catherine's learning journal

Social Networking Platforms: Grou.ps, Ning and Twitter

2009-12-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

GROU.PS

I joined the FOC09 Grou.ps network as soon as we were invited to by Leigh/ Sarah? as I was keen to start exploring different, and previously unheard of (to me anyway) social networking platforms. Unfortunately I gave up on GROU.PS quickly, after only having responded to a couple of other participants posts.

I think this is partly due to the lack of activity on the FOC09 GROU.PS site, which did not motivate me to check out what was happening, but also came down to 'Social Networking Platform Overload' it may not be a real syndrome ... but its real i'm sure!...

I'll admit that my lack of participation on the site didn't help increase the activity level any, and also realise that as a newly formed network it requires a certain amount of time and a sustained level of commitment and active participation by members to create an active online community .... .

I don't think I would use GROU.PS as a platform in the future as I found it quite sterile and not particularly intuitive.

NING

I also looked at Ning, first joining the connecting online CO10 network, which was created by one of my mini conference presenters Nellie Deutsch.The CO10 network on NING is well supported by its members - predominately teachers, blended and online instructors, and facilitators, and has a current membership of 562! It is well facilitated by its creator Nellie, and provides links to other projects that Nellie is involved in, which I think demonstrates good use of a social networking platform to share/promote activities.

I also joined the NING network of Debra Maddocks, which was set up to promote and discuss her online event. I found NING more intuitive to use that GROU.PS, and think it has a better layout. I would definately consider creating a network on NING in my future forays into online instruction.

TWITTER

Prior to participating in FOC my understanding of what Twitter is, and how it is used was very limited. I did not have an account, and was not contemplating ever creating one, as I thought that it was primarily used as a way of informing, and updating others about your progress through the day! As I am no celebrity, this would make very dull reading :)

Dow during this course Sarah provided links to several interesting reads, and shared her own use of Twitter with FOC participants ..... and I started to get interested. I took the plunge and finally made an account ... this was prompted by the fact that Debra's mini conference topic was Twitter, and that she was using it to update participants about her conference.

I have only sent several tweets so far...and have neglected to keep up with the tweets of others I am following, however I now have a far greater appreciation of the benefits Twitter offers, especially to education ... sharing links of relevant topics, blog posts e.t.c with peers and students, and also as a way to communicate quickly with a network.

I need to learn and practice using Twitter more ... perhaps over the holiday break when I have more time .... but it is another platform I think I will definately use in the future.

Looking for online community: Blog networks

2009-12-02T13:36:00.001-08:00

What is Blogging ... and Why Blog? .....

I found this comment from sue waters blog summed up what blogging is all about very well...

"Blogging is about extending conversations, on topics, from those in your immediate environment (i.e. work colleagues, family and friends) and gaining from collaborating with a global audience. Increased collaboration with people, will always lead to greater innovation and ideas, because each individual sees a different perspective of the task - giving all involved greater “food for thought!”

What is a Blogging Network ...

In my opinion a blogging network occurs when there is enough people joining or subscribing to either a particular blogger or a blog pertaining to a topic where all members share a common interest, purpose or objective. I don't think that it automatically becomes an online community however, unless the blog posts are very regular, and comments are readily contributed by readers, with feedback given from the blog author with a relevant response or to simply acknowledge individual contributions.I think that almost anybody is capable of blogging, but if your motivation to blog is the desire to build a blogging network (whether for profit or not) you need to be prepared to work at it.

When first starting this post, I searched the Blogosphere page on Wikipedia to find a Blog Network to analyse, I quickly located and selected Global Voices Online which in the words of Wikipedia 'is an international network of bloggers and citizen journalists that follow, report, and summarizes what is going on in the blogosphere in every corner of the world'. I am very interested in any topic relating to refugees and developmental studies, so excitedly subscribed to their site. I have been reading and enjoying regular articles for the last few weeks, however I have yet to post a comment, but this is mostly as I feel too uneducated in this field to comment at the moment.

The site actively promotes itself and there are many other signs of online community ...

Readers are asked to promote the site via social networking sites are are able to place a Global Voices badge on their Blog page.
You can follow the network on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook
You can subscribe via RRS.
It is translated into many languages, and volunteer translators are invited to translate into more languages
Readers are encouraged to leave comments
Interested readers and bloggers are encouraged to contribute stories of interest

How I could have played a role in helping to develop the blogging network in this course...

Posted to my Blog frequently...
Commented on other participants Blogs promptly, so that a discussion could form that was still relevant to the particular topic in focus in the FOC course....
Include links to other particpants Blog posts to encourage others to view and comment ....
Use social networking platforms such as Twitter, Facebook e.t.c to post a link to my new Blog posts and the poste of other participants, which could stimulate discussion with a wider community extending conversation beyond FOC ....

FOC09 Final Wrap up Post

2009-12-02T13:35:00.001-08:00

This is my final posting for the Facilitating Online Communities Course, and I will admit to feeling a huge amount of relief in that fact! I have struggled with the time constricts of the topics covered, but this was mostly due to my ongoing struggle with personal time management!

What have I got out of FOC09?

FOC09 has given me a greater understanding of online communities. This has happened partly through readings, discussion and reflection, but mostly and more importantly, through first hand experience - being part of the FOC09 online community and by being encouraged by Sarah to explore and interact with online communities existing and communicating through discussion forums, blog networks, social networking platforms such as NING, GROU.PS, and Twitter, and of course virtual worlds - Second Life.

I will admit to being very hesitant to jump in and interact with other communities during the course, but, I did spend some time lurking! call this the baby steps stage :) ... I finally took the plunge by joining the online community of one of my guest speakers Nellie, prior to making contact with her with regard to my mini conference. This in itself was a big step for me, but now that I have done it I know that I will feel much less hesitancy in future, communicating with, and/ or joining online communities.

Looking Back over my Blogging for FOC09...

For our first FOC09 blog posting we were asked to consider the question 'What is an Online Community?' This blog post was difficult, and was posted well after its due date, as I was still completing a final assignment for another paper which was in extension time. My lack of focus and participation early on in FOC09 was preventing me from feeling like part of the FOC community, I read the daily FOC emails, but as they were about topics I had yet to get on to, I felt quite apart from it all.

On reading over the entry for this post, I do still agree with my list of what makes an online community ... however, remembering the feeling of isolation I was experiencing myself at this time ... several major omissions to this post are now very obvious ... An online community also exists when members are committed to actively participate, interact within the community by posting comments and providing feedback. It was my lack of participation via blogging, Elluminate sessions and the group email that made me feel isolated ... once I made the effect to join in Elluminate sessions, and planned group exploration of various platforms I began to feel part of the FOC community.

Next we moved on to looking at the roles of Facilitating, Moderating, Teaching I now have a much clearer idea (through first hand experience!) of the role of facilitator. Several factors I stated in this post as being necessary to the role of facilitator I no longer see as being so.

The search for Online Communities ......

