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David J. Swisher & Dr. Leslie D. Hannah
Kansas State University at Salina
Professional Day
January 11, 2008
My Course is Online, So Why Aren’t My Students Learning?
Many of us, if not most or even all, have either been in a
class with or perhaps even been the boring monotone teachers who
regurgitates lesson plans straight from the book. Honestly, how
well does that work? As illustrated by the film Ferris Bueller’s Day
Off, not very well. The Ben Stein character induces coma with
this style of teaching.
As good and experienced teachers you know the value of
interaction and student engagement. Student engagement with the
teacher and the subject matter and peers is key to a successful
classroom. Experienced classroom teachers know that level of
engagement is tough not only to achieve but to maintain.
Personally, there are days I leave the classroom exhausted,
having used even cheap tricks to engage the students. But it
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works. This is what 20th Century literary and rhetorical
theorist Mikhail Bakhtin referred to as Carnival: the teacher as
entertainer. All the world’s a stage: especially the front of
the classroom.
But what are we to do when the front of the classroom is a
computer screen? Online learning has seen substantial increases
in the last five years. The Sloan Consortium reports that for
Fall 2006 there were 3.48 million students taking at least one
online course, an increase of 9.7 percent over the previous
year.1 That number has more than doubled since their first
survey in Fall 2002, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of
21.5 percent.2 Yet for the same five-year period, higher
education enrollments overall had only grown by about 1.5
percent3. Clearly, online learning is on the rise, and its share
of the higher education community is rapidly increasing. Most of
us realize that this trend is unlikely to recede and have
probably conceded that online learning may be a means of reaching
1 Allen, I. A. & J. Seaman (Oct. 2007). “Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning.” Needham, MA: The Sloan Consortium, p. 5.
2 Ibid., p. 5.3 National Center for Education Statistics, Projections of Education Statistics
to 2015; cited in Allen, I.A. & J. Seaman (Oct. 2007), “Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning.”
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those who previously were unable to relocate or alter their
lifestyle in order to pursue college studies. Can we, as the
teachers, make online learning equal in quality to (or exceed)
the learning found in a traditional class room?
Yes we can! And it is our duty, as the teachers, to develop
and initiate and maintain the learning environment for online
learners. Simply putting notes or lectures online is NOT enough.
It is not an adequate learning environment.
So how then do we as teachers create an interactive and
engaging online learning environment? We – David and I – believe
one of the first steps is that in order to effectively facilitate
online learning we need to become online learners ourselves. As
teachers, we must (re)learn pedagogies that are applicable to the
online environment – pedagogies of possibility that are
interactive and engaging and fostering of the 21st Century online
mind.
As teachers we understand the concept of lifelong learning.
We teach it; we preach it, but do we live it? If we are going to
teach it we should live it, or at least have some experience as
an online learner. Take an online course to learn and understand
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the paradigm of the knowledge hungry, online mind. See the
virtual educational world from the patrons’ side of this
cafeteria line of knowledge, not just the servers’. Understand
the challenge of online learning and teaching.
The Challenge: How do we ensure that our online course
offerings actually enhance the quality of instruction and aren’t
simply convenience driven?
To do this, we need to: (1) understand our students – their
unique motivations, preconceptions, and challenges that drive
their online experiences, and (2) understand the dynamics and
pedagogy of teaching online.
Students must see the assignments as relevant and
meaningful, not just busy work. Problem solving tasks that lead
students toward engagement with the course content and their
peers fosters independent learning. The learning may be
independent but it is fostered by peer interaction. For example,
in my literature class I have students apply critical literary
theories to their favorite short stories and novels. Rather than
allowing students simply to tell me what theory they think
applies I have them illustrate for me what theory applies and
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how: what are the applications of, oh say New Historical or
Deconstructionist theory to The Red Badge of Courage. Illustrate and
explain specific instances of the applicable theory. Every bit
of work on this project is productive.
This is nothing new. If you are a parent recall your
children’s learning experiences. I watch my daughter Lexi, and I
study how she learns. I note the excitement on her face and in
her voice when she completes the journey from ignorance to
competence in even the most simple of tasks. Then I observe as
she moves on to the next learning task. She interacts with her
environment. She engages with the task; she engages with her
teachers (often her mother and/or me, but she is in pre-school as
well), and she engages with her peers to work through the task or
solve the problem.
We also need to recognize and appreciate the different
levels of knowledge to be learned. Sometimes it can be
technical; other times students may need to comprehend or
understand. Different levels of learning can require different
approaches and forms of support from the teacher. We need to
think back to the early childhood teachers again and learn from
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them the art of crafting the learning experience. Teaching is
not telling; teaching encourages discovery. And yes, that can be
done online.
Online teaching requires strong student-centered modes and
outcomes. Teachers need expertise to develop online courses and
it often takes longer to teach with them. There is extra cost
associated with teaching online, not just monetary cost but time,
effort, and rethinking on the teachers’ parts.
The challenges of teaching online are many and varied, just
like teaching face-to-face. One challenge in particular is that
we, as the teachers, must develop an online pedagogy – not just
an online class. We have a class room persona: we need an online
persona. Think back to when you first started teaching: did you
hit the class room the first day and were instantly a great
teacher? Or were you like me, and it took time to become
comfortable in your teaching skin? Why is teaching online any
different? It takes time. Administration may provide many forms
of support, and yes time may be one of them. If you are
developing an online course request a one course load reduction.
If multiple sections of the same course are being offered and the
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schedule may be adjusted surely administration will see the
benefit of a one course load reduction to be used toward the
development of an online version of that course.
Take an online course designed to assist you in the
development of your own online course. We are already teachers;
that makes us the best learners. Learn what it is like to be an
online student. This in itself will give you a whole new
perspective on the matter.
What is a pedagogy for online learning? The pedagogy is
dependent upon the student – no different from a traditional
class room. People learn differently; if and how they learn
depends upon the students engaging with the subject matter, the
teacher, their peers. Some pedagogical philosophies tend to hold
that the teacher is in control of the learning process, a
commander of knowledge, so to speak. When in actuality good
teachers are guides of directors or facilitators rather than
commanders. For example, look at how early childhood teachers
operate. Their pedagogies facilitate the children’s ownership of
the learning task. This student centered model of learning
works.
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How, then, do we, as teachers, allow students to take
possession of their learning? First, we tell them: Learning is
your responsibility. I like to use the banquet philosophy: I
will place before you a feast; you do not have to consume
everything. You may take all you want, but please consume all
you take.
As teachers we must recognize and understand that online
learning is not simply the ability to memorize and regurgitate
correct answers. It allows the learners to take acquired
knowledge or experience and apply it the world – their world. It
puts them in charge. In this aspect good online pedagogy is no
different from good face-to-face pedagogy.
Another challenge unique to online teaching is that the
technology is outpacing us, the teachers, at a phenomenal rate.
The technology curve is almost vertical whereas we are just now
slightly taller than horizontal. Keeping abreast of the learning
technology is a time consuming and labor intensive task to be
sure. Rather than trying to become literate in ALL of the
learning technologies focus on those that most or best apply to
your field.
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Yet another challenge of online teaching is the
student/teacher relationship. We often spend many hours getting
to know our students. In a traditional setting those many hours
may become many semesters. We develop a genuine relationship
with students who become our majors; we see them often and have
intellectually intimate dialogues with them. We watch them grow
as scholars. That makes us feel good about ourselves as teachers.
Yet how do we accomplish this online, when we may never see
anything more than a photograph, may never hear their voice, and
may never see that proverbial light come on above their heads
when the hidden insight suddenly reveals itself? This online
relationship development requires more time and effort from the
teacher. Design forums wherein students will seek the
relationship with you, as the teacher. Look at what students are
doing with peer-to-peer networks such as MySpace and FaceBook.
Our students are already socializing online. We need to catch up
to them in this aspect. Design your online platform with some of
these similar features. K-State Online has many of these
features already built in: Wimba, Message Board, podcasting.
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So how do we go about doing this in an online environment?
Here are some suggested methods:
Learning contracts connect educational needs to individual
student needs and are useful when there is diversity in learner
needs and interests in a class. A learning contract is a formal
agreement written by a learner that details what will be learned,
how the learning will be accomplished, the period of time
involved, and the specific evaluation criteria to be used in
judging the completion of the learning. Learning contracts help
the educator and learner share the responsibility for learning.
This is not necessarily anything new; is not the syllabus
and policy guide of a traditional course a contract, implied if
not explicit? The only thing different here is the terminology.
In traditional classrooms the teachers tend to call this “COURSE
OBJECTIVES” or “OUTCOMES.”
Contract learning can bring about many practical benefits,
including deeper involvement of the learner in the learning
activities which they themselves have been involved in planning.
Once a learner passes through the stage of confusion and anxiety
associated with developing a contract, he/she will get excited
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about carrying out their own plans. Another benefit of utilizing
contract learning is an increase of accountability, since the
learning contract provides more functional and validated evidence
of the learning outcomes. The contract also provides a means for
the learner to receive continuous feedback regarding progress
toward accomplishing learning objectives.
Learning contracts can be extremely effective in the online
environment. Because physically meeting with the class to discuss
learning goals, objectives, and expectations is not possible
online, instructors must be very clear and concise in what is
expected from the learner. Likewise, the learner must also be
clear about what he/she expects from the instructor and the
course, as Herbert (2006) concluded regarding the conditions that
predict student retention in an online course.4 A learning
contract can facilitate negotiation and clarity of learning goals
and outcomes. Sample learning contracts can be placed on a web
page for the student to use as examples, and students can be
4 Students “who successfully completed their online course had expectations consistent with their course experience” and “were more satisfied with all aspects of the online course.” Herbert, M. (2006). “Staying the Course: A Studyin Online Student Satisfaction and Retention” Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 9, 4: Conclusion, para. 2. http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter94/herbert94.htm
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encouraged to brainstorm ideas for learning contracts with their
online peers as well as negotiate the final contract with the
instructor through utilizing email or online conferencing.
The lecture is one of the most frequently used instructional
methods in adult education. It assumes the educator to be the
expert and is an efficient way of disseminating information. Most
educators agree that the purpose of lectures is to lay
foundations as the student works through the subject, and good
lecturers know their students and develop their lectures
according to the students' needs. Most importantly, lectures are
most effective when used in combination with other instructional
strategies.
Online lectures can be presented in a variety of ways.
Lecture notes can be placed on a web page for the learner to
review. Notes can be put together in a packet and either
downloaded from the Internet or sent via snail mail. Lectures can
also be presented via audio or video over the Internet: podcasts.
Also, links to related resources and other Web sites can be
embedded in online lectures. Online lectures are likely to be
shorter and more to the point than lectures in live classrooms
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which often extend far beyond the attention span of the audience.
Short lectures provide enough information to serve as a basis for
further reading, research, or other learning activities. Another
obvious advantage of online lectures is that they are readily
available for students to revisit again and again as needed.
Discussion is an instructional strategy favored by adult
learners because it is interactive and encourages active,
participatory learning. The discussion format encourages learners
to analyze alternative ways of thinking and acting and assists
learners in exploring their own experiences so they can become
better critical thinkers. Discussion is often the heart of an
online course.
The online environment offers several modes for discussion,
including mailing lists (listservs) – which focus on particular
topics – and threaded discussion boards. Both of these options
utilize asynchronous communication. Synchronous (real time)
communication can be offered by utilizing chat rooms; online
conferenceing software such as Wimba, NetMeeting, or Connect; or
virtual reality environments such as Second Life, known by
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instructional designers as Multi-user Domains (MUDs) or Multi-
user Object Oriented Environments (MOOs).
Self-directed learning is learning initiated and directed by
the learner and can include self-paced, independent, and
individualized learning as well as self-instruction. Whatever
terminology is used, self-directed learning places the
responsibility for learning directly on the learner. Learners who
take the initiative in learning and are proactive learners learn
more and better than passive learners (reactive learners).
Proactive learners enter into learning more purposefully and with
greater motivation. They also tend to retain and make use of
what they learn better and longer than reactive learners, and are
more likely to retain (or complete) the online course, as Herbert
(2006) found.5 The independent learner is one who is more
involved and active within the learning process.
