Developing the Aurion Strategy 20072010

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Supporting Online Learners Moving Towards
Communities of Practice
Fiona Quigley, Director of Learning
Innovation, Aurion Learning
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Course Structure

• Defining Understanding eTutoring
• Critique of eSessions Lessons Learned
• Learning Theory Good Practice
• Exploring Understanding Fronter Tools
• Reviewing Internet Course for Collaboration
  Points

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Understanding eTutoring
Its Teaching Jim, But Not as We Know it
(Gilly Salmon, Professor of learning,
University of Leicester, 2006)
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Definition of an eTutor

• Role of eTutor varies what is the NCTE
  definition?
• Example Competencies (http//www.iitt.org.uk/publ
  ic/standards/etutorcomp.asp)

• Plan how eTutoring will be employed
• Establish the technical facilities necessary to
  support eTutoring
• Establish relationships with new learners
• Communicate appropriately with learners
• Provide administrative support
• Provide learners with technical and subject
  matter expertise
• Initiate activities that will facilitate learning
  
• Provide learners with support and encouragement
• Assess learners' performance
• Use Web pages for communication with and between
  learners
• Use e-mail for communication with learners
• Use bulletin boards discussion forums for
  communication with between learners
• Use text, audio and video conferencing for
  communication with and between learners
• Evaluate and continuously improve e-tutoring
  support

• Plan how eTutoring will be employed
• Establish the technical facilities necessary to
  support eTutoring
• Establish relationships with new learners
• Communicate appropriately with learners
• Provide administrative support
• Provide learners with technical and subject
  matter expertise
• Initiate activities that will facilitate learning
  
• Provide learners with support and encouragement
• Assess learners' performance
• Use Web pages for communication with and between
  learners
• Use e-mail for communication with learners
• Use bulletin boards discussion forums for
  communication with between learners
• Use text, audio and video conferencing for
  communication with and between learners
• Evaluate and continuously improve e-tutoring
  support

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eTutor Jackie of all Trades!
Technical / Usability Support
(Online) Learning Facilitator
Subject MaterExpert
??? Question Which one of the three is most
important?
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eTutor Jackie of all Trades!
Technical / Usability Support
(Online) Learning Facilitator

• ??? Answer
• All three are important, but at different stages
  of the online course
• Why, Where, How?

Subject MaterExpert
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Model of Online CommunicationGilly Salmon,
eModerating
eTutoring / Moderating
Technical Support



Level of Interactivity
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Tasks for eTutors
??? Question Using Gilly Salmons Model, what
could be useful tasks for eTutors to do at each
stage, using a 6 week timeframe?
Wk?
Personalised Welcoming email
PC Setup Checklist Check first access
1
Ice Breakers, Introductions, Expectations
Post Online Messages Check Who is Online
2
Posting/Negotiating Learning Plan Collaboration
Overview of Learning Environment Tools
3-5
Facilitating Discussions Summarising
Netweaving
Support in Using Collaboration Tools
3-5
Supporting, Responding Communities of Practice
Links to external websites
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Facilitation Skills for eTutors

• Initiating learning
• Negotiating learning
• Summarising learning
• Netweaving keeping the learning going
• Encouraging non-participants (lurkers) or
  people reluctant to participate
• Making use of higher contributors
• Deliberately provoking controversy?

??? Question Lets look at the Transcripts of
the two Esessions to see if we can find evidence
of these? Can you think of any others? Is there
anything you would do better?
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Example of Facilitation Skills for eTutors
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Challenges for eTutors

• Time Commitment eTutor Contract
• Getting to know / getting the best from the
  Learning Environment
• Encouraging non-participants or lurkers
• Sorting out Technical Problems

??? Question Can you think of any others?
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Summary Understanding eTutoring

• Role can be varied helpful for tutors to work
  with NCTE to fully define commitment
• eTutor contract a useful starting point
  reviewing the Institute of IT Training Standards
  eTutor Competencies
• Understand two main dimensions to eTutoring
  Technical Learning Support (Content Learning
  Tasks)
• Gilly Salmons five stage Model helps to support
  learner progress keep both aspects of eTutor
  role in mind
• Tips Tricks
• PC Set up Checklist to all learners
• Initial Welcoming Email
• Negotiate Learning Plan Collaboration Points
  with Group
• Accept that some Lurkers are inevitable!