I decided to reflect on my past experiences of Discussion Forums for this post, rather than taking the plunge and joining one, however, this is something I now would not hesitate to do since planning my mini event as the experience of approaching someone I had never met face-to-face before has given me greater confidence to interact and participate with online communities.....better late than never, I guess! I enjoyed researching lots of Blogging Networks and found several that I now subscribe to . My brief exploration with Sarah and other participants of FOC in Second Life was great fun, and I could quickly see the benefits of using this environment for educational purposes. We also explored Social Networking Platforms, which I had all but dismissed, evident in my much neglected face-book page! However I decided to give them another go, and joined a couple of social networks on NING, the FOC GROU.PS network, and finally TWITTER.

The experience of facilitating my own mini event has been one of the highlights of this course for me, even though it was mildly traumatising! Reflecting on the experience helped me realise what factors I would change next time around......

Evaluation of FOC09 Course

Although I did complete a private evaluation of the course, I will also add a few comments here....

I think the support in the course was great, both from the facilitator, Sarah and from other participants. I struggled with the workload as already stated, and definitely think the course should be worth 15 credits not 10! I enjoyed exploring the many different platforms, and facilitating my own mini conference the most (even though it was a harrowing experience!) I have also thoroughly enjoyed attending many of the other participants conferences also.

Virtual Worlds: Second Life

2009-12-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

Experiencing Second Life first hand .....

I really enjoyed my initial, and regrettably only visit to date in Second Life, experienced through my svelte alter ego: Mertle Arrowmint!

I joined several other participants from FOC09 in SL one evening, where we were given a general orientation led by Petal Stransky (Sarah Stewart).

Time in SL seems to fly as we were there for almost 1-1/2 hours , yet it felt like half that. I came away thinking how easy it must be for some people to spend hours at a time in SL. I think this is one reason why I have not been back! However if I was to use SL for facilitation or teaching purposes in the future, I would need to spend a lot of time getting to grips with the technology, as one lesson is definitely not enough!

Prior to this experience all I knew about SL was that it was being used in some educational contexts as a learning/teaching medium, and also that an old friend of mine had become addicted to SL when it first launched, which caused her husband several bouts of offended sulking! - needless to say I was both curious and a bit apprehension going into SL for the first time.

The advantages that SL offers to learning/teaching and facilitating online events, became obvious within minutes of our visit. As we all attempted to sit around in a group and practice using our chat function, I pictured numerous virtual meetings and lessons taking place throughout SL.

We were given lessons on basic SL survival skills, such as how to move, sit, chat, make friends, teleport e.t.c. This was a lot of fun, although sad to say I brought my lack of sense of direction in real life with me! I managed to frequently stray away from the group and seemed to lack the ability to walk in a straight line!

Communities in Second Life ....

I visited the second life Wikipedia page and was amazed to see the number of flourishing communities actively participating and utilising SL. As an ESOL home tutor I was really interested to see that language learning is the most widespread type of education in Second Life, however the biggest drawback in using SL in this context is that most of the learners we deal with as volunteer home tutors in New Zealand are migrants and refugees, so many lack access to a home computer, broadband internet connection, and the computer skills to access SL.

However in a more formal learning setting there are plenty of universities, and P.T.E's utilising SL to support language learning, and as I will be completing TESOL papers next year I feel confident that this with not be my last dabble with SL!

Other communities well represented were music, theatre, arts, and religion. You can attend live music events in Second Life, with various genres supposedly well represented, or attend a live theatre production or comedy festival, which utilises live streaming audio. Many Churches are even using SL .... the mind boggles.

Reflections on facilitating an online event

2009-11-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

My online event was held on the 23rd November and although it took several days for me to 'recover', all in all it was definately a great learning experience. I learnt lots throughout the entire process, the planning leading up to the mini conference, and in the hands-on facilitation experience itself.

I was lucky to have two experienced presenters, Nellie Deutsch and Gladys Gahona as my guest speakers, as both women are actively involved in online instruction and facilitation for the collaborative teaching network and workshops on IT4ALL .They discussed and demonstrated ways in which they combine free-ware such as Moodle, Ning, WikiEducator, Facebook, Twitter,WiZiQ and others,to share, promote, conduct and enhance online instruction and learning. Although I was kept very busy during the event (I felt a bit like a newbie switchboard operator!) I was still able to enjoy their presentation, which I believe gave all attending, a valuable glimpse into what, 'could be' should we wish to further explore and evolve as facilitators and online instructors.

Watching experience in action...

My enrolment in the Grad Cert Appld eLearning has been my first experience of eLearning and of an online conferencing tool, this of course being Elluminate. However, it is only though participation in FOC09 that I have come to truely appreciate the benefits this synchronous medium brings to eLearning. Being able to connect and interact with instructor and fellow participants in real time provided an opportunity to experience being part of an online community and to observe facilitation in action. I'm sure I became more aware of this because online community and facilitation is what FOC is all about!

I had already dismissed the notion of using online conferencing in my sole instructor practice because of cost, Elluminate is beyond my budget i'm afraid! but FOC has opened my eyes to a wider range of potential eLearning tools, and several free online conferencing tools also, such as WiZiQ. I decided right away that I would use one of these for my mini conference rather than Elluminate, as it might become my future choice of online conferencing tool. I finally decided on WiZiQ because it had a well developed network of teachers regularly holding classes, including my presenters Nellie and Gladys.

Observing the co-presenting skills modelled by Nellie and Gladys during the conference provided great insight into how to work well with another presenter, and was another lesson in itself, aside from the presentation topic.

What when well .....

Although I use email a lot and think its a great way to communicate, I think it has its limitations when trying to plan an event involving people living in several different time zones. I think that if I had continued to trade emails I would not have gotten the clarification I required on several issues in time for the mini event, and would have felt less prepared, so having an online discussion session in WiZiQ was definitely a good idea, and worked very well.

Once I had been given several suitable date/time options, I used Doodle to find out which day and time would be most suitable for the other FOC09 participants to attend my mini conference. I think this worked well and was quick,easy to set up and to monitor responses, and saved me having to send, track and record the responses from multiple emails. Thankfully everyone responded promptly so I was able to schedule the most suitable date and time within days.

What didn't go so well ...

Prior to the WiZiQ discussion session I was unable to locate my Web cam which meant I missed the opportunity to practice using it in WiZiQ, unfortunately this lack of practice caused me ongoing grief during the mini event ... as I did not know how to properly disable my web cam to allow attendees to view both presenters at the same time. Also in attempting to disable my web cam during my online event, my computer decided to freeze for about two minutes (which seemed more like 10 minutes), and made me wish for the ground to open up beneath me and swallow me whole! ... the web cam drama's continued throughout the event, as I had to alternate web cam use between presenters, which did not occur at the speed of a mouse click, and for some unknown reason seemed to work better for one presenter than the other :( ... last,but by no means less mortifying was my event wrap up, which was supposed to be done using my web cam, unfortunately I had managed to disable it to the point of non revival!

Another wee hitch was that the box showing attendees names only made visible three or four at once, unlike Elluminate where all are visible, Icons for microphone, web cam and tools appeared beside each persons name, so every time I needed to give access to someone I had to frantically scroll up or down the list of names to locate the one I needed....tiring stuff...

I advertised my mini event via the FOC09 Google Groups Forum, Course Wiki page, and the WiZiQ invite function, with participants being sent an automated invite.