Online learning supports the self-directed learner in
pursuing individualized, self-paced learning activities. The
learner, working at a computer at a convenient time and pace, is
5 Herbert, M. (2006). “Staying the Course…”: Conclusion, paras. 2-3. http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter94/herbert94.htm
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able to search and utilize the vast resources of the
Internet research nearly any topic imaginable. Students can visit
libraries, museums and various institutes world-wide, talk to
professionals, access recent research, and read newspapers and
peer reviewed scholarly journals online. Students can write
collaboratively with peers and even publish written and
multimedia products on web pages.
Mentorship may be used to promote learner development by
drawing out and giving substance to what the student already
knows. A mentor serves as a guide rather than a provider of
knowledge and serves the function of introducing students to the
new world, interpreting it for them, and helping them to learn
what they need to know to function in it. Mentors in education
teach by interpreting the environment and modeling expected
behaviors. They also support, challenge, and provide vision for
their students.
A major benefit to online mentorship is the opportunity for
frequent, convenient communication between mentor and student.
Weekly or even daily journals and communications can be sent
between mentor and student via e-mail, providing an ongoing
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"dialogue" which supports the development of the mentor
relationship and offers numerous opportunities for timely
feedback on student questions, concerns and issues.
In small groups learners can discuss content, share ideas,
and solve problems. They present their own ideas as well as
consider ideas put forth by others. In this way, they can be
exposed to a variety of viewpoints on a given subject. There are
many small group formats that encourage and provide opportunities
for interaction: (a) the discussion group – which allows learners
to reflect on a subject under discussion and present their views,
often on high intellectual levels - specifically analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation, (b) guided design and practice – where
the focus is on developing learners' decision-making skills as
well as on teaching specific concepts and principles which
utilize open-ended problems which require outside class work to
gather information, (c) role playing - which involves recreating
a situation relating to a real-world problem in which
participants act out various roles to simulate real-life group
work situations and help learners gain a fuller understanding of
a problem or situation, and (d) instructional games – which
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require two or more groups to compete while attempting to meet a
set of objectives by reflecting typical real-life situations and
encouraging decision-making.
Online learning environments offer several distinct benefits
for small group work. First, they allow small groups to work
independently while still having access to the instructor. In
some cases where it is difficult for all members of an online
class to meet synchronously, small groups can be organized
according to their time zones, making it possible to find a
convenient time to meet synchronously. Larger groups can benefit
by communicating asynchronously via conferencing programs. A
second benefit of online environments for group work is that they
equalize control among participants. Factors such as geography,
gender, or disabilities do not disadvantage learners in this
environment. Finally, the instructor is able to respond directly
to questions and needs of particular groups without taking the
time of other groups.
Online projects give students an opportunity to pursue their
special interests and can be done individually or within groups.
Projects also provide students with practical experience and a
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sense of accomplishment. Using projects in a learning activity
makes the learning more relevant to the learners. Products can be
shared with others in the class and critiqued. Many times an
individual project is only critiqued by the facilitator, but by
sharing individual projects with other participants, the learner
has the opportunity to obtain more diverse viewpoints and
feedback. With collaborative meetingware such as Wimba, group
presentations and feedback can be easily accomplished online.
Many of the instructional strategies discussed above can be
considered group projects. Group projects can include
simulations, role playing, case studies, problem solving
exercises, group collaborative work, debates, small group
discussion, and brainstorming. As with individual projects,
participants in group projects should receive peer feedback to
expose them to diverse viewpoints. With independent and group
projects learners pursue special interests, write or create for
an audience, and publish or present their findings and
conclusions via the Internet. The Internet provides the
potential of receiving feedback from experts or interested peers
outside the course by accessing the project online.
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Collaborative learning is the process of getting two or more
students to work together to learn. Students often work in small
groups composed of participants with differing ability levels and
using a variety of learning activities to master material
initially developed by an instructor, or construct knowledge on
substantive issues. Each member of the team is responsible for
learning what is taught and for helping teammates learn.
