I chose to read chapters 8 and 9 on the "doing phase" or "hands on" phase. This is the phase that follows the reading, reflecting, and displaying. Phase 4 can be anything from writing a paper to interacting with people or data through various tools. These tools not only provide the "doing" or task, but through the use of wiki's, pod casts, discussion boards, and chat, it also provides a mechanism for feedback for the student.
A few of the techniques discussed for doing included simulation, case studies or scenarios, and wiki's. The first technique I find interesting is simulation. Often when a person (nursing instructors, at least) thinks of simulation, the new high fidelity manikins come to mind, but simulation comes in many forms. One example the text gave was the Cells Alive website, this website gives students the opportunity to see cells in action. This is not something that many students have the opportunity to see. I personally have used the cells alive website to show my students how cardiac cells differ from other cells in that they have what is called automaticity. It shows how one cell by itself will begin contracting, then when placed on a slide with other cardiac cells (all separated) they all contract but not in a synchronized rhythm, as the cells move closer together though, their rhythm becomes synchronized and they end up contracting together, this is really cool to see. Another example of simulation is a virtual patient care activity that allows students to experience decision making without putting a live patient at risk. I pulled out the medical uses in this blog, but simulation is used in numerous other classes, business, education, etc.
Another technique or tool is the use of case studies or case scenarios, these can offer practice or learning of problem solving and decision making. These can be done asynchronously or synchronously. When adding the use of chat, students can have access to people in the field being studied and receive feedback from experts in that field.
Wiki's are also a tool for doing, we all experienced the benefits of wiki in this class (playing on pbwiki). Wiki's can be used to "do" many things in the final phases of a class, or during the learning, using it as a teaching tool. The text mentions how through the use of wiki's students can collaborate and write a book using wiki. How cool would that be, while learning about the online tools, a group uses wiki to write about their experiences and how they learned the online tools.
Chapter 9 is a wealth of information, providing ideas, applications for use and instructional considerations for specific activities. I am not going to list all the activities (there are many) but some require software to be purchased while others make use of readily available online tools such as wiki or discussion boards.
Reference:
Bonk, C. & Zhang, K. (2008). Empowering online learning: 100+ activities for reading, reflecting, displaying, & doing. San Francisco. Jossey-Bass.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Week 10, Blog 4 . . . the objectives become clearer
I do have to say, the reading is a little easier. The Morrison, Ross, & Kemp's Designing Effective Instruction is easier for me to read than the first two texts. I am going to discuss the chapter on objectives. This has always been a difficult area for me in teaching. I don't think I had ever really researched the process. I have read objectives in the beginning of chapters or in a syllabus or course of study, but did not really think about how they were determined. I understood the different levels of difficulty and knew there were specific verbs that would relate to each level, but that was about the extent of my knowledge. As Dr. Ge will discover (when reading my design proposal that has my learning objectives written) I really do not have a good grip on that skill, but luckily, the text states that often objectives are revised as the instructional design develops.
Morrison, Ross, & Kemp (2007) describe three functions of objectives: 1. to organize resources and activities, 2. to provide a framework for evaluation, and 3. to provide a guide to the information. Objectives must be written focused on the actions of the learner. They are what the learner will accomplish during the learning experience or activitiy. These objectives may be from any of the three domains (cognitive, psychomotor, and affective) or from all three. The levels of difficulty I mentioned above are a part of the cognitive domain. Depending on the verb chosen, the degree of difficulty can change. These degrees of difficulty include, (beginning at the lowest levell) knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The degree of difficulty can also change in the psychomotor domain depending on the verb chosen. The degrees of difficulty in the psychomotor domain include (again beginning at the lowest level) imitation, manipulation, precision, and articulation. The affective domain also has levels of difficulty which include: receiving, responding, valuing, organizing and characterizing. According to Morrison et. al, (2007), the afective domain objectives may not be obtained during the time frame of the class or instruction, but may be obtained months or years later as these objectives involves values and attitudes.
Writing objectives is more than strictly stating what the learner will accomplish following the learning experience and is an active portion of the instructional design as it may begin simply as a guide for the instructor but then must be revised to guide the learner.
Whew!!!! So much planning goes into developing objectives and ensuring they reflect the task analysis and instructional purpose.
Reference:
Morrison, G., Ross, S., & Kemp, J (2007) Designing effective instruction. (5th Edition). Chennai, India: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Morrison, Ross, & Kemp (2007) describe three functions of objectives: 1. to organize resources and activities, 2. to provide a framework for evaluation, and 3. to provide a guide to the information. Objectives must be written focused on the actions of the learner. They are what the learner will accomplish during the learning experience or activitiy. These objectives may be from any of the three domains (cognitive, psychomotor, and affective) or from all three. The levels of difficulty I mentioned above are a part of the cognitive domain. Depending on the verb chosen, the degree of difficulty can change. These degrees of difficulty include, (beginning at the lowest levell) knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The degree of difficulty can also change in the psychomotor domain depending on the verb chosen. The degrees of difficulty in the psychomotor domain include (again beginning at the lowest level) imitation, manipulation, precision, and articulation. The affective domain also has levels of difficulty which include: receiving, responding, valuing, organizing and characterizing. According to Morrison et. al, (2007), the afective domain objectives may not be obtained during the time frame of the class or instruction, but may be obtained months or years later as these objectives involves values and attitudes.
Writing objectives is more than strictly stating what the learner will accomplish following the learning experience and is an active portion of the instructional design as it may begin simply as a guide for the instructor but then must be revised to guide the learner.
Whew!!!! So much planning goes into developing objectives and ensuring they reflect the task analysis and instructional purpose.
Reference:
Morrison, G., Ross, S., & Kemp, J (2007) Designing effective instruction. (5th Edition). Chennai, India: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Reflective Summary 2
Question 1:
The CSILE case study from CSCL 2 (2001) is used to illustrate the use and role of technology and the role of the teacher or instructor and instructional strategies needed to determine what technological tools can do and how these tools require support from teachers and instructional strategies. The CSILE case study consisted of one teacher with two separate attempts using CSILE two years apart and the lessons learned. This CSILE study illustrates how changes in student outcomes can happen by reviewing instructional strategies and the role of the teacher in relation to the technology used in the classroom.
