language learning, or drama learning can also be used effectively. Vialogues, blogs, Twitter, or Facebook can help you achieve effective MMR instruction as well. Remember, many MMR tools allow students to comment by using multimedia formats and different devices, such as mobile devices.

 

2-KEY-8-GC-Instructor's Reflection: Check with IT Staffs

Google Classroom is an effective learning platform, particularly if your schools and school districts have access Google Apps.  In addition, it is fairly secured and close system, therefore, it is appropriate for younger learners.

If you are interested in integrating Google Classroom into your teaching, check with your school or school district instructional designers and/or IT staff.

 

I hope these reflections and summaries help you to prepare our upcoming instructions.  If you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Regards,

Chih