Teaching online and learn to learn online: two sides of the same coin? (The scholarship of teaching and learning).Abstract While academia is going through a revolution in terms of educational delivery, industry has been promoting distance training for their employees--as a way to streamline the process of having a well-developed workforce. Industry has been looking to save millions of dollars in travel, per diem per diem adj. or n. Latin for "per day," it is short for payment of daily expenses and/or fees of an employee or an agent. , hotel costs, trainer hiring, facilities maintenance, and other factors. Two Boeing Co. Faculty Fellowships gave me insights into this endeavor two angles: teaching and learning. ********** There might be better ways to spend summers than learning about distance learning, but for Summers 1999-2000, I worked for The Boeing Company on a Community/Technical College Faculty Fellowship to research "Teaching Online" and how to help students/learners "Learn to Learn Online." The projects involved creating two web resources to be posted on the WashingtonOnline (WAOL WAOL WashingtonOnline (virtual campus of Walla Walla Community College) ) website. (WAOL is an online consortium of community colleges which offer courses online through courseware shells such as First Class, Unilearn, and others.) One resource aims to support instructors and corporate trainers A corporate trainer is a specialized skill development position in a corporation where the goal is to help improve the "soft skills" or "people skills" of the workers in the corporation. who want to teach via distance learning using online technologies. The second resource aims to help students and employees learn better online. Both dealt with issues of pedagogy, learner needs, current and forthcoming technologies, appropriate setup of a course infrastructure (syllabi syl·la·bi n. A plural of syllabus. , course storyboarding, course scheduling, outcomes-based assignments, visual literacy Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures can be “read” and that meaning can be communicated through a process of reading. ), student discipline and retention, and online communications. Virtually all the 34 community colleges of Washington State have distance learning offerings. Students from far-flung locales, those with hectic family- and work-schedules, traditional and non-traditional, have created a demand for online courses. The challenge for schools has been getting instructors acclimated to the online environment and training them for the online pedagogy. How can student retention be raised? How can the quality of instructor teaching done online be improved? How can online communications be enhanced for all participants? How can the quality of the online educational experience be enhanced? In addition, students who want to take advantage of such learning opportunities may not yet have the skills to do so. With a double-digit percentage of online students dropping out (and oftentimes of·ten·times also oft·times adv. Frequently; repeatedly. Adv. 1. oftentimes - many times at short intervals; "we often met over a cup of coffee" frequently, oft, often, ofttimes some 20% who never even show up in the electronic space which is the classroom), it was clear that some learning aids would be necessary. As for the Boeing Company's ("the banker") buy-in, they put out quality airplanes and need staff working the full 8-hour day. While training is important to keep them up on the latest technologies and ways of conducting business, executives do not want employees training during the workday. They want them fully on-the-job. The Boeing Education Network (BEN) intranet, online courses through various universities, and CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). courses-in-a-box are offered to meet these training needs while still allowing employees to put in their full day of work. The study, then, occurs at home, on their employees' time. Working for the "Lazy B" Coming in as an outsider (made more foreign with our temporary and dated photo badges) to this mega-corporation, a faculty member experiences culture shock--which begins long before one gets to the magnetized high-security doors. The buildings where I worked looked like silver welded boxes created by airplane airplane, aeroplane, or aircraft, heavier-than-air vehicle, mechanically driven and fitted with fixed wings that support it in flight through the dynamic action of the air. builders on a weekend. It helped even less that the buildings were numbered--15-20, 15-01. Both summers that I worked at The Boeing Company, it was during an economic downturn, and many of the cubicles cubicles individual cow bed spaces separated by half height and half length partitions. Usually located in loose housing cow accommodation in which the cow is free to wander at will. in the training center at South Park were empty or in various stages of being emptied. Bookcases had free books, removed from former employees' shelves. Boeing scavengers were going around to various cubicles to swipe computer peripherals and phone parts. The Boeing Company has a proud tradition in Seattle. Within its walls and especially during tours of its many facilities (e.g. to fly planes virtually, to see how planes get put together in Everett, to visit its tourist store in Duwamish), one hears anecdotal anecdotal /an·ec·do·tal/ (an?ek-do´t'l) based on case histories rather than on controlled clinical trials. anecdotal adjective Unsubstantiated; occurring as single or isolated event. stories of how during W.W.II, sheets of tarp with paintings of houses on them were spread over the airplane-building facilities to protect them in case of enemy bombing raids. There are stories of families working inter-generationally for this behemoth behemoth (bē`hĭmŏth, bĭhē`–) [Heb.,=plural of beast], large, fanciful primeval monster, like Leviathan, evoking the hippopotamus mentioned in the Book of Job. . Scattered Scattered Used for listed equity securities. Unconcentrated buy or sell interest. in conversations are acronyms like "QTTP" and company values as "Enhancing Shareholder Value" and "Good Corporate Citizenship Corporate Citizenship The extent to which businesses are socially responsible in meeting legal, ethical and economic responsibilities placed on them by shareholders. The aim it to create higher standards of living and quality of life in the community in which it operates, while " and "Integrity." The mission of the two faculty members was to work on a team of state-level education administrators and Boeing. personnel to create two websites. One would serve instructors wanting to learn how to teach online. One would serve students wanting to learn online. The company also has a regulated way of carrying through a project: They go through an extensive pre-project brainstorming and planning replete re·plete adj. 1. Abundantly supplied; abounding: a stream replete with trout; an apartment replete with Empire furniture. 