Pedagogy of online teaching

Pedagogy of Online Teaching

Indiana University of PennsylvaniaMay 10, 2010

Lorna Kearnslrkearns@pitt.edu

AgendaQuality assurance processLearning objectivesOnline assessment practicesOnline learning activities

Quality MattersPeer review process to certify quality of online course design

Launched in 2003 by MarylandOnline with funding from a FIPSE grant

Self-sustaining in 2006Offers subscription memberships to colleges and universities

Institutional members request peer review for their online courses

How It WorksQuality Matters is a quality improvement process that is continuous, collegial, and collaborative.

Peer review team 3 QM certified peer reviewers including:

1 master reviewer 1 content expert

Uses rubric comprising eight standards of quality instructional design

8 Standards1. Course overview & introduction2. Learning objectives3. Assessment & measurement4. Resources & materials5. Learner engagement6. Course technology7. Learner support8. Accessibility

Critical course components must be aligned

Course Overview and Introduction

Provide clear instructions for getting started.

Organize your site so that it is easy to understand and navigate.

Make the entire course available at beginning of semester.

Give your students opportunities for practice with the technology.

Provide information about yourself.Ask students to introduce themselves to

one another.

SyllabusCourse overview and rationaleRequired readingsAssignment descriptionsAssignment point distributionScheduleCourse policiesTips for success

Online Student Success

Manage your time effectively.Cultivate good study habits and

practices.Recognize and develop an

appropriate set of technology skills.Develop and follow a set of good

research practices and policies.Know how to communicate

effectively online.

Learning ObjectivesWhat will your students be able to do …

At the end of the course? At the end of each unit of instruction?

Learning objective should be: Observable Measurable

What are you observing and measuring? Skills Attitudes Knowledge

Bloom's TaxonomyEvaluation Assess, conclude, evaluate,

recommend, select

Synthesis Build, create, design, predict, synthesize

Analysis Analyze, categorize, classify, deconstruct, examine

Application Apply, relate, write an example, show, demonstrate

Comprehension

Explain, rephrase, restate, compare, summarize

Knowledge List, define, describe, identify, match, recognize

Higher Order

Learning

Lower Order

Learning

Some ExamplesDiscuss theories of distance

education.Understand the structures and

purposes of basic components of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Describe advantages and disadvantages of electronic health record systems.

Explain the relationship between systems theory and information.

Instructional Alignment

Objectives

ActivitiesAssessme

nts

QM Instructional Alignment

1. Course overview & introduction2. Learning objectives3. Assessment & measurement4. Resources & materials5. Learner engagement6. Course technology7. Learner support8. Accessibility

ObjectivesAssessments

Activities

Backward Design“Given a task to be accomplished, how do we get there?”

-- Grant Wiggins and Jay McTigheUnderstanding by Design (1998)

Identify desired results.Determine acceptable evidence.Plan learning experiences and

instruction.

Backward Design

Objectives

ActivitiesAssessme

nts

Assessment for Online Learning

Forces impacting assessment practices in online learning: Separation of student from instructor Authentic assessment

Academic IntegrityIs cheating easier online? Both college students and faculty

believe it is easier in distance learning courses (Kennedy et al. 2000)

College student self-reports of cheating for online learning no higher than f2f (Grijalva, Kerkvliet, & Nowell, 2006)

Very little change in cheating rates over 20 years (Vandehay, Diekhoff, & LaBeff, 2007)

Assessment Continuum

1. Q&A discussion board2. Blog3. Response paper4. Research paper

InformalLow-stakesShort time frameNo revisionNot gradedFormative

FormalHigh-stakes

Time for planning

Revised & polishedGraded

Summative

31 42

Traditional AssessmentsUse features of your course

management system to make use of: Large pool of test items Randomized selection of items Randomized selection of item response

order Timed tests

Use proctored exams for major summative assessments.

Devise a backup plan for technology failure.

Authentic AssessmentsField workConcept mappingPortfolio assessmentGroup workOnline discussion

To reduce academic misconduct: Use cumulative assignments that build on one another. Benchmark student writing ability. Employ plagiarism detection strategies. Incorporate personal experiences. Ask for connections to timely, current events.

