Using Macromedia Breeze Meeting to Enhance Learning Among Online Learners in a Master of Public Heal

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Using Macromedia Breeze Meeting to Enhance
Learning Among Online Learners in a Master of
Public Health Program

• Megan Esporas
• Cheryll Lesneski
• William Williamson
• Public Health Leadership Program
• UNC-CH School of Public Health

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The Class

• PUBH 180 Public Health Practice
• Delivered entirely online
• Required of all distance learning Leadership MPH
  students
• Students assigned to permanent teams based on
  experience and practice area
• Exercises are problem based and require learners
  to draw upon their professional practice
  experience
• Team exercises account for 90 of work

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The Learners

• 42 students ranging in experience from novice to
  veteran distance learners the most experienced
  having completed at least five distance learning
  classes
• More than 3/4 of the students are female
• The cohort is overwhelmingly Caucasian
• The students range in age from 28 to 58 years,
  with an average age of 41 years
• The students work experience in public health or
  a related field, such as primary health care,
  range from 3 to 28 years, with an average of
  slightly more than 13 years

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Why did we use Breeze Meeting in our Class?

• Enhance learning community formation
• Increase task efficiency
• Improve the overall learning experience
• Thus, counterbalancing some of the common
  limitations of an asynchronous format

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Why did we choose Breeze Meeting?

• An installation was available at UNC-CH
• School of Public Health and fully funded by
• the Provost Office
• in other words, it was free!

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Technical Issues

• Instructors provide all technical support to
  students
• SPH IIS neither funded nor staffed to work with
  students
• PC conflicts
• USB digital headsets Rule!
• Firewalls are two edged swords
• High speed internet mandatory

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Technical Issues

• Software unable to handle whole class meetings
• Cheryll's experience with portfolio tutorial
• Variable student experiences
• Dropped audio most common
• Connectivity problems

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Learning Issues

• Variable experience by team led to different
  outcomes
• Team A had few technical difficulties, composed
  of proactive learners
• They spent the least amount of time in Discussion
  Forums
• Were among the best teams in terms of work
  product
• Very efficient learners

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Learning Issues

• Team B had ongoing technical issues, but had good
  leadership, stayed focused and worked through
  problems
• Not everyone was happy in the team, but work
  product was good
• Allowed them to be more efficient in their
  Discussion Forums by using Meeting for initial
  organization of discussion

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Learning Issues

• Team C was never able to overcome technical
  issues and use Meeting to best advantage
• Learners were too passive and polite to push
  through problems
• Meeting became a source of frustration and
  polarized the team around personalities and
  issues
• Among the lowest performing teams

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In Summary

• Online meeting software can be valuable for
  online learners
• Technically, its almost there for folks in the
  real world
• When it isnt working properly, it can reinforce
  nonfunctional aspects of student groups
• It is not a transcendent tool, but when its
  working well an online meeting tool can increase
  both learning efficiency and quality
• A number of students requested the tool for their
  next semester classes

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That was the Instructors Perspective

• Now lets see what Megan saw as a student..

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Experience in a Team B

• Team members
• Seven members 6 women, 1 man
• Two time zones
• Members jobs included
• Paramedic (minimal computer work, irregular
  hours)
• Veterinary Supervisor (minimal computer work)
• School Health Coordinator (minimal computer work)
• Clinical Research Associate (frequent travel)
• Evaluation Coordinator
• 2 Project Managers

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Barriers

• Many team members had limited experience working
  as part of a virtual team
• Significant time was spent making sure everyone
  could hear and be heard
• Two members dominated the discussions
• Unprepared moderators (those leading the group
  assignment) resulted in an unfocused session

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Initial Session
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Second Session
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Does it improve learning efficiency quality?

• it depends.
• Good for
• Reviewing a draft assignment and providing
  real-time feedback
• Making decisions and assigning tasks

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Does it improve learning efficiency quality?

• Not as helpful for
• Starting an assignment from scratch
• Getting feedback from all team members (since
  some dominate, while others mostly listen)

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Lessons Learned

• There is a learning curve associated with any new
  technology - the more it is used, the more
  comfortable you become with it
• Moderators must come prepared and be willing to
  keep the team focused on what needs to be
  accomplished

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Thank you!

• Your questions, comments