Reflections on teaching and learning online
There are four types of interaction in an online course:
Throughout EDUC 4150 and EDUC 4151 we have been using the ORID Focused Conversation Method to write our reflections. I thought it would be useful to write down some of the key points for using this method as I may apply it to my courses.
Objective: What you learned about the topic (facts, readings and research findings). What have you read about the topic? What are the key research findings?
Reflective: What your experience has been with this topic and how it has affected you. This includes your experience or relationship with the facts and findings on the topic. How does it relate to your life? Do you agree or disagree with the research you found?
Interpretive: What are the key insights or takeaways from your learning and research. Are they any particular “aha” moments or points that have stood out to you?
Decisional: How will you apply what you learned. Be specific and use key specific examples of how you will apply the knowledge to your life (ie. teaching).
I work in the Teaching and Learning Centre at Emily Carr University. At the moment my learners are both students and faculty. I work with faculty to develop online courses for visual art and design students. Due to COVID-19 there are other variables to consider when developing courses for students. Some of the students are located in BC while others are located throughout Canada or internationally. For this reason, I have to be aware of the difference in time zones, access to web materials (some students in China need a VPN to access course material). In addition to student’s location, I need to consider accessibility in my courses. This includes student’s bandwidth, internet connection, living situations (roommates, kids etc.) and how these things may impact the student’s level of engagement online. One of the things I have done is started to develop ongoing conversations with students in the student union and with out teaching and learning student mentors. These conversations help inform me on specific things students are struggling with when it comes to online learning. It also gives me insight into aspects of online learning experience that I might not be aware or have overlooked.
Some signs that a student may be struggling in our online courses are:
In order to identify and connect with students who are struggling, I have included the following in my course plan.
Throughout EDUC 4151 I hope to add to these strategies for identifying student engagement. I also hope to build my relationships with students and faculty, in order to identify ways to support students through out their online learning and the pandemic.
It has been a little while since I took the first course in the eLearning Instruction Certificate. However, I have been applying the skills and tools I learned. Here are some of the ways I have been re-purposing existing educational material and learning activities online.
1. Developed a blend of asynchronous and synchronous activities (discussion forums, live video, games).
2. Include more videos and recordings.
3. Reduce and/or transform static documents (pdfs, word) by using whiteboards, games, moodle lessons.
4. Make projects more flexible. Provide different opportunities for project delivery. For example, options to write an essay, create a video, or develop a website.
5. Use blogs or portfolio site to store and review material. Students can show their research and reflection on an ongoing blog or portfolio site.
Throughtout EDUC 4150 I have learned a lot about online learning and developing online courses. I have summarized the majority of my learning in my Journal # 3 below. I have concluded the the key areas of learning for me where:
Objective Questions: What have you learned about developing an effective online course?
Throughout this course, I’ve learned a lot about developing effective online courses, and have acquired valuable tools and resources to aid me. I’ve learned to acknowledge the learning processes and styles that each generation of learners have. In “Teaching across Generations” (2014) the author outlined the different characteristics of each generation and provided suggestions for engaging those learners. The author argues that these suggestions can be applied to various generations and types of learners as well. In addition, I learned about Marc Prensky’s (2001) two categories of learners; “Digital Natives” and Digital Immigrants,” and how these two different learners can create tension in an education environment because Digital Natives process information differently in comparison to Digital Immigrants. By learner about different generations, I learned about the importance of creating a balanced course with tradition and innovative methods such as videos and digital activities, alongside reading and writing. I also learned that the characteristics applied to different generations are not universal. There are many other aspects to consider when planning a course for your learners such as class, race, and geographical location.