According to Hewitt (2001) Knowledge Building Communities allow for knowledge to be built from the collaboration of the participants as opposed to information only coming from the teacher. Students in this atmosphere must play a participatory role in gathering information thereby making learning the goal instead of simply completing a task and possibly learning from the assignment. This format allows for the focus on intentional learning (Hewitt, 2001), in that the learning is the goal as opposed to it being an incidental outcome of projects.
According to Hewitt (2001) the instructional strategies used during the second trial included: “Placing a greater focus on problem-centered collaboration” (p. 27); “Guide student toward educationally productive queries.” (p. 29); “Make student thinking focal.” (p. 30); “Make evident the iterative progression of learning.” (p. 32); “Encourage substantive collaboration.” (p. 35); and “Stress understanding.” (p. 35). These strategies were developed after reviewing the CSILE project and identifying specific problems.
The use of the technology, CSILE, provided a tool for students that would: record ideas, allow for viewing by peers, enable students to comment on peer’s ideas, provide the ability to link ideas/comments, and provide tags to organize ideas. The relationship between the use of technology and the strategies used during the second trial allowed for greater success. Simply using the technology available without proper instructional strategies to guide students through the process of building knowledge was found to be unsuccessful. The students, with additional instructional strategies, were directed to begin with a problem statement as opposed to a topic and were provided with a format to list the information in the database. This change in instructional strategy allowed for a more focused research and increased collaboration. (Hewitt, 2001) The collaborative tools available in CSILE coupled with the instructional strategies increased the level of collaboration among students and changed the activity from a task-based assignment into a knowledge building experience (Hewitt, 2001).
The role of this technology is to allow the student to input ideas and solutions into a database in order to involve students in learning and understanding new concepts and relationships. The role of the teacher is to provide initial instruction of the technology, emphasize understanding, encourage collaboration, and guide the learning process from knowledge gathering to knowledge building (Hewitt, 2001).
Question 2:
The learning community that I would like to develop is a hybrid VLC designed for an online post-clinical conference for practical nursing students. This VLC would incorporate face-to-face meetings with online activities. The technology to be used to support the online activities is Moodle. This technology provides the tools needed for communication, group work, collaboration, and reflective journaling. According to Wikipedia ( 2009 ) Moodle allows for a constructivist or social constructivist approach to learning in that the students are encouraged to contribute to the educational experience. The construction of Moodle is set for a modular format, this format can be developed in a weekly platform that will assist with the online post clinical conference.
The design of Moodle provides the scaffolding for communication through the use of forums that provide the opportunity for asynchronous discussions, a chat feature that provides the opportunity for synchronous discussions, and e-mail for additional communication. Jones & Bronack (2007) mention “an effective learning environment is one that supports the transmission of information by providing a context for people to communicate.” (p. 101) Collaboration is supported in Moodle through the use of wiki’s and databases. Reflective journaling is supported through the use of a journal activity built into Moodle. According to Dunlap (2006) journal writing is a technology that can enhance critical thinking, as well as record changes in the student’s perception during the learning event.
Instructional strategies for this VLC include guide discussions, encourage collaboration, provide examples, and stress understanding. The discussion boards (or forums) will provide the environment and opportunity for students to reflect on the information they learned during the clinical setting and use the guiding questions to further expand and build on their current knowledge. Bonk & Zhang (2006) note that discussion boards or forums allow for a delayed response to questions or statements, allowing for a more in-depth discussion. The opportunity for a more in-depth response and how it relates to the clinical experience can assist to build on the student’s critical thinking in the clinical context. Collaboration will be encouraged during the guided discussions as well as during projects using the wiki tool built in to Moodle. The projects, such as developing a patient teaching plan or concept map, will allow for additional collaboration as students work in groups to build on their knowledge in these areas. Examples will be provided to students as they begin the activities to provide a framework for their projects.
The teacher’s facilitation is provided in guiding the face-to-face meetings directly following the clinical experience to allow the students a debriefing time and answer questions that may have developed during the experience. Facilitation is also evidence by providing guiding questions and projects to allow the student to develop and build their knowledge concerning the clinical portion of their nursing education. The teacher will also model behavior that is expected in the clinical setting as well as on discussion boards and activities by providing timely feedback and assistance to finding answers as students require the additional help.
The theory that supports the use of Moodle for providing the online post clinical conference is a constructivist theory, Morrison, Ross & Kemp state that Vygotsky’s theory states, “. . . that social interactions can facilitate learners; progression to more advanced ways of thinking and problem solving.” (2007, p. 355) The constructivist theories of learning emphasize the student’s active role in the learning process, participating in the learning experience as opposed to simply memorizing the information. This theory is appropriate for the online post clinical conference, because it is the cultivation of knowledge and the application of that knowledge that is used for the clinical experience and to build critical thinking.
References:
Wikipedia, (2009). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle
Bonk, C. & Zhang, K. (2006). Introducing the R2D2 Model: Online learning for the diverse learners of the world. Distance Education, 27(2), 249-264.
Dunlap, J. (2006). Using guided reflective journaling activities to capture students’ changing perceptions. TechTrends, 50(6). 20-26.
Hewitt, J. (2002) From a focus on tasks to a focus on understanding: The cultural transformation of a Toronto classroom. In T. Koschmann, R. Hall, & N. Miyake (Eds.). CSCL 2: Carrying forward the conversation. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Jones, G. & Bronack, S (2007). Rethinking cognition, representations, and processes in 3D online social learning environments. In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich, & M Prensky (Eds.). Games and simulations in online learning: Research and development frameworks. (pp 89-114). Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing.
Morrison, G., Ross, S., & Kemp, J (2007) Designing effective instruction. (5th Edition). Chennai, India: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The CSILE case study from CSCL 2 (2001) is used to illustrate the use and role of technology and the role of the teacher or instructor and instructional strategies needed to determine what technological tools can do and how these tools require support from teachers and instructional strategies. The CSILE case study consisted of one teacher with two separate attempts using CSILE two years apart and the lessons learned. This CSILE study illustrates how changes in student outcomes can happen by reviewing instructional strategies and the role of the teacher in relation to the technology used in the classroom.
