Discussion+Boards

=Discussion Boards = =Written by: Kayla Smith =

Chapter One: Foundations of Educational Theory for Online Learning
In response to Chapter One, many ideas caught my attention as I read about online learning and the benefits as well as the implications, and reviewed several of the learning theories that we studied in ED ET 709. One point that I disagree with is the statement made by Clark which “claims that technologies are merely vehicles that deliver instruction, and do not influence student achievement” (Chapter One). I think if the technological tool presents the information to students in a novel and interesting way, then it will promote learning and aid the instructional process as meaningful learning occurs. This chapter reiterated the importance of providing learning opportunities for students (both meaningful and beneficial) that relate to prior experience and real-world application. In my opinion, technology affects student achievement when utilized effectively and efficiently by the instructor. These tools focus the learner’s attention, present information in an interactive and engaging way, and allow for students with various learning styles to succeed as well as benefit from the instruction. Shraum also “suggests that learning is influenced more by the content and instructional strategy in the learning materials than by the type of technology used to deliver the instruction” (Chapter One). Honestly, this piece of information surprises me. I believe that both the content and the instructional strategies that the teacher use are important, but I also believe that technology enhances the instruction because the students are involved, interested, and motivated to learn which brings me to my next point about accommodating student learning styles. In this quote, Cassidy states, “A variety of learning strategies should be included in online instruction to accommodate individual differences and learning styles” (Chapter One). At first, I hesitated and thought it would be very difficult to cater to each individual student, but the more I read about this in the chapter, I realized that the instructor already accomplishes this by offering multiple ways to process information, either by utilizing auditory or visual information (as well as others) which relates to the “dual-code theory”. This theory is key in student achievement; therefore, if a student encounters problems with one method and the way it is presented then they are able to process the information with a more meaningful approach. Ultimately, as stated in the textbook, “Learning is moving away from one-way instruction to construction and discovery of knowledge” (Chapter One). I believe that all three learning theories, Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism, are important because they emphasize valuable ideas; furthermore, our children need to be given the opportunity to learn using a variety of approaches (e.g. learning from others through different behaviors, or through the memory and internal processes, or lastly through prior experiences as well as observations and real-world contexts).

Chapter Two: Towards a Theory of Online Learning
After reading Chapter Two of The Theory and Practice of Online Learning, I became more aware and knowledgeable about the key ideas associated with effective learning environments (learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, and community-centered) as well as the different forms of interaction (student-student, student-teacher, and student-content). All of the learning environments discussed are equally important and should be used to help each student succeed. A learner-centered environment focuses on the student and identifies ways to accommodate the needs of the individual learner (Chapter Two). A teacher then assesses the prior knowledge of his/her students and uses that information to determine an effective path to reach the students. A knowledge-centered environment provides students with multiple means to gather information. For example, a quote from the text demonstrates the profound resources that our students are presented with today, “The Net provides expanded opportunities for learners to plunge ever deeper into knowledge resources, providing a near limitless means for them to grow their knowledge in thousands of formats and contexts” (Chapter Two). Technology has developed significantly over the past ten years; furthermore, people are given the opportunity to access information faster at any time and place. As stated before, most of the young people that I attended high school with did not obtain cell phones or the internet until our graduating year. Social networking websites did not even exist and teachers continued to use projectors to display information (no SmartBoards). These personal examples show the advances in technology that have occurred over the past ten years. Another learning environment discussed in the chapter was assessment-centered. This type of environment presents the learner with many types of assessment, both formative and summative, which “serve to motivate, inform, and provide feedback” (Chapter Two). I have utilized different forms of assessment in several undergraduate and graduate courses as well as for various jobs in the school district. The last learning environment referenced in the text was community-centered. I learned a great deal of information about the importance of building strong relationships with teachers and peers as well as ways to interact and collaborate effectively with a team. I believe that learning communities are beneficial for students to participate in because they may consider others’ point of view and learn from their diverse perspectives. This is evident in the quote, “The value of another person’s perspective is a key learning component in Constructivism and in inducing mindfulness in learners” (Chapter Two). Constructivism is a key aspect mentioned in Chapter One and relates to a theoretical standpoint of how people learn by constructing new knowledge from prior experience and real-world application. In the following quote, “Sufficient levels of deep and meaningful learning can be developed, as long as one of the three forms of interaction (student-teacher; student-student; student-content) is at very high levels. The other two may be offered at minimal levels or even eliminated without degrading the educational experience” (Chapter Two). In defining “high levels of interaction”, I think that it is critical to provide opportunities for students that present multiple means of acquiring information, either visually or in a auditory manner. For example, a video conference or an audio presentation would be most effective for students, in my opinion, because it is the closest thing to face-to-face interaction which mimics a traditional classroom. Ultimately, the author emphasizes both collaborative and independent learning modes which are important, but it particularly depends on the learner’s preference and the way they learn best. I believe that the independent mode is more convenient for students as they use various resources to gain knowledge while working at their own pace at any location and at any time. However, the collaborative mode allows for interaction with peers and teachers which will “facilitate meaningful learning and help develop multiple perspectives” (Chapter Two).

