Distance Learning - Dreana Marshall-Stuart: Impact of Technology and Multimedia

Distance Learning - Dreana Marshall-Stuart: Impact of Technology and Multimedia

Technology and Multimedia within online learning

Technology and multimedia have had a phenomenal impact within the online learning environment. The growth of technology and the use of this technology as tools on the internet have greatly enhanced the learning community by bring the student and instructor closer together. Multimedia embedded into CMS can set an environment for students at any time. This creates a community setting for the asynchronous learning environment. Students no longer need to feel set apart from the instructor or group. Students can create a learner to learner environment by establishing a communication environment with texting, instant messaging, twittering or even by establishing a wiki account and work projects. These same environments can be established with the instructor, some of this technology can be overly used if not careful. Texting, instant messaging and twitter have small amounts of data transfer. Therefore using them formal formats for the learner may not provide the need amount of data to transfer the goals to the students. Their uses as short informal information providers are great tools. As we review the use of technology today in the online environment it seems to be improving the packages we can deliver to the learner day by day.

In implementing technology an instructor should ensure they are very familiar with functions of the tool beforehand. Tools being implemented should not be so complicated that the learning curve is too great for the beginner level. The tool should be easy to learn and straight forward. This will help establish a smoother environment for the members of the community. Knowing the level of the students in the class helps greatly in this selection. As stated by Boettcher & Conrad (2010), “Tools are just tools. The goal is communicating with and providing guidance to the students.” Tools should have a functioning goal toward the set outcome of the class. An instructor should not us a tool just to use it; the student should be able to find a need within all the tools used in a course. The question to answer is will this tool add to the learning experience?

Technology is great when it is usable and accessible. When selecting tools instructors must be aware of the accessibility and usability of the tools by the students. Using the latest and the great is good if all the students have the latest and the greatest at hand. It would be an ideal environment if all the students had a T1 high speed cable connection with the latest and great Windows or Apple package with all the bells and attachments. However, there are still areas where there is an only dialup capability. So an instructor must be aware that all the students need to use the tools as well as have access to them. This also comes into play with software. Will the student have the software for a project and will they be able to us it afterwards. If the tool brings with it any problems those problems transfer into drawbacks for the student and the instructor.

There are a number of tools that I have found to be helpful to me and the learner. The use of a good CMS is a must to set the foundation of the community. The use of a wiki has proven to be very useful as a tool for group projects. This provides the learners with a tool to work together and provide feedback to each other as well as the instructor with a history log. Skype is a useful tool that is at no cost to the student and provides the environment of being there for the student, as well as internet conferencing. To provide the students with up to date information or to answer a question e-mail, instant messaging or text are good tools. Keeping the student close is very important to the online environment, so providing the student with multimedia instructions provides visual to the learning environment.

References: Boettcher, J. V. & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Setting Up An Online Learning Experience

Since the beginning of online courses the setting up the environment is essential to getting off on the right step. The tone of the experience is set with how the accepts the initial introduction to the environment. Therefore knowing the technology that is available to you is highly important. There is a wide range of technology available to the online presenters today. Knowing the best ones to present to your learners in a given environment establishes the foundation for the learning environment. You must also know inner workings of the technology, so you don’t to jump in too deep. In this process the best CMS that set the required communication environment between the faculty to learner, learner to learner and learner to faculty is the tone setting tool. Each technology tool should have a well-founded purpose toward the learning process for the learner. The Online Teaching Survival Guide, states “Focus on the essential tools”. Using technology just because it’s there is not a good idea. It needs to fix the moment.

In preparation for student interaction, clear expectation to the learner come with the greatest of importance. Students in an online environment may not have the same options or availability to the instructor or tools outside of the set environment. Therefore the guidelines must state clearly what is expected from the instructor because this ensuring an understanding of the course. If the learner doesn’t understand the expectation their satisfaction with the course begins with a downward spiral. Therefore it is important that potential problems are stated in advance to help remove possible misunderstandings. It is important to establish a trusting learning environment (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). The communication in an online environment must be intentional. We cannot expect the understanding to be a given. Student on the East Coast may differ from students on the West Coast. Therefore the language must be neutral in that respect, as well stating a clear picture of the expected outcome. Remember, your words are the only expression seen by the students.

