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Week 5
Legalities by Shabana
I love the way Burgstahler described disability in her above article. “Disability is just one of many characteristics that an individual might possess. Others include height, age, race, native language, ethnicity, and gender. All of the potential characteristics of participants, including disability, should be considered when developing a distance learning course. Just as architects design buildings used by everyone, including those who use wheelchairs, distance learning designers should create learning environments that allow all potential students and instructors to access course content and fully participate in activities.”
Suggested universal design proposed by the author is amazing and useful for people with and without disabilities.
I think the initial step to be familiar with the resources for ADA compliance is to know what we have in our own institute. Disability Resources and Services (DRS) at S&D campus of MCC http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/students/disability/ provides comprehensive services for students with disabilities. ADA compliant academic adjustments are available for students with different conditions (blindness, visual impairment, deafness, hearing impairment, traumatic brain injury, or other health-related/systemic disabilities).
I agree with Linda here that asking the right question from the beginning can spare a student’s time and energies toward the right direction. The most important part of an instructor is to explain and describe the presence of disability resources to students on the very first day of class and then to be familiar with the 34 pages Faculty Resource Guide: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/students/disability/forms/facultyguide.doc
Available services for students with disabilities at MCC include telecommunication device for the deaf, brailler, visual enlarger (b & w and colored), FM assistive listening devices, tape recorders, and loaner wheelchair and crutches. Services for psychological and psychiatric conditions like extended time, quite area are also available. The punitive style of accommodating a student with disability is not a solution at all. We need to be accommodating and retaining to enhance a required learning environment in f2f or online class for students with disabilities. It is also important to understand that each individual is unique with ones unique condition and a uniform formula cannot be applicable for each individual case.
Following article by Sheryl Burgstahler and colleagues is another good resource for the topic.
Steps Toward Making Distance Learning Accessible To Students And Instructors With Disabilities
Information Technology and Disabilities E-Journal, Vol. XI No. 1 August, 2005
The focus of this paper is students AND instructors with disabilities. The authors of this article discussed the policies, implementation, guidelines according to section 508 standards, dissemination, delivery and accessibility of a universal design that could benefit students and instructors with disabilities at University of Washington. It is expected that policies and procedures discussed in this article can lead further programs and accommodations for students and instructors with disabilities at other institutes.
ADA Compliance by Shabana
It is surprizing to know that the international DO-IT Center at University of Washington
http://www.washington.edu/doit/
is putting so much effort in promoting research, productivity, and participation of students with disabilities. I have heard from different mental health professionals that many people with disabilities join community colleges due to different reasons. I would suggest that teachers' training workshops in ADA compliance should be prioritized in community colleges along with other professional development opportunities. I am looking forward for the ADA compliant course material workshop here at MCC in spring.
Week 4: Assessments and Evaluations
Learning and assessment of learning is a complex process and becomes more complex for online assessment. Cheating and plagiarism have become big issues for distance learning and educators are focusing on different ways to reduce them.
Following is a worth reading article on the topic which provides valuable suggestions to minimize cheating in online student assessment. Cheating in Online Students Assessment: Beyond Plagiarism http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer72/rowe72.html
The author says that online assessment has a narrower bandwidth than classroom assessment (instructors cannot watch students work, for instance) and this might make cheating easier. Three most common problems involved in online cheating are: Problem 1: Getting assessment answers in advance Problem 2: Unfair retaking of assessments Problem 3: Unauthorized help during the assessment Different suggestions have been provided to prevent online assessment cheating. As far as my experience is concerned I have not encoutered any issue of cheating may be due to nature of assessment. For quizzes, I give them open book exam and do not totally rely on these quizzes.
Another resource on rules of assessment and evaluations can be useful while planning and delivering an online assessment. http://www.iuk.edu/~koctla/assessment/9principles.shtml
9 Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning
1. The assessment of student learning begins with educational values.
2. Assessment is most effective when it reflects an understanding of learning as multidimensional, integrated, and revealed in performance over time.