Collaborative learning methods are now used in over a third
of higher education courses, and their use has increased in the
past six years more than any other learning method, according to
a recent survey conducted by UCLA's Higher Education Research
Institute. Employers want workers with collaborative skills and
are looking for graduates of educational programs that teach
these skills. Collaborative learning can be more effective than
interpersonal competitive and individualistic efforts in
promoting cognitive development, self-esteem, and positive
student-student relationships.
Online learning models are natural environments for
collaborative learning, but they are not collaborative learning
environments by definition. Learners may interact with other
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participants without collaborating, for example when receiving
on-line tutorial help. Learning activities have to be
specifically and somewhat carefully designed to work effectively.
The case study is a teaching strategy which requires
learners to draw upon their past experiences, is participatory
and has action components which are links to future experience.
The key to a successful case study is the selection of an
appropriate problem situation which is relevant both to the
interests and experience level of learners and to the concepts
being taught. The case report should include facts regarding the
problem, the environmental context, and the characters of the
people involved in the case. It should be factual, but also
contain the opinions and views of the people involved. Learners
should have access to the problem solution, but not until they
have reached their own conclusions and can then compare their
results with the actual decision taken to resolve the problem.
The case analysis can be carried out with the learners
working independently or in groups. One advantage of using the
case method is that it emphasizes practical thinking and it
assists learners in identifying principles after examining the
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facts of the case and then applying those principles to new
situations Case analysis is equally effective when used in
combination with other instructional strategies.
In the online environment case studies can be presented on
web pages and discussed in conferencing groups. Cases can be
developed by class groups as collaborative projects. In addition,
the vast resources of the Internet can be tapped by students and
educators to contribute data, information and expert advice to
case development and analysis.
The forum is an open discussion carried on by one or more
resource people and an entire group. The moderator guides the
discussion and the audience raises and discusses issues, make
comments, offers information, or asks questions of the resource
person(s) and each other. There are two variations of the forum:
the panel and the symposium.
The panel is usually a group of three to six people who sit
in the presence of an audience and have a purposeful conversation
on a topic in which they have specialized knowledge. Guided by a
moderator, the panel is informal in nature, but allows for no
audience participation. The symposium is a series of
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presentations given by two to five people different aspects of
the same theme or closely related themes. Although the symposium
is formal in nature, questions from the audience are encouraged
following the presentations. An obvious benefit of the symposium
is that it gives learners exposure to a variety of experts'
viewpoints and offers an opportunity for the audience to ask
questions.
Because the online environment facilitates group
communication, it is ideal for the types of information exchange
typical in forums. In fact, the forum can be more convenient and
effective in the online environment than in the traditional
classroom because speakers, experts and moderator can participate
without having to travel or even be available at a particular
time. Both synchronous and asynchronous communication can be
utilized to support online learning forums.
CONCLUSION
The online learning environment allows educators and
students to exchange ideas and information, work together on
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projects, around the clock, from anywhere in the world, using
multiple communication modes. Given the advantages and resources
of this rich learning environment, how can multiple instructional
strategies best be utilized for online learning? Just as in the
traditional classroom, instructional strategies are most
effective when employed specifically to meet particular learning
goals and objectives. Effective course design can begin with
asking and answering the key question: what are the major
learning goals and objectives for this course? Once these goals
and objectives have been identified and clearly articulated, the
question of which learning strategies, activities, and
experiences to employ can be addressed.
Online learning can employ any of the strategies discussed
here. Much of the power of learning via the Internet lies in its
capacity to support multiple modes of communication including any
combination of student-student, student-faculty, faculty-student,
faculty-faculty, student-others, others-students, etc. Taking
into account the varied learning styles of learners and providing
opportunities for self-directed and collaborative learning,
educators can facilitate powerful, effective courses geared to
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achieve specific learning goals and outcomes using the vast
resources and capacities of online learning.
The online learning environment is, after all, just another
learning environment, in some ways similar to and in some ways
different from more traditional environments such as conventional
classrooms, seminar rooms, or labs. When we move our class onto
the Internet, we should plan for and make the best use of the
online environment. The various instructional strategies we use
to meet the goals and objectives of our courses are likely to be
similar in each environment. However, the ways in which we
utilize the strategies will differ as we make the best use of the
characteristics and capacities of each environment.
