Author: micaelakvcc

Objective: What have you learned about this topic? 

Building a community can be a challenging task when designing and delivering online courses. Several aspects within a course contribute to successful community development. Shea et al., (2019) researched the importance of online community building for student success and retention in online classes. They found that teacher presence plays a significant role in the establishment and maintenance of an online community. Within their research on teacher presence, they found that the following aspects of teacher presences contributed the most to a sustained online community: 

The multivariate analysis reported suggests that effective instructional design and the skilled facilitation of discourse have a large positive effect on not only student satisfaction but students’ sense of being connected with and supported by their instructor and fellow students in online environments (p. 72). 

Therefore, their research concludes that a focus on a well-designed and well-facilitated course creates both a sense of community and ongoing support. Similarly, Conrad and Donaldson (2011) describe the importance of social presence in an online course. Conrad argues that the establishment of social presence within an online course is the instructor’s responsibility (p. 46). For the community to be built, instructors need to facilitate learner to learner engagement through strategies such as ice breakers, collaborative discussions, and other engagement strategies.  Through successful facilitation and social activities an online community can develop and continue throughout a course.

Curt Bonk (2010) outlines many ways for instructors to build community online including establishing weekly rituals, providing opportunities for giving and receiving knowledge, using learning tools, and creating collaborative projects. These suggestions point to the importance of teacher presences and how a well-designed course and facilitated discourse provide the space for an online community to grow.  

 
Reflective: What has been your experience with this topic? How has it impacted your life? 

I have spoken and worked with several instructors who experience difficulties in establishing and maintaining a sense of community within their courses. Instructors have often tried to use discussion forums to encourage students to engage in asynchronous discussions. However, they often find that students will make an initial post to a discussion forum with their work, but most students will not engage with supplemental replies. When I work with these instructors, they are usually not engaging in the discussions themselves and not providing clear instructions on expectations.   

In my own experience teaching online I found that creating a social presence requires prompts and facilitation. I usually suggest that instructors provide clear instructions for discussion forums rather than leaving them open. For example, I suggest that they direct students to reply to other student’s posts and provide criteria for what is expected. I feel that this contributes to teacher presence in the course and gives students some direction. I also find that in a large class dividing students into smaller groups (using Moodle groups) can generate more detailed and critical discussion conversation. It also allows the students to collaborate and get to know some of the students in the class more closely.  

I have also noted that disorganized and heavy content courses impact community building within a course. I have found that instructors who rely heavily on PDFs and readings, without other types of content and learning tools, struggle to establish a community at all. These courses are often the same ones that lack organization and clear directions, and a strong teacher presence within discussions. They may have good lectures and content, but the instructor is not necessarily facilitating discussion. As a result, students feel overwhelmed and feel that they do not have time to get to know or collaborate with one another. I often suggest using a weekly outline or directive words to give students clear direction, so they do not feel overwhelmed by content. I also suggest that instructors provide a more balanced approach to the course (more learner/learner content!) this includes using some of the activities suggested by Bonk, Conrad, and Donaldson.

Interpretive: What are your “aha” moments related to this topic? What new insights do you now have? 

One of my “aha” moments is definitely the importance of teacher presence and more particularly, how teacher presence is part of both the design and facilitation within a course. Shea et al., (2019) outline how skilled facilitation increases a sense of community within a course and this is definitely what I have witnessed as an instructional designer. Especially, when it comes to asynchronous discussion. Instructors that can facilitate and encourage student conversation build successful communities and friendships online. Also, I have not always thought about course design as teacher presence but framing it within teacher presence helps me rethink how course design can contribute to the sense of belonging and support that students need. 

My other “aha” moment was Conrad and Donaldson’s (2011) argument that social presence is the responsibility of the instructor. In face-to-face classes, establishing a social presence is much more organic; students engage with one another before, during, and after class. Whereas online, those sites for engagement and conversation need to be established and encouraged by the instructor through direct facilitation or prompts. This can be easier at the beginning of an online course with ice breakers but, as course progress and deadlines increase, maintaining a social presence online can be challenging. I think this is where course design and ongoing instructor facilitation play a key role. They can transition icebreaker activities into more critical and class-related conversations that still allow students to learn about and learn from one another.  

Decisional: How can this new learning be applied to your online course? 

The first thing I would like to focus on is facilitated discourse and how that is integrated within the design of a course. I would like to think more carefully about how I craft discussion forums including providing clear directions on both what to post and how to respond. In addition, I would also like to focus more on how I or my TA’s participate in those discussions. This goes for both my own courses and when I am working with instructors on how to create discussion forums.  