My presenters had granted me temporary access to use their professional account, as this had more privileges that my free account. I scheduled my event on the Integrating Technologies account, and sent invites via WiZiQ. I then sent an email to FOC asking all interested to join WiZiQ and accept the Interating Technologies invite, in case they wondered who IT was, and asked those who had not received an invite to send me their personal address, because with WiZiQ I could not send an invite to the FOC Google Groups account. Response from participants was slow, and started to worry me a bit ... in hindsight I should have sent out an RSVP to the class, so I had a clearer idea who would be attending, like Stephen, Rosceli and a few others did.

I also became concerned when I logged into my free WiZiQ account to see the session appear here also, making me wonder if attendees needed to login to the session here, or could login on either account..to arrive in the same session .... so I sent out more invites, this time from my personal network I know seems rather silly (I will play the blonde card here!) What I should have done is ask my presenters to clear up my confusion about this ... To explain how several would be attendees were unable to access the class would make this an extremely long blog post, so I will just make the point that I have now 'once and for all time' finally learnt this lesson:- If in doubt - ask questions until you have understanding - never bury your head in the sand, and hope all will be 'right on the night'!

Had I checked the FOC emails within 10 minutes of the start of session, rather than 20 minutes, with the session well under way, I think I would have either resorted to plan B (Elluminate) or asked my presenters what to do to get the others into WiZiQ, unfortunately I was so rattled by this time because of my computer freezing e.t.c ... I chose to do nothing and carry on .... I don't think this is what an experienced, professional facilitator would have done somehow ....

I have still to bring myself to watch the recording (may wait a month or so... however if you were unable to attend or could not access the session you can view the PowerPoint presentation and class recording by following the link on the FOC09 course wiki.

Thanks ..... feedback welcome and much appreciated ....

Plans for my Mini Conference

2009-11-17T02:11:00.000-08:00

My mini conference is scheduled for Monday the 23rd of November, at 8PM (NZ Time) if you are in a different time zone you can check out what day and time that will be where you are here. So … only 5 more days to go, and the closer it gets, the more nervous I become!

I will be facilitating an hour long session in WiZiQ with experienced online presenters Nellie Deutsch and Gladys Gahona, both of whom regularly conduct public workshops using WiZiQ as their online conferencing platform of choice.

During the presentation, Nellie and Gladys will discuss how the open source learning management system (LMS) (CMS) Moodle, Wikieducator, and social networking tools, Facebook, Twitter and Ning, and online conferencing tool WiZiQ, can be combined to create, share, promote and enhance the facilitation of online instruction and learning via Blended Learning (BL) and Blended Online Learning (BOL) Modalities. If you have time before the mini conference also check out BOL workshops on WikiEducator and IT4ALL.

To prepare for the conference...

I sent an invitation to my mini conference to facilitating-online-communities@googlegroups however no invitation was received. I hope those of you who are planning to attend will not mind sending me an email at catherinetaylor@inspire.net.nz with your personal email address, so that I can send you an invitation via WiZiQ.
Please register with WiZiQ, this will only take a minute, and they do not ask for too much personal information.
I am almost 100% certain that people who have been invited/registered will be sent a reminder to their inbox from WiZiQ about one hour prior to the start of the online conference, which provides a link to the class. Alternatively the conference room can be accessed via the link on the course wiki mini conference page or my blog.
Check out the information I have added about my online event on the Discussion page on the FOC09 course wiki, and add your comment to the discussion I have started there or leave a comment on my Blog regarding the following questions in preparation for online event......
How do you organise and facilitate online learning?/ Which tools do you use to organise and facilitate online learning?
Which tools do you/ would you use to share/promote/advertise online learning/workshops e.t.c?

NB: Elluminate will be the back up venue should WiZiQ misbehave on Monday Night!!

Discussion Forums

2009-10-17T19:52:00.001-07:00

My primary experience with, and only active participation in Discussion Boards to date has been through my enrolment at MIT in the Graduate Certificate in Applied eLearning. Two out of three of the papers I have completed utilised the Discussion Board within the learning Management System Blackboard.

In both instances discussion topics were posted by the paper coordinator as either a group activity or an individual task, however all student’s individual participation and contribution was awarded a mark which contributed to the overall course grade.
My initial reaction to the Discussion Board activities in my first paper was one of moderate anxiety, and nervousness, primarily due to the wider audience my ‘written work’ would be viewed, critiqued and judged by! My participation in the Discussions was minimal and was only forthcoming after quite some time spent ‘lurking’ and several ‘false starts’. The ‘lurking’ I recall made me feel slightly uneasy, almost like I was indulging in some form of illicit activity or cheating to some extent, however it was helpful, as it gave me some idea of the style of writing used in the Discussion Boards. The Style adopted by other students all varied somewhat however, and I do remember a couple of posts That I read early on were very formally written, rather long and referenced to the hilt… which I found really intimidating, and actually made the underlying meaning and content of the post almost indiscernible. Eventually I came across more informally written posts which were firmly rooted in actual experience … and finally I felt confident enough to post myself.

My next experience with Discussion board tasks was a lot more enjoyable, and as I had had some previous experience I was far more confident and did not suffer from any hesitation to post whatsoever. As all of the students participating were aware of ‘netiquette’ any comments posted and subsequent responses were always very cordial, and comments constructive. In fact I would say that this was an ideal initiation into the Discussion forum experience as you are highly unlikely to experience any flaming or negatively worded feedback, which I have come across several times in public forums on the net.

I still have a problem with regard to perceiving each and every posting, albeit Discussion Board or Blog as, ‘written work’ of sorts, I realise that I am not expected to write an essay, (nor would one be welcome!) however my mental preparation (I guess) toward it is as if it was. This can be very time consuming and a source of personal annoyance! Becoming more relaxed with regard to putting my musings out there for others to see is a continual challenge…..

Unfortunately the challenge proved too great for me with regard to joining a Discussion Forum. I lurked in numerous public forums over several weeks, but lacked the courage to ‘commit’ to any particular group. Although I am the first to admit that yes - I was a bit scared, being a bit of a ‘sissy’ to join, I also honestly could not find a single forum that really made me want to be part of their online community!

Firstly, finding a group based on my areas of interest was a bit of a mission, I searched several sites and found Google groups and Yahoo had the most, but was also confusing to search. Once I found some potential groups I soon found that many were private, or had between 150 – 300+ members, or alternatively less than 20 and inactive. The majority of Forums I 'researched' were moderated.

Facilitating, Moderating or teaching?

2009-09-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

When I first started the Graduate Certificate in Applied eLearning programme I did so out of a desire to better understand the rapidly developing ‘online learning’ phenomenon, and also to gain a basic grounding in the skills necessary to produce elearning resources and solutions, so that I could integrate this technology into current and future teaching roles and projects.

Aside from the multitude of foreign terminology I was being exposed to for the first time, I was also being asked to explore the changing role of the teacher in this online environment, and began to hear about and research some new terms commonly used in eLearning, to describe this role, (for me anyway!) such as moderation/moderator and facilitating/facilitator. It made me think about my previously learned ideas, expectations and attitudes held in regard to teaching or being a ‘teacher’. I started to wonder: Were my current teaching skills inadequate or too set in the traditional face-to-face mould for me to be an effective educator in this online environment? To measure up, to success, would I need to reinvent my professional self, become and now and forever more go by the more modern title of Facilitator or Moderator? Confusing times!!