According to Hewitt (2001) Knowledge Building Communities allow for knowledge to be built from the collaboration of the participants as opposed to information only coming from the teacher. Students in this atmosphere must play a participatory role in gathering information thereby making learning the goal instead of simply completing a task and possibly learning from the assignment. This format allows for the focus on intentional learning (Hewitt, 2001), in that the learning is the goal as opposed to it being an incidental outcome of projects.
According to Hewitt (2001) the instructional strategies used during the second trial included: “Placing a greater focus on problem-centered collaboration” (p. 27); “Guide student toward educationally productive queries.” (p. 29); “Make student thinking focal.” (p. 30); “Make evident the iterative progression of learning.” (p. 32); “Encourage substantive collaboration.” (p. 35); and “Stress understanding.” (p. 35). These strategies were developed after reviewing the CSILE project and identifying specific problems.
The use of the technology, CSILE, provided a tool for students that would: record ideas, allow for viewing by peers, enable students to comment on peer’s ideas, provide the ability to link ideas/comments, and provide tags to organize ideas. The relationship between the use of technology and the strategies used during the second trial allowed for greater success. Simply using the technology available without proper instructional strategies to guide students through the process of building knowledge was found to be unsuccessful. The students, with additional instructional strategies, were directed to begin with a problem statement as opposed to a topic and were provided with a format to list the information in the database. This change in instructional strategy allowed for a more focused research and increased collaboration. (Hewitt, 2001) The collaborative tools available in CSILE coupled with the instructional strategies increased the level of collaboration among students and changed the activity from a task-based assignment into a knowledge building experience (Hewitt, 2001).
The role of this technology is to allow the student to input ideas and solutions into a database in order to involve students in learning and understanding new concepts and relationships. The role of the teacher is to provide initial instruction of the technology, emphasize understanding, encourage collaboration, and guide the learning process from knowledge gathering to knowledge building (Hewitt, 2001).
Question 2:
The learning community that I would like to develop is a hybrid VLC designed for an online post-clinical conference for practical nursing students. This VLC would incorporate face-to-face meetings with online activities. The technology to be used to support the online activities is Moodle. This technology provides the tools needed for communication, group work, collaboration, and reflective journaling. According to Wikipedia ( 2009 ) Moodle allows for a constructivist or social constructivist approach to learning in that the students are encouraged to contribute to the educational experience. The construction of Moodle is set for a modular format, this format can be developed in a weekly platform that will assist with the online post clinical conference.
The design of Moodle provides the scaffolding for communication through the use of forums that provide the opportunity for asynchronous discussions, a chat feature that provides the opportunity for synchronous discussions, and e-mail for additional communication. Jones & Bronack (2007) mention “an effective learning environment is one that supports the transmission of information by providing a context for people to communicate.” (p. 101) Collaboration is supported in Moodle through the use of wiki’s and databases. Reflective journaling is supported through the use of a journal activity built into Moodle. According to Dunlap (2006) journal writing is a technology that can enhance critical thinking, as well as record changes in the student’s perception during the learning event.
Instructional strategies for this VLC include guide discussions, encourage collaboration, provide examples, and stress understanding. The discussion boards (or forums) will provide the environment and opportunity for students to reflect on the information they learned during the clinical setting and use the guiding questions to further expand and build on their current knowledge. Bonk & Zhang (2006) note that discussion boards or forums allow for a delayed response to questions or statements, allowing for a more in-depth discussion. The opportunity for a more in-depth response and how it relates to the clinical experience can assist to build on the student’s critical thinking in the clinical context. Collaboration will be encouraged during the guided discussions as well as during projects using the wiki tool built in to Moodle. The projects, such as developing a patient teaching plan or concept map, will allow for additional collaboration as students work in groups to build on their knowledge in these areas. Examples will be provided to students as they begin the activities to provide a framework for their projects.
The teacher’s facilitation is provided in guiding the face-to-face meetings directly following the clinical experience to allow the students a debriefing time and answer questions that may have developed during the experience. Facilitation is also evidence by providing guiding questions and projects to allow the student to develop and build their knowledge concerning the clinical portion of their nursing education. The teacher will also model behavior that is expected in the clinical setting as well as on discussion boards and activities by providing timely feedback and assistance to finding answers as students require the additional help.
The theory that supports the use of Moodle for providing the online post clinical conference is a constructivist theory, Morrison, Ross & Kemp state that Vygotsky’s theory states, “. . . that social interactions can facilitate learners; progression to more advanced ways of thinking and problem solving.” (2007, p. 355) The constructivist theories of learning emphasize the student’s active role in the learning process, participating in the learning experience as opposed to simply memorizing the information. This theory is appropriate for the online post clinical conference, because it is the cultivation of knowledge and the application of that knowledge that is used for the clinical experience and to build critical thinking.
References:
Wikipedia, (2009). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle
Bonk, C. & Zhang, K. (2006). Introducing the R2D2 Model: Online learning for the diverse learners of the world. Distance Education, 27(2), 249-264.
Dunlap, J. (2006). Using guided reflective journaling activities to capture students’ changing perceptions. TechTrends, 50(6). 20-26.
Hewitt, J. (2002) From a focus on tasks to a focus on understanding: The cultural transformation of a Toronto classroom. In T. Koschmann, R. Hall, & N. Miyake (Eds.). CSCL 2: Carrying forward the conversation. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Jones, G. & Bronack, S (2007). Rethinking cognition, representations, and processes in 3D online social learning environments. In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich, & M Prensky (Eds.). Games and simulations in online learning: Research and development frameworks. (pp 89-114). Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing.
Morrison, G., Ross, S., & Kemp, J (2007) Designing effective instruction. (5th Edition). Chennai, India: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Games and simulation in online learning
Chapter 5
Learning is an active process, as the article, Rethinking Cognition, Representations, and Processes in 3D Online Social Learning Environments (Jones & Bronack, 2007) states “learning . . . as a contiguous process that exists each time people willfully interact with each other in the world around them.” (pg 93). By using 3D technologies members have the means to interact with their environment as it becomes a socially oriented learning environment allowing for interaction between not only members and their environment, but members and their peers and instructors or other experts. Through this interaction, the members have the opportunity to take an active role and participate within the virtual world by adding content or through communication.
Using such 3-D technologies as avatars, virtual environments and voice can create an online social environment that is an effective learning community. The use of 3-D avatars enhance the online social environment by allowing a visual symbol or model of a person to communicate or interact with in the online community. This tool allows the members to make connections with other members. As stated in the article, the research at the University of North Texas, “students rated the 3d learning environment as providing the same level of satisfaction and interaction as the face-to-face course.” (p.108)
With the use of avatars, the member becomes a part of the environment, interacting with other avatars and the environment online; they can become immersed in the situation or activity. It is through this immersion that situated learning can take place, the learners are immersed in the activity, actually responding to the environment and becoming an active participant as opposed to a passive viewer of information. Another theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, is supported through this type of learning environment, by engaging students in tasks that they can build knowledge with the help of peers and teachers.
The 3-D technology also enables the member to move through the virtual world or space, allowing them to feel as though they were entering a room or area and seeing other people (avatars) in the room. With the added feature of voice, as the member enters a room, they have the capability to join in a discussion verbally. If voice is not enabled, as they enter a room, there is chat enabled and the discussion is text based.
Chapter 13
The game “Reliving the Revolution” was developed to help learners learn history through experiencing the activity. The game was developed to be played specifically in Lexington, Ma using a handheld PDA with a GPS. The teams are composed of eight members paired up to play the role of four different historic character. As students arrived at certain locations, the GPS triggered information to be given by a historic figure through the PDA. This information, received through the PDA, was in the context of their character. Each pair in the team received different information, based on their character. As the students collect information, they collaborated with each other to interpret the evidence. The game consisted of two time periods, one before the Battle of Lexington and one after the Battle of Lexington. Following the two time frames of collecting evidence, the groups compared evidence with the other characters or roles during a debate to determine “Who fired the first shot?”.
By using the augmented reality game, the participants were immersed in the situation, physically being at the location of evidence and using the technology to deliver the evidence that was needed to determine the solution to the problem “who fired the first shot?”. This augmented reality game allowed for collaboration between paired team members and also the group of eight students as they debated the evidence they each gathered, all in a differing context.
References:
Jones & Bronack, (2007), Rethinking cognition, representations, and processes in 3d online social learning environments. In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich, & M. Prensky (Eds.) Games and simulatins in online learning: Research and development frameworks Hershey, Information Science Publishing.
Learning is an active process, as the article, Rethinking Cognition, Representations, and Processes in 3D Online Social Learning Environments (Jones & Bronack, 2007) states “learning . . . as a contiguous process that exists each time people willfully interact with each other in the world around them.” (pg 93). By using 3D technologies members have the means to interact with their environment as it becomes a socially oriented learning environment allowing for interaction between not only members and their environment, but members and their peers and instructors or other experts. Through this interaction, the members have the opportunity to take an active role and participate within the virtual world by adding content or through communication.
Using such 3-D technologies as avatars, virtual environments and voice can create an online social environment that is an effective learning community. The use of 3-D avatars enhance the online social environment by allowing a visual symbol or model of a person to communicate or interact with in the online community. This tool allows the members to make connections with other members. As stated in the article, the research at the University of North Texas, “students rated the 3d learning environment as providing the same level of satisfaction and interaction as the face-to-face course.” (p.108)
With the use of avatars, the member becomes a part of the environment, interacting with other avatars and the environment online; they can become immersed in the situation or activity. It is through this immersion that situated learning can take place, the learners are immersed in the activity, actually responding to the environment and becoming an active participant as opposed to a passive viewer of information. Another theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, is supported through this type of learning environment, by engaging students in tasks that they can build knowledge with the help of peers and teachers.
The 3-D technology also enables the member to move through the virtual world or space, allowing them to feel as though they were entering a room or area and seeing other people (avatars) in the room. With the added feature of voice, as the member enters a room, they have the capability to join in a discussion verbally. If voice is not enabled, as they enter a room, there is chat enabled and the discussion is text based.
Chapter 13
The game “Reliving the Revolution” was developed to help learners learn history through experiencing the activity. The game was developed to be played specifically in Lexington, Ma using a handheld PDA with a GPS. The teams are composed of eight members paired up to play the role of four different historic character. As students arrived at certain locations, the GPS triggered information to be given by a historic figure through the PDA. This information, received through the PDA, was in the context of their character. Each pair in the team received different information, based on their character. As the students collect information, they collaborated with each other to interpret the evidence. The game consisted of two time periods, one before the Battle of Lexington and one after the Battle of Lexington. Following the two time frames of collecting evidence, the groups compared evidence with the other characters or roles during a debate to determine “Who fired the first shot?”.
By using the augmented reality game, the participants were immersed in the situation, physically being at the location of evidence and using the technology to deliver the evidence that was needed to determine the solution to the problem “who fired the first shot?”. This augmented reality game allowed for collaboration between paired team members and also the group of eight students as they debated the evidence they each gathered, all in a differing context.
References:
Jones & Bronack, (2007), Rethinking cognition, representations, and processes in 3d online social learning environments. In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich, & M. Prensky (Eds.) Games and simulatins in online learning: Research and development frameworks Hershey, Information Science Publishing.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Reflective Summary 1
The growth and evolution of the Internet has changed the boundaries of communities. What once was defined by physical boundaries or cultures, are now obscure and knows no physical boundaries, the boundaries instead are now contents and interests (Renninger & Shumar, 2006). With increased access to the Internet, virtual communities allow for a new medium for teaching and learning. These communities are referred to as virtual learning communities or VLC.
My concept of an ideal VLC would be a virtual learning community designed to provide training and support to new nursing instructors employed with Oklahoma CareerTech, “OKCTNNE.” Nursing educators for Oklahoma CareerTech are required to be Registered Nurses (RN), preferably at a Bachelors level or higher. But, because of the need for educators, there are times when an RN is hired with an Associate’s Degree and begins to work toward a Bachelor’s Degree. Now, with that said, an RN is familiar with nursing information and clinical information, but the skills and knowledge needed for teaching are lacking. Skills and knowledge such as classroom management, learning theories, curriculum development, and item writing are not covered in nursing school. These new educators need support and additional education; what better than a hybrid VLC?
A hybrid VLC would combine a face-to-face component with online community activities and information. Each year the community will expand to include new nursing instructors hired in July. The first face-to-face meeting would be in July at New Teacher Orientation. The group will attend a two-day conference that will offer several learning opportunities including an introduction to the VLC and instruction for navigation within the community. In addition, attendees will receive information concerning community expectations. New hires after July will be offered the opportunity to view the streaming video of the conferences and some additional instruction from staff then join in the group activities.
According to Reil and Polin (2004) practice-based learning communities can be built around a field of endeavor, with the members having a shared goal and recognize the responsibility to learn for and from the community. By recognizing these traits, the OKCTNNE community would be considered a practice-based learning community. The members will have the shared goal of learning or gaining skills needed to be successful in teaching nursing. The leadership of the community will share the goal of the members by providing learning activities, guiding discussions, and being available for support.
Members of OKCTNNE will be paid staff development educators with Oklahoma CareerTech, the newly hired nursing instructors, and members who have had membership greater than one year who wish to serve as volunteer/mentors. Membership requirements will encourage the attendance of the July face-to-face conference and the bi-monthly meetings and participate in the learning activities and discussion boards on OKCTNNE. The bi-monthly meetings will provide hands-on activities and learning opportunities in addition to the learning activities online. The discussion boards will be utilized for asynchronous learning activities and also will provide an area for a reflective journal of the first year of teaching. Members who are unable to attend the face-to-face conferences will have the opportunity to view the speakers on streaming video and have handouts electronically available, although attendance is encouraged.
Referring back to the example of the Tapped In community, the tools available to encourage a learning environment included a white board, sharable text documents, wiki’s, and human presence (Renninger and Shumar, 2002). Office hours will be scheduled to allow access to the paid staff development educators for assistance with activities or questions in general.
According to Renninger and Shumar (2006), learning communities are diverse and can be compared to organisms in that they evolve and change. This change will take place as new members join, previous members leave, and technology evolves. The developers and administrators of the VLC must accept this as inevitable. An evaluation tool will be used at the end of the year for all members to complete in order to assure that the needs of the members are being met, and to make necessary changes to prevent extinction of the community.
Prior to the readings, I had not thought of the websites that I visited as virtual learning communities. They were just sites that I could go to, to research a topic or learn a craft. I had not thought of the planning, developing and interactions of members keeping the community alive and thriving. We discussed being a member of a community and merely “lurking” and the importance of the lurker as well as the participant who contributes to the discussions. With this understanding, I continue to “lurk” but I find I contribute a little more than I previously did. I think I did not realize that there might be someone out there that may learn something from my post, just as I do from theirs. I find myself looking at the sites a little differently now, trying to determine the purpose and needs of the community.
References:
Renniger, K. & Shumar, W., (2002). Building Virtual Communities: Learning and change incyberspace. Cambridge University Press.
Riel, M. & Polin, L. (2004). Learning communities: Common ground and critical differences in designing technical environments. In S. Barab, R. Kling & J. Gray (Eds.),Designing for Virtual Communities in the Service of Learning. Cambridge, MA:Cambridge University Press.
My concept of an ideal VLC would be a virtual learning community designed to provide training and support to new nursing instructors employed with Oklahoma CareerTech, “OKCTNNE.” Nursing educators for Oklahoma CareerTech are required to be Registered Nurses (RN), preferably at a Bachelors level or higher. But, because of the need for educators, there are times when an RN is hired with an Associate’s Degree and begins to work toward a Bachelor’s Degree. Now, with that said, an RN is familiar with nursing information and clinical information, but the skills and knowledge needed for teaching are lacking. Skills and knowledge such as classroom management, learning theories, curriculum development, and item writing are not covered in nursing school. These new educators need support and additional education; what better than a hybrid VLC?
A hybrid VLC would combine a face-to-face component with online community activities and information. Each year the community will expand to include new nursing instructors hired in July. The first face-to-face meeting would be in July at New Teacher Orientation. The group will attend a two-day conference that will offer several learning opportunities including an introduction to the VLC and instruction for navigation within the community. In addition, attendees will receive information concerning community expectations. New hires after July will be offered the opportunity to view the streaming video of the conferences and some additional instruction from staff then join in the group activities.
According to Reil and Polin (2004) practice-based learning communities can be built around a field of endeavor, with the members having a shared goal and recognize the responsibility to learn for and from the community. By recognizing these traits, the OKCTNNE community would be considered a practice-based learning community. The members will have the shared goal of learning or gaining skills needed to be successful in teaching nursing. The leadership of the community will share the goal of the members by providing learning activities, guiding discussions, and being available for support.
Members of OKCTNNE will be paid staff development educators with Oklahoma CareerTech, the newly hired nursing instructors, and members who have had membership greater than one year who wish to serve as volunteer/mentors. Membership requirements will encourage the attendance of the July face-to-face conference and the bi-monthly meetings and participate in the learning activities and discussion boards on OKCTNNE. The bi-monthly meetings will provide hands-on activities and learning opportunities in addition to the learning activities online. The discussion boards will be utilized for asynchronous learning activities and also will provide an area for a reflective journal of the first year of teaching. Members who are unable to attend the face-to-face conferences will have the opportunity to view the speakers on streaming video and have handouts electronically available, although attendance is encouraged.
Referring back to the example of the Tapped In community, the tools available to encourage a learning environment included a white board, sharable text documents, wiki’s, and human presence (Renninger and Shumar, 2002). Office hours will be scheduled to allow access to the paid staff development educators for assistance with activities or questions in general.
According to Renninger and Shumar (2006), learning communities are diverse and can be compared to organisms in that they evolve and change. This change will take place as new members join, previous members leave, and technology evolves. The developers and administrators of the VLC must accept this as inevitable. An evaluation tool will be used at the end of the year for all members to complete in order to assure that the needs of the members are being met, and to make necessary changes to prevent extinction of the community.
Prior to the readings, I had not thought of the websites that I visited as virtual learning communities. They were just sites that I could go to, to research a topic or learn a craft. I had not thought of the planning, developing and interactions of members keeping the community alive and thriving. We discussed being a member of a community and merely “lurking” and the importance of the lurker as well as the participant who contributes to the discussions. With this understanding, I continue to “lurk” but I find I contribute a little more than I previously did. I think I did not realize that there might be someone out there that may learn something from my post, just as I do from theirs. I find myself looking at the sites a little differently now, trying to determine the purpose and needs of the community.
References:
Renniger, K. & Shumar, W., (2002). Building Virtual Communities: Learning and change incyberspace. Cambridge University Press.