I would also like to establish some training material on teacher presence and social presence for faculty. These would include information on how to establish teacher and social presence in a course and how they contribute to community building. 

Lastly, I would like to try Bonk’s (2010) suggestion of a weekly ritual. I find that routines can be helpful for myself and students, and also provide a record of how the student’s work/discussion has developed. The weekly ritual might be a reflective discussion where students reflect on what they have read and engaged with that week and then have a conversation about some of the things that came up. Or in an art class, it might be posting progress on an art project with a short reflection on the progress. This would give students an idea of how other students are working on their art at home. Which I found has contributed to community building greatly. 

References

Bonk C (2010) 6. Building Community. https://youtu.be/t4gDUkEI14Q.

Conrad, Rita-Marie, and J. Ana. Donaldson. Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction. Jossey-Bass, 2011.

Shea, P., Li, C., Swan, K., & Pickett, A. (2019). Developing Learning Community in Online Asynchronous College Courses: The Role of Teaching Presence. Online Learning, 9(4). doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.24059/olj.v9i4.1779

Objective: What have you learned about this topic?

The online learning environment is a crucial part of how learners engage and retain information in an online course. Oftentimes, instructors focus on content rather than peer to peer, or peer to expert interaction (Culatta, 2009). Richard Culatta (2009) explains the importance of a balanced online environment, where there is equal emphasis on learner/content, learner/learner, and learner/expert interaction. In addition to evaluating how learners engage in a course, using technology can facilitate different types of interaction and improve engagement throughout a course. In this reflection, I will be focusing on using blogs as a tool for creating an engaging environment that balances different types of learner interaction. In online learning, blogs are often used in a variety of ways. These include blogs for student research and reflection, peer to peer interaction, creative projects, and sometimes as an ongoing ePortfolio. Blogs are used both for individual courses or as an ongoing resource throughout multiple courses or an entire program. 

Moria Hunter (2008) argues that social network blogs “harness collective intelligence” and empower learners throughout a course (pg. 434). She shows how blogs do this by giving learners a sense of autonomy through the aesthetic control of the blog, its privacy, and format. Simultaneously, she also explains how they encourage a sense of community and collaboration through commenting, tagging, and sharing (p.434). Hunter shows how blogs are a multidimensional learning tool that promotes several types of learner interactions. Learners engage with one another, research content, their instructor, and the tool itself. 

The blog as a tool for learner autonomy and engagement is reinforced by Maryellen Weimer’s (2019) article on blogs as a tool for student engagement. Weimer argues that blogs allow students to engage, analyze, and ask questions about course content autonomously and comfortably. She explains how one instructor uses blogs for students to ask “complex and controversial” questions without revealing their identity to the class (13). They also allowed students to process course content before class discussion thus, creating a more critical and engaging peer to peer dialogue. 

            These ideas are expanded on in Darby and Nolan’s (2019) article on Teaching with Technology and Judith V. Boettcher’s (2016) book on teaching online. Both of these texts emphasize that intentionally using learning technology can create a sense of community, peer-interaction, and provide insights into individual skills and knowledge. Boettcher, Nolan and Darby highlight the importance of receiving insight and consent from students on what blogs or technology works for them in order to successfully create community and engagement. Therefore, when deciding on what tools or blogs to use, students should be part of the process.

Reflective: What has been your experience with this topic? How has it impacted your life?

            Throughout my time working with instructors on online courses, I have seen how various learning tools and technology are used, and how that effects student engagement. I find that most instructors new to online teaching will rely heavily on content rather than finding a balance between the three interactions outline by Culatta (2009); learner/learner, learner/expert, and learner/content.  When I was first starting to build online courses, I did the same. However, after research and experience, I have found that creating engaging content paired with learner and expert engagement creates a well-rounded course. In my time working at Emily Carr University, one of the ways instructors and I have established student engagement is with blogs.

            I have witnessed instructors working with blogs in various ways; some more successful than others. Some of the instructors I work with create one blog for the class and have various threads and posts related to different topics throughout the course. From my experience, this method doesn’t always encourage successful student engagement with the content or one another. As Hunter (2008) outlines, one of the important aspects of blogging in online learning is learner autonomy and empowerment. I find that using a single central blog for learner to learner, and learner to expert engagement does not always allow the students to question, critique, or engage with the content in a way where they feel comfortable to do so. For example, some students may feel more comfortable than others when posting to a central public blog. 

            Whereas when each student has their own blog, they engage with content critically through reflection and research, on their own time and bring what they have learned to a wider classroom discussion. They use their individual blog to compile research, explore and reflect on the content, and pose questions. These blogs then contribute to larger discussion, group projects, and shared reflections or questions.

