Northwoods Academy August 7, 2006

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When Distance Learning Becomes a Spectator Sport
. . . Strategies for Student-Centered Learning

• Northwoods AcademyAugust 7, 2006

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Objectives

• Defining Quality Teaching and Learning
• Sharing Distance-Education Success Stories and
  Strategies
  
• Discussion!!!

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Short Exercise Putting our arms around quality
How do you measure a good teacher or a quality
educational environment?
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A Danger.
Since elements of active learninginteraction,
communication, collaboration, dialogue, timely
feedback, etc.are difficult to attend to,
cumbersome, and often expensive in distance
education environments, these elements are often
neglected or even ignored altogether.
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Doing Better
We need to maximize interaction, collaboration,
and feedback within the boundaries of specific
delivery mediums and technologies.
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Seven Principles for Good Practice Technology
as LeverChickering, Gamson, et al.
Good Practice Encourages Contacts Between
Students and Faculty Good Practice Develops Recip
rocity and Cooperation Among Students
Good Practice Uses Active Learning Techniques
Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback
Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task
Good Practice Communicates High Expectations
Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways
of Knowing
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Against boredom, even the gods themselves
struggle in vain.
Friedrich Nietzsche
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1. Encourage Contacts Between Students and Faculty

• Frequent contact in and out of class is an
  important factor in motivation and improvement
  
• Technologies have provided a plethora of avenues
  in which to achieve this over geographic
  distances
  
• This must go beyond posing a question, receiving
  a response, grading the response and returning it
  to students

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2. Develop Reciprocity and Cooperation Among
Students

• Real life is seldom a solo effort. Most often it
  is based around teamwork
  
• Learning is enhanced through collaboration rather
  than isolation
  
• The same communication tools that open up faculty
  to students open up students to eachother

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3. Use Active Learning Techniques

• Learning by doing (research libraries and
  apprentice-like activities)
  
• Asynchronous exchange
• Real-time conversation

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4. Give Prompt Feedback

• Irregardless of technology or delivery mode, be
  responsive.
  
• My experience quality, timely feedback may be
  the single greatest indicator of student
  satisfaction in distance education environments

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5. Emphasize Time On Task

• Time energy learning (Gamson et al)
• Technologies can make learning both more
  appealing (providing energy) and more efficient.
  
• THEY CAN ALSO DO THE REVERSE!

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6. Communicate High Expectations
Expect more, and most often thats what youll
get Dont water down your instruction based on te
chnology or delivery mode Have an objective in mi
nd, then discover how technology can best
facilitate reaching it
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7. Respect Diverse Ways of Knowing
There are many roads to learning
There is strength in diversity
Technology can offer powerful resources to
present diverse learning alternatives through
varied media and instructional styles.
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Technology is NOT the answer.
Technology ? Quality Quality?High Tech
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Mission Statement  eTech College of Wisconsin pr
ovides learners with online options and greater
access to education among the Wisconsin Technical
Colleges. Collaborative development of online
programming creates efficiencies and cost
effectiveness for all Wisconsin technical
colleges through the sharing of common course
competencies, curriculum, programs, and
marketing. WTCS eTech College of Wisconsin Pla
nRevised April 13, 2004
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Mission Statement  eTech College of Wisconsin pr
ovides learners with online options and greater
access to education among the Wisconsin Technical
Colleges. Collaborative development of online
programming creates efficiencies and cost
effectiveness for all Wisconsin technical
colleges through the sharing of common course
competencies, curriculum, programs, and
marketing. WTCS eTech College of Wisconsin Pla
nRevised April 13, 2004
18
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