Riel, M. & Polin, L. (2004). Learning communities: Common ground and critical differences in designing technical environments. In S. Barab, R. Kling & J. Gray (Eds.),Designing for Virtual Communities in the Service of Learning. Cambridge, MA:Cambridge University Press.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Case Study
You Tube Case Study:
I decided to visit the You Tube virtual community because I was a little more familiar with accessing the videos available there and was interested in looking for some educational videos to use as resource material for my nursing students. Before I decided on You Tube, though, I was torn between observing You Tube or Second Life. I did go to the Second Life web page, but was overwhelmed and a little insecure about joining because I was unsure of my technological skills. You Tube was less intimidating to me. I joined You Tube and began the experience by viewing the You Tube handbook and then clicking on the pressroom then on a link named [just the facts]. This page gave me information about the community and as the link was named, I received just the facts.
After reading the facts, I went to the home page and clicked on the videos tab and from there; I observed what videos were the most viewed for the week. Then I did a search for education, this brought various types of videos so I narrowed my search to Nursing Education and was truly amazed at the various types of information available. I will use this community as a resource for my students, as there are some very good videos available. But, as with all information available in this medium, the videos will need to be previewed very well before recommending them to a student.
It was ironic though, that there are several videos on preparing an online educational opportunity using Second Life. I took the time to view a couple of the videos, just to see how that VLC could be used in teaching. I found an interactive hospital ward and also several different types of nursing theory classes. I think that much of what I saw of Second Life could provide more interaction learning experiences for the student as opposed to viewing a video and commenting.
The purpose of this community, You Tube, is multifaceted in that it could be used for communication, education, entertainment, or just about anything. The members of the community guide the environment. Membership in this website offers the opportunity to publish videos for anyone who wishes to view it, or the videos can be kept private, and only shared with the people the member wants to view the video. In addition, a member can subscribe to any channel and receive newly uploaded videos from their favorite You Tube video producer. The possibilities with this community are endless. The community offers assistance to teach members tips and tricks to shooting video and uploading it to the website as well as instructions on how to search for and view videos. You Tube makes it easy for people without much technical education to enjoy the community.
Communication within the community is through the videos and comments given by people viewing the videos. At first I had a difficult time following the discussion or comments, then I realized that if I clicked on the [view all __ comments] link, I would be able to follow the comments in order. This made reading the comments much easier. I watched one video on “A day in the life of an ER nurse” and was amazed at the locations from the people who commented on the video; one was from Australia, another from Italy and many from all across the United States. The majority of the comments were just that, comments. Not much communication between the producer of the video and the individuals commenting. Nor did I see much communication between the people commenting; out of 36 comments, only two were responses from the producer. Also, I did not see the people talking to each other, only commenting of their view of the video or message.
The design features that I found that would support, sustain, and develop You Tube as a virtual community is the ease of use in uploading video and also accessing and viewing the videos. The medium can be shared easily through email, blogspots, and linking on other online communities. You Tube also allows people to do what they like best, be in the limelight and share what they enjoy in life with others. The name says it all: “You Tube – Broadcast Yourself”.
You Tube can be used as a virtual learning community in a variety of ways. People, like me, can search and review videos that would be appropriate to use to reinforce information for students, or an instructor could tape a presentation or a lesson, upload it to You Tube, and link it to a web page, post a link on a different VLC, or even email the link to students. The ease of access to You Tube to view videos adds an added dimension to the community as a virtual learning community.
Tapped In Case Study
After visiting Tapped In, Math forum, Knowledge Forum, and Webquest’s home pages, I chose to observe the Tapped In virtual learning community. This community was easy to join and navigate. The home page, prior to logging in, offers many links for information about Tapped In and what to expect from the community. I reviewed this information before logging in to help me understand what to expect. This did help me feel a little better once I arrived in the Reception room. I chose this community for the features it offered, peer support, educational opportunities and the virtual office. After logging in, I set up my virtual office and then went browsing through the site. I entered a room on collaboration just as a class was ending and was greeted by the instructor who offered to email me the information that was covered during the class. He also invited me to his next class on setting up a K-12 class. I did set in on that class for a short period of time just to see the format. During that time I learned about some of the tools in the chat/class rooms that will allow you to see the information better or save it until you can use the information.
The Tapped In VLC is a practice based community; according to Reil and Polin, a practice based learning community is a larger community with a vast membership with shared goals that are supported by the community. Tapped In (TI) is an online learning environment that offers Teacher Professional Development opportunities in addition to collaboration and peer support from other educators.
TI is a virtual community that is text based, there are no video or animation plug ins, but additional technology can still be used. During a learning activity, a link to sites, such as You Tube, can be typed in to the discussion board; then after the class watches the video it can be discussed in the chat/classroom. Knowledge is constructed through collaboration and discussion among members of the community. Activity in the community is through either offering a learning experience or attending one of the many classes available. The classes are conducted in a synchronous format with the option to also discuss a specific topic privately with anyone in the class. Following the discussion, if a member is logged in, they will be emailed a transcript of the discussion while that member was participating. This is an added feature that allows for review of the information discussed.
One of the design features of TI that helps sustain the community over time is the human feature. This VLC has staff and volunteers that are available to assist members and to welcome new members to get them started. In addition to the human feature is the ability to make the community be what you need it to be. This can be using the site for online meetings, teaching opportunities, or online storage of projects needing collaboration. Another feature is the calendar on the home page that allows members to see the learning opportunities available. It is easy to join a class through the calendar; the member simply clicks on the open door and is taken to the classroom. I read through some of the transcripts from previous classes and the human feature was again prominent as each class began with an introduction of participants, and a welcome from the mediator and guest speaker.
Tapped In is a virtual learning community that I will use in a couple of ways, I plan to attend some of the classes on technology use in education to begin with, but I will also use the community’s feature of a virtual office. The virtual office is a feature that would allow a place for a teacher or student to upload files for a project they are currently working on, and have them available from any computer that has Internet access. This tool, in addition to the learning opportunities and peer support makes this community valuable resource to educators.