In addition, I also learned about the roles, challenges, and best practices of teaching online. I conducted research and used the tools provided to me to find and create a document that reflected this learning. Throughout my research, I concluded that effective online courses have a sense of community, clearly organized content and structure, student resources, and instructor and student engagement (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016). In order to create these effective courses, I learned about incorporating a variety of tools, resources, and forms of assessment in the course. This included synchronous and asynchronous learning tools and resources, games, and e-portfolios. In addition, combining individual and group projects alongside class discussions to create a sense of community and prevent student isolation. I learned that by using a combination of the tools and methods above students will have a well-rounded course that promotes engagement, reflection, and community. In order to further my understanding of different teaching methods in online learning, I learned about various learning theories and how they can be applied to online courses. In particular, I focused on connectivism because of its incorporation of technology, digital networks, and non-linear learning (“Constructivism”; Siemens, 2005). I learned how connectivism encourages instructors to guide learners by providing them with the tools and resources to successfully make connections between resources and disciplines in order to shift their ways of knowing and construct new ones.
Lastly, I have learned about Quality Guidelines which provide a trackable method for designing, developing, and evaluating an online course. Quality Guidelines are a checklist of requirements (typically broken down into sections) that address various aspects of a course such as assessment, technology, student interaction and support, and accessibility (Quality Online Learning and Teaching Instrument, pg. 1). By reviewing various different guidelines, I have gained the tools for developing my own Quality Guidelines and learned about different ways to evaluate and re-evaluate my courses throughout their development (ECampus Alberta, 2017; Sharif).
Reflective Questions: How does this fit with your experience? What would you like to emulate from your own successful eLearning experiences? What would you like to improve upon so that your own learners have a more positive experience?
Yes, I have found that the topics covered in this course are applicable to my experience creating courses online. For example, from my own experience, I have found that not following Quality Guidelines will create additional work later on. When I took my position in elearning, I was working with existing online content that did not follow any quality guidelines. This required me to update and re-evaluate the courses many times. I have found that I learned a great deal about what to include in an online course in terms of content, activities, and assessments. I learned about some projects and tools that are applicable to my courses such as e-portfolios, incorporating videos, and how to integrate group projects and discussion into a course. I would like to speak to my IT team to see if we can develop an e-portfolio option into our LMS. In addition, I would like to improve the instances of personalized learning, interactive content, and self-reflection throughout our courses. I feel that adding this content to my course will improve student engagement and success.
As a long-term goal, I would like to emulate the Quality Guidelines from the “Quality Guidelines Teaching Instrument.” I would like to use those to further develop our Quality Guidelines and work towards adding more student resources, greater instances of accessibility, and increase the quality of the technology we use in our courses such as incorporating virtual reality or game-based learning.
Interpretive Questions: What new insights do you now have? How has your thinking changed around creating effective online courses after taking EDUC 4150?
I now have a better insight into the complexity of developing an online course and the variety of factors that go into it such as different types of learners, student and instructor experience, and how learning theories are applied online. I also have a broader understanding of different learning theories and how they can be practically and theoretically applied to an online course. By learning about different learning theories, I have expanded the way I think about delivering courses online. For example, I have been thinking about how to integrate the principles of connectivism into my courses such as non-linear learning, interdisciplinary learning, and human and non-human learning (Siemens, 2005). With connectivism in mind, I learned that navigating digital networks and learning how to work with technology and all the information that comes with it, is an essential part of being a successful learner and educator in 2019.
My thinking around assessments has also changed. We’ve been trying to work with content from on-ground courses that are primarily assessed by projects and exams. As I develop these courses and do more reading on e-portfolios and other online assessments, I have found that the on-ground assessment format will not be suitable for our online learners. From my research, I learned the importance of giving online learners flexibility and autonomy in their learning, and feel that digital projects and e-portfolios are more suitable compared to final exams (Pelliccione & Dixone, 2008). In addition, I have more insight into how to create a course that is suitable for a variety of learners including learners from various generations or backgrounds. I gained information on how to combine different modes of delivery to engage every learner and help them feel comfortable in an online environment.
Lastly, I have gained insights into the best practices for teaching online and various quality guidelines. The project on the challenges and opportunities in e-learning was especially insightful as it encouraged me to do a lot of external research and create a document that I can share with future instructors and educators. It has provided me with a tool that I can use and refer to on a regular basis.
Decisional Questions: How can this new learning be applied in your online course?