            Lastly, in my experience, I usually do not see instructors and students working collaboratively to find learning tools that work for them. Where Boettcher (2016), and Nolan and Darby (2019) all argue for the importance of receiving insight and consent in the learning tools chosen, I have not suggested or worked with instructors using this suggestion intentionally. I suggest that instructors ask for feedback on learning tools but, I have not made a point to suggest to instructors that they address it at the beginning of the class. I definitely need to do this!

Interpretive: What are your “aha” moments related to this topic? What new insights do you now have?

Throughout my research and reading on blogs and other eLearning tools, I have had many “aha” moments. The first being the importance of consent when selecting learning tools. After reading various arguments for receiving consent from learners on which tools to use, I have gained insight on how giving students the opportunity to discuss and take part in selecting tools, would be a great way to encourage and facilitate student engagement. 

Another insight I had is the role of the blogs as a tool for collective empowerment and autonomy (Hunter, 2008). While, I have used the blog as a tool for students to reflect, engage, and question online content. I had not thought of the blog as a tool to empower collective collaboration and autonomy simultaneously. Hunter (2008) shows that the blog allows students to use their creativity and independence to create a safe space for reflection and critical thinking, while also allowing students to collaborate together. This collaboration may take different forms, it might bring what they reflected on to a central discussion or sharing blog posts where students can engage with one another. 

Decisional: How can this new learning be applied to your online course?

            I am going to apply this learning in several ways. The first thing I plan on doing is creating space at the beginning of each course to discuss different learning tools; students’ previous experience with them, what tools spark curiosity and creativity, and what they feel would suit the needs of the course. I will likely bring a few options for them to ground the conversation but, also be open to different suggestions. Or if I am going to be using blogs, allow them to select the platform they would like to use. I am going to encourage them to establish their own blogs using a platform that works for them, and the privacy settings they feel most comfortable with when sharing to the class. To encourage collaboration, I am going to suggest that students use their blog for reflection and research, and also create posts that can be shared publicly with the class or ask them to bring their ideas to a discussion forum.

            Lastly, I am also going to work on resources for faculty on consent when using learning tools and in different ways to utilize blogs in online learning. These will include the research I did above and some examples or guiding questions.

References

Boettcher, J. V. (2016). Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. S.l.: Jossey-Bass inc, U S.

Culatta, R. (2009, October 13). Designing Online Learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv-_GCFdLdo&feature=youtu.be

Darby, F., & Nolan, W. (2019). Let’s Solve the Right Problem: Intentional Teaching with Technology. Teaching with Technology: Tools and Strategies to Improve Student Learner, 18-19.

Hunter, M. (2008). Social Media for Adult Online Learners and Educators. In Education for a Digital World (pp. 429-439). Vancouver, BC: BCcampus and Commonwealth of Learning.

Weimer, M. (2019). Using a Blog to Enhance Student Participation. Teaching with Technology: Tools and Strategies to Improve Student Learner, 12-13.

Objective: What have you learned about this topic?

           Online learning has quickly become the primary mode of instructional delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instructors who are may or may not have been resistant to online teaching are now required to deliver courses online. Before the pandemic, the Horizon Report (Andrew et al., 2019) noted that instructors face significant challenges when adopting educational technology including digital fluency and educational resources for learning about educational technology and the role of the instructor online. In comparison, Johnson and Veletsianos (2020) summary of the Canadian Pulse Project pointed out key survey findings from the beginning of the pandemic. They found that instructors in high education needed the following supports to effectively teach online:

1. Pedological Strategies for online teaching.
2. Strategies for supporting students in learning online, and
3. Assessment strategies for teaching online. (p.1)

These findings reflect research on online teaching prior to and during the pandemic, and present significant professional development needs for instructors teaching online. They present that instructors require both technical and theoretical training to effectively teaching online. While resistance to online education is not reported as a significant barrier to teaching online, these findings present a significant amount of instructional support required. Richardson (2020), did a survey on professional development for high education instructors they found that instructors were receptive and appreciative of professional development training in online teaching training. Richardson found that 10 out of 13 instructors found it valuable (p.76). In particular, the training on online pedagogy and working Learning Management Systems.

           Although there is some resistance to teaching online, largely due to the barrier’s instructors face, they do find professional development in online teaching valuable. Therefore, to move forward instructors require more training in online pedagogy, supporting students online, assessment strategies, and working with educational technology. 

Reflective: What has been your experience with this topic? How has it impacted your life?