In my previous two Grad Cert Applied eLearning courses I have been fortunate enough to have had two great paper coordinators, both of whom modeled consistent, clear styles of ‘teaching online’ (I’ll call it this) ! The courses were accessed through a LMS (Blackboard) and between the two incorporated technologies such as discussion forums, online conferencing (Elluminate), blogging and a course Wiki. I feel that the skills of moderating in both courses were highlighted and modeled exceptionally well. Examples that easily come to mind are:

• Effective teacher-learner communication and prompt constructive feedback provided.
• The group and individual learners are provided with ongoing motivation to reflect further, and extend scope of readings and research.
• Use of strategies to maintain cohesion in the learner group – weekly summary of learner discussion posted. Links to latest posts or posts of particular individual relevance provided.
• Keeping ‘tabs’ on individual learner progress and participate.

These are skills I admired and couldn’t wait to add to the skills I already felt I possessed from my face-to face teaching experience (actually technically speaking I am a tutor in a post secondary setting!), some of these teaching skills are:

• Authority on my area of expertise ( Subject matter expert)
• Effective speaker and communicator
• Well organised and prepared
• Effective in assessing and evaluating learning.

In this course FOC09 our attention is on the role of the Facilitator, and facilitating online communities, unfortunately I have not been as active in this course as I would have liked!, and have encountered a different approach to ‘teaching online’ again, if this is indeed the modeling of facilitating in action, then I think it assumes and requires the highest level of motivation, time management, organisation and self-direction from learners, of all the three roles. From reading through the resources for this discussion task I have complied a short list of attributes I think are needed to be an effective Facilitator:
• Effective in communicating, listening and providing feedback.
• Encourage and actively promote opportunities for problem-based and inquiry-based learning, group discussion: a student- centred approach to learning (Constructivism).
• Good grasp of Information and communication technology.
• Good at organising and managing learning experiences and groups of learners.
• Encourage learner autonomy.

This course FOC09 has slowly led me to the conclusion that I am an Educator, first and foremost, as the three roles overlap in regard to some skills, namely communication, listening and thorough knowledge of topic and resources, which I think are generic, and necessary for an effective educator. So to be effective, especially in an online environment, I need to learn and ‘hone’ the skills of all three roles: teacher, moderator, and facilitator, and adopt or utilise the skills of that role which is most appropriate to the given learning environment or learner/group of learners. (This is my opinion, and I am more than happy to defend it, or modify it should anyone wish to challenge it, or enlighten me!!)
It is challenging and somewhat scary when you have been used to having a certain level of authority and control in a traditional learning environment, being the subject matter expert and sticking to the ‘tried and true’ didactic formula of, teacher- led lectures and discussions, which in turn promote learners who are often passive receptors of information. Opening up to and adopting new roles in this online environment is a bit scary, but definitely necessary, however the traditional role of ‘teacher’ may be hard to shake!

Teaching in the traditional sense of the term may undermine both moderating and facilitating roles in an online environment because online teaching tends to adopt a constructivist approach to learning, which is essentially the opposite of traditional (f2f) teaching and learning. To a lesser or greater degree the learner, especially those new to eLearning may have preconceived expectations based on traditional face-to-face learning:

• Expecting all the necessary learning materials and resources to be provided and worked through at a pace set by the teacher. (to be taught as opposed to learning). Learners may be surprised to be actively encouraged to locate alternate sources of information or experts.
• Expectations of being chased up for assignments etcetera.
• Expecting a strong teacher presence throughout the course.
• Fear to contribute opinions and learning to discussions because of embarrassment or negative feedback, disapproval from the teacher.

• Because ‘online teaching’ is learner-centred, with a focus on problem and inquiry based learning and collaborative learning events rather than a traditional lecture style lesson, some learners may struggle to construct their own meaning from course content, and may struggle with the concept of viewing their fellow learners as their teacher also because of the open sharing of resources, knowledge, reflections on experiences and through receiving constructive feedback from fellow learners.

The role of moderator may undermine that of facilitator in that the level of interaction by the course coordinator may encroach upon or impede the ability of the learner group to form an online community in the broadest sense of the term, one that may operate beyond the confines of a course etcetera.
These are my reflections on my learning to date…… and may well cause me to cringe at my lack of understanding at a later date! Who knows:) Regardless your feedback will always be appreciated.

What is Online Community??

2009-08-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

The widespread availability of the internet allows anyone with internet access, to join and participate in the thousands of online communities existing today. When you reflect on this for any length of time (and your reflection has been aided by several well selected thought provoking course readings!) you again realise just how potent and mighty the internet is! (You can imagine the most geographically isolated or socially disadvantaged person - there you are – have computer – have modem - knock yourself out!) I think any individual who has already experienced some form of online community has - forever after - altered expectations and experiences of all future participation in groups or communities albeit face-to-face or online.

If membership to a community is not through participation online then an individual is most likely to join a traditional form of group such as a community, sporting or cultural club or association to fulfill the human need for social contact with other humans, however, especially in a traditional context these groups can prevent sectors of a community from participating based on race, gender, age, socio-economic status, education, marital status, sexual orientation, and religion, to name just a few because, as highlighted by the Stephen Downes groups are essentially closed, with boundaries existing between members and non-members, and are therefore exclusive, – this can occur to a much lesser degree online……however essentially the aim of online communities is the formation of what Downes described as networks – essentially the opposite of a group - as the aim is to promote inclusion through open membership, and the sharing of knowledge and resources.

The breaking down of barriers and boundaries to participation in community is echoed in ‘An anthropological introduction to YouTube’ by Michael Wesch which highlights the fact that all age demographics are well represented on YouTube, and that many traditional barriers to inclusion and participation in a group do not necessarily apply - as to some extent we become anonymous. Issues surrounding the digital divide obviously still exist as access to a web-cam, the internet and computers is a necessary prerequisite to participation.

At a time when many traditional symbols of community are disappearing for example; the local post shop and corner dairy, social networking sites such as YouTube provide us with new ways to experience community, a sense of self and of belonging.

Below is my current list of features that I would look for when identifying an online community. I am sure as this course progresses I will be adding to this list extensively!

A shared interest, purpose, goal, objective...... although the level of commitment, passion and motivation possessed by individual members will vary.
Will display a high level of online courtesy and respect (Netiquette) , with little or no incidents of flaming.
Openness, willingness to share and spread knowledge, experience, insight e.t.c
Display a level of camaraderie, humour, emotional/moral support, concern for the well-being of members.
Sharing knowledge and resources, expertise.

Look forward to your comments :)

Evaluation of eLearning for best practice

2009-08-19T02:18:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I have finally finished my evaluation report which has now been marked by Bronwyn...so I am sharing it with you. Hope this link works ...if not an email has also been sent to the email forum at googlegroups....... Will now attempt to get up to speed with FOC09!