Tu & Corry Article: Building Active Online Interaction via a Collaborative Learning Community
The article, Building Active Online Interaction via a Collaborative Learning Community, by Tu and Corry discussed several important aspects in relation to online learning environments. When reading about the three major constructs (interactivity, social context, and technology), I realized many areas where I had experienced these in my graduate education. This course along with the others that I have taken in the past require students to be actively involved in some form of group work. As stated in the article, “Small groups of students are encouraged to work together to maximize their own learning and the learning of each group member. Collaborative learning engages learners in knowledge sharing, inspiring one another, depending upon one another, and applying active social interaction. It also suggests a way of dealing with people, which respects and highlights individual group members’ abilities and contributions” (Tu and Corry Article). This quote represents the importance of an online learning community because students are provided with several opportunities to interact with each other on various topics which allows for meaningful learning to occur. When I post to the discussion board after reading the text, I learn a tremendous amount of information from other students’ perspectives. In the article, Gerdy mentions that “good learning, like good work, is collaborative and social, not competitive and isolated; sharing one’s ideas and responding to others’ ideas improves thinking and deepens understanding” (Tu and Corry Article). I strongly agree with this quote, and therefore, I believe that this concept is illustrated well in our graduate courses as we learn from others’ ideas and opinions through discussion boards and group assignments/activities. The second construct of social context also emphasizes that there is a critical need for social interaction because “a group values the members’ obligations to one another. Team members support one another and their group because they feel it is a morally appropriate action” (Tu and Corry article). I feel as though we are given opportunities to connect with one another on a personal level in our courses by responding to discussion board posts of other students so that we may share common interests and learn in a more effective manner. The last construct addresses technology which plays a large role in our online graduate coursework. I think that technology has changed (to a certain extent) since this article was written because it discusses communicative tools, such as e-mail, bulletin boards, listservs, and discussion boards, all of which are used today but to a higher level. We have advanced to tools in the online world that enhance education to a higher degree, and thus, there are more face-to-face social interactions through video conferencing and synchronous meetings. It is by no means a traditional classroom, but online education has come a long way and will continue to progress in the future.

To create a comfortable online collaborative learning environment, an instructor must implement various techniques: an initial introduction for students to get to know and become familiar with one another, some type of individual website in order for students to view others’ assignments and gain a better understanding of the content, group tasks to facilitate interaction and collaboration, online discussions, synchronous meetings, chat, video/audio conferencing, all of which allow students to form relationships while learning about the content in a more meaningful way. I also believe that the above methods are sufficient forms of communication when working in groups via the Internet. Furthermore, communication is key in any task where others are involved. I think it is important to interact in some form on a regular basis in order to monitor progress and stay on track. As mentioned in the article, both a team moderator and online learning specialist may also motivate individuals by “encouraging classmate participation, challenging others’ thinking, and stimulating critical thinking” (Tu and Corry Article) which are all significant in the success of a group assignment.

Like many things in life, even the most ideal instructional design cannot prevent negative outcomes. Amid the flurry of work between the instructor and online learners, there are several approaches to ensure a positive outcome on both sides. As stated in the article, the learner should be prepared to actively engage and participate in the course and also allow ample time to complete tasks (either group or individually oriented). The instructor must offer support and feedback while “monitoring the collaborative activities as well as the progress” (Tu and Corry Article) of group and individual assignments.

Chapter Eight: Meeting the Need's of Today's New Generation of Online Learners
I agree that is very difficult to keep up with the lastest technologies of our digital generation. However, I think we can ensure that students are involved in learner-centered demographics by engaging them in the content with various technological tools. At first, I disagreed with the idea of using a cell-phone in the classroom for students to learn because I thought it could be a huge distraction and take away from learning, but I have changed my opinion over the past year because I believe it could be a great way for students to become involved in the content that they are learning about. As educators, we need to implement new approaches towards learning that facilitate active involvement, such as with interactive lessons on Smartboards or utilizing Clickers. In an online environment, students may engage with others through Google Documents, some type of chat or discussion board, Skype, audio-conferences, or even some form of video (and many others). It is important for the older generation to embrace these new, innovative technologies so that we are adequately teaching our youth. This will give students more of a drive to learn when they are involved while using fun and interactive tools.

I think the article discusses some great points related to non-technology dependent advantages. As Stan mentioned, small display as well as reduced storage capacity and reliance on a battery-powered device are all weaknesses of many of these technological devices. Personally, my phone battery loses charge quite frequently which creates frustration. I also never really thought about security issues. This is a huge aspect for numerous people because they access everything from their phone, from bank accounts to e-mail, etc. Ultimately, I believe that with everything, you will experience both positive and negative outcomes -- some outweigh the others. As the article states, "These emerging technologies appear to complement many of the characteristics of today's learners" (Chapter Eight) which proves the importance of using these tools in both the classroom and online environments.