There are several ways that I am going to apply this learning to my online courses. The first is I am going to work on developing and editing our Quality Guidelines. I plan on paying particular attention to the course format and design, accessibility, and student interaction. I want to keep all levels of experience in mind including instructors, students, and administrators. In addition, I would like to gather feedback from our students on their experience with the course; paying close attention to the students’ age and background so I can see what our learners need in terms of resources and course content (more interactivity, more synchronous activities, etc.). I plan on working further with our IT team to enhance the aesthetics of our LMS in order to improve course clarity and organization. I also plan on working with our curriculum developer to put together revised course outlines that follow different methods of assessment for our courses. This includes incorporating more projects and potentially an e-portfolio or blog aspect to the courses rather than heavily weighted final exams and midterms.
Reference List:
Boettcher, J.V., & Conrad, R (2016). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
ECampus Alberta. (2017). Essential Quality Standards 2.0. Retrieved from http://library.athabascau.ca/files/projects/ecampusalberta/quality/eCampusAlberta_QualityEQS2.0_Brochure_2017_FINAL.pdf
Marmon, M. (2018). Enhancing social presence in online learning environments / Michael Marmon, editor.
Pelliccione l., Dixone, K. (2008) Portfolios: Beyond assessment to empowerment in the learning landscape. Conference proceedings Ascilite 2008. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ascilite.org/conferences/melbourne08/procs/pelliccione.pdf
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.
Quality Online Learning and Teaching (QOLT) Instrument. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxN4M6qCVbDPOEl0d1dKWmFXOEk/view?pli=1
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved from http://itdl.org/journal/jan_05/article01.htm
Sharif, A. (n.d.). Online/Blended Learning Course Quality Checklist. Retrieved July 25, 2019, from https://wiki.ubc.ca/images/1/1b/OnlineQualityCheckList_SiteJuly27.pdf
Teaching Across Generations – Part II. (2014, August 12). Retrieved from https://uminntilt.com/2014/07/14/teaching-across-generations-part-ii/
Yilmaz, R. (2017). Exploring the Role of E-Learning Readiness on Student Satisfaction and Motivation in Flipped Classroom. Computers in Human Behavior., 70(C), 251-260.
Objective Questions: What have you learned about the importance of following quality guidelines when developing an online course? What potential exists if you don’t use a set of quality guidelines? How can you ensure that your online course meets the needs of your learners when developing your own quality checklist?
I have learned that Quality Guidelines provide a framework for designing and developing an online course. They provide a basis for creating a cohesive course or set of courses by setting out a checklist of requirements that can be reviewed throughout the development of a course and upon the final proof-read. By creating or using existing Quality Guidelines instructors and course designers have a trackable method for evaluating course content, structure, and delivery. Quality Guidelines are often based on academic research, and peer and student feedback. The majority of published Quality Guidelines follow a similar structure in that they are divided into sections. For example, the “Quality Online Learning and Teaching Instrument” divided its Guidelines into the following sections;
This set of guidelines provides a very comprehensive list of sections that cover various aspects of online course development including increasingly popular topics including accessibility and universal design, mobile design readiness, and technology for learning. While some lists may not cover as comprehensive a list of sections due to economical or technological restrictions, the “Quality Online Learning and Teaching Instrument” provides a strong basis for selecting appropriate quality guidelines for online courses. By reviewing these and other quality guidelines, I have learned about various methods for tracking, reviewing, and building online courses (ECampus Alberta, 2017; Sharif).
In my research, I also learned that there are different dimensions to quality from various perspectives (see figure 1). This includes parents, teachers, administrators, and students. A study found that between these groups the most common quality criteria was course “course content, design and structure, different types of support, teaching and learning processes, and evaluation and assessment. The differences are mostly in the grouping of the criteria associated with these aspects” (Esfijani, 2019, pg. 69).
Figure 1. Multiple Dimensions of Quality Online Education (Esfijani, 2019, pg. 59).