Regards,

Catherine

Facilitating Online Communities: 906:703

2009-07-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to my Blog!
My name is Catherine Taylor, and this is my fourth paper in the Graduate Certificate in Applied eLearning Programme. I have just completed the Educational Design for eLearning paper and have almost completed the Evaluation of eLearning for Best Practice paper (Running a bit behind with this!). I am looking forward to learning new skills in this course and to have the opportunity to facilitate an online learning event , something I have yet to put in practice.
Prior to 2008 I taught Beauty Therapy in a P.T.E for six years, I am now a self employed massage therapist/instructor. On completion of this course I hope to have sufficient skills and confidence to finally launch a blended version of my massage courses. Looking forward to touching base with those of you I have participated with in other papers and meeting others that I have yet to!

All the best,
Catherine

Summary of results

2009-07-15T18:02:00.001-07:00

Summary of results

Hi all here are my analysis of results it can be found on google docs and also on the email forum as an attachment.. however here are some reflections and a summary of the collected data to date.

Student Literacy Survey

The student survey questions were divided into four sections: Student demographics and previous computer use, computer literacy, computer confidence and use of internet based communication and information methods and massage and Anatomy and Physiology knowledge.

As stated earlier in my evaluation proposal the sample size was small with only four student participants and for the most part I do not feel this particular group represents the average demographics for my courses, this could be better demonstrated over time through the implementation of a pre course student survey in all future courses.

75% of the students are female and 25% Male, with 100% being New Zealand Pakeha. 75% of students are in the 46-59 year age range and 25% are 21-30 years of age. A positive indication for the future implementation of a blended version of my Thai Massage course is the high level of computer ownership and access to internet, as 100% of students own a computer or laptop and have Internet access. Unfortunately I forgot to include a question on the type of internet connection (a foolish oversight on my part!) and asked this during the interview stage instead. However responses are not in my data as it was an afterthought I felt a bit dishonest to include with the survey results!! The frequency of home Internet use was spilt, with 50% being frequent users and 50% infrequent users. 75% of students surveyed have over three year’s computer experience, while 25% have just 1-2 years of experience. When asked to rate their level of confidence in locating, retrieving, analysing and applying information relevant to study or work using both electronic and traditional methods 50% of students surveyed rated their ability to use electronic methods as high; 25% rated their ability as average, and 25% as very low. In the use of traditional methods only 25% of students rated their ability as high, while 50% were average and 25% very low. 50% of students stated that they felt that they needed to improve their computer skills somewhat and only 25% reported feeling extremely confident in using the internet to search for information, while 50% felt just confident and 25% unconfident. Previous use of or confidence in the use of Forums, Discussion boards was low with only 25% saying they felt confident using them while another 25% had never used one before. In the use of online chat and wikis 50% of students were neither confident nor unconfident, whilst the same percentage had never used Computer conferencing.

On initial analysis I did not find this data an extremely positive indicator to incorporation of elearning in my course… however it is only one form of instrumentation and the results of questionnaire and interview should provide a bigger picture.

50% had no previous massage experience at all, while 50% had previously studied Anatomy and Physiology before 50% had not.

Summary of usability test questionnaire data (including experts) (n=6)

Students and experts were informed that the purpose of the evaluation is to gather information about the suitability of the proposed design for online course materials in a Thai Massage Course, and that a website utilising a wiki platform is being tested, which is a prototype for how the course might look and operate online. A wiki was selected so that learners can create and share content of the subject as part of their learning activities.

They were required to login to the wiki and use the first 5 minutes for general exploration to gain an overall feel of the wiki and their remaining time was spent comparing the features and functionally of the wiki against the heuristics provided in the questionnaire which have been adapted from Nielsen’s revised list of heuristics (1994) and are: Navigation, Language, Visibility and Page layout and Learning content and Activities. Findings can be found on the email attachment.

Summary of Interview findings from the user group

Q1. How helpful do you think it would be to receive a face-to-face orientation lesson on using a wiki before commencing the theory component of this course?

Comments

Face-to -face orientation session would be helpful - n=4
Include an Instruction manual - n=1
Should not be compulsory - n=1

Q2. If using a wiki as a platform for collaborative learning activities, what sort of computer skills and support do you think you will need to encourage you to participate?

Comments

initial instruction on the technology will help - n=4
Average computer skills needed only - n=2
Lack of support and knowledge of computers could be a barrier – n=1

Q3. How well do you think the collaborative learning activities offered on the wiki provide you with opportunities to demonstrate and apply knowledge?

Comments

Provide lots of opportunity - n=4

Q4. How will having the ability to read and review other learners work help with your own learning?

Comments

Learn from others knowledge - n=3
Gain another’s perspective - n=3
Improve your own understanding of a topic - n=2

Q5. In what ways would your motivation to access course materials increase because wiki was the platform for delivery?

Comments

Can utilise free time at home in study - n=2
Curiosity about what others are adding – n=3
Motivate you to want to share interesting information with others - n=1

Q6. Why would you recommend/ not recommend the use of a wiki for this course in the future?

Comments

Would recommend - n=4
Easy to use – n=3
Convenient – n=3

For further information please refer to results posted on googledocs or email attachment.

Thanks.

References

Ten Usability Heuristics by Jacob Nielsen. Retreived on 16th July 2009 from:

http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html

My Evaluation Plan has been updated

2009-06-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I have finally added my Interview questions and questionnaire to my Evaluation Plan on GoogleDocs. I am currently finishing off my wiki in readyness for usability testing by the sample group over the next few days, and will get onto interviews next week!

I have had sick kids all week and now have the bot also!! so this is my excuse (poor I know) for being very inactive on the blogs... my apologies..will get organised over the weekend!

Take care,

Catherine

Draft evaluation plan #2

2009-05-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the feedback I have received so far. it has been helpful:)

I have incorporated Bronwyn's feedback into this current version and am hoping it does not need too much tweaking now. Will get questionnaires in order now!
Here is the link to google docs for my evaluation plan... hopefully it works.
I was doing some blog house keeping :) and have inadvertently removed the link to my draft one on google docs so for those who would like to view for it for comparison here is the link
Thanks

Draft Evaluation Plan

2009-05-08T02:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Since my last post and acting on feedback from my discussion with Bronwyn, I have decided to narrow my formative evaluation to measure the usability of a wiki instead of both the usability and effectiveness. This has taken the stress off trying to get a functional wiki up and running in time for the evaluation .... plus I am still learn how to use one myself!! Here is my Draft plan so far.....

Introduction:

I will be conducting a formative evaluation to investigate how a Wiki can be successfully utilised for the delivery of course materials in a practical based subject.

Primary evaluator:

Catherine Taylor

Background:

I teach a Thai Massage course which is currently taught face2face over five consecutive days. Scheduling and course duration is govered by the availability of teaching space and timetable commitments of participating education providers. Five days allows sufficient face2face contact time to teach practical massage skills, but leaves no time for an in-depth study of subject material; this is left to the initiative of only the most motivated students. Current theory classroom time consists of approximately two hours with content directly related to safe practice and guidelines of massage only.

Purpose:

The purpose of this evaluation is to investigate the appropriateness of using a wiki as an online platform in the delivery of the theory content of the course. This will enable thorough coverage of the learning content and the ability to use a wide range of learning materials and media, and provide the opportunity to incorporate both self-directed and group learning activities into the course. I hope to increase the theory component of the course to approximately fifteen hours of study. A blended format may provide future opportunity to increase the number of courses held throughout the year as weekend intensives offer little interference with existing timetable commitments of education providers.

eLearning Guidelines:

ST5: Have activities been identified that allow individuals and groups to learn through experience including opportunities to demonstrate and practice skills? this guideline is taken from: http://elg.massey.ac.nz

Both of the sub questions below are slightly modifications of suggestions from Bronwyn :)

How do the selected learning materials and activities encourage user engagement of the subject?
Have the selected learning activities been designed to encourage experiential learning?