In setting up the online environment the faculty or instructor must establish a presence in getting acquainted. Unlike face to face to student cannot see your facial smile, so they need to see it in your words. You must help them see that you are very interested in their well-being in the course, as well as their full life. They are not just a number on the screen, so don’t treat them like a number. In the video it was well stated that we want our learners to feel excepted. We want their help in setting up the community. If this is going to be a learner centered environment they must take the lead. The instructor must be willing and to hand off the lead to the student as well as be there to help them through any difficult time. So, patience with one’s self as well as the students will aid the student as they learn the online process. In the beginning steps have the students complete a bio or introduction. If there is a need help them by asking non-intrusive questions. Getting them to fell acceptance and welcome is the goal. Assists yourself by introducing an icebreaker, a good icebreaker will aid in the communication process by breaking down the halls of not knowing who is on the other end of the communication. Take the lead on this by exposing something about yourself that will help the student see you as being human, and not the picture perfect individual with the grading pen in your hand. The first steps into this environment are so important, so let the students know what’s coming. Re-enforce your presence and that you are there to help them through this process. Even though it is a student centered environment, the student want to see you are there with them all the way.

References:
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Conrad, R. & Donaldson, J.A. ( 2004). Engaging the online learner. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Online Learning Communities

The online classroom brings with a set of challenges unknown to the face to face community. In an online community the students must learn to operate within an environment that is created using technology. It is easy for someone to feel isolated from others if the community is not presenting an open environment where the student feels welcome and excepted. This community must provide the learner with a sense of comfort. Here the learning environment has been taken and divided among the instructor and the students. The learning activities must be eased into for those who may not have a full understanding of this method. The student although aiding in setting the environment must understand that their peers will be part of their learning process. This is often a phase that students needs to adjust to their peers. Students that are new to this environment will need time to adjust to learner to learner pushing the discussions. The instructor is challenged with establishing the foundation of this community but it is the students and the instructor that must keep the community thriving. If the student can maintain a sense of belonging in this community the learning curve can be maintain with hopefully of an upward nature. The verse of this is that the student doesn’t feel the connection with the community and their performance never gets a true start. It could be from a feeling of isolation that is must common in an online community. If the instructor doesn’t make the connection with the student or the students doesn’t grasp the necessity of the community the satisfaction level with the class will most likely not meet with acceptance. It is important that the student see the involvement of the instructor in the community and the learning process. Although the environment is student centered, the student functions better if there is guidance from the instructor.

The essential elements for building an online community is that the instructor knows the technology. If the instructor doesn’t the CMS or LMS the instructor will not have credibility with the students. The instructor must be involved with the community. The tone is set by the instructor. Here you energize the learning environment and empower the student. What are you using for a naming convention? Is it appealing to the students? These should be inviting the student into a warm learning environment. Ensure the course is easy to navigate. Take a trail run to see if there are any foreseen problems. Create a welcome letter, letting the students know that you are eager to meet them and help them in the learning process. Provide them with a personal bio and introduction so they can see that you are human too. Invite the student to create an intro and bio of themselves and converse with the other student. Create an icebreaker to get the student involved into conversing with each other. Here you are creating the building blocks of the online community. If this is done correctly, keeping and sustaining the community will not become a problem. Keeping the student engaged in communication and discussions aids in staining the community. The instructor should continue to plug into what the students are doing throughout the class. Always maintain a presence with the community so the students never feel as if they are on their own. Re-enforce the learning processes of the learner to learner. A strong community in the online setting provides the foundation for the effective learning environment. A good relationship is developed; when the students are connected to the processes and to each other in an online community and an atmosphere of togetherness aids in the learning and the instruction within the community.

Reference: Video program “Online Learning Communities” by Dr. Rena Palloff and Dr. Keith Pratt.

Welcome to my Instructional Design Blog

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog on instructional design. This has not always been my primary job; however, I have been an instructor/ID for many years. Returning to schools was a chance for me to renew some old skills after working with computer for a life time. I now use the skills from both fields to enhance the life of youth that need help finding their purpose in life. I believe that there is greatness in all of us if we would just take the time and see within ourselves. One of my goals in this class is to enhance myself to a point to further aid other in this goal. I look forward to read your comments and your blogs in the future.

Karl McKinney