Assignment WeightingAutho

rs N Findings

Arend (2007)

60 courses

98% used discussion w/ average weight of

17%

83% used exams w/ average weight of 48%

63% used papers w/ average weight of 24%

Swan (2001)

73 courses

82% used discussion; most w/ weight

between 10 & 25%

57% used exams; most w/ weight between 26

& 50%

37% used papers; most w/ weight between

10 & 25%

General Assessment Strategies

Define cheating and plagiarism.State and enforce explicit policies.Create community environment.Develop meaningful assessments.Vary assessment types.

Assessments?Identify parts of a sonnet.Assess an individual’s health with an

emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention.

Select media to address a specific visual art problem.

Learning Activities

Content PresentationReadingsElectronic resources from textbook

publisherTextVideoAudioLearning objectsPowerPoint

PowerPointKeep presentations short.Make bulleted items clear. Leave ample white space. Use colors that provide adequate contrast for

reading.Use appropriate resolution and sizing for images. Be sure charts and graphs can be read

comfortably.Remember copyright issues.Script your narration.Check out Audacity and Jing.

PowerPoint Caveats• Powerpoint is most effective for

conveying information in visual images like charts, graphs, diagrams, photos, schematics.

• Choose alternative media when information is primarily text-based.

• Use to supplement rather than recapitulate required reading.

Active LearningDiscussion boardWikisBlogsWeb site explorationWeb 2.0 activities

Discussion Board Questions

Convergent questions have a right answer

Divergent questions require interpretationConvergent Divergent

According to our reading sthis week, what are some common reasons for not changing modifiable health behaviors?

Think about someone you know who you believe would benefit from a change in health behaviors. What are the barriers that person faces in changing his/her behavior? What strategies from our readings have potential to overcome these barriers? Why?

Discussion Board Instructions

Please post your initial response within the first three days of the week. Respond to at least two of your classmate’s postings. Keep in mind that a meaningful response will usually entail introducing some new information or insight into the discussion. When you make reference to a body of work, please provide the citation. While it is fine to express agreement with a posting or ask for elaboration, a meaningful response must go beyond that type of rejoinder.

Your discussion grade will be based on the timeliness of your postings, the substance of your participation, and the degree to which it extends the group discussion.

Discussion Board UsesIce breaker activitiesCreative thinking activitiesCritical thinking activitiesCollaborative learning activities

(Bonk and Dennen , 2003)

Wikis

Discussion Board, Wiki, Blog Comparison

Discussion Board Wiki Blog

Format Outline format Web site format Chronological log

Structure Forum with multiple threads; threads with multiple posts

Multiple linked pages Journal entries ordered chronologically, most recent on top

Typical uses Class discussion Project repository Reflective journal

Media Text with optional hyperlinks

Text, hyperlinks, images, audio, video

Text, hyperlinks, images, audio, video

Editing privileges

Anyone in group can post but no editing of others’ work

Anyone in group can create new work or edit existing work

Anyone in group can post but no editing others’ work

Affordances Conversational turn-taking, easy to use

Compartmentalization of material

Facilitates reflection on progress, easy to use

Limitations Longer threads difficult to skim

Complex structure, students may be uncomfortable editing each others’ work

No compartmentalization

Web Site ExplorationGive students a goal that you know

will expose them to what you want them to see.

Use principles of scavenger hunt.

Web 2.0Current generation of World Wide Web

tools used to enable social and participatory activity (Anderson, 2007)

Sometimes used interchangeably with the terms “social software” and “social media”

Technology SelectionLearning objectives should guide

technology selection.When multiple technologies can be used

to meet learning objectives, use variety.In choosing technologies for your course,

consider: Your level of expertise Your students’ level of expertise Students’ access to technology Institutional support for particular technology

Technology AlignmentSystems analysis term project with

archive of project artifactsGuest presentation about harm

reduction for intravenous drug usersPronunciation practice in second

language learningReflection on pre-service teaching

experience

Learner SupportNew student orientationStudent advisingCourse evaluationsStudent satisfaction surveysCommunity building activitiesCourse checkpoints like assignment

submission and exam performanceTechnology help deskLibrary services

AccessibilityAll course Web pages should be

accessible to individuals with disabilities

Syllabus includes a statement about how students with disabilities can request accommodations

Managing the Workload

Course design takes time.First time teaching is also time consuming.Use these strategies to manage the

workload: Complete course design by beginning of

semester. Develop rubrics. Make students aware of your policies for

responding to email. Create FAQs. Develop naming and organization standards for

your digital files.

Questions?

Thank You!