Web 2.0 Tools

During week 7^th we discussed how Web 2.0 tools are a part of distance learning and the different capabilities of many of these tools.

I found an interesting article called Promoting learner autonomy in the ESL classroom using Web 2.0. The article offers different definitions of autonomy, however I found Holec’s definition as cited in the article more approachable and he states that autonomy is the ability to take charge of one’s own learning.

Cindy Gumm the author of the article explains how important the teacher is in the process of autonomy and also how students need to work collaboratively to achieve this goal.

The author also explains how Web 2.0 tools allow students to be more active and collaborate and interact with others. Students are not just browsing through websites but actually creating content and taking charge of their learning process.

Similar to the article we read for class Cindy Gumm advises to use blogs and wikis to practice reflective writing and insists on the role of the teacher as a mentor.

This article is very interesting because I’m a language teacher and ideas like these give me motivation to go beyond a typical class and use tools available on the internet to make students’ experience more meaningful and authentic. One of the aspects I had not considered to the fullest is the role of the teacher. Even though these tools permit learners to control the contact, teachers have to revise the content and make sure learners are in the right track.

Gunn, C. (2011). Promoting learner autonomy in the Esl classroom using web 2.0. TESOL

Arabia Perspectives, 18(2), 20-23.Retrieved from EBSCOhost

Some advice from younger students and their teacher.

Lurkers

 

During week 6 when we read about Lurker students I became very interested in this topic because in a way I consider myself a Lurker because I do not feel as confident in my English writing skills.

I found an article that discusses this issue and the following questions will help me to summarize the article.

1.    According to the author why are online discussions important in DE?

The authors say that online discussions are a way to develop understanding, share ideas and questions to others (Alley & Greenhaus, 2007)

2.    Why do some students become lurkers?

These students are worried about negative responses or students may need more time to analyze the content and may not become as involved in the online dialogue.

3.    What are some helpful activities to provide a safe environment to engage students in an online discussion? According to Alley and Greenhaus;

-          Introductions: teachers introduce themselves and students do the same. The teacher should model the activity.

-          Games:  “Who is who” a game where each student sends the teacher 3 facts, one fact should be somewhat obscure, the instructor posts the answers and the students guess who matches the facts.

-          Role-plays: allow students to share what they know, to analyze and apply what they learned.

-          Debates: students can exchange points of view in an orderly manner.

The authors advise to take into account the students’ background and learning styles when choosing activities to promote interaction and participation. These activities are excellent suggestions to create an engaging environment to prevent those students who tend to be Lurkers to become more involved. In my personal opinion it takes more than activities to attract those students whom for numerous reasons are not as participative in the conference area. Teachers could ask those students directly what their needs are if the teacher or other advisors can help. Nevertheless is the students’ responsibility to participate and to be an active learner.

Alley, J., & Greenhaus, K. (2007). Turning lurkers into learners. Learning & Leading with

Technology, 35(1), 18-21.

Web 2.0 Technologies and the Quality Matters Rubric.

On our readings for the 5th week we read an article of the uses of Web 2.0 technologies and we also had to use the Quality Matters Rubric for assignment #2. I found an article called Using Web 2.0 Technologies to Meet Quality Matters Requirements.

Some of the ideas discussed in the article are very interesting. For example, to meet standard 1.4 which is self-introduction by the instructor is appropriate and available online,  Also standard 1.5 which is when students are asked to introduce themselves to the class the authors suggest to create an activity called “all about me” in the conference area of the online course. Another alternative suggested by the authors is to use the students’ Facebook page to meet this standard. Nevertheless, the article also highlights some disadvantages when using Facebook one of them is that some students want to keep their personal lives separate and prefer not to mix class work with this social network.

A second suggestion to meet standard 2.3 in QM which is all learning objectives are stated clearly and written from students’ perspective. Pollacia and McCallister advise to use Radio James Objectives Builder a website that offers a tutorial to write proper adjectives using Bloom’s taxonomy. I took the time to visit the webpage and I enjoyed the outstanding tutorial. There’s always a need to refresh one’s knowledge in this case about writing out objectives for a course and the website is easy to use and it’s a marvelous aid for teachers.

A third suggestion is to use blogs to meet standard 5.2 which refers to learning activities fostering instructor-student, content-student and student-student interaction.  Pollacia and McCallister mention that students are familiar with blogs and use them to communicate socially and this technology permits the student to keep brainstorming and engaged. According to both authors blogs promote active learning, which is a key component of constructivism and a valuable goal to keep in mind for instructors.

This article presents interesting ideas to meet standards in the Quality Matters Rubric and gives important alternatives for teachers to keep in mind. The fact that all of these options are free and widely used by users especially Facebook and blogs is a plus for teachers and students at the same time.

Pollacia, L., & McCallester, T. (2009). Using web 2.0 technologies to meet quality matters requirments. Journal of Information System Education, 20(2), 155-162.

The need for teacher training in online environments

Reading the Sangra article called Educational design as a key issue in planning for quality improvement, emphasizes the need for teacher training on instructional design.

To explore what some institutions have done regarding faculty training I read an article called Training for faculty who teach on line. The article cites Pagliari, Batts and Mc Fadden who explain that administrators need to address how to manage online training programs and find ways to support faculty in their use of best practices.

This article provides information about a study done in a community college, some teachers had received training in this manner:

1. One-one training

2. Read printed materials

3. Discussion sessions with other teachers

4. Observations

5. Mentorships

6. Conferences

Most of the teachers who participated in the survey expressed the desire to have the training in the course delivery system. This idea makes complete sense, because the courses will be delivered through a specific system which the teacher should know how to use and navigate to set up a course.

Some of the teachers who answered the survey discussed in this article explained that there are some practices essential to distance education such as:

·         Timely feedback

·         Detailed syllabus information

·         Online assessment tools

·         Setting rules for a friendly online environment

·         Introduction activities

·         Include graphics, sound and video

·         Guide students to external online resources

It is important that faculty members after receiving training should also be familiar with rubrics as the ones mentioned in our readings for this week (ROI AND Quality Matters). It is imperative for new distance learning instructors to be familiar with the basis of online instruction and ways to evaluate their courses and improve them in the future.

Ihde, R. (2011). Using professional development to facilitate faculty participation in distance

       education. Distance education, 8(12), 7-10. Retrieved from EBSCOhost