Quality in Online Teaching and learning

1. Quality in Online Teaching and learning Ray Schroeder, USM Visiting Scholar Center for Technology-Enhanced Learning

2. Quality Online • Online and On-Campus are not the same • Not just a matter of putting materials online • Objectives may be the same • But, there are differences, such as: • Engaging the student (presence) • Clarifying the unclear (questions in eyes) • Time and distance (immediacy) • Emphasis on written (discussion boards) • How do we achieve quality online?

3. Quality Online • Outline • Learning objectives • Defining Quality (rubrics) • Teaching approaches (constructivist) • Effective practices • Formative evaluations (GetFast) • Student / Faculty Satisfaction • Community of Practice • Challenges from the group!

4. Learning Objectives • In developing an online version of a class begin at the beginning – what is the goal? • State the learning objectives (outcomes) • Use a verb to state the outcomes • The student will….. • Recall Bloom’s Taxonomy? • Include standards (how often, how well) • Include conditions (what circumstances) A good guide is available online: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/templates/objectivetool.html

5. Online Quality • Rubrics abound for evaluating quality in online! • Chico State Rubric • University of West Georgia Rubric • Quality Matters Rubric • Don’t be too rigid in enforcing rubrics! • Rubrics often ignore the affective aspects • Rubrics often fall behind technologies • Rubrics often don’t consider outside-the-box innovations

6. Constructivism in Online Learning • Constructivist Approach • Knowledge is active (built by the student mind) • Knowledge is adaptive (various adaptations) • Knowledge is subjective (personal knowledge) • Building knowledge is both social and personal • Keys to implementing this approach • Instructor engages the students and materials • Student engages material, other students and instructor • Social, cognitive and teaching presence are all needed • Nice discussion of this topic http://edpsychserver.ed.vt.edu/workshops/tohe1999/online.html

7. Let’s Get Practical – Effectively! • Enough theory! • How is this implemented? Examples! • Karen Swan developed a summary of interaction research examples: http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/books/interactions.pdf • In many ways, effective online learning involves more interaction among students and instructor than face-to-face (just ask the faculty with the highest evaluations)

8. How do we know we are on course? • If the students are not there in front of you • If you cannot see the questions or boredom • How do you know you are on course? • Formative Evaluations! • Class evaluations for course corrections • Use Blackboard to create an anonymous survey • Or use this great free tool • http://getfast.ca • 373 sample evaluation questions!

9. Effective Practices Sites • Sloan Consortium Learning Effectiveness http://sloan-c.org/effective/SortByLearningE.asp • Sloan Consortium Student Satisfaction http://sloan-c.org/effective/SortByStudentSat.asp • Sloan Consortium Effective Practices Search http://sloan-c.org/effective/browse.asp

10. Community of Practice • It takes a …. Community! • It is a community that brings success: • Faculty are at the engines of the endeavor • Staff make the technology and many of the connections work • Students are at the core of the endeavor • Bringing this community together to make sure that it works best is a worthy activity • Community of Practice http://www.criticalmethods.org/collