Cyber-Coaching In ActionAIL 603 Project - Dr. Marilyn Staffo

Peggy Collum* Stephanie Henry * Wesley Hester * Amber Malone * Andrea Minear

Introduction

Dr. Marcia Rock and her associates have conducted ground-breaking research that explores various implications for cyber-coaching via advanced online wireless technology. The following proposal attempts to expand her vision to students and faculty across the University of Alabama.

Interview with Dr. Marcia Rock• Andrea Minear: “What can we do for you?”

• Dr. Marcia Rock: “…we have thru the FRC a little lab, a pilot lab and the FRC has been fabulous. So we’re starting on a pilot level and we really want to transform a whole floor there into a research lab for E-coaching, virtual coaching, whatever you want to call it. I sort of change it from week to week because some people say well it’s not virtual, but virtual is immersive and non immersive, and this is considered non immersive virtual technology. Sometimes I call it the virtual bug; sometimes I call it E coaching. . .So now you weren’t just reading about these researched based strategies and what to do. But you were seeing and believe me, because I’m there once a week virtually they go under the table, they pay no attention.  That’s one of the beauties of having it, they forget about that little tiny web cam. That observer element is really removed and you get a much more accurate picture.”

Interview with Dr. Rock

Our vision is to a full fledged research lab that would allow for collaborations across disciplines to have the technology the equipment to do the video not just doing the coaching sessions, but then think about the clips that you just saw, if they were packaged with a method textbook.

The Need

Two major needs for Cyber-Coaching services have been indentified.

• Student teachers in practice teaching situations need feedback and direction from their supervising professors to develop the skills necessary to become competent teachers.

• Additional, students and teachers will benefit from the teachers’ participation in professional development in both curriculum and technology integration.

The Literature

Blackbourn et. al. (2008) claim that

To prepare students to succeed in today’s post college work environment, undergraduate education must foster high-level skills in communication, computation, technological literacy, and information retrieval; in the ability to arrive at informed judgments; in the ability to function in a global community; in technical competence in a given field; and in the ability to deploy all of the above to address specific problems. (p.169)

The Literature

Carter (1999) conducted a study to examine the use of information management technology in the teacher education practicum. The study examined how preservice teachers could be given support at a distance location.

The results revealedevidence to support the view that new information management technologies, allied with modern communications technology, can substantially assist both in improving both the effectiveness of practicum supervision, and in engendering the quality of an emerging self-critical awareness on the part of student teachers—and their supervisors too. (p. 331)

The Proposal

Program Title: Cyber-Coaching in Action

Program Description: The Cyber-Coaching in Action program will implement mini-lab stations at various locations around the University of Alabama campus. These labs train and provide assistance to professors who are engaged in the process of monitoring, mentoring, assessing, and giving feedback to students who are participating in professional field experience activities.

The Proposal

Goals:• To increase the use of research based

practice in a variety of fields• To develop competent professionals• To expand the capacity of faculty

supervision and mentoring• To Provide effective and efficient

access to advanced online wireless technology

• To Broaden the use, capabilities, and benefits of advanced online wireless technology

The ProposalPlan of Operation

Phase I: Secure Lab Space• Academic Deans will be asked to allot space for their

participating faculty members.Phase II: Commit Personnel• Dr. Marcia Rock and her team will assign duties to university

staff.Phase III: Elevate Faculty Awareness• Program representatives will host a mini-workshop each quarter

designed to demonstrate how advanced online wireless BIE (bug-in-the-ear) technology encompasses a variety of options for advisors in every industry.

Phase IV: Train the Trainer Seminars• Program representatives will develop training seminars for all

participants.Phase V: Implementation• Throughout this phase the planning and finalization of the

logistical elements of lab set-up and use will be completed.

The Budget

This budget is based on the prototype utilized in a lab setup in the Faculty Resource Center at UA. Fixed assets such as the infrastructure, networking cables, work space, and computers are currently available for faculty members to utilize for Cyber-Coaching sessions.

The Budget

Item Item Price Item # per Set Cost

Creative Web Cam Live Ultra-Web Camera

$61.001 $61.00

Headset/Mic with Web Cam1 ___ ___ ___

Pamela Business Version 3.5 (optional AV recording)

($36.95) 1 ($36.95)

Total $61.00 ($97.95) 3 $61.00 ($36.95)

Table 2: Price per eLab Set*prices in parentheses ($) reflect purchase of Pamela Business Version 3.5 VOIP software (optional) in addition to Skype

The BudgetCost-Effectiveness of Proposal 

A cost-effective plan for start-up would involve the purchase of 10 e-Lab sets consisting of 10 web cameras, 10 inclusive headset/microphones, and free access to Skype VOIP service for a total e-Lab set cost of $610.00.

Total Start-Up Cost $3337.20*

(Responsibility for resources for students in the field: The faculty in the various departments will be responsible for determining how to fund the equipment needed by students in the field.)

This plan also includes the purchase of 20 Classroom Sets consisting of 20 Bluetooth Earpiece/Microphones, 20 Bluetooth USB Adapters, and 20 web cameras for a total (Per Student Set Cost $136.36*)

*All totals are based on a one-time Internet search of prices. Prices are subject to

change.

ReferencesAhuja, S. R. & Ensor, R. (2004).VoIP: What is it good for? Queue. 2, 6, 48-

55. Andersson, M.W. & Streith, K. (2005).Examining user acceptance of

computer technology: An empirical study of student teachers. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 21, 6, 387-395.

Blackbourn, J.M., Fillingim, J.G., McClelland, S., Elrod, G.F., Medley, M.B., Kristonis, M.A., & Ray, J (2008).The use of wireless technology to augment problem-based learning in special education preservice teacher training. Journal of Instructional Psychology. 35, 2, 169-176.

Carter, D (1999).Extending supervisory reach: Using new information management technology in the teacher education practicum. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education. 8, 3, 321-333.

Communications News. (2008).VoIP expanding on campuses. 45, 6, 7-7. Delfino, M & Percisco, D. (2007).Online or face to face? Experimenting

with different techniques in teacher training. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 23, 5, 355-365.

Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from Federal Communications Commission Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau Web site: http://www.fcc.gov/voip/

References continued

Gillies, D (2008).Student perspectives on videoconferencing in teacher education at a distance. Distance Education. 29, 1, 107-118.

Jiyoon, Y (2008).Cyber practicum: A future practicum classroom. British Journal of Education Technology. 39, 1, 163-165.

Kadijevich, D (2006).Achieving educational technology standards: The realtionship between student teacher's interest and institutional support offered. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 22, 6, 437-443.

Millard, E (2007).Making a new calling using VoIP. District Adminstration. 43, 2, 31.

Rock, M. L., Howard, P. W., Ploessl, D. M., Gable, R. A., & Zigmond, N. P. (n.d.). Bug in the ear technology: A 21st century tool to enhance professional development. Draft , 1-14.

Tabata, L.N. & Johnsrud, L.K. (2008).The impact of faculty attitudes toward technology, distance education, and innovation. Research in Higher Education. 49, 7, 625-646.