35
Topic 1: Starting off online creating a good social environment online Carla, Fiona and Janie Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

Finalproject emodoct13 Topic 1

  • Upload
    janbis

  • View
    700

  • Download
    2

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Topic 1: Starting off

online – creating a

good social environment

online

Carla, Fiona and Janie

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

Importance of

socializing in online

courses

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

It is often mentioned that socializing is the

first and most important step in creating

an effective online learning

environment, but, what do we mean with

socialization and why is it important to

create a socially rich environment?

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

The first differentiation that needs to be

made is that socialization is not the goal

on a learning environment; creating a

social environment is.

A social environment is defined as “a

group of individuals who collaboratively

engage in purposeful critical discourse

and reflection to construct meaning and

confirm mutual understanding.”

(Garrison, 2007) Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

In this online social connection the

participants are able to:

Identify themselves with the group they are in.

Communicate through trust with their partners.

Express their individuality.

Images retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

One of the main reasons to pay attention to the

idea of a creating a social environment in online

learning is motivation. It is considered that many

students feel unmotivated by the sense of

isolation, which can be improved by creating a

trusting learning environment, which will provide

the student with a sense of affective design that

will capture the learner‟s attention, will make

them comfortable and will give them

encouragement to perform better.

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

Moreover, when students have a high social

presence the following factors are present:

I. the learner is more satisfied

II. they perceive the instructor as more

effective

III. achievement is improved

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

Social Orientation Activities

A. Who’s on my course?

What are they like?

Suggestion 1: “Complete my profile

and add 3, 2, 1 extra questions

a) Tutor completes profile, modelling what is expected

b) SS complete their profile, to become accustomed to platform and add 3,2,1

c) Include 3 “alternative” type questions to reveal more personal and potentially curious information that could generate a genuine interest to communicate

1

Tell us about one of your greatest achievements.

When I got my

coaching

certification,

(Fiona)

One of my

greatest

achievements is

when I gave up

smoking, 2 years

ago. This is me in

Capo Verde on

honeymoon, whe

n I still smoked!

(Janie)

I‟m not very fit, so it was a great

achievement for me when I

managed to get to the top of this

mountain after 2.5 hours and

accompanied by a painful knee

injury.

(Carla)

2

Post one of your videos which has a special memory attached

to it or one of your favourite You Tube clips. Tell us why this is

special or memorable to you.

Click on the images

to see what we

have in store!

This was last summer on

the beach in

Sanlucar, Cadiz, Spain.

My husband had

planned a surprise

holiday and this was

something I had

always wanted to see.

(Fiona)

I was brought up in

Oman and I always

feel at home when I

return to this

beautiful country.

(Janie)

Image from Youtube video OmanAirretreived 24/10/13

3

If you worked in a zoo, which animal would you like to look

after and why?

Without a

doubt, these

amazing

creatures, they are

so intellligent and

approachable and

I‟d love to swim with

them in the water

(Fiona)

A giraffe of course!.

They are graceful

and unique. Did

you know they had

black-blue

tongues!!!

(Janie)

I‟d love to look after the

pandas, they are just

the most adorable

creatures ever and I

have been fortunate

enough to see one in

Shanghai

(Carla).

Images retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

Suggestion 2: Using Glogster

And this is what

you are doing

right now!

B. How will we interact? Are we in this

together?

"Photo taken from http://flickr.com/eltpics by @CintiaStella

used under a CC Attribution Non-Commercial

license, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/"

Suggestion 3: operating quickmail

"Photo taken from http://flickr.com/eltpics by

@mrsdkrebs

Quickmail instructions

Each student is given a list by the tutor and has to contact the person below them via email and comment on something that they found interesting from their partner‟s profile + (3,2,1, etc.)

They should remember to follow up any mail they receive

(this ensures everyone sends and receives mail)

N.B. The activity is dependant on participants following each other‟s activity before they can complete the task.

Suggestion 4: Theme thread on a discussion

forum

"Photo taken from http://flickr.com/eltpics by

@purple_steph

The Top 5

The Top 5 – task instructions

The students receive a model from the tutor of their top 5 things

(places, things, people, events etc.)

Students post their own Top 5 on a new entry in corresponding

discussion forum and make sure they reply to at least one other entry

from one of the other participants.

The tutor provides a summary to round off the activity, although the

content could easily be followed on by a number of activities, quiz

etc.

The Top 5

Can you match a

picture to our own

discussion threads –

without peeping!

(a few have 2 owners)

Images retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

Discussion forum follow on ideas:

Use information to make a quiz in week 2

(Can be made more fun doing it as memory game, how many

times do they need to refer back to originals.? Note: if students

posted a picture with their thread, these pictures could later be

tested – can the students remember specific related information?)

Content used as per suggestion 3 – using quickmail

Important: tutor should respond quickly to each thread, showing

presence and interest and to encourage the same kind of

supportive behaviour from other students.