I decided to visit the You Tube virtual community because I was a little more familiar with accessing the videos available there and was interested in looking for some educational videos to use as resource material for my nursing students. Before I decided on You Tube, though, I was torn between observing You Tube or Second Life. I did go to the Second Life web page, but was overwhelmed and a little insecure about joining because I was unsure of my technological skills. You Tube was less intimidating to me. I joined You Tube and began the experience by viewing the You Tube handbook and then clicking on the pressroom then on a link named [just the facts]. This page gave me information about the community and as the link was named, I received just the facts.
After reading the facts, I went to the home page and clicked on the videos tab and from there; I observed what videos were the most viewed for the week. Then I did a search for education, this brought various types of videos so I narrowed my search to Nursing Education and was truly amazed at the various types of information available. I will use this community as a resource for my students, as there are some very good videos available. But, as with all information available in this medium, the videos will need to be previewed very well before recommending them to a student.
It was ironic though, that there are several videos on preparing an online educational opportunity using Second Life. I took the time to view a couple of the videos, just to see how that VLC could be used in teaching. I found an interactive hospital ward and also several different types of nursing theory classes. I think that much of what I saw of Second Life could provide more interaction learning experiences for the student as opposed to viewing a video and commenting.
The purpose of this community, You Tube, is multifaceted in that it could be used for communication, education, entertainment, or just about anything. The members of the community guide the environment. Membership in this website offers the opportunity to publish videos for anyone who wishes to view it, or the videos can be kept private, and only shared with the people the member wants to view the video. In addition, a member can subscribe to any channel and receive newly uploaded videos from their favorite You Tube video producer. The possibilities with this community are endless. The community offers assistance to teach members tips and tricks to shooting video and uploading it to the website as well as instructions on how to search for and view videos. You Tube makes it easy for people without much technical education to enjoy the community.
Communication within the community is through the videos and comments given by people viewing the videos. At first I had a difficult time following the discussion or comments, then I realized that if I clicked on the [view all __ comments] link, I would be able to follow the comments in order. This made reading the comments much easier. I watched one video on “A day in the life of an ER nurse” and was amazed at the locations from the people who commented on the video; one was from Australia, another from Italy and many from all across the United States. The majority of the comments were just that, comments. Not much communication between the producer of the video and the individuals commenting. Nor did I see much communication between the people commenting; out of 36 comments, only two were responses from the producer. Also, I did not see the people talking to each other, only commenting of their view of the video or message.
The design features that I found that would support, sustain, and develop You Tube as a virtual community is the ease of use in uploading video and also accessing and viewing the videos. The medium can be shared easily through email, blogspots, and linking on other online communities. You Tube also allows people to do what they like best, be in the limelight and share what they enjoy in life with others. The name says it all: “You Tube – Broadcast Yourself”.
You Tube can be used as a virtual learning community in a variety of ways. People, like me, can search and review videos that would be appropriate to use to reinforce information for students, or an instructor could tape a presentation or a lesson, upload it to You Tube, and link it to a web page, post a link on a different VLC, or even email the link to students. The ease of access to You Tube to view videos adds an added dimension to the community as a virtual learning community.
Tapped In Case Study
After visiting Tapped In, Math forum, Knowledge Forum, and Webquest’s home pages, I chose to observe the Tapped In virtual learning community. This community was easy to join and navigate. The home page, prior to logging in, offers many links for information about Tapped In and what to expect from the community. I reviewed this information before logging in to help me understand what to expect. This did help me feel a little better once I arrived in the Reception room. I chose this community for the features it offered, peer support, educational opportunities and the virtual office. After logging in, I set up my virtual office and then went browsing through the site. I entered a room on collaboration just as a class was ending and was greeted by the instructor who offered to email me the information that was covered during the class. He also invited me to his next class on setting up a K-12 class. I did set in on that class for a short period of time just to see the format. During that time I learned about some of the tools in the chat/class rooms that will allow you to see the information better or save it until you can use the information.
The Tapped In VLC is a practice based community; according to Reil and Polin, a practice based learning community is a larger community with a vast membership with shared goals that are supported by the community. Tapped In (TI) is an online learning environment that offers Teacher Professional Development opportunities in addition to collaboration and peer support from other educators.
TI is a virtual community that is text based, there are no video or animation plug ins, but additional technology can still be used. During a learning activity, a link to sites, such as You Tube, can be typed in to the discussion board; then after the class watches the video it can be discussed in the chat/classroom. Knowledge is constructed through collaboration and discussion among members of the community. Activity in the community is through either offering a learning experience or attending one of the many classes available. The classes are conducted in a synchronous format with the option to also discuss a specific topic privately with anyone in the class. Following the discussion, if a member is logged in, they will be emailed a transcript of the discussion while that member was participating. This is an added feature that allows for review of the information discussed.
One of the design features of TI that helps sustain the community over time is the human feature. This VLC has staff and volunteers that are available to assist members and to welcome new members to get them started. In addition to the human feature is the ability to make the community be what you need it to be. This can be using the site for online meetings, teaching opportunities, or online storage of projects needing collaboration. Another feature is the calendar on the home page that allows members to see the learning opportunities available. It is easy to join a class through the calendar; the member simply clicks on the open door and is taken to the classroom. I read through some of the transcripts from previous classes and the human feature was again prominent as each class began with an introduction of participants, and a welcome from the mediator and guest speaker.
Tapped In is a virtual learning community that I will use in a couple of ways, I plan to attend some of the classes on technology use in education to begin with, but I will also use the community’s feature of a virtual office. The virtual office is a feature that would allow a place for a teacher or student to upload files for a project they are currently working on, and have them available from any computer that has Internet access. This tool, in addition to the learning opportunities and peer support makes this community valuable resource to educators.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Blog 2 - virtual learning communities
The increase in computer mediated communication (CMC) and virtual communities have changed and are still changing the societies we live in and how we gather information and knowledge. Renninger and Shumar discuss how CMCs and virtual communities reinforce the reflexive modernization theory. One way is how individuals use their experiences to guide and advise others, often on difficult topics such as health, which in the past was saved for the medical professional, through the internet. Another is through the explosion of information found on the internet, people are beginning to question authority more now than in the past. People in positions of authority are no longer just accepted as a part of their position but instead are required to earn the respect of the position.
Renninger and Shumar discuss a few examples of information seeking communities, or discussion groups. The first example is a parenting group where individuals can discuss issues they are facing and ask for advice or give advice when needed. The information or advice given can be from personal experience, some without scientific background. This information may be accurate and based on experience or evidence, or it may be an “old wives tale” that may cause more harm than good.