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Critique of two eSessions

• How did you feel as a learner?
• Did you understand what you were supposed to do?
• Did you learn anything useful?
• How did this online first meeting compare to
  meeting people in a face-to-face session for the
  first time?
• Where you surprised by anyones online behaviour?
• How did you feel about posting information?
• What about the eTutor did they do as you
  expected? If not, what did you expect?
• Where there any differences between eSession1
  eSession2

• How did you feel as a learner?
• Scared, Anxious, Excited, Slightly Disoriented!
• Did you understand what you were supposed to do?
• Clearer in eSession2, had some technical problems
  in eSession1
• Did you learn anything useful?
• I think so!
• How did this online first meeting compare to
  meeting people in a face-to-face session for the
  first time?
• Easier for me!
• Where you surprised by anyones online behaviour?
• Yes cliques formed and jumping out to another
  room
• How did you feel about posting information?
• OK but I am used to this task just worried
  about my spelling!
• Some time delay problems made posting difficult
• Where there any differences between eSession1
  eSession2
• More structure less people

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Online Collaboration Theory Good Practice

• We will touch upon these theories
• Pedagogy Andragogy
• Instructivism Constructivism
• Blooms Taxonomy
• Adult Motivation
• Engagement Theory
• Problem-Based Learning
• Critical Thinking
• Reflective Practice

Why? eTutoring is as much about teaching people
how to learn as it is about the content!
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Learning Theory Good Practice
Its Teaching Jim, But Not as We Know it
(Gilly Salmon, Professor of eLearning, University
of Leicester, 2006)
Its Learning Jim, But Not as We Know it
(Fiona Quigley, AurionLearning, 2007)
Learning is what most adults will do for a
living in the 21st century(S.J. Perelman)
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Teaching Students how to Learn
Changing Roles in Online Learning Environments
Instructor Role

• Face-to-Face
• From passive receptacles
• From memorization of facts
• From passive learning,

• Online
• To constructors of their own knowledge
• To problem solvers
• To active learners

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Teaching Students how to Learn
Changing Roles in Online Learning Environments
Learner Role

• Face-to-Face
• From lecturer
• From provider of answers.
• From provider of content.
• From total control of the teaching/learning
  environment
• From teacher directed.

• Online
• To Guide and resource provider
• To expert questioner
• To designer of student learning experiences
• To sharing with the student as a fellow learner
• To learner centred

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Adult Learning Theory
Definition of Pedagogy The art and science of
teaching children?
Definition of Andragogy Andragogy is the art and
science of helping adults learn. (Malcom
Knowles 1970)
??? Question What are the characteristics of
children as learners vs adults? Should teaching
adults mean a different teaching focus?
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Andragogic model

• This Model asserts that five issues be considered
  and addressed in formal learning
• (1) Letting learners know why something is
  important to learn
• (2) Showing learners how to direct themselves
  through information
• (3) Relating the topic to the learners'
  experiences
• (4) People will not learn until they are ready
  and motivated to learn.
• (5) Requires helping them overcome inhibitions,
  behaviours, and beliefs about learning.

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What does this mean in an Online Context?

• We need to use learning strategies to keep adult
  motivated engaged
• Letting learners know why something is important
  to learn
• Good Course Orientation
• (2) Showing learners how to direct themselves
  through information
• Good Course Orientation
• (3) Relating the topic to the learners'
  experiences.
• Asking about their experiences Profiles,
  Critical Thinking Reflection
• (4) People will not learn until they are ready
  and motivated to learn
• Problem-Based Learning, Realism, Authenticity
  not learning for learnings sake!
• (5) Requires helping them overcome inhibitions,
  behaviors, and beliefs about learning.
• Support Encouragement adult baggage!

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Online Student Interaction model
Fronter Virtual Learning Environment
NCTE Internet Teaching Learning Course 7
Modules

• Collaboration Tools
• Discussion
• Chat
• Stickies / Email
• Links

Student
Basic Understanding, Knowledge Comprehension
(Bloom Level 1 2)
Promote Higher Level Thinking, Critical Thinking
Reflection) (Bloom Levels 3-6)
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Online Teaching Model Managed Constructivism!

• Online course collaboration tools enable
  students to interact with course content, the
  tutor their peers
• Students can negotiate meaning of course content
  through these interactions creating the
  potential for deeper and longer lasting learning
• Constructivist view of learning (Learners have
  ideas!)
• Learning active process of constructing rather
  than acquiring knowledge
• People learn through interaction with their
  world
• People develop knowledge through social
  interaction

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Helping to Motivate Adults to Learn

• Motivating busy adults to learn is the single
  biggest challenge in promoting sustaining use
  of online collaboration tools

??? Question What would motivate you to learn?
What would put you off?

• Interesting statistic
• 25 of a group usually post
• 10 of the group post 80 of the responses

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Adult Motivation Theory Kellers ARCs Model

• John Keller synthesized existing research on
  psychological motivation and created the ARCS
  model (Keller, Educational Psychologist, 1987)
• Attention Catching keeping the learners
  attention
• Relevance Attention motivation is not
  normally maintained, so need to answer whats
  in it for me at an early stage in a course!
• Confidence learners must be confident that they
  will be able to achieve course objectives that
  they wont take too much time or effort
• Satisfaction learners need some sort of
  satisfaction or reward for their learning!

