eLearning – New Images of Education

Donna Murdoch, educational technology, eLearning, Higher Ed, New Pedagogies, online learning

Blended Learning, Digital Equity, Skills-based Economy

When I started reading this article by Jim Shimabukuro, I didn’t agree with its premise. “Still, he states, the biggest problem with blended approaches, innovative or not, isn’t as much its effectiveness but its impact on completely online courses.” No, I thought. That’s not right. Blended courses are, in terms of efficacy research, optimum but really modality and delivery should not matter at all. A course is a course – it’s the pedagogy that matters. Whether a course is online or face to face – the same problems and challenges exist. Good learning is good learning. And then he said, when referring to blended learning:

“This seemingly innocuous perception is arguably the greatest impediment to the development of completely online courses and programs. The F2F imperative, whether 20 percent or 1 percent, instantly eliminates the possibility of disruption that defines online learning. In other words, the door for nontraditional students who cannot, for whatever reason, attend classes on campus remains closed. ”

And that statement is absolutely right. Even when an online program has a small residency component, there are some people who will not be able to participate. In terms of quality of course, modality doesn’t matter. Access is a different story.

via Blended Learning, Digital Equity, Skills-based Economy | Educational Technology and Change Journal.

Donna Murdoch, educational technology, eLearning, Higher Ed, online learning

Are you Ready to Teach Online? Readiness Surveys Aim to Help Faculty Prepare

Excellent article from Debbie Morrison discussing the instruments we have available for assessing faculty readiness to teach online. Penn State and University of Washington both have surveys, but Debbie adds some of her ideas. The article, with link at the bottom, shares good ideas.

A. Parasuraman’s Technology Readiness Index is an interesting indicator as well, though not originally intended for online instruction.

1. Technology and Social Media Skills: Technology skills are fundamental, and though social media skills not an essential, they enhance the instructor’s ability to connect with students. Skills include: ♦ basic computer skills ♦ proficiency with software applications ♦ installing/updating software and plug-ins ♦ internet search literacy ♦ proficiency with features and functions within the LMS including uploading files, grading tools and grade book ♦ LMS tools for asynchronous/synchronous communication ♦ familiarity with platforms for communication/engagement outside of LMS, e.g. Pinterest, Twitter, Google+

2. Administrative and Organization Skills: Includes skills such as time management e.g. ability and willingness to respond to student questions with immediacy e.g. within 24 hours ♦ provide constructive feedback on student assignments in timely manner ♦ proficiency with grade book and ability to submit grades by required ♦ monitor/follow-up with academic integrity issues

3. Pedagogical Skills and Teaching Approach: ♦ student focused learning model ♦ instructor focus on supporting and guiding learning not delivering content and instruction ♦ providing constructive feedback ♦ establishing and sustaining online presence

via Are you Ready to Teach Online? Readiness Surveys Aim to Help Faculty Prepare | Online Learning Insights.

Donna Murdoch, educational technology, eLearning, Higher Ed, online learning, Open Resources

Here’s What Will Truly Change Higher Education: Online Degrees That Are Seen as Official

Digital credentials, such as badges or other open credentialing, are discussed in this NYT article which frames the traditional diploma as opaque. What does it mean? The work done for the degree is not apparent, the quality or what differentiates a job applicant from many others. “Diplomas and transcripts provide few means of distinguishing the great from the rest….” Digital credentials can solve the problem, as they are more specific and can related directly to necessary work competencies. They are transparent and provide much more information about what was involved in achieving the credential.

I agree with the points made in the article. I’m just not sure how fast a change like this can happen. There are some industries that might be more likely to shift their mindset and adapt to digital credentials, but there are far more that have been using degrees and schools as a preliminary filter for many years. It would require an entire education of the HR industry to understand what these new credentials mean, how to utilize the transparency, the power of online learning – even traditional degrees earned online still carry stigma – and what digital artifacts and assurances of learning really portray. There are many sides to new types of credentialing – educating the schools, the students, and the people who will ultimately hire them.