Information shared in this manner can increase anxiety when the advice given conflicts with what the individual has experienced or has been advised by a care provider. This anxiety-producing environment can also be seen in the example given on the MMR “jab”. The people reading the posts are getting multiple opinions and viewpoints on the vaccination subject; so much so, that the information can become confusing and anxiety producing.
The upside of the CMCs and virtual communities is the amount of information available and the ease and convenience of receiving or providing information through virtual communities and CMCs; as with the online classes offered by many universities. The online learning communities or classes provide an education opportunity to many who would have difficulty attending a class physically. In addition to the convenience, the virtual communities and CMCs also allow time for reflection on topics and possibly more student interaction.
Technology can support knowledge-building communities by providing access to people who share the common interest or desire to learn or gain knowledge in a specific field. In addition to providing access to people, technology also provides access to needed tools and activities for gaining knowledge. Renninger and Shumar mentioned in chapter 12 that the three elements mentioned above, people, tools and activities, are interdependent. One cannot be altered without affecting the others. This is good to remember when building VLC's, because as tools, activities or people are added or removed, the environment, motivation, or membership may change.
In another class I am currently taking, I am planning/designing a type of a virtual learning community; this community will be for a specific population of nursing students in a specific clinical class. After reading chapter 10, I have learned that there will be phases during the lifespan of the class; the phases that Renninger and Shumar mention include:
1) the proposal stage 2) the refinement stage 3) the organizational stage 4) the pursuit stage 5) the wrap-up stage and 6) the publication stage. The proposal stage and refinement stages will be completed before bringing students into the VLC. Once the students enter, the organizational stage will begin with providing information to the members, defining roles, and describing the activities that will be required. The pursuit stage will take place as the students participate in the discussion groups following the clinical education experience. The wrap-up stage will come toward the end of the semester as the students are completing the clinical experience, during this time, the students will also complete an evaluation of the experience to assist with the next class. At the present time, there is no plan for the publication phase, but hey, who knows, there is a need for studies on online format clinical postconferences.
The clinical setting is an ideal area to use the cognitive apprenticeship theory as a framework since it is a learning experience that the student must learn thinking skills that can be applied in different contexts; therefore, it would be a good framework to base the online clinical postconference VLC. Using the principles of content, method, sequencing, and sociology, mentioned in Collins, Brown, and Holum’s article, Cognitive Apprenticeship: Making Thinking Visible, the VLC will use the knowledge gained in the classroom prior to the clinical experience as a base knowledge to build on during clinicals. By using discussion boards beginning with some guiding questions following the clinical experience, the student will have time to reflect on the clinical experience, respond to the discussion and reply to other students in the VLC. As the students continue through the class, the instructor will post less, and toward the end of the class will mainly be a support/mediator of the discussions. By using the discussion boards and reading and responding to fellow classmates as they post their reactions and issues to the clinical experience, other students will be able to take that information and apply it to their situation, allowing them to learn to think critically in the clinical setting.
Renninger and Shumar discuss a few examples of information seeking communities, or discussion groups. The first example is a parenting group where individuals can discuss issues they are facing and ask for advice or give advice when needed. The information or advice given can be from personal experience, some without scientific background. This information may be accurate and based on experience or evidence, or it may be an “old wives tale” that may cause more harm than good.
Information shared in this manner can increase anxiety when the advice given conflicts with what the individual has experienced or has been advised by a care provider. This anxiety-producing environment can also be seen in the example given on the MMR “jab”. The people reading the posts are getting multiple opinions and viewpoints on the vaccination subject; so much so, that the information can become confusing and anxiety producing.
The upside of the CMCs and virtual communities is the amount of information available and the ease and convenience of receiving or providing information through virtual communities and CMCs; as with the online classes offered by many universities. The online learning communities or classes provide an education opportunity to many who would have difficulty attending a class physically. In addition to the convenience, the virtual communities and CMCs also allow time for reflection on topics and possibly more student interaction.
Technology can support knowledge-building communities by providing access to people who share the common interest or desire to learn or gain knowledge in a specific field. In addition to providing access to people, technology also provides access to needed tools and activities for gaining knowledge. Renninger and Shumar mentioned in chapter 12 that the three elements mentioned above, people, tools and activities, are interdependent. One cannot be altered without affecting the others. This is good to remember when building VLC's, because as tools, activities or people are added or removed, the environment, motivation, or membership may change.
In another class I am currently taking, I am planning/designing a type of a virtual learning community; this community will be for a specific population of nursing students in a specific clinical class. After reading chapter 10, I have learned that there will be phases during the lifespan of the class; the phases that Renninger and Shumar mention include:
1) the proposal stage 2) the refinement stage 3) the organizational stage 4) the pursuit stage 5) the wrap-up stage and 6) the publication stage. The proposal stage and refinement stages will be completed before bringing students into the VLC. Once the students enter, the organizational stage will begin with providing information to the members, defining roles, and describing the activities that will be required. The pursuit stage will take place as the students participate in the discussion groups following the clinical education experience. The wrap-up stage will come toward the end of the semester as the students are completing the clinical experience, during this time, the students will also complete an evaluation of the experience to assist with the next class. At the present time, there is no plan for the publication phase, but hey, who knows, there is a need for studies on online format clinical postconferences.
The clinical setting is an ideal area to use the cognitive apprenticeship theory as a framework since it is a learning experience that the student must learn thinking skills that can be applied in different contexts; therefore, it would be a good framework to base the online clinical postconference VLC. Using the principles of content, method, sequencing, and sociology, mentioned in Collins, Brown, and Holum’s article, Cognitive Apprenticeship: Making Thinking Visible, the VLC will use the knowledge gained in the classroom prior to the clinical experience as a base knowledge to build on during clinicals. By using discussion boards beginning with some guiding questions following the clinical experience, the student will have time to reflect on the clinical experience, respond to the discussion and reply to other students in the VLC. As the students continue through the class, the instructor will post less, and toward the end of the class will mainly be a support/mediator of the discussions. By using the discussion boards and reading and responding to fellow classmates as they post their reactions and issues to the clinical experience, other students will be able to take that information and apply it to their situation, allowing them to learn to think critically in the clinical setting.
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