My second eLearning guideline is modified slightly from an earlier suggestion provided by Bronwyn:

How appropriate is a Wiki for the delivery of course content in a practical based subject?

Sub-questions .....

Does the Wiki provide users with links to learning material and activities that are easy to locate and identify?
Are users able to apply existing computer skills and on-line experience to a Wiki learning environment?

Audience:

The primary audience involved in this evaluation project will be those participating in the formative evaluation:

Four current thai massage students who will form the student focus group
One subject matter expert
One Education Technology expert

The secondary audience will be the Lecturer and Students of the Evaluation of eLearning for Best Practice course, to which this evaluation plan will be submitted for assessment and feedback.

Method:

I have selected the Multiple- Methods Evaluation which falls under the umbrella of the Eclectic-Mixed -Methods- Pragmatic Paradigm to conduct a Formative evaluation.

I intend to carry out usability testing (Heuristic reveiw) of the early design and development stage of a wiki using paper/online prototype.

Sample:

Students participating in the focus group will be asked to sign a consent form and will be required to complete a pre-testing questionnaire to establish

The users level of computer skills, computer use, and online confidence.
Existing massage and anatomy and physiology knowledge
Students expectations of the learning material, media, assessment, interaction and tutor support that a wiki will provide.

Interview using script or student questionnaire (not sure which will be easier to do?) of focus group face2face using paper prototype (or provide computer presentation & availability to view online also - prefer to avoid use of paper!) The face2face will be conducted on the last day of the training and will take approx 1 hour.

My friend and former home stay student from Taiwan has a Masters degree in Education Technology and has kindly agreed to be my Technology expert. I have also secured the services of a colleague who teaches Thai Massage in Germany and has agreed to be my Subject Matter expert.

Each participant will be provided with a separate online questionnaire (via email and using survey monkey) and access to a PowerPoint presentation via email attachment (or access online) of the wiki prototype. This will also be followed up with a synchronous discussion/ interview of findings.

Instrumentation:

Questionnaires, Interview, Focus group, Expert review

Decisions:

The findings of the focus group and expert review along with feedback from members of the Evaluation of eLearning for Best Practice will guide the next iteration of testing (A fully functional wiki) and the formative evaluation process will continue untill the wiki is ready to roll out.

Budget:

I intend to utilise online methods of communication and documentation as much as possible to lessen costs of telephone calls, postage, paper, printing e.t.c.
Movie vouchers? goodie bags for students :) $30-40
Sharing of knowledge with experts .... priceless!

Logistics:

I will be conducting all aspects of the evaluation myself and for this reason have chosen to narrow my initial evaluation and use heuristic review (ideal for early prototype stage of design). I also am not planning to roll out my eLearning strategy untill February 2010 so I have time to complete a thorough formative evaluation and formal usuability test prior to February.
I have concerns that the sample size may be too small in reading information on heuristic reviews I am wondering if I need two experts in each expert review?
Time zone and scheduling issues as both expert live in different area from me one expert is in Germany which will make the use of Skype and email a must.

Timeline:

Planning .... to be completed by Wk 11 (Approx - 24th May)

1.Create the paper/computer PowerPoint presentation of the wiki prototype
2.Write up expert review and focus group cover letter
3.Select questions and create pre test questionnaire for focus group - likert scale
4.Select questions and create questionnaire/ script for face2face focus group run through- combination of Likert scale and open ended questions. If using script decide on best method for note taking
5.Organise dates/times with experts
6.Decide on expert review interview questions
7.Decide on best method to collate information
8.Select questions and create check-list/ questionnaire for experts to use when conducting testing - Likert scale

2. Conduct and Co-ordinate Evaluation Plan ....to be completed by Wk 13 (Approx - 7th June)

1. Send consent forms to participants & questionnaire and presentation to experts
2. conduct student focus group
3. Interview experts

3. Write up Evaluation Plan ..... to be completed by Wk 15 ( Approx 21st June)

1. Collate findings

Reporting ..... to be completed by Wk 16

Hand in Evaluation Project

Things to do next...

1-8 of the Planning stage!

Week 5 & 6 Summary of articles

2009-04-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

Here is part two of my week 5 & 6 post ...

Firstly here is my (new) second elearning guideline...thanks Bronwyn... I have altered it slightly and have named it appropriately :)

BH1: How effective is a wiki for delivery of course materials in a practical based subject?

I have found interpreting the elearning guidelines a bit of a struggle, hopefully I am now on the right track.

I found a couple of interesting articles which both relate to the use of a wiki:

Is wiki an effective platform for group course work?

Elgert, I., Smith, A.G & Toland, J. (2008). Is wiki an effective platform for group course work? Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24(2), 195-210.
http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet24/elgart.html

I read the above article with interest.. the study was conducted using action research, using two focus groups, each were given a different learning activity which had to be completed as a group. (collaborative learning being the focus of the study) I would say this was a formative evaluation, measuring the effectiveness/usability of a wiki for collaborative work. Both quantitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used (questionnaire, observation, data analysis, focus group) therefore a Mixed Methods evaluation model(Shotland,1987) was used.

The study undertaken was to gauge student and lecturer perception of using a wiki as a collaborative platform for group course work, over a range of learning activities, assignments, creation of knowledge base, resource guide; with student attitude, participation and interaction with the wiki all measured.

The findings of the study were encouraging and back up other articles supporting the use of a wiki as a learning medium. Those of particular relevance to my evaluation plan are....

Student feedback:

Overall the student feedback expressed a positive attitude to course group work using a wiki, many felt use of wiki promoted and encouraged greater individual participation toward group tasks.
Others stated that it enabled them to leverage off the ideals and knoledge of others as they gained a fresh perspective of the topic.

What I gained from these comments was insights into how a wiki could be successfully utilised in my course ... I can take advantage of the benefit of using a wiki for group work as course size is small (numbers are limited to a maximum of ten participants) whole class learning activities can be developed, this combined with the synchronous contact during face2face could promote a very cohesive group that may continue to collaborate and support beyond the course (a great way to maintain professional standards in a small industry/ small country). As most participants already possess a wealth of knowledge in their related fields, the opportunity for all to leverage off ideals, knowledge e.t.c of fellow students is huge....as wiki allows students to generate course content (knowledge, links to articles, e.t.c) this can be saved and benefit both myself and future course participants too!

Lecturer feedback:

It was stated that managing and marking course work on a wiki was simple and effective.

This comment from experienced elearning professionals was encouraging for a 'sole trainer' who has yet to 'go live', by initially using a wiki to deliver course material I can gain confidence in teaching on-line before roll-out of a L.M.S.

The focus group participants all had a high level of computer confidence yet some stated that they would have benefited from more technical support .....

As many of my course participants will have little or no previous elearning experience ...I will need to ensure this factor is well addressed or major problems and barriers to learning will arise.

2. Wiki-based Framework for Blended Learning

Cubric, M. (2007). Wiki-based Process Framework for Blended Learning
www.wikisym.org/ws2007/_Publish/Cubric_WikiSym 2007_BlendedLearningFramework.pdf

The aim of this paper is to help provide a framework for the learning and teaching process supported by the use of wiki. A series of four trials were carried out over two academic years (2006/7), at the University of Hertfordshire Business School. A Multiple Methods evaluation model was implemented.The objective of each trial was to explore various learning activities used on a wiki to support student learning. The range of group learning activities included creating a module glossary,FAQ page, bibliography and post lecture discussions.

The main findings of the study were that "students engagement with wiki-based learning activities is directly proportional to the quality and frequency of tutor's feedback and the clarity of the underlying learning and teaching process." (Cubric, 2007)

There is a wealth of useful information in this article (of which I am still working through) I am currently formulating my sub-questions with the help of this article.

More on this in my evaluation plan.

Week Four: Evaluation paradigms and models

2009-04-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

I was getting ready to compose my post for week 5 and 6 only to discover I have yet to post week 4! I have formulated, revised and re-edited it in my head so many times I must have mentally posted it too!

So.... some thoughts on the Evaluation Paradigms... I read Professor Reeves Educational Paradigms with initial confusion... however by the third reading I got the 'general gist' of the paradigms and found a definite favourite in:

Paradigm #4: The Eclectic-Mixed Methods - Pragmatic Paradigm.

I guess the initial appeal was that it's suitability to Elearning was stressed ... however I also appreciate it's flexibility and willingness to adopt appropriate evaluation methods from other paradigms to collect information and achieve desired outcomes.

However.... I was also 'intrigued' by the description in Professor Reeves article in regard to:
Paradigm #3 Critical Theory- Neomarxist- Postmodern- Praxis Paradigm (now that really is a mouthful!) The followers of this Paradigm are said to view themselves as forces of liberation engaged in mortal conflict with the powers of oppression. This statement made me smile as I sat wondering how many Elearning educators and advocates out there may feel this statement is applicable to them at times!

Anyway.... whilst browsing the web the other day (as we do!) I came across this great article by Steve Richards discussing the growth of Information Technology and it's impact and relevance to the home schooling movement in the United Kingdom. The term 'Postmodernism' was often used and the authors disillusionment with the State School system apparent which brought to mind this Paradigm.

In his Educational Paradigms article, Professor Reeves suggests that all Instructional designers take the critical theory perspective of this Paradigm seriously as it encourages us to question among other things the cultural and gender assumptions underlying the programmes we develop. One aspect of this statement is echoed in the eLearning guidelines where we are asked to consider ....."trends such as the demand for cultural authenticity and identity by Maori learners and the emergence of dynamic Maori language and Kaupapa Maori learning environments."

I have selected the Multiple Methods Evaluation Model (Mark & Shortland 1987) which falls under the Eclectic-Mixed Methods - Pragmatic Paradigm as the best fit for my evaluation project. More on this in my next post!!

Which will be up shortly :)

References

Reeves, T. (1996) Educational Paradigms.
[On-Line] URL:

http://www.wikieducator.org/Evaluation_of_eLearning_for_best_practice

(Accessed, April 12,2009)

Richards, S. (1999) Home Education, Information and Communication Technology and the Search for a New Paradigm.

[On-Line] URL:

http://www.northstaruk.org/docs/paradigm.pdf

(Accessed, April 10, 2009)

Milne, J.,Dimock,E.(2006) guidelines for the support of e-learning in New Zealand tertiary institutions.

[On-Line] URL:

http://elg.massey.ac.nz

(Accessed April 10 2009)

Week 5 & 6 Evaluation methods

2009-03-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

I had originally decided to conduct a needs assessment for my evaluation project; with comments ready to post last weekend, however I finally gave in to the little (loud!) nagging voice in my head and decided to change this to a formative evaluation.

My long-term plan (12-18 months) is to redevelop the Thai Massage course I currently teach face2face to a blended (hybrid) course, with the theory component completely web-based and accessed via Moodle. My initial evaluation project idea (week 3 - elearning guidelines) was to produce and evaluate the effectiveness of this completed theory component. (How naive and overambitious of me!!)

I received very helpful & constructive feedback from Michelle, Rachel and Bronwyn, which I definitely took on-board ... Michelle made me realise my initial plans were "a huge task' and suggested I consider the suitability of needs assessment to evaluate the idea of providing the theory on-line first, this was great advice ...

However, Bronwyn suggested I think about the possibility of doing "something really small yet effective" that I could formatively evaluate, several options were discussed, but my interest was ignited by the suggested use of wikieducator, especially after visiting Otago Polytechnic's massage course wiki - http://www.wikieducator.org/Therapeutic_massage which Rachel kindly recommended; this started me thinking of the possibility of something like this for my course!

Although I have no pressing deadline for the roll-out of elearning, I am still eager to get some aspects of learning on-line as soon as possible as student evaluation from my last two courses revealed that while students were very satisfied with the practical component of the course; the majority of students thought the course only partially met the theory related learning outcomes. This is a real concern for any educator and an issue that I hope will be addressed by providing "a small yet effective" elearning strategy.

Current time constraints placed on the course (beyond my control) leaves little time for an in depth theory lesson and therefore relies heavily on students existing theory knowledge. This is one of my major motivators for creating a hybrid course and cemented the idea of conducting formative evaluation to measure the usability of wikieducator and effectiveness against selected elearning guidelines.

I have selected the Multiple- Methods Evaluation Model (Mark & Shotland 1987) this model comes under the umbrella of the Eclectic-Mixed -Methods-Pragmatic -Paradigm I have chosen the Multiple Methods model because of it's suitability for evaluating web-based, interactive learning and also formative evaluation. (Hegarty, 2003). The Multiple-Methods model allows for triangulation of data- that is, the integration of both quantitative and qualitative forms of data collection that may be more inline with other Paradigms.

This flexible approach to evaluation is ideal as I will be using a focus group to 'test' my elearning strategy, and by using this model am able to gather preliminary data by conducting a survey using open-ended questions via email, prior to roll-out (qualitative) followed by one in-depth interview (qualitative) with each stakeholder (student) during one practical face2face intensive, and finally conduct a highly structured, online survey upon course completion using closed questions only(quantitative). Observations will be noted throughout the process.

My first selected elearning guideline: ST5: Have activities been identified that allow individuals and groups to learn through experience, including opportunities to demonstrate and practice skills? was selected back in week 3 as I feel it is a good fit for the evaluation plan.

The second elearning guideline was selected once I decided to use wikieducator as my elearning strategy and I beleive is also very appropriate for this task:MD1: What systems are in place for monitoring the quality of study material, including it's periodic review and, or redevelopment?

As this is a long post and for ease of reading!.... I have decided to post week 5 & 6 in two parts..... will therefore discuss my choice of elearning guidelines further and summarise an article written on the effectiveness of using a wiki in a blended learning course.

