This entire Certified Online Instructor experience has really given me some insight into how to design my courses to be taught online. There are some difficulties, and I think that if I change my thinking to more of a discussion based model instead off just regurgitating the material back to me through review questions and non-informative assessments, I will have a better experience as well as the students. Most of the courses I teach require some prerequisites with computers, so every person I interact with in the online classroom should have something to contribute.
Taking this approach should also help me overcome the issue I mentioned in an earlier post with the grading timeline. I should be able to judge the quality of work and not make it about the quantity. I believe that if I make the structure very clear and give good examples of my expectations, the students should be able to hit the ground running with communicating with me and their fellow classmates without hesitation.
Utilizing this model will also allow me to push the students to dive in a little further with their research and really debate their peers on the things they are passionate about. I can play devil's advocate and even see if I can push conversations along where students clearly have a valid or invalid point of view. I think this will be much easier to do in an online environment because it will give students time to really think through their answers and craft them before reacting emotionally in a face to face situation.
All in all, I am excited to be able to revamp some off my course models to better fit this new environment. I am certain I will make my work less stressful after the initial headache, but I do believe it will give me a nice foundation to build upon from this point forward.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Day 3 Reflection
One big problem that I currently have that should be taken care of in the online environment is participation. By requiring the learners to involve themselves in discussion in an online environment, I should be able to more evenly evaluate the level of participation because it is more tangible.
Another issue that I experience now but may be even more apparent in the online environment is the inconsistent pre-defined objectives given by the Department of Education required for the students to complete the course. Most of the objectives that are set up for the Information Technology field actually are more geared to a semester type course and we are expected to squeeze in 16 weeks of material in 10 weeks.
The most strenuous issue that I currently deal with is the "last minute" decision to give a course to me to teach by the administration. Being an adjunct instructor, I am usually one of the last people to get a course to teach. I specialize in databases, but there is someone else that is available during the day that also is a database person. Because I enjoy teaching, I am open to teaching any Computer class that is offered, and I have taught just about all of them. However, it is rare for me to teach a certain course twice or before the curriculum or textbook changes. When I do find out that I am teaching the course, it is usually a couple of days before the term begins and it offers very little time to prepare. I am not sure how to get around this one, but I have repeatedly asked for more notice to no avail.
Another issue that I experience now but may be even more apparent in the online environment is the inconsistent pre-defined objectives given by the Department of Education required for the students to complete the course. Most of the objectives that are set up for the Information Technology field actually are more geared to a semester type course and we are expected to squeeze in 16 weeks of material in 10 weeks.
The most strenuous issue that I currently deal with is the "last minute" decision to give a course to me to teach by the administration. Being an adjunct instructor, I am usually one of the last people to get a course to teach. I specialize in databases, but there is someone else that is available during the day that also is a database person. Because I enjoy teaching, I am open to teaching any Computer class that is offered, and I have taught just about all of them. However, it is rare for me to teach a certain course twice or before the curriculum or textbook changes. When I do find out that I am teaching the course, it is usually a couple of days before the term begins and it offers very little time to prepare. I am not sure how to get around this one, but I have repeatedly asked for more notice to no avail.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Day 2 Reflection
Moving a course from a classroom to an online environment seems like a massive undertaking. To make sure that students are understanding the concepts, the requirements are a little different. If a student is in the classroom, unless they have a cheat sheet or you offer an open book test, it is much easier to determine the retention of the information. Online assessments don't truly gauge how much a student knows because they could be sitting there with the book or, if the test allows, they get crafty and print out the test, go answer the questions, and come back and complete it. I am certain there are some tools available to take care of the latter, but having that complication will be tough to overcome.
Having an asynchronous environment will also make assignment grading interesting. No matter what class I have, if something is due it is turned in when it is due. However, in an online environment you may have students that are gung ho and get it done early, some that turn it in right on time and some that are late. That could make grading a complete nightmare, especially if you are having them turn in answers to matching or true false questions or even essay questions.
The other thing that I will definitely have to think about is the capability of the users home computer. In a lab environment, I have a pretty good handle on what software is there and available to the students. If I have an assignment that requires the use of a certain piece of software, it should be available to the student in the lab. You don't get that guarantee in the online environment and students may have to come up with creative ways to submit assignments.
Having an asynchronous environment will also make assignment grading interesting. No matter what class I have, if something is due it is turned in when it is due. However, in an online environment you may have students that are gung ho and get it done early, some that turn it in right on time and some that are late. That could make grading a complete nightmare, especially if you are having them turn in answers to matching or true false questions or even essay questions.
The other thing that I will definitely have to think about is the capability of the users home computer. In a lab environment, I have a pretty good handle on what software is there and available to the students. If I have an assignment that requires the use of a certain piece of software, it should be available to the student in the lab. You don't get that guarantee in the online environment and students may have to come up with creative ways to submit assignments.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Day 1 Reflection
I have been thinking over the reasons why I teach the way I do. I seem to keep coming back to the idea that my methods all coincide with how I personally like to be taught. In all of my courses I require the students to complete a READIness document that was first introduced as I began my post-secondary instructor path. Among other things, this tool simply allows me to view a students preferred learning style and where the rank among other learning styles. in the IT world, it is interesting to me that most of the students are Aural and Logical.
Although all students don't fall into one specific category, I always try to make my course adaptable for the other learning styles. If I see a student works better in a team environment, I will usually try to pair them up with a more advanced student so they won't drag other students down. I am certain that this allows me to be a more effective instructor and is usually a foreign concept to my fellow instructors.
It is more difficult to transfer these things into an online environment because, unlike a classroom, it is easier to tell when students are not able to catch onto concepts or terms with facial expressions. Also, a lot of times roles are reversed - meaning that someone who may be outspoken in a physical setting is more reserved in an online environment whereas the publicly restrained student is more vocal online. I think that, as long as you meet the needs of the students and they are able to leave with more than the started with, you've been effective. Being flexible and accommodating allows for that.
Although all students don't fall into one specific category, I always try to make my course adaptable for the other learning styles. If I see a student works better in a team environment, I will usually try to pair them up with a more advanced student so they won't drag other students down. I am certain that this allows me to be a more effective instructor and is usually a foreign concept to my fellow instructors.
It is more difficult to transfer these things into an online environment because, unlike a classroom, it is easier to tell when students are not able to catch onto concepts or terms with facial expressions. Also, a lot of times roles are reversed - meaning that someone who may be outspoken in a physical setting is more reserved in an online environment whereas the publicly restrained student is more vocal online. I think that, as long as you meet the needs of the students and they are able to leave with more than the started with, you've been effective. Being flexible and accommodating allows for that.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Class 1 Summary
Building Online Learning Communities has come to an end. I am very happy with the feedback I received from my peers. Most confirmed that my ideas regarding my future course were on the right track not only based on their experience, but also the things that we all discovered throughout this course. The interesting thing is that I just received the course "shells" for the classes I will be teaching next term. The Master template for one of the courses became available and I was able to load it up. It is amazing to see how minimal the interaction expectations were for the builders of the course. Other than some work ethics discussion (which does not count towards a students grade), there is absolutely no discussion requested or even set up for the students. I will definitely be changing that!
It is interesting to talk to my wife about these issues now because she is working towards her degree currently and is experiencing some of the same frustrations that I did in this course. How is she supposed to post 4 significant discussion posts each day having 2 being responses when she is the only one to post anything for the day before her bed time? The exact same issues we had to deal with as learners seems to be the norm no matter where you go. The issue that we dealt with of having other students in various time zones could be part of the problem she is experiencing. It is nice to be able to encourage her and to have discussions about what I just learned regarding these issues from the other side of the keyboard!
Overall I am very pleased with the course - I hope that some of my fellow classmates that I teach with will be able to continue this discussion beyond this experience so that we can build on and encourage one another. Looking forward to the next course!
It is interesting to talk to my wife about these issues now because she is working towards her degree currently and is experiencing some of the same frustrations that I did in this course. How is she supposed to post 4 significant discussion posts each day having 2 being responses when she is the only one to post anything for the day before her bed time? The exact same issues we had to deal with as learners seems to be the norm no matter where you go. The issue that we dealt with of having other students in various time zones could be part of the problem she is experiencing. It is nice to be able to encourage her and to have discussions about what I just learned regarding these issues from the other side of the keyboard!
Overall I am very pleased with the course - I hope that some of my fellow classmates that I teach with will be able to continue this discussion beyond this experience so that we can build on and encourage one another. Looking forward to the next course!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Day 5
Wow - this class is over... I do believe I was correct in stating that this was like a "drive by" class!!!