I have found that if you do not follow a set of Quality Guidelines the potential for creating a course with incohesive content, poor student engagement and success, and unsuccessful technology is much greater. Students may already be engaging in a new format (online) and thus, the importance of having an organized and clearly communicated course is essential (Marmon, 2018). If a course does not follow a set of guidelines that address all aspects of a course the course can have the following issues;
In order to address these potential issues, Quality Guidelines that are suited towards your students and online software, are essential. In order to meet my student’s needs in my Quality Guidelines, I will be gathering research on various Quality Guidelines from other institutions and researchers. In particular, I will be looking at guidelines from institutions and courses in my field and demographic location. I will also be creating an online survey in each of my online courses to generate student feedback so I can develop and improve my courses and guidelines. I will also be using my own experience as an online learner to improve and write my guidelines. I also want to set a series of goals for my online courses including mobile readiness and accessibility such as looking at developing courses content that accessible for non-visual and non-hearing learners.
Reflective Questions: How does this fit with your experience? What successes and/or frustrations have you experienced in your elearning that may have been attributed to following (or not following) quality guidelines?
I feel like the above reflects my experience. I started building online courses in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, and had to “learn as I went.” I had had experience with platforms such as Canvas and had taken a course in Moodle but I had not used the specific Moodle platform that my company uses. From the beginning, I think it would have been useful to start with some specific Quality Guidelines because I found I had to go back and update courses as I learned and tested.
That being said, peer review remains an important part of my course development. My team and I ran a few test courses with colleagues and the generated from those tests informed our Quality Guidelines and course structure, along with the expertise of my team and the research we did. By continually reviewing and updating the initial courses we created, I gained perspective on how to structure and format things and learned how a well-structured course aids with assessment and communicating within it. In addition, having a peer review was essential as there were somethings that made sense to me but not to my colleagues, especially design and flow details. Following a set of Quality Guidelines has helped create a consistent flow and student experience in the course and has ensured that the courses work from an instructor and student perspective. It has also helped me gain perspective on where our resources need to go in terms of course improvement. I would like to put more resources into technology, student engagement, and accessibility.
I do find that you have to keep checking and going through the Quality Guidelines multiple times throughout a course. I have found that sometimes overtime a resource or external link will stop working, or a Moodle update will change some of the formattings of our courses. Lastly, I feel that there is always room for improvement and that Quality Guidelines can help guide you there.
Interpretive Questions: What does this new learning mean to you? What new insights do you now have? How has your thinking changed because of this learning?
Learning about Quality Guidelines have been very informative; it has shown my areas of concern in my courses such as improving the clarity of the content, structure, and assessments. It has also shown me where I and my institutions need to put our resources. I feel that after reading and researching Quality Guidelines we need to put more resources into developing engaging content, accessible resources, and make improvements to our Moodle platform. It has also shown me that many of the Quality Guidelines follow similar concerns/topics but are catered to the individual or institution’s needs. I am confident that I can adjust the Quality Guidelines to suit my names. It has also taught me that Quality Guidelines need to be continually updated as technology and learning theories change, and as I gather student feedback.
Throughout this research my thinking has changed, I have realized that there are more areas to address in a course than I originally came up with. I’ve learned that Quality Guidelines work best when they are organized appropriately and have clear points. I have also learned that I need to go through the Guidelines multiple times throughout a course and that the practical, “how it will work” is more important than the theory of how it will work. As a result, tests and trials are required. Lastly, I also learned that Quality Guidelines are dynamic, as I build a course and use it, things will change and the course will need to be updated and thus, it is important to remember that a course is not static in design or content.
Decisional Questions: How can this new learning be applied in your online course?
The first way I am going to apply it is by updating and revising our Quality Guidelines; I am going to expand on the sections including assessment, accessibility, technology, and teaching and learner resources. I am also going to build a course survey in order to gather student feedback and data so we can continue to update our courses. I also want to build a timeline for investing and redeveloping existing courses in order to match our quality guidelines and follow some of the innovative topics I found in other Quality Guidelines. In addition, I want to rethink how Quality Guidelines are divided for different users including instructors, administrators, and curriculum developers. I feel that the individuals in each of these roles have different needs when it comes to working with, using, and developing a course. I would also like to gather their feedback as well. Lastly, I’ve wanted to make a plan to revisit our Quality Guidelines often, in order to look for gaps, improvements, and other adjustments.