3. Assessment works best when the programs it seeks to improve have clear, explicitly stated purposes.
4. Assessment requires attention to outcomes but also and equally to the experiences that lead to those outcomes.
5. Assessment works best when it is ongoing, not episodic.
6. Assessment fosters wider improvement when representatives from across the educational community are involved.
7. Assessment makes a difference when it begins with issues of use and illuminates questions that people really care about.
8. Assessment is most likely to lead to improvement when it is part of a larger set of conditions that promote change.
9. Through assessment, educators meet responsibilities to students and to the public.
End of Week 4 Posting
Week 3: Online Communications
http://www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/tutorials/communication/chat.asp
The above site posted by Linda and Shelley is an excellent resource for online communications. It’s a good idea to debrief individual students after turning in assignment if you suspect plagiarism, however, it’s really time consuming and still you don’t know who is at the other end. I mean it is still an issue in distance learning to identify who is taking a quiz at the other end. Any strategy or tip to control the issue?
To learn more about online communications I found the following resource very beneficial. http://www.lts.rmit.edu.au/renewal/onlcomm/
Information for online communications provided on the page is really helpful for a novice as well as an expert in distance learning. The following (and more on the web page) questions have been addressed and answered for distance learners and teachers.
What is online communication?
Online communication allows for communication anywhere and anytime at any place. It can decrease isolation and facilitate the learning process. A sense of community can be achieved via asynchronous and synchronous communication. Forums or threaded discussions give the students an opportunity to communicate and collaborate, allowing time to think, reflect and write in their own time.
Why use online communications?
Examples of online communications
(End of new posting)
Week 2:
Getting Started: For Students
In my previous comments on Shelley's page, I talked a little bit about what I do for my students getting started an online course (sending a detalied welcome message a week before the classes begin) and what I "will" add in my welcome message. While exploring the web for the topic, the following page caught my attention for some additional useful tips for students while starting a course.
http://www.distancelearning.org/howtosucceed.html
This page is established by Florida Community College and the term "Netiquette" is used for online classroom conduct or online manners. It describes the standards of academic communication which I believe is very important to maintain a clean academic online class communication. For example, using appropriate language while writng to instructor or students, avoiding capital letters in messages as Shelley pin pointed earlier, not replying to all when not required etc. The issue of proper gramer and spelling has been addressed. However, the Issue of using/not using emoticons has not been addressed (Linda, you can decide about it o:). I would like to add some of these communication rules in my getting started welcome message.
Getting Started: For Instructors
I agree more than 100% with Conrad's comments that, "instructors are judged on the clarity and completeness with which their course details are presented [at the beginning of an online course]." In view of an instructors role while developing and starting a distance leaning course I found the following URL very helpful and would recommend others to read while planning/developing an online course: http://teachvu.vu.msu.edu/public/pedagogy/fully_online/index.php?page_num=2
The need for expalining course policies, and maintaining individual teaching style is emphasized in this URL. The URL emphasized that while planning a distance learning course, an instructor should think of a f2f class that he/she conducts and then plan the online class in the same pattern. For example, while discussing Erikson's stage of generativity in my f2f class, I share my experience of an elderly/middle-aged-hero who has left a legacy or positive impact in my life. The objective of this sharing is to facilitate class interaction. I try to maintain the same pattern in my online course for an interactive classroom environment and it really works. I will be looking forward for further comments and feedback about helpful tips given in these two web pages.
Legalities by Shabana
I love the way Burgstahler described disability in her above article. “Disability is just one of many characteristics that an individual might possess. Others include height, age, race, native language, ethnicity, and gender. All of the potential characteristics of participants, including disability, should be considered when developing a distance learning course. Just as architects design buildings used by everyone, including those who use wheelchairs, distance learning designers should create learning environments that allow all potential students and instructors to access course content and fully participate in activities.”
Suggested universal design proposed by the author is amazing and useful for people with and without disabilities.
I think the initial step to be familiar with the resources for ADA compliance is to know what we have in our own institute. Disability Resources and Services (DRS) at S&D campus of MCC http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/students/disability/ provides comprehensive services for students with disabilities. ADA compliant academic adjustments are available for students with different conditions (blindness, visual impairment, deafness, hearing impairment, traumatic brain injury, or other health-related/systemic disabilities).