The last chapter we were assigned for today was discussing self-reflection, I conveyed to the group how I struggle with reading so slow because I do read to proof. The other issue that I have when I am reading that I did not mention in the discussion is falling asleep when I am reading and also having to go back and read paragraphs over and over again because it is like the first time I am seeing them. I have not always been this way, but it is VERY frustrating.
The other point I conveyed was regarding how the technology for the discussion posting in this particular course seemed to frustrate everyone. How can I be comfortable creating discussions for my students if I am not sure if the technology is behaving as it should for them? There are too many great CMS systems out there for something this simple to be the downfall of an entire course.
I will say it was nice to see our group pace pick up and I feel as though we came out shining there at the end... the beginning was a bit rocky though!
The last chapter we were assigned for today was discussing self-reflection, I conveyed to the group how I struggle with reading so slow because I do read to proof. The other issue that I have when I am reading that I did not mention in the discussion is falling asleep when I am reading and also having to go back and read paragraphs over and over again because it is like the first time I am seeing them. I have not always been this way, but it is VERY frustrating.
The other point I conveyed was regarding how the technology for the discussion posting in this particular course seemed to frustrate everyone. How can I be comfortable creating discussions for my students if I am not sure if the technology is behaving as it should for them? There are too many great CMS systems out there for something this simple to be the downfall of an entire course.
I will say it was nice to see our group pace pick up and I feel as though we came out shining there at the end... the beginning was a bit rocky though!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Day 4
I was really appreciative today of one of my classmates that e-mailed me directly. I guess she saw that the main ones that were contributing were as frustrated as she was, and she explained that she was going to invite members from another group to join us since they had experienced the same lack of participation. That must have gotten everyone fired up because the discussions REALLY picked up after that.
At that point, however, it became perfectly clear how irritating the technology is for this particular course. It was not helpful at all with seeing what posts had already been read, something that should be fairly straight forward in any CMS. Seems like there are lots of options in the settings area, but more for courses over a full term and not a "boot camp" style as this is.
I really had a good opportunity to think through my completely online course today and communicate with my peers in the course about how I am beginning to feel comfortable now designing the discussion based structure. Because this particular course really focuses on implementation strategies, I do believe I will be able to present the students with some examples that will take some good communication to produce a deliverable. I also got great feedback from some folks that had been there saying that I was on the right track - that definitely made me feel like I am understanding what was being conveyed in our reading!!!
At that point, however, it became perfectly clear how irritating the technology is for this particular course. It was not helpful at all with seeing what posts had already been read, something that should be fairly straight forward in any CMS. Seems like there are lots of options in the settings area, but more for courses over a full term and not a "boot camp" style as this is.
I really had a good opportunity to think through my completely online course today and communicate with my peers in the course about how I am beginning to feel comfortable now designing the discussion based structure. Because this particular course really focuses on implementation strategies, I do believe I will be able to present the students with some examples that will take some good communication to produce a deliverable. I also got great feedback from some folks that had been there saying that I was on the right track - that definitely made me feel like I am understanding what was being conveyed in our reading!!!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Day 3
My job for Day 2 was to post a summary of what our group had discussed. Well, there was very little discussion and more of folks just getting their work done. Is it wrong for me to think that people should be doing or trying to be the students they are reading about in our text? One of my classmates actually e-mailed me and stated that they really wanted to try and get some cool stuff going for our Day 4 information, but that they were discouraged by the lack of participation and thought it wasn't worth the effort. This is exactly what I experience a lot of times - the attitude of the participants seems to be that of "let me get enough input to get by and get a passing grade." This particular course lends itself to folks wanting to discuss these ideas and feed off of one another. But, to me, there are still some that are not here to learn, they here merely to get the COI designation to tack on to the end of their e-mail signature. I genuinely want to learn from my peers in this area because I don't get a lot of chances to communicate with people outside of my daily job. I actually wanted to establish community, but others in our particular group are preventing that. Hopefully tomorrow's discussion will be better - if not, I will just have to say to myself "Only 1 day left"...
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Day 2
For the same reasons I have a difficult time assigning discussions to groups in my courses, I once again experienced the irritation I have in my own studies of lack of participation in an online course. I'm going back over the posts from the previous day - they are scattered, incomplete or extremely sparse except for a couple of group members. This is exactly what I observed in the online courses where I was a student. Because my grade depended on the success of the group, I constantly had to put up with folks waiting until 11:45 PM on the day an assignment was due to even post their first response which resulted in a lower grade - this is unfair and unreasonable.