Reference List:
Boettcher, J.V., & Conrad, R (2016). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
ECampus Alberta. (2017). Essential Quality Standards 2.0. Retrieved from http://library.athabascau.ca/files/projects/ecampusalberta/quality/eCampusAlberta_QualityEQS2.0_Brochure_2017_FINAL.pdf
Esfijani, A. (2018). Measuring Quality in Online Education: A Meta-synthesis. American Journal of Distance Education, 32(1), 57-73.
Marmon, M. (2018). Enhancing social presence in online learning environments / Michael Marmon, editor.
Quality Online Learning and Teaching (QOLT) Instrument. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxN4M6qCVbDPOEl0d1dKWmFXOEk/view?pli=1
Sharif, A. (n.d.). Online/Blended Learning Course Quality Checklist. Retrieved July 25, 2019, from https://wiki.ubc.ca/images/1/1b/OnlineQualityCheckList_SiteJuly27.pdf
Yilmaz, R. (2017). Exploring the Role of E-Learning Readiness on Student Satisfaction and Motivation in Flipped Classroom. Computers in Human Behavior., 70(C), 251-260.
Quality Guideline Links
Click to access CanREGs%20Eng.pdf
Click to access facultycenter_OCAT_v2.0_25apr07.pdf
Click to access eCampusAlberta_QualityEQS2.0_Brochure_2017_FINAL.pdf
Click to access OnlineQualityCheckList_SiteJuly27.pdf
https://www.rit.edu/academicaffairs/tls/content/online-course-quality-checklist-ocqc
Click to access Online-Course-Guidelines-Checklist-DRAFT-2016.pdf
https://it.cornell.edu/document/online-course-quality-checklist-0
Quality Online Learning and Teaching (QOLT) Instrument. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxN4M6qCVbDPOEl0d1dKWmFXOEk/view?pli=1
Summary
E-Portfolio’s proved a dynamic and unique method for student assessment. They are typically a mini website or web page dedicated to the student’s courses or areas of research. E-Portfolio’s contain a variety of artifacts such as academic reflections and responses, compiled research, multimedia and academic resources. They allow the student to effectively organize all of their research and responses in one place that is both portable and accessible to people they share it with. E-Portfolio’s can be password protected or public, making it an easy and remote way to share assignments and research with instructors and other academic professionals.
Unlike, a heavily waited end of course exam E-Portfolios provide a way to assess student learning throughout the duration of a course or program. Student’s often contribute to their E-Portfolio on a regular basis through reading reflections, research compilation, and other writing assignments. This gives students the opportunity to “record their own progress, self-assess against learning outcomes, and reflect..on their development over time (Pelliccione & Dixone, 2008, pg.751). It also gives instructors the opportunity to see how a student has grown and developed over time, and provides a linear documentation that can be assessed. Rather than only seeing the outcome (like in a final exam) instructors can see the journey; they can observe student development.
E-Portfolio’s are also a great professional tool. They can take on the form of a active documentation of a students academic research and can be used as reference for potential employers or when a student is applying for a grant for academic research.
They are also creative, the allow the student to curate the information they find and integrate it with their own writing. E-Portfolio’s can also host a variety of media including videos, external links, photos or diagrams. this gives students the opportunity to express their learning in various formats. Overall, E-Portflio’s are a great assessment tool and benefit the learners professional and personal growth.
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My Learners
E-Portfolio’s would be a great way to assess my learners. Since, I primarily work in the humanities and creative arts, end of course examinations do not typically encompass student development. E-Portfolio’s would give my learners the opportunity to develop their own writing and engagement with academic text, reflect on their own artworks or writing pieces, and give them a creative outlet to do so.
They could also provide a way to engage in peer-assessment. Students can share pieces of their E-Portfolio with other students to get feedback on their research and projects.
My learner’s engagment with the readings is crucial and providing a way for students to respond to a reading is important. An E-Portfolio would give them a way to compile their responses and also look back on how their understanding of a text(s) may have changed over time.
It can also function as a professional tool for my students. They can include images of artworks and written pieces, that can be useful hen applying for grants or professional opportunities.
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My E-Portfolio
Developing an E-Portfolio would be a useful tool for my personal and professional development. I could use it to compile my research in an organized and portable place. An E-Portfolio can be way to showcase my research and my responses to other academic theories/ideas.
I also often find resources on the go and don’t always have the time to read them right away, I could create a place in my portfolio for these resources. It can also be a pace where I put my responses to a reading or essay, even a review of a book or paper, or experts from my own research.
In addition to professional reasons, I could include teaching resources on my portfolio. This could include my own writing, found articles and videos, and other resources.
Pelliccione l., Dixone, K. (2008) Portfolios: Beyond assessment to empowerment in the learning landscape. Conference proceedings Ascilite 2008. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ascilite.org/conferences/melbourne08/procs/pelliccione.pdf
Kahn, Susan (2014, Winter). E-Portfolios: A Look at Where We’ve Been, Where We Are Now, and Where We’re (Possibly) Going. Peer Review, 16/1, p. 4-7.
https://teaching.berkeley.edu/resources/assessment-and-evaluation/design-assessment/e-portfolio
Behaviourism, Constructivism, Cognitivism, Humanism, Connectivism
Throughout my research into the various learning theories above, I learned that each theory argues for a different instructor and learner roles. The two that stood out to me where constructivism and connectivism. Constructivism argues that humans acquire knowledge from their experiences whereas connectivism argues that technology has created non-linear learning and that this learning can be used for the learners benefit (“Constructivism”; Siemens, 2005).
I feel that both are applicable for online learning. Constructivism encourages problem-solving, peer-to-peer group work, and instructor facilitation. In an online learning environment, all of these aspects are important for a successful course. As an instructor’s role in an online course is to mentor and facilitate learning and thus they are not always readily available the importance of peer work and problem solving is significant (textbook, 2017). Through the lens of constructivism learner’s can work with their peers through online discussions and group projects, share their experiences, and learn together.
I teach contemporary art and art history, so peer to peer discussion is crucial. This includes discussing and interpreting artwork, and critiquing one peers artwork. Right now, I am building visual art online courses and the majority of my students will Generation Y and Z. Most of them will be 1st year students and thus, feeling and building a sense of community online will be important to their learning experience. I feel the connectivism supports a peer-to-peer learning experience and I plan on incorporating tools such as the Mural Brainstorming tool and other collobarative resources to encourage peer learning.
Constructivism is also a useful theory for online learning because it incorporates the learners experience with technology and maximizes. The majority of my learners have used the internet to “self-teach” and connectisvism provides method for using their desire to use the internet to learn while encouraging them how to find accurate information and make multidisciplinary connections with it (Giesbrecht, 2017). Learning how to find and use information online can help them build both their technical art skills (drawing, painting, Photoshop etc) and their theoretical skills as research is a pivotal aspect of contemporary art.
Connectivism also focuses on creating networks including using social media etc. When learning of art and visual learning, social media plays a key role in today’s environment (Goldie, 2016). Learners are continually viewing images and taking information from and it is my role as the instructor to show them how to read and understand images. In addition, to know what they may be trying to communicate or how they may try to manipulate the viewer.
Connectivism encourages the instructor to curate and guide the learners through their knowledge and connection forming experience. As an instructor, I can use visual networks to create research activities and encourage students to use this research to communicate their own visual message. Learners can then put their creation back into a visual network and see how new connections may form. These visual networks could be youtube, instagram, VSCO, flickr etc.
Construcvism and Connectivism both support my learners online and provide different methods for expanding my learners knowledge and learning network. I feel that both are useful in different ways, and in some cases compliment each other.
References
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2016). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Constructivism. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/learning_teaching/ict/theory/constructivism.shtml
Giesbrecht, N. (2017, June). Connectivism: Teaching and Learning (E. Van Dusen & P. Pichette, Eds.). Retrieved from http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/Connectivism:_Teaching_and_Learning
Goldie, J. (2016). Connectivism: A knowledge learning theory for the digital age? Medical Teacher,38(10), 1064-1069. Retrieved from http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/118043/9/118043.pdf
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism:A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved from http://itdl.org/journal/jan_05/article01.htm
Micaela's E-Learning Blog 