Please feel free to place feedback .. I am definately open to all constructive suggestions :)

Week Three: elearning guidelines

2009-03-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

The elearning guidelines provide lots of food for thought and I've been slowly chomping my way through it over the last week! ... thanks Bronwyn I don't know about the rest of you, but I have not come across the guidelines before, and appreciate the appropriate timing of their introduction! I have now printed the document as I was getting tired of reading through it on the computer screen!

As this is also my first time creating an online course I am in complete agreement with a comment made by Iain in his blog in reference to the guidelines providing first time elearning developers with an "ideal opportunity to ensure that we consider all the quality and management issues from day one."

The guidelines helped me identify many issues that are relevant in my context, to the design and evaluation process, I decided to select two broad issues to address for my evaluation project.

Before I discuss these I will quickly fill you in on my current situation and introduce my evaluation project scenario....

I have recently started my own business as a thai massage instructor/therapist and am also currently studying to become a yoga instructor; my purpose for eventually attaining the graduate certificate in applied elearning is to combine these interests to provide quality postgraduate online courses and an online community of massage and yoga practitioners!.... (too ambitious... maybe... insane... perhaps!)

Therefore my evaluation project will be the development of my first online thai massage course. The course will be blended delivery as I believe the initial practical massage skills need to be taught face2face, however my intention is to deliver the theory component of the course using Moodle.

As a "one woman band" the guidelines constant reference throughout to the use of "staff" in the plural and "the organisation"did raise several questions....

Is online learning a practical option for a one person training provider?
Is it too time intensive for a single "Individual" to create, develop, implement and maintain an online learning environment?
Will online delivery of course material be well received by students more familiar to a face2face learning environment?

These are questions that I would prefer answers to before I leap into my Moodle project, therefore I have a possible alternative evaluation scenario which is this.....

I have been asked to run a thai massage course for six Auckland massage therapists, the practical will be taught over two weekends in May. I want to teach the theory online and think this could be an ideal evaluation opportunity. However due to time and money constraints Moodle is not an option at this stage.

I welcome any suggestions you may have!

MD5: How does the institution ensure that learning outcomes are equivalent for versions of a course delivered by different modes or from separate sites?

This is a great question because the topic for my evaluation project is so personal to me I may be lacking in some objectivity (so convinced in the superior learning opportunities elearning will offer compared to face2face:).
I only have my personal learning experience attending face2face massage courses and feedback from fellow students as a reference for making comparisons so it is necessary for me to include sound formative and summative evaluation processes into the course during development.

Also by actively working through many of the questions in the elearning guidelines this question can be well addressed.

One of the most relevant questions I think is....

TD5: Has a representative sample of students tested the elearning materials and nay necessary modifications been made?

Perhaps it would be very useful to test my course out first with my group of six?

ST5: Have activities been identified that allow individuals and groups to learn through experience, including opportunities to demonstrate and practice skills?

Students will have the opportunity to transfer theory knowledge acquired on line to massage practice in a face2face setting.

The use of case studies allow students the opportunity to apply their knowledge to treat a 'real life' client.. online a case study can be an individual or group task, either synchronous or asynchronous, allowing for single or multiple attempts providing plenty of time for reflection.

The use of interactive material allows students the opportunity to test their knowledge.

Week Two ... Why is Evaluation important to you and how do you define it?

2009-03-10T23:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Well I was determined to get this posted before Bronwyn went on leave... but that didn't quite happen!

So to answer the following questions....

Why is Evaluation important to me and how would I define it?

Evaluation is important to me because I believe that a lack of genuine, effective, evaluation leads to complacency in both teaching and course design, while genuine, effective, evaluation results in both competency and quality in teaching and course design.

Evaluation is (but not limited to!) the methods and processes involved in maintaining,improving and measuring the validity and quality of course design, course content, teaching resources and teaching methods, and most importantly the learning taking place.

What sort of evaluations mentioned on the presentation are familiar to me already and why?

I found Bronwyn's presentation very helpful and interesting and I was familiar with many of the methods of formative and summative evaluation.

In my previous life as a Beauty therapy Tutor I was most familiar with summative evaluation, mostly in the form of Tutor and/ or course evaluation forms and questionaires.

I read heathers comments with interest and agree with her comment .... while data gathered can be useful it's what's done with the information that is important... is so true as often course evaluation forms are handed out at the end of a lesson only when they are required evidence of formal evaluation taking place, fulfilling course assessment criteria. Not always out of any genuine interest from an Educational Institution in measuring student satisfaction with course delivery (this is my opinion anyway!).

My experience of formal methods of formative evaluation have mostly occurred when taking papers in Adult education. I found peer observation particularly useful as the feedback colleagues provide is quite different to that received by students.

The most common forms of formative evaluation I am familiar with are more informal...

Self- evaluation ... I always try to observe what is taking place in the present teaching situation and modify the teaching methods or learning activities accordingly to better serve the needs of the learners .... I also find making written or mental notes of what teaching methods, activities and resources engage students interest and what does'nt seem to work valuable because it allows future lessons to be altered if needed.

peer-discussion ... Informal discussion with colleagues is a useful way to throw ideas about.

Why is quality in eLearning important?

One reason why I think quality in eLearning is so important is because eLearning is still so new.... it still has many critics or those sitting on the fence (in my experience anyway!)

When you have poor or rushed course design, inferior course delivery/ evaluation processess this may result in dissatisfied learners in my opinion this doesn't just reflect poorly on the course, but on eLearning in general... however the same short comings in a f2f course will reflect badly on the course only... not f2f learning!

No one will pass the comment.. "well what do you expect..it was delivered face-to-face!"

Therefore quality in eLearning is important... perhaps more so than f2f learning because it has more to prove (or perhaps we do, as eLearning course developers!)

Of course this is just my opinion... and as always I value constructive peer feedback :)

Week one... a proper Introduction

2009-03-10T16:19:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone

My first posting to my new blog was really just a quickie to get it online... so I thought I had better answer week one's questions more thoroughly (After all our weblog is part of the formative assessment for evaluation of e Learning for best practise :).
So let me Introduce myself properly....

Who am I?
I'm a Mother to two wonderful boys ... and one gorgeous cat! My passions include.... Golf, Yoga, Astrology, Travel, Ayurveda ... actually lots of things interest me greatly...I love learning ...which is proberly why I love to teach!
My Work...
My teaching background is in beauty therapy.. I spent several years teaching at a PTE before deciding to listen to the little voice inside and become self-employed. I am now a Thai massage therapist and instructor...volunteer ESOL home tutor ... and part time student.

My interest in evaluation and what I know already...

As a tutor I have always been interested in evaluation as a tool to measure teaching effectiveness and student learning.. The majority of formal evaluation I have been involved with previously has been summative ... tutor and course evaluation forms... questionnaires e.t.c often carried out as part of the programmes assessment critria... usually management showed little interest in the results.

What I hope to get out of this course...

I am currently developing a blended learning course to teach thai massage. I have no previous practical experience in this as yet... my first GradCertAppliedeLearning paper was technical appreciation of eLearning tools which helped me explore various eLearning tools to deliver my course...in theory..... I am hoping this course will give me the skills to develop a quality blended learning course!

My ideas for an evaluation project ...

To finally take my course online!

welcome to catherine's blog!

2009-03-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

This is a very short post to get things rolling along...
I hope you all like black.. Sorry I just could'nt resist :)