The success or failure of any e-learning
initiative can be closely correlated to learner
motivation
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Adult Motivation What can eTutors Do?
Asking thought provoking questions variety of
stimulus
Stating tangible, work-related benefits
Estimates of learning times learning progress
reports
Something real that can be used e.g. CPD points
or a prize!
The success or failure of any e-learning
initiative can be closely correlated to learner
motivation Drop outs need to be analysed!
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Engagement Theory
A framework for technology-based teaching
learning
Students must be meaningfully engaged in learning
activities through worthwhile tasks and
interaction with others. (Greg Kearsely Ben
Shneiderman)
1. Relate
2. Create
2. Donate
Project-based
Have an outside (authentic) focus
Occur in a group context are collaborative
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Problem/Project Based Learning
How can I get my students to think?
An instructional method that challenges students
to "learn to learn," working cooperatively in
groups to seek solutions to real world problems.

• Basic Principles
• Has a real-world component solve an authentic
  problem!
• Students must identify what they know, what they
  dont know and work to fill the gaps!
• Students must go beyond course material
• Tutor must not provide answers, but merely
  facilitate the group process (e.g. provide links
  to resources to help)
• Sometimes competition helps!

??? Question What are the challenges with
Problem-Based Learning? Are there any
disadvantages?
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Problem Based Learning - Challenges

• Difficult to come up with truly real problems
  within the context of the course
• Timeframe issues is a 6 week timeframe long
  enough?
• Takes a lot of preparation research from the
  eTutor
• Challenges the traditional role of the student
• Challenges the traditional role of the tutor

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Critical Reflective Thinking
Or, Learning how to Learn!
Reflection turns experience into meaningful
learning, helps us to make sense of the world
around us and to learn from previous experience.

• Stages of Critical Reflective Thinking
• Learn something new accept basic facts
• Revisit basic facts what do you recall?
• What other facts are behind the facts?
• What do these facts mean to me in my life /
  work?
• How can I use these facts in my life / work?

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Promoting Reflection with Questioning
Critical Reflective thinking teasing out
learning

• Q. What did Jack do when he got to the giant's
  castle?"
• A. Jack hid from the giant, found the goose that
  lays the golden eggs, was discovered by the
  giant, fled, reached the bottom of the vine, and
  then chopped it down. The giant, of course,
  tumbles down, breaks his neck, and Jack lives
  happily every after with his mother and his newly
  found wealth.
• Q. Did Jack trespass illegally?
• A. Yes!
• Q. Did Jack steal the goose that lays golden
  eggs?"
• A. Yes!
• Q. Did Jack, then, refuse to give back what did
  not belong to him?
• A. Yes!
• Q. Then did Jack escape down the bean vine and
  cause the giant to be killed?"
• A. Yes!
• Q. If Jack trespassed, stole, and murdered the
  giant, why is the giant the villain of this
  story?

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Exploring Fronter Tools

• Discussion a number of types
• Discussion - Traditional threaded discussion,
  replies under Topics
• Conversation - One Threaded discussion, all
  replies listed in chronological order.
• Debate - Unthreaded discussion, like
  Conversation, with option for the user to take a
  position from a predefined list.
• Questions and Answers - Any user can post a
  contribution/question, but only a selected user
  or group of users are allowed to reply/answer.
• Brainstorm - All postings are placed as notes
  onto the page, side by side.
• Chat some technical issues?
• Stickies
• See Whos Online
• Bulletin Board
• Links
• Any other tools?

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Exploring Fronter Tools best way to use?

• Asynchronous versus Synchronous learning
• Using the Different Discussion Types
• (Discussion, Conversation, Debate, Questions
  Answers Brainstorm)
• Chat good for online socialisation
• Stickies?
• See Whos Online check for lurkers!
• Bulletin Board?
• Links different type of contribution

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Reviewing Internet Course

• What wed said so far Understanding eTutoring
  Learning Theory
• eTutor as a facilitator of learning
• eTutor as technical support
• Motivation and drop out can be a problem for
  adults
• Adults need meaning, authenticity always ask
  whats in for me?
• Adults bring baggage have their own ideas on
  learning important to
• extract these perhaps negotiate learning
• Theory of engagement relate, create donate
  outside focus for tasks important
• Problem-based learning adults like to solve
  problems
• Critical and Reflective thinking the basis of
  learning, so should be encouraged explained,
  if required (see handout)

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Looking for Support Collaboration Points

• Gilly Salmons Model for Online Communication
• Portfolio Activities
• Reflection Text input questions in Modules
• How can we use the results of collaboration
  remember outside focus is important!
• Any other ideas?