• The Workshop has 5 time periods.

• Period 1 Get Ready (before the webinar) answer the BBDB DONE!

• Period 2 Get Set (attend the webinar Online Session 1) IN PROGRESS!

• Period 3 Go (after the webinar enter the BB course and complete some activities) TO DO!

• Period 4 Review - (attend Session 2) TO DO! Online review participants entries in Period 1& 3 activities TO DO!

• Period 5 post workshop survey TO DO! 1

Welcome to

Creating a Sense of Community in Online Courses!Week of 3/23/2011 - Presented by Mark Gura to Touro Online Faculty

Part IIssues and Ideas(Oh, but first…

“Why are we doing this?”)2

Today’s AgendaPart I: Issues and Ideas (the WHATs and WHYs)

and Part II: Practices (HOW to use BlackBoard to Create Community in Online Courses)

Now onto…

Q: Is Online Learning Important?

OR, is it a substitute, a second rate approximation, or of lesser value

than face-to-face instruction?“As a general rule, the most promising areas for innovation are pockets or areas that appear unattractive or inconsequential to industry incumbents and where there are people who would like to do something but cannot access the available offering.”

Clay Christensen, author of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns

Taken from our Discussion Board…

JANET LUCH: Students in an online classroom often get a higher quality education than those in a traditional classroom, I have found. This may be because they have had negative experiences in a traditional classroom, they are unable to attend class in a traditional setting for some reason, or they enjoy technology and the advantages it offers. In my experience, students often do more work and spend more time on assignments in an online class than in a traditional one. The resources are readily available and they can take the time to think

about what they want to say.

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Q: Is Online Learning Important? OR Is it a substitute, a second rate approximation, or of

lesser value than face-to-face instruction?Important dots to connect as we conceive an answer:1) Problem: When all the education needed and wanted is compared to our capacity to deliver it, we find that we do not have the infrastructure, manpower, or funds to do so! - This is true no longer only for Higher Ed. - Online or “Blended” courses represent the greatest growth area in K-12 education! How will new teachers learn how to deal with this?

2) Problem: Today’s students learn differently, think differently, access and process information differently, etc. Many find traditional instruction to be irrelevant and boring. - Instructional experts call for the integration of (appropriate) technology into instruction… but where is there a platform, a staging area where this is practical?

Solution: Online learning!5

Q: What makes for an effective, satisfying online course? What are the Key elements?

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JANET LUCH: “I think the key element to creating an effective and satisfying online course is the same as for traditional courses. Students need to know that we value them as individuals, that they can ask questions and receive meaningful answers in a timely manner, and that they are learning information that will make them more successful.”

SARA FISHER: “engaging and dynamic materials, assignments and communication , sense of personal worth and being recognized as an individual, options to complete assignments , clear and specific instructions for assignments , quick and substantive feedback given with respect

Q: What makes for an effective, satisfying online course? What are the Key elements?

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A: Assuming the syllabus and content resources are relevant…-The Individual’s contribution is acknowledged, honored, and valued-The Individual learns both individually and socially-The Individual is provided opportunities to function as a member of a learning community - Consistent and predictable: accountability, feedback, updates, etc. - Support in knowing what to do, how to do it expectations Clear Instructions and Clear Expectations.

Q: What makes for an effective, satisfying online course? What are the Key elements?

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Principles of Learning

•Organizing for Effort•Clear Expectations•Fair and Credible Evaluations•Recognition of Accomplishment•Academic Rigor in a Thinking Curriculum•Accountable Talk ®

•Socializing Intelligence•Self-management of Learning•Learning as Apprenticeship

http://ifl.lrdc.pitt.edu/ifl/index.php/resources/principles_of_learning/

“ She said my name! Did you hear that? Did you hear how she said my name? …”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUyLwXhqlWU&feature=related

What effect on Charlie did his teacher ‘s acknowledgement of his presence, participation, and individuality have?

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Taken from our Discussion Board…

TROY ROBINSON: Charlie Brown's teacher recognized him by name and this made him feel special and important as a member of the class. In an online class, it is very important to recognize each student by name in emails, discussion responses, and feedback on assignments. My experience is that higher education students appreciate (and need) this kind of individual recognition, too.

JOAN FEBBRAIO: “Charlie Brown's teacher responded with verbal praise and then gave him the opportunity to collect erasers. Showing a student that you acknowledge their presence will give them higher self-esteem. When we interact with students online, the method of positive responses before addressing the negative components of the assignment will motivate the student to work harder and give more effort when completing a given assignment. Charlie Brown's teacher made her students feel good about himself, important and special. Wherever the teaching process occurs, teachers should make their students have a sense of worth and not made to feel incompetent.”

Q: What happens in face-to-face classes that contributes to the learning, value, and satisfaction that results there? (hint describe the types of transactions/interactions)

Taken from our Discussion Board… JANET LUCH: “Knowing the professor and other

students The ability to work in groups more effectively - The ability to have discussion and immediate feedback Recognition from the group of personal contributions”

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…types of transactions/interactions

a) Student-to-Teacher, and Teacher-to-Student exchanges

b) Individual Student-to-Student exchanges as well as Student-to -hole Group and Whole Group-to-Student (i.e. presenting project and receiving feedback)

All of these may be observed by the group who

learn from them!

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A video to frame our thinking:

The GOOD, the BAD… Student's Voice Their Opinions On Online Courses... “I like online classes. I plan on taking more”

“I think they’re really horribly constructed, you can’t hardly get hold of your teacher, and… you can never get a response from other people…”

“It’s OK. It’s kind of boring because it’s on computers. Computers make you tired and stuff“

“I think you get more out of classroom and actually being more hands-on with your teacher and stuff.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XzUj-GQi90&feature=related

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Q: Which student shared reflection on the experience of taking an online course stands out as something for us to take notice of?

HELEN SCHULMAN: “What stood out for me was the feeling of disconnect between instructors and several students. One student mentioned that instructors were unavailable and unresponsive. ”

Q: How do you feel we can effectively respond to it? “Well there are several ways:

1. Respond promptly to e-mail messages.

2. Connect directly to their responses on discussion boards by personalized your reply.

a. Address your students by name in the subject line of your replies on the discussion boards. Be sure to demonstrate, within your reply, that you've really read the response.

b. In student introductions use an icebreaker activity to build a sense of community. Set up a Cyber Cafe on the discussion board for sharing personal information, pictures (optional), questions and concerns.

c. Encourage students who have expertise in a particular area to share their

knowledge with the cohort. This is especially true in the technology area.”

Q: Can we/should we Mirror the dynamics that make face-to-face

classes satisfying?

Janet Luch: In some senses we can mirror, but not in others. I am not sure if community is possible unless the students are willing to invest the time to work in discussion groups or chat rooms and team projects.

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And the UGLY!(a frustrated student’s tale)

“I come here for an education…seeking knowledge… this is what I find!”

“If you wouldn’t neglect me in a classroom with desks in a chalkboard, why would you do it to me in a classroom with a keyboard and a screen?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWPI35WGsTc&feature=related

Taken from our Discussion Board…TATANYA ULUBABOVA: There is nothing wrong with the

reading assignments. However, there should be a meaning behind them. Just assigning a chapter without any focus questions, not making connections and not challenging students’ thinking beyond the text is not the teaching the student wants. The student seeks for knowledge that a classroom can bring and instead he finds an empty classroom. The scene of an empty classroom is a reflection of emptiness of the meaning of education that the student received. It is time to change teaching the way we know it. It has to be interactive and meaningful and address students’ needs.

Q: Do you feel that your students have a sense of community in your class? If so describe how you’ve accomplished this. What might you add to expand it?

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Taken from our Discussion Board…

YVONNE MORALES: In my courses students have good discussions with their peers. The focus questions I give them initiate good discussions. They are reflecting (on) the issues that are currently happening in the educational system. When questions come up that need more clarification, they know I will be a part of their discussions and it becomes very interesting to get some of their ideas and frustrations. I would like to create teams next term to discuss some of the issues they are confronting and working on them as teams to create possible solutions.

Q: Do you feel that your students have a sense of community in your class? If so describe how you’ve accomplished this. What might you add to expand it?

Can you think of some ways that we can create a sense of community in our online classes?

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Part IIPractices

How to use BlackBoard

(and related technologies)

to Create

a Sense of Community

in Online Courses

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Which features of BlackBoard might you use to establish and maintain “Community” in a virtual instructional environment?

Let’s look at approaches and methods to establish a connected experience for students in online classes, to establish, develop, and foster learning through the sense of community in online classes…

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Using BlackBoard to Establish and Maintain “Community”.

- BlackBoard as virtual home base

- Consistent, predictable ‘CLASS UPDATES’

- Introductions – establish peer to peer rapport

- Discussion Board for assignment feedback by peers (and teacher)

- USE of an FAQs or Student Lounge

- Group feedback

- Create a Project Gallery

- Group efforts online 22

Establish the class Blackboard section as a ‘class destination’, a home-base virtual classroom, a virtual touchstone through which the student feels connected to the course.

How might we accomplish this?

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Establish the routine of updates / use BB announcement features for this.

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Introductions – establish peer to peer rapport

“Hi, my name is Sue Devine and I am an elementary AIS math teacher…”25

Use of discussion board for lesson – comments by peers for follow-up and feedback

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“I like how you said in your checklist that students need the opportunity to reflect on their work. I agree! Students should have the opportunity to reflect throughout different…”

USE of an FAQs or Student Lounge area in which students may communicate, collaborate, help one another in ways that aren’t formal activities

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Give group feedback as part of weekly update – cite student work – highlight individual posts, etc.

Example: group feedback on assignment in weekly update announcement in BB

Create a Project Gallery (mirror face-to-face classroom experience)

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Group efforts …

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Moving Forward to Session #2

Return to Blackboard and do the suggested activities before Session 2!

Integrate at least 1 approach to using BlackBoard to foster a Sense of Community in your own class!

There will be a follow-up email before Session #2…

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