Technical Classes Online:A Different Breed of Learning?

Paula San Millan Maurino, Ph.D.Francine Federman, Ph.D.Lorraine Greenwald, Ph.D.

Farmingdale State CollegeState University of New York

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Dissertation

Online Threaded Discussions: Purposes, Goals and Objectives

Rationale for dissertation Interaction cannot be evaluated until

instructor’s purposes, goals and objectives are known first

Methodology

Interviewed 30 online instructors at Farmingdale State

Analyzed “starter” questions Analyzed database transcriptsFocus groups from private colleges

Research Questions

Main Research Question:What are the purposes, goals and

objectives set by online instructors for the utilization of threaded discussions?

Five Sub Questions

Sub Research Questions

1. How do faculty evaluate the success and value of online discussions?

2. Are threaded discussions valued for social or cognitive purposes or both?

3. Do instructor characteristics influence the purposes, goals and objectives?

4. Do student characteristics influence the purposes, goals and objectives of online threaded discussions?

Sub Research Question 5

Do academic discipline and the educational level of students affect the purpose and objectives set by the instructor for threaded discussions within online courses?Lower level vs. Higher levelDisciplineTechnical vs. Nontechnical

Upper and Lower Level

Percent of Instructors Teaching Lower Level, Upper Level, and Both Lower and Upper Level Classes

Upper Level33%

Both 37%

Lower Level30%

Upper Level vs. Lower Level

Lower Level More hand holding needed/supervision Students have more time to participate More enthusiastic

Higher Level More experienced, mature More to offer a discussion

Classes are so diverse, level does not matter

Discipline/Academic School

Did NOT have a strong effect on the goals set or use of discussions

Did affect perceptions of quality/success• More Arts and Sciences instructors

considered their discussions successful

Discipline/Academic School

Best courses for discussion liberal arts and humanities courses such as

literature, philosophy, history and psychologyWorst courses for discussion

math classes such as calculus and statistics and business/programming classes such as accounting or database.

Definition of Technical

Researcher’s DefinitionA course devoted to learning a specific skill.

Determined by instructorCould be in any academic

school/discipline

Technical vs. Non-Technical

Percent of Instructors Teaching Technical, Non-Technical

and Both Technical and Non-Technical Classes

Non-Technical50%

Technical27%

Both23%

Technical vs. Nontechnical

No pattern/relationship betweenLevel and technical nature of class

Just as many lower level class rated technical as upper level

No relationship between faculty profile and technical nature of class

Technical vs. NonTechnical

Technical classes seen as unique and different In interviews & source documents

What makes a technical class different? Devoted to learning a specific skill

Main focus and objective

Students immersed in “doing” or “making” NOT general knowledge foundation

Offline Classes may be taught in a lab May not have class discussion or participation

Focus and Objective of the Course

Concerns expressed about moving a technical class onlineMay change nature and focusActive to passive learning? Is talking about an activity as important as

doing it?

Discussion topics – What to talk about

Hard to find topics to discussCurrent trends and events most popularLess likely to do so – main objective was

making or doingStudents see discussion as “busy work”Participate only because it is required

Student Time Constraints

Adding discussion increases time students must put in to complete course requirements

AlternativeShorten time allocated to hands-on activitiesDoes this affect successful achievement of

course objectives and learning outcomes?

Time Delay

Delayed response by instructor may be critical

Minor correction made by a “live” instructor in minutes may require days to correct online

Time Constraints of Instructors

If time lags are more important, must the instructor be accessible more often?

Are synchronous meetings necessary?Are online office hours necessary?

Additional Requirements

Students may need specific software programs or equipment

Students need to be able to successfully load and set up equipment themselves

Should the instructor allow extra time at the start of the semester for this setup?

Problems with setup? Can results of the technical activity be

Transferred between student and teacher Student and other students?

Interaction Shift

Current literature points to need for and benefit of group and social interaction

Technical classes may have different needs in this area

Some students need more one-on-one interaction

Some students don’t need any – “they just get it”

Need for teacher presence is determined by whether particular students “get it”

Interaction Shift (cont.)

More one-to-one interaction for some students, may leave less time for other students and group interaction

Group interaction often involves one student asking others for help

Change to social dynamics of class?Are stronger students willing to help and

provide scaffolding for weaker students?

Administrative Concerns

Workload requirementsSize of classCan curriculum be modified for online

classes?Should curriculum be modified for online

classes?Are all classes suited to the online

format?

Implications

Online technical instructors may need to rethink strategies Can individual learning activities be turned

into group activities?Break up hands-on activities into pieces and

have the group put them together?Are different textbooks/hand outs/lecture

materials needed?

Implications

Connect the discussions to the hands on activities

Use discussions to decrease work loadTo answer individual questionsTo achieve teacher presenceTo allow one student to help another

Thank you!

Paula Maurino

Farmingdale State University