Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools



Fig. 1  Chart adapted from template supplied by Walden University.

 According to Anderson, T. (2010) the online educational environment provides students with unique educational opportunities: interacting at the time and place that best suits the learner and teacher; accessing content in multiple formats such as multimedia, video, audio, immersive environments and text; supports human contact in multiple formats, video, audio and text in synchronous and asynchronous modalities.

In this chart we are able to see how content, collaboration and communication provides the students a complete and motivating learning experience. In each of these areas there are tools to enhance this experience.

 

According to the Horizon Report (2011), the new educational technologies such as, augmented reality and game based learning are going to be adopted within the next 2 to 3 years. There are some very good games:  In distance education they can be very important, as are the ebooks, specially for those students that live in isolated regions and do not have efficient posting services. In the next 4 to 5 years there will be the gesture based computers and then learning analytics which is the great development in data mining, interpretation, and modeling to improve understandings of teaching and learning, and to tailor education to individual students more effectively.

I present some good sites http://www.globalconflicts.eu/%20and  which has some examples of virtual games.  http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2009/100-most-educational-iphone-apps shows a list of applications which can be used in many disciplines in face to face education and also in distance education. http://www.pr-inside.com/world-s-largest-openuniversity-goes-r1553595.htm  shows the example of an university that adopted mobile technology in their courses. http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/layar/ augmented reality which based on GPS values shows the person photos of what the place looked like 100 years ago. This last one would be a wonderful tool for historians.

References:

Anderson, T (2010). Teaching in an Online Learning Context. Edmonton: AU Press.

Horizon Report (2010)  Horizon Report. The new Media Consortium.

Storyboard Revised

Title of Program: Bringing Quality Education to the Island of São and Principe


1. VIDEO
Five photo slideshow and video segment of the Island.
View words such as: (remote; little access to good education; poorly prepared teachers; poverty; poor resources) rolling up the screen.
AUDIO
Music of São Tomé

2. VIDEO
Video of children in a classroom without a teacher.
AUDIO
Narrator: Sometimes in remote areas students miss lessons because the teachers leave and there are not substitute teachers at hand.

3. VIDEO
Still photo of a student in front of the computer on a distance education learning environment.
AUDIO
Narrator: A distance education learning environment to cater for the students that do not have teachers and could also complement face to face education, making learning a more motivating experience for students by providing learning opportunities which otherwise would be impossible for them to experience.

4. VIDEO
Screencast of a Prezi show with the principals of online learning. Words that appear on the screen:(equivalent curriculum; inclusion; learner engagement; innovative approaches; effective learning; formative assessment; summative assessment; coherence, consistency and transparency; ease of use; cost-effectiveness).
AUDIO
Narrator: Introduces the principals of distance education while they appear on the screen.
1. Equivalent curriculum: The curriculum should be equivalent to the curriculum in a face to face environment with clear objectives, with relevant content coverage, with appropriate student activities and assessment.
2. Inclusion: Present content in various forms to support students with different learning styles, social backgrounds, gender and with different types of impairments.
3. Learner engagement: The pedagogy should motivate and engage the learners and have a worthwhile educational aim.
4. Innovative approaches: Learning approaches must be fit for the purpose of the course.
5. Effective learning: Providing materials for the learner to choose the one that suits them best, exhibit multiple perspectives on a topic, giving the learner a global view.
6. Formative assessment: Aimed at improving learning by providing rapid feedback, by providing opportunities for peer assessment in collaborative environments, and by providing opportunities for self-assessment.
7. Summative assessment: Should be valid and reliable.
8. Coherence, consistency and transparency: Objectives, content, student activity and assessment should match each other.
9. Ease of use: As well as being transparent in its intention, distance education should be transparent in its ease of use by being open and accessible and intuitive.
10. Cost-effectiveness: It should be cost effective.

5. VIDEO
Screenshots of wikis, blogs, discussion boards, forums class chats, Skype chats and videoconferencing.
Phrase appears on the screen: Conrad and Donaldson (2004): “collaborative acquisition of knowledge is one key to the success of creating an online environment. Activities that require student interaction and encourage a sharing of ideas promote a deeper level of thought.”
AUDIO
Narrator: Reads Conrad and Donaldson’s phrase: “collaborative acquisition of knowledge is one key to the success of creating an online environment. Activities that require student interaction and encourage a sharing of ideas promote a deeper level of thought.” Retrieved from their book Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. (p5)

6. VIDEO
Screenshots of online social communication environments such as facebook, twitter, myspace, skype and wiggio.
AUDIO
In the world there is a growing acceptance of distance education because of the increase of online communication among people. Students are using new tools; they are becoming comfortable with online discourse and are getting the opportunity to communicate with diverse groups.