“Most important, traditional college degrees are deeply embedded in government regulation and standard human resources practice. It doesn’t matter how good a teacher you are — if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, it’s illegal for a public school to hire you. Private-sector employers often use college degrees as a cheap and easy way to select for certain basic attributes, mostly the discipline and wherewithal necessary to earn 120 college credits.”

via Here’s What Will Truly Change Higher Education: Online Degrees That Are Seen as Official – NYTimes.com.

Donna Murdoch, eLearning, mobile learning, New Pedagogies, online learning, Open Resources

Workplace Performance: Embedding Learning in Work: The Benefits and Challenges

Organizations with strong informal learning capabilities (Bersin) are 300% more likely to excel at global talent development than organizations without those competencies. It’s no wonder. We learn best in context, and using ADDIE or a formal learning course usually does not embed learning in work. Having short learnings available at point of need, or as performance support, is a way of filling in the gaps of experience. This can improve not only individual performance, but team and organizational performance as well. Article by Charles Jennings.

“A common finding that has emerged from study after study over the past few years is that learning which is embedded in work seems to be more effective than learning away from work. If people learn as part of the workflow then this learning is more likely to impact performance in a positive way.”

via Charles Jennings | Workplace Performance: Embedding Learning in Work: The Benefits and Challenges.

Donna Murdoch, educational technology, eLearning, Higher Ed, New Pedagogies, online learning

2014 Student and Faculty Technology Research Studies

1/3 of faculty have taught an online class in the past year, and 62% of those faculty say that online learning will lead to pedagogical breakthroughs, according to a new study done by Educause. Educause, a higher ed technology organization, is likely sharing information from its own member base who are all technology users – which is a subset of the total faculty population – but it is still very interesting. Shared by Daniel Christian, here are some key findings.

“Faculty recognize that online learning opportunities can promote access to higher education but are more reserved in their expectations for online courses to improve outcomes.

Faculty interest in early-alert systems and intervention notifications is strong.

The majority of faculty are using basic features and functions of LMSs but recognize that these systems have much more potential to enhance teaching and learning.

Faculty think they could be more effective instructors if they were better skilled at integrating various kinds of technology into their courses.

Faculty recognize that mobile devices have the potential to enhance learning.”

via 2014 Student and Faculty Technology Research Studies [Educause/ECAR].

Donna Murdoch, eLearning, Higher Ed, online learning

These are the trends and challenges shaping online learning

It is interesting to see where online programs “live” in a school. Sometimes each school within a University makes its own decisions and has its own faculty readiness program and expectations, but increasingly the decision making is being moved to one centralized location. This infographic from Education Dive shares the results of a survey of 675 administrators, and depicts the online program roll out strategy that they found was most common.

These are the trends and challenges shaping online learning [Infographic] | Education Dive.

Donna Murdoch, educational technology, eLearning, New Pedagogies

12 Steps for Creating a Digital Assignment or Hybrid Class

I’m often asked about new technology to offer faculty for use in their classes. The first answer is number 3 below – best to use tools with which we are already familiar. If the technology isn’t transparent, then it becomes the focus instead of the pedagogy or the content. In this article from Jesse Stommel via Hybrid Pedagogy about Creating a Digital Assignment, he offers many great ideas (as always.) But on a fundamental level, we often can’t get past the concept of anything minimally digital if the trepidation of a new tool gets in the way.

“Questions I ask myself when creating a digital assignment or hybrid course:

1. What is my primary goal for students with this course / assignment?

2. What is my digital pedagogy? How does my goal for this assignment intersect with my broader teaching philosophy?

3. What tools that I already use analog or digital could help me achieve these goals? It is often best to use the tools with which we are already familiar, rather than turning to the shiny and newfangled.

4. In order for this activity / class to work, what gaps do I need to fill with other tools / strategies?

5. Is my idea simple enough? What can I do to streamline the activity?

6. What is my goal beyond this assignment / course? How will the activity and my pedagogy evolve? In other words, don’t feel like you have to meet all your goals during the first attempt — think of the process, from the start, as iterative. Think also about how you can bring students their feedback and the fruits of their work during the first iteration into the continuing evolution of the activity / course.

7. Go back to step 1 and work through these steps and likely several times.”

via 12 Steps for Creating a Digital Assignment or Hybrid Class | Digital Pedagogy | Jesse Stommel .