I agree with Linda here that asking the right question from the beginning can spare a student’s time and energies toward the right direction. The most important part of an instructor is to explain and describe the presence of disability resources to students on the very first day of class and then to be familiar with the 34 pages Faculty Resource Guide: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/students/disability/forms/facultyguide.doc
Available services for students with disabilities at MCC include telecommunication device for the deaf, brailler, visual enlarger (b & w and colored), FM assistive listening devices, tape recorders, and loaner wheelchair and crutches. Services for psychological and psychiatric conditions like extended time, quite area are also available. The punitive style of accommodating a student with disability is not a solution at all. We need to be accommodating and retaining to enhance a required learning environment in f2f or online class for students with disabilities. It is also important to understand that each individual is unique with ones unique condition and a uniform formula cannot be applicable for each individual case.
Following article by Sheryl Burgstahler and colleagues is another good resource for the topic.
Steps Toward Making Distance Learning Accessible To Students And Instructors With Disabilities
Information Technology and Disabilities E-Journal, Vol. XI No. 1 August, 2005
The focus of this paper is students AND instructors with disabilities. The authors of this article discussed the policies, implementation, guidelines according to section 508 standards, dissemination, delivery and accessibility of a universal design that could benefit students and instructors with disabilities at University of Washington. It is expected that policies and procedures discussed in this article can lead further programs and accommodations for students and instructors with disabilities at other institutes.
ADA Compliance by Shabana
It is surprizing to know that the international DO-IT Center at University of Washington
http://www.washington.edu/doit/
is putting so much effort in promoting research, productivity, and participation of students with disabilities. I have heard from different mental health professionals that many people with disabilities join community colleges due to different reasons. I would suggest that teachers' training workshops in ADA compliance should be prioritized in community colleges along with other professional development opportunities. I am looking forward for the ADA compliant course material workshop here at MCC in spring.
Week 4: Assessments and Evaluations
Learning and assessment of learning is a complex process and becomes more complex for online assessment. Cheating and plagiarism have become big issues for distance learning and educators are focusing on different ways to reduce them.
Following is a worth reading article on the topic which provides valuable suggestions to minimize cheating in online student assessment. Cheating in Online Students Assessment: Beyond Plagiarism http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer72/rowe72.html
The author says that online assessment has a narrower bandwidth than classroom assessment (instructors cannot watch students work, for instance) and this might make cheating easier. Three most common problems involved in online cheating are: Problem 1: Getting assessment answers in advance Problem 2: Unfair retaking of assessments Problem 3: Unauthorized help during the assessment Different suggestions have been provided to prevent online assessment cheating. As far as my experience is concerned I have not encoutered any issue of cheating may be due to nature of assessment. For quizzes, I give them open book exam and do not totally rely on these quizzes.
Another resource on rules of assessment and evaluations can be useful while planning and delivering an online assessment. http://www.iuk.edu/~koctla/assessment/9principles.shtml
9 Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning
1. The assessment of student learning begins with educational values.
2. Assessment is most effective when it reflects an understanding of learning as multidimensional, integrated, and revealed in performance over time.
3. Assessment works best when the programs it seeks to improve have clear, explicitly stated purposes.
4. Assessment requires attention to outcomes but also and equally to the experiences that lead to those outcomes.
5. Assessment works best when it is ongoing, not episodic.
6. Assessment fosters wider improvement when representatives from across the educational community are involved.
7. Assessment makes a difference when it begins with issues of use and illuminates questions that people really care about.
8. Assessment is most likely to lead to improvement when it is part of a larger set of conditions that promote change.
9. Through assessment, educators meet responsibilities to students and to the public.
End of Week 4 Posting
Week 3: Online Communications
http://www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/tutorials/communication/chat.asp
The above site posted by Linda and Shelley is an excellent resource for online communications. It’s a good idea to debrief individual students after turning in assignment if you suspect plagiarism, however, it’s really time consuming and still you don’t know who is at the other end. I mean it is still an issue in distance learning to identify who is taking a quiz at the other end. Any strategy or tip to control the issue?