7. VIDEO
Video of a student speaking over skype with another student while working on a distance education team project.
AUDIO
Synchronous and asynchronous learning; the asynchronous environment allows the student to log onto the class at any time, access discussions and think about what is being discussed before posting their discussions. It invites the student to reflect on what is being studied. The synchronous aspect of the distance learning environment benefits the community building aspect of the course as well as the delivery of an online class in real time, which facilitates the interventions by the students. The instructor should guarantee students stay on course and within the topic of study.

8. VIDEO
An organogram of an online system learning framework.
AUDIO
Narrator: Presents the learning system framework.
1. Learning outcomes;
2. Courseware development team;
3. Curriculum delivery via the learning management system;
4. Library and other learning object repositories;
5. Services;
6. Student information system;
7. Secure server;
8. User’s portal;
9. Quality Assessment process.

9. VIDEO
Screencast of the distance education site that I created for the project, integrating three different portals for distance education. Screencast shows the learner entering the distance education environment and accessing a lesson, a discussion board activity and viewing the collaborative tools.
http://teleformacao.edu20.org/ appears on the screen.
AUDIO
Narrator: Explain the site which has three different distance education management systems. One portal was prepared for the university students at the local university; another was prepared for teachers continued training, and the last portal was created for secondary school students who do not have teachers or by classes in collaborative work or using the virtual laboratories.

10. VIDEO
Still photo of Dr. Leslie Moller.
AUDIO
Narrator: Says that we have the opportunity and honor to have an expert speak about distance education, Dr. Leslie Moller. Presents biographical information on the main speaker Dr. Leslie Moller, explaining his long journey through distance education.
Music of São Tomé

Assessing Collaborative Efforts

1. How should participation in a collaborative learning community be assessed?

According to Siemens (2008), collaborative learning communities can be assessed
• through peer assessment;
• through online communities;
• by educators based on student contributions ;
• by educators based on metrics supplied by the management systems.

2. How do the varying levels of skill and knowledge students bring to a course affect the instructor's "fair and equitable assessment" of learning?

Assessment is based on stated outcomes, yet the concept of assessment has broadened and students are also assessed on the degree of the student’s development throughout the course.

3. If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, what should the other members of the learning community do?

Students in the learning community can start looking out for them. In the case of the educator, he/she can see when the student is in the course and call him in to communicate or the colleagues can communicate to get them to participate or simply look out to see if they are having any problem with their coursework.

4. What role should the instructor play?

The instructor is the person that is responsible for the degree of social presence that is managed in the online community, and they way that this is managed is by setting the rules in the beginning, yet giving the student a sense of comfort and belonging. The instructor is also responsible for letting the students feel that he/she is there to assist when a hurdle appears in the way of progression preventing the student from feeling overwhelmed.

5. What impact would this have on his or her assessment plan?

According to Siemens, assessment is a teaching based activity which is based on authentic activities and that when the instructor assesses they are also assessing their participation as educators.

References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Siemens, G.).(2008). Assessment of collaborative learning. Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Bringing Quality Education to the Island of São and Principe. Storyboard.

1. Five photo slideshow of the Island.
View words such as: (Remote; little access to good education, poorly prepared local teachers, poverty, very poor resources) rolling up the screen.

São Tomé Music.


2. Photograph of children in Principe High school, without a teacher.

Narrator: Introduces the shortage of teachers on the island of Principe and speaks of the implementation of a distance education program for these remote areas and how the educational levels could increase greatly in this way.


3. Still photo of Dr. Leslie Moller.

Narrator: Introduces key speaker, Dr. Leslie Moller.

4. Dr. Leslie Moller using webex video conferencing tool.

Narrator: Greets Dr. Leslie Moller


5. Short excerpts from videoconferencing presentation on the advantages of distance education for people in remote areas, giving them the opportunity to have well developed programs and giving the students opportunity for collaborative work as well.

Dr. Leslie Moller speaks to school directors and people involved in the educational development in São Tomé.


6. Link to full video on top of still image of children using the distance education resources.

Music of São Tomé.

Flowers of São Tomé

Here are some flowers that exist in the Island of São Tomé.  Nature is wonderful and technology helps us share it. To see it better you can find it at: http://www2.skyalbum.com/album2/2011/201104/20110403/doloresjardim/4d996bf5082/Flores_de_S%E3o_Tom%E9.swf

Enjoy!