2. Filled to satiation; gorged. 3. with a facilitator; extensive research (they hired on a librarian to deliver much research on our topics; on-site interviews with supervisors and employees for political buy-in, and the creation of a "proposal of work" (called a "Statement of Work" at the company). Initial research involved a survey of the existing literature, which filled some 5-6 binders. The research findings included various online classroom technologies; pedagogical ped·a·gog·ic also ped·a·gog·i·cal adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of pedagogy. 2. Characterized by pedantic formality: a haughty, pedagogic manner. strategies; retention challenges; international distance learning; student learning manuals; netiquette (NETwork etIQUETTE) Proper manners when conferencing between two or more users on an online service or the Internet. Emily Post may not have told you to curtail your cussing via modem, but netiquette has been established to remind you that profanity is not in good form over ; syllabus-building, and numerous other related topics. Teaching Online The teaching on-line website opened with a self-assessment. This assessment aimed to probe the respective instructors' high tech experiences, and more importantly, their knowledge of and attitudes towards distance learning--all of which are an important part of the academic package for an online instructor. Other segments of the findings covered a definition of distance learning along with a brief history (Did you know that DL started over 100 years ago?), and a description of who online students are nationally (and a subgroup sub·group n. 1. A distinct group within a group; a subdivision of a group. 2. A subordinate group. 3. Mathematics A group that is a subset of a group. tr.v. of those who seem to do better than the median). What followed included strategies on how to teach online with a section on best practices; conducting mediated me·di·ate v. me·di·at·ed, me·di·at·ing, me·di·ates v.tr. 1. To resolve or settle (differences) by working with all the conflicting parties: conferences; pedagogy and andragogy and instructional design Instructional design is the practice of arranging media (communication technology) and content to help learners and teachers transfer knowledge most effectively. The process consists broadly of determining the current state of learner understanding, defining the end goal of ; storyboarding a course; visual literacy; copyright; student assessment and outcomes; online security issues; classroom management; student discipline; record-keeping; courseware and current and future technologies, and even a glossary A term used by Microsoft Word and adopted by other word processors for the list of shorthand, keyboard macros created by a particular user. See glossaries in this publication and The Computer Glossary. of distance learning terms, in-state resources and print and online resources for teachers. The materials were beta-tested in a 5-week online course using FirstClass software and with a group of 15 initial community college instructors. A website containing that basic information was launched off of Washington Online's main site for a year and has been under revision. Side products included a syllabus A headnote; a short note preceding the text of a reported case that briefly summarizes the rulings of the court on the points decided in the case. The syllabus appears before the text of the opinion. for the teachers; a print manual with all the website materials; a CD of the contents of the student website, and .pdf files See PDF. . The following offers an overview of the actual contents, which was collated into a manual numbering over 300 pp. and which filled a website..
1. Introduction
A. What is Distance Learning
B. A Brief History of Distance Learning/Distance Education
C. Who are Online Students?
2. Self-Assessment and Analysis
3. How to Teach Online
A. Overview of Similarities and Differences between the
Traditional Classroom and Online
B. Types of Classes for Which Online Education Works Better
C. Best Practices
D. Quotes on Technology and Distance Learning and the Future
E. Access and Cost Issues to Distance Learning:
F. A Brief Look at Perspectives
G. Communication in an Online Classroom
a. Conducting Mediated Conferences
b. Online Conferences--Pros and Cons
c. Be Expressive Online with Netiquette (Net Etiquette)
d. Types of Online Approaches for an Electronic Classroom
e. Changing Rules of the Game: Electronic Communications in
Mediated Conferences
H. Setting up the Course
a. An Overview of DL/DE Teaching Theories
b. Pedagogy and Andragogy
c. Instructional Design Ideas
d. Storyboarding a Course
e. Visual Literacy: Looking Good Onscreen
f. Copyright Issues
g. Print in Distance Learning
h. Setting Up Expectations for Students
i. Distance Learning and the Brain (Ten Tips)
j. Ways to Reach/Teach Adult Learner
k. Conducting Online Searches for Research Papers and Projects
l. Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources
m. Template for an Online Syllabus
n. Washington Technical and Community Colleges
o. Online Consortium Standards for Academic Course Development
I. Outcomes Assessment
a. Assessment/Testing Issues
b. Security Issues
c. Learning Outcomes: Student Retention Issues
J. Classroom Management
a. Student Screening
b. Student Monitoring
c. Recordkeeping
d. Student Discipline Issues
e. Promoting Learning Online -- Reviewing Some Types of Reading
K. Future Advancements in Educational Technology and Distance
Learning
a. Financial Aid Issues and Distance Learning
b. Research Findings on Distance Learning
c. Glossary of Distance Learning and High Tech Terms
d. WWW Sources: High Tech Resources For Teaching DL
e. An Annotated List of Websites
4. Technologies: How to Technical Elements
A. You and Your Computer
B. The Internet & Web Sites & Email
C. Courseware -- Various Educational Delivery Shells
D. Web Page Software -- Building HTML files
5. Communication
A. Getting Fancy (High Tech insights)
B. Tool Box Resources
Learning Online The student segment was much more interactive and hands-on. It involved four segments: basic computing computing - computer skills; student study skills; online communications, and critical thinking skills in an online class. It was assumed that students would first need some basic understanding of educational technologies in order to thrive online. The study skills section would help students maintain the discipline needed for the distance learning classroom, given the need for regular logging on, participation, initial peer bonding, and other aspects for success. The online communications part would address the methods of online interaction and discussion using threaded lists. The critical thinking skills area would address ways to extract learning and complexity from the online classroom assignments. A graphic artist created a Bassett hound hound, classification used by breeders and kennel clubs to designate dogs bred to hunt animals. Most of the dogs in this group hunt by scent, their quarry ranging from such large game as bear or elk to small game and vermin; ground scenters trail slowly with the head dubbed dub 1 tr.v. dubbed, dub·bing, dubs 1. To tap lightly on the shoulder by way of conferring knighthood. 2. To honor with a new title or description. 3. "WebDog" to make the online non-teacher-led resource more student-friendly and humorous. The lessons were focused on outcomes and modularized mod·u·lar·ized adj. Having or made up of modules: modularized housing. for easier use based on the anticipated different schedules of its potential users. Both the online teaching and online learning resources will need constant reworking and updating to be useful, given the fast changes to distance education. The following provides an overview of the contents of the modules for "Learn to Learn Online." So you want to learn online! Welcome to the "Learn to Learn Online" Home Page. This resource offers four modules which cover the following content. You will find many opportunities to learn and grow professionally and personally through online distance learning. This may just be the beginning! Basic Computer Skills The Parts of a Computer Getting Online Keyboarding A Distance Learning Website Connecting to Links Using Email Students with Disabilities Basic HMTL Webcam Getting around a Firewall Downloading Software Distance Learning Glossary Basic Telecommunications Real-Time Collaborations Online Link Resources Studying Skills Selt-Survey Culture of Online Learning Types of Reading Managing Time Asserting Independence Setting Goals The Online Environment Learning as a Social Activity Different Learning Styles Academic Resources (links) Online Communications Asynchronous Communication Online Community Building Deep Learning Growth as a Learner Instructor-led Threaded Discussion The Learning Web Synchronous Communication Ethical Guidelines Online Critical Thinking What is Critical Thinking New Learning Roles Citing Web Sources Using Library Catalogs Searching the Web Self-Assessment Our assumptions in creating this latter resource was to show that learning is not always intuitive, particularly online. The more resources a learner has in his/her toolbox See toolkit and toolbar. , the better for long-term success. Alpha and Beta-Testing After the creation of the above resources, extensive work followed--to alpha-test and beta-test the online resources. Did the "Teaching Online" contents work for college instructors? What could be improved? Did the "Learn to Learn Online" materials help learners in work places and college settings? A schism schism, in religion: see heresy; Schism, Great. between industry needs and academic needs emerged. What industry wanted was quick and simple; what academia needed was explanations for the contents along with efficient learning. Business and Academia Sometimes, such alliances between academia and business provide a fine union of talents and mutual interests. Boeing provided some web-building expertise; minor funding for the faculty members; technologies of Visio, Adobe Pagemaker PageMaker was the first desktop publishing program, introduced in 1985 by Aldus Corporation[1], initially for the Apple Macintosh but soon after also for the PC. It relies on Adobe Systems' PostScript page description language. , Adobe Photoshop See Photoshop. , Dreamweaver 2 and Dreamweaver 3; the expertise of a professional graphic artist, and supervisory support for both projects. What ultimately results from that collaboration should benefit the students and learners of Washington State for years to come. It's the bond between teachers and students which helps promote the ultimate success of learning, and for the online model to work, more aids need to be created for both sides to do their jobs better. Meanwhile, the WWW WWW or W3: see World Wide Web. (World Wide Web) The common host name for a Web server. The "www-dot" prefix on Web addresses is widely used to provide a recognizable way of identifying a Web site. shimmers with promise, and those on the frontiers On the Frontier: A Melodrama in Two Acts, by W. H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood, was the third and last play in the Auden-Isherwood collaboration, first published in 1938. of learning and training are seeking ever-more creative ways of harnessing that great electronic hope. Shalin Hai-Jew, Shoreline Community College, WA Shalin has B.A.s in English and psychology and an M.A. in English from the University of Washington, which she entered at age 15 and graduated by age 20. She teaches Communications/English Composition and advises the student newspaper, The Ebbtide. |
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