What is even more frustrating in this situation is that these issues are exactly what were are studying! I have never had a really good experience in any course I have taken where discussion and group projects in an online environment are the key assessment methods. I believe that in a normal set of coursework you would not allow different groups or teams to peek in on the other group work, but perhaps see only the daily summary. Seeing that my particular group had only 4 or 5 postings by my normal bed time, to look in the next day and see someone had posted one of those "last minute" posts and that nobody from our group had posted a summary is beyond irritating. Other groups had 30 some odd posts before lunch yesterday. Why can't I be in that group. Perhaps I shouldn't feel this way - but why would I put my students through this when I have had nothing but the exact same experience?
Today I am supposed to be one of the observers that writes a summary of the day's activity. If yesterday was any sort of indicator of the quality that I can expect out of my group, I believe the summary will be a rant about the group if I have nothing to write about!
What is even more frustrating in this situation is that these issues are exactly what were are studying! I have never had a really good experience in any course I have taken where discussion and group projects in an online environment are the key assessment methods. I believe that in a normal set of coursework you would not allow different groups or teams to peek in on the other group work, but perhaps see only the daily summary. Seeing that my particular group had only 4 or 5 postings by my normal bed time, to look in the next day and see someone had posted one of those "last minute" posts and that nobody from our group had posted a summary is beyond irritating. Other groups had 30 some odd posts before lunch yesterday. Why can't I be in that group. Perhaps I shouldn't feel this way - but why would I put my students through this when I have had nothing but the exact same experience?
Today I am supposed to be one of the observers that writes a summary of the day's activity. If yesterday was any sort of indicator of the quality that I can expect out of my group, I believe the summary will be a rant about the group if I have nothing to write about!
Monday, March 8, 2010
First Steps...
So for those that know me, they will tell you I enjoy learning. Just as well, they also know that I am extremely busy. So why in the world would I take on something else? Simply put - it will help me be a better instructor online.
Today is the first official day of class although the site has been available since Friday and I actually posted my introduction late last night. I did, however, take time today to go ahead and post as the group facilitator. I was sort of confused as to how 2 participants would facilitate, but as of lunch time today nobody from my group has posted anything in our Group area, so perhaps it doesn't matter.
This exact issue is one of the things that frustrates me about any online course - participant or instructor. Partially it has to do with the utility used to manage the course. In this particular situation, there are already 60 plus posts in the cafe area and it is extremely difficult to figure out which posts are new without looking through the entire thread. An easier way to identify those posts should be available and/or a method to mark posts as read or not. The other part that bothers me is that there are students that are gung-ho about doing what it is they are supposed to and I always seem to get in the groups where everyone wants to do the least amount of work possible.
I am surprised at how much I am enjoying reading the textbook for this course. Not because I thought that it would be a boring read - I just didn't think it would be presented in this perspective. I rarely (never) read for fun, so most of the things that I read are technical in nature and don't deal with the "human" variables like those presented in the reading. Being that my commute requires me to rush to the school in the evenings and rarely ever in time for me to converse with others in this area, it is not often that I get to discuss the issues that we will be covering in this course with peers. I think that is what makes both the reading and the interaction refreshing...
Today is the first official day of class although the site has been available since Friday and I actually posted my introduction late last night. I did, however, take time today to go ahead and post as the group facilitator. I was sort of confused as to how 2 participants would facilitate, but as of lunch time today nobody from my group has posted anything in our Group area, so perhaps it doesn't matter.
This exact issue is one of the things that frustrates me about any online course - participant or instructor. Partially it has to do with the utility used to manage the course. In this particular situation, there are already 60 plus posts in the cafe area and it is extremely difficult to figure out which posts are new without looking through the entire thread. An easier way to identify those posts should be available and/or a method to mark posts as read or not. The other part that bothers me is that there are students that are gung-ho about doing what it is they are supposed to and I always seem to get in the groups where everyone wants to do the least amount of work possible.
I am surprised at how much I am enjoying reading the textbook for this course. Not because I thought that it would be a boring read - I just didn't think it would be presented in this perspective. I rarely (never) read for fun, so most of the things that I read are technical in nature and don't deal with the "human" variables like those presented in the reading. Being that my commute requires me to rush to the school in the evenings and rarely ever in time for me to converse with others in this area, it is not often that I get to discuss the issues that we will be covering in this course with peers. I think that is what makes both the reading and the interaction refreshing...