           Over the past few months, I have been working as an Instructional Designer in the Teaching and Learning Centre at Emily Carr. Right now, my primary role is to assist instructors with the transition to online teaching. This includes both the pedagogical and technical aspects of teaching online. I have experienced a combination of approaches to online learning, some instructors are very resistant to applying online pedagogy while others are very keen to adopt it. For example, some instructors insist on continuing to deliver 3-6 hours of synchronous lectures per week while others are creating micro-lectures and doing a combination of synchronous and asynchronous activities.

           In reflection on the survey findings, I have witnessed the several challenges instructors face when teaching online. I’ve noted the varying level of digital literacy among instructors. Some of them are very comfortable learning new technology and find the process easy, while others face more barriers and challenges in adopting new technology. I feel that especially with the pandemic, instructors have been required to adopt technology quite quickly with on-the-go training rather than receiving training before delivering courses.

           I’ve also noted that attendance and participation in professional development training in my department varies. There are about 20 instructors who consistently attend workshops on Moodle, educational technologies, and teaching online. While the other attendees are more sporadic or we do not see them at all.

           Lastly, I have experienced the challenges instructors face when supporting students online. This varies from heated discussion topics to students reaching out for mental health support. Instructors have often communicated to me and my department that they don’t feel prepared to deal with both conflict in an online classroom and the surrounding mental health challenges students face. While Emily Carr has resources for Student Wellness, the resources for effective communication and conflict resolution online need further attention and development.

Interpretive: What are your “aha” moments related to this topic? What new insights do you now have?

           After researching the barriers instructors face when teaching online and the accompanying support they require, I have gained new insights on why instructors may feel resistant to online teaching or face significant challenges. All of three surveys (Richardson, 2020; Johnson & Veletsianos, 2020; Andrew et al., 2019) show that a lot of professional development and teaching supports are required to assist instructors with teaching online. I have realized that this is not limited to just learning the technology but also learning how to communicate and help students online, and learning about online pedagogy.

           I have new insights on how much learning is required from everyone; teachers, administrators, students, and those who support staff such as my department in the Teaching and Learning Centre. Like the Canadian Pulse Project survey found, we have also been looking for ways to deliver online pedagogy to instructors and learn more about it quickly. The article “Learning with Empathy” Evans showed that teaching supports need to further connect with faculty due to COVID-19 and the transition to online learning (2020). It argued that teaching supports need to connect with faculty more readily by listening, being present, and creating continuous bonds. This isn’t necessarily a new insight for me, as I have been doing the following, but the last point on continuous bond was insightful for me. I have been trying to establish bonds with instructors so I can continue to educate and help instructors with their online teaching.

Decisional: How can this new learning be applied to your online course?

There are several ways I can apply what I have learned to my online teaching and my work with instructors. Specifically, I am going to focus on the two areas outline by the Canadian Pulse Project (Johnson & Veletsianos, 2020) and Richardson’s (2020) findings. I am going to develop online pedagogical resources and learning management resources for instructors. I have created several resources for our Moodle (LMS) that are available to faculty. But I have not created any online pedagogical resources for them or made these resources available in Moodle (right now they are on a website). Therefore, I am going to create a mini online course for faculty on online instructional delivery and online pedagogy. I feel that this will be a starting point for helping instructors learn about the basics of online teaching. Also, I am going to create an instructor Moodle guide on our Emily Carr Moodle. This will be specific to our Moodle with how-to videos. I hope that these two projects will help faculty with their online teaching and be a useful resource throughout the coming terms.

References

Alexander, B., Barajas-Murphy, N., Dobbin, G., Knot, J., McCormak, M., Pomerantz, J., . . . Weber, N. (2019). EDCUCAUSE Horizon Report: 2019 High Education Edition. Retrieved from https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2019/4/2019horizonreport.pdf

Evans, N. (2020). Leading with Empathy: Supporting Faculty through COVID‐19 and Beyond. The Department Chair, 31(1), 25–26. https://doi.org/10.1002/dch.30336

Johnson, N., & Veletsianos, G. (2020, July 13). Professional development for the 2020 fall semester: How to help faculty and administrators prepare. Retrieved November 19, 2020, from https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/professional-development-for-the-2020-fall-semester-how-to-help-faculty-and-administrators-prepare/

Richardson, Jayson W, Hollis, Ericka, Pritchard, Mikah, & Novosel-Lingat, John Eric M. (2020). Shifting Teaching and Learning in Online Learning Spaces: An Investigation of a Faculty Online Teaching and Learning Initiative. Online Learning (Newburyport, Mass.), 24(1), 67. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i1.1629