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

C. How do I know I can trust the instructor and

other students?

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

Suggestion 5:

Task-based research and reflection

12

3

45

Images retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

Suggestion 5:

Task-based research and reflection: stages

Tutor sets task with clear instructions for complete process and sources for research

stage

Student collects necessary information, reflects and makes a written contribution to

the pre-established wiki forum, taking care not to post ideas that have already been covered

The group provides a single document using colour codes for each student

Tutor provides a summary in one of a variety of ways: listing main points, quoting key

ideas from students (including all of them), diagram, etc.

Note: as students have to read each other‟s work to complete the task they observe

how all their ideas collate to a single working document. By providing a

comprehensive summary, the tutor provides invaluable listening skills, support, a framework and signals the completion of the task

Suggestion 6:

Jigsaw task

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

1. Tutor sets staged task to

working groups with clear

instructions for how to

complete the process, to

whom they need to send their

contribution, deadlines for

completion of different stages

and sources for research

stage.

1

2

2. Each Student researches a part

of a thread and each working

group has a specific area to work

on within a common group

thread (note: useful for doing

summary work on a finished unit

or area of study)

3. Each student sends their

contribution to the allocated student

in their group. By the established

deadline all students should receive

all the contributions from their

working team.

Students then post a summary of the

group‟s ideas to the assigned

discussion forum

3

4

4. Tutor provides a summary in

one of a variety of ways: listing

main points, chronological posting

of contributions, quoting key

ideas from students (or not-)

including all of

them, diagram, etc.

The role of the tutor in online

socialising

We are going to consider the role of the tutor in online socialising under

the following areas:

Orientation – time for planning and planning for time

Modelling – behaviour and netiquette

Presence - interest and interaction

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

OrientationA new course participant (CPs) might find

themselves nervously asking.....

Who is on the course? As a tutors we can address these

What are they like? concerns before they arise.........

How will we interact?

How do I know I can trust them?

Will we work together?(Wilcoxon 2011)

By planning tasks that allow CPs time to get to

know each other, the virtual learning

environment and the technology.

As illustrated, there are a great many tasks and tools available to use

for socialising purposes. As the tutor, we can select socialising tasks

and tools that mirror or might be used during the course or as a

platform for course work.

This would allow the course participants an opportunity to meaningfully „try out‟ new media or programmes. This period of

orientation is fundamental as it allows CPs to get to grips with the

basics before they have to produce any course work but, as we

have explored, it is also key to establishing and building the

community.

As the tutor, making sure you plan for, include and allow time for

orientation and socialising tasks is your first job.

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

But.........before your CPs gain access to the

VLE and start their socialising tasks make sure

they can see how it is done.

Modelling: tutors need to provide CPs with clear expectations of

behaviour and guidance on how to complete tasks.

Netiquette: negotiate the rules of the community and how participants are expected to communicate with each other. Encourage CPs to

be responsible for the „mood‟ of the VLE from the word go. As the

tutor, provide a model of how to communicate. Ensure you conduct

yourself in the way you expect the participants to behave.

Tasks: be sure to complete socialising tasks yourself. Not only does it provide a model for the CPs but it highlights how you are willing to

be part of the community.

It allows the CPs to get to know you but also highlights the ability to

be selective about what personal information we release. Kevin

Wilcoxon describes privacy and trust as having a symbiotic

relationship.

“Students rank instructor modeling as the most important element in building online community (Vesely et. al., 2007).” (Wilcoxon 2011)

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

Wilcoxon, K. Building An Online Learning Community Learning Solutions Magazine 03/10/2011

“privacy builds trust, and trust eases privacy concerns. Privacy means

we have the power to reveal information about ourselves selectively

and to negotiate social relationships in a manner we feel

comfortable with. Trust involves the choice to expose oneself to risk

before others, in the expectation that they will not disappoint your

expectation.”

(Wilcoxon: 2011)

By completing the tasks, e.g. Top Five, you, the tutor, are

demonstrating willingness to trust the course participants

Image retrieved from

Google images 24/10/13Wilcoxon, K. Building An Online Learning Community Learning Solutions Magazine 03/10/2011

But then what....?Your CPs are going through the first few tasks, getting

to know each other...

As the tutor you are establishing your presence. CPs want and need to

see you, to know that you are interested, reading what they contribute and that they are doing things right.

You are interacting, creating/ maintaining dialogue

You are satisfying that basic need of security and belonging (Wilcoxon

2011) and the objective is to encourage CPs to feel safe enough to

express their thoughts and ideas.

Image retrieved from Google images 24/10/13

Wilcoxon, K. Building An Online Learning Community Learning Solutions Magazine 03/10/2011

“Despite the tendency to shut ourselves

away and sit in Rodinesque isolation

when we have to learn, learning is a

remarkably social process. Social groups

provide the resources for their members

to learn” (Brown, Duguid, 2000, p.137).

Image retrieved from Google

images 24/10/13