To learn more about online communications I found the following resource very beneficial. http://www.lts.rmit.edu.au/renewal/onlcomm/
Information for online communications provided on the page is really helpful for a novice as well as an expert in distance learning. The following (and more on the web page) questions have been addressed and answered for distance learners and teachers.
What is online communication?
Online communication allows for communication anywhere and anytime at any place. It can decrease isolation and facilitate the learning process. A sense of community can be achieved via asynchronous and synchronous communication. Forums or threaded discussions give the students an opportunity to communicate and collaborate, allowing time to think, reflect and write in their own time.
Why use online communications?
- flexibility of access anywhere, anytime
- student interaction
- enhancement and complements face to face educational activities
- prompt and efficient feedback
- sharing of information including electronic files
- a sense of group community among students.
- group task accomplishment
- collaborative learning and problem-solving
- peer review and tutoring
- opportunities for critical and creative thinking
- opportunities to develop written communication skills
- provide opportunities for interaction and communication
- provide flexible assessment and performance feedback
- provide quality learning resources
- provide academic, administration and learner support
Examples of online communications
- Online communication examples could include
- Threaded discussions (asynchronous)
- Realtime chat (synchronous)
- Role plays
- Simulations
- Case studies
- Guest speakers
- Debates
- Group activities
- Interaction via alias
(End of new posting)
Week 2:
Getting Started: For Students
In my previous comments on Shelley's page, I talked a little bit about what I do for my students getting started an online course (sending a detalied welcome message a week before the classes begin) and what I "will" add in my welcome message. While exploring the web for the topic, the following page caught my attention for some additional useful tips for students while starting a course.
http://www.distancelearning.org/howtosucceed.html
This page is established by Florida Community College and the term "Netiquette" is used for online classroom conduct or online manners. It describes the standards of academic communication which I believe is very important to maintain a clean academic online class communication. For example, using appropriate language while writng to instructor or students, avoiding capital letters in messages as Shelley pin pointed earlier, not replying to all when not required etc. The issue of proper gramer and spelling has been addressed. However, the Issue of using/not using emoticons has not been addressed (Linda, you can decide about it o:). I would like to add some of these communication rules in my getting started welcome message.
Getting Started: For Instructors
I agree more than 100% with Conrad's comments that, "instructors are judged on the clarity and completeness with which their course details are presented [at the beginning of an online course]." In view of an instructors role while developing and starting a distance leaning course I found the following URL very helpful and would recommend others to read while planning/developing an online course: http://teachvu.vu.msu.edu/public/pedagogy/fully_online/index.php?page_num=2
The need for expalining course policies, and maintaining individual teaching style is emphasized in this URL. The URL emphasized that while planning a distance learning course, an instructor should think of a f2f class that he/she conducts and then plan the online class in the same pattern. For example, while discussing Erikson's stage of generativity in my f2f class, I share my experience of an elderly/middle-aged-hero who has left a legacy or positive impact in my life. The objective of this sharing is to facilitate class interaction. I try to maintain the same pattern in my online course for an interactive classroom environment and it really works. I will be looking forward for further comments and feedback about helpful tips given in these two web pages.
rrodrigo |
Latest page update: made by rrodrigo
, Feb 9 2008, 7:18 PM EST
(about this update
About This Update
Moved from: Getting Started
- rrodrigo
No content added or deleted. - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
Chat
communication
netiquette
wiki
More Info: links to this page
|
| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gdougdixon | Online vs f2f classes presentations. | 0 | Oct 26 2007, 12:35 PM EDT by gdougdixon | ||
|
Thread started: Oct 26 2007, 12:35 PM EDT
Watch
Shabana, you use an example of in your class that can translate into a web presentation. We all have such examples that supplement our text books. However, I find that many of my verbal vignettes are spontaneous to illustrate a point in direct response to a student's query. They come without thought out of my long experience in practicing my subject.
At this time, I'm having difficulty in imaging how personal I can make an on-line course without it being autobiographical but preventing it being as sterile as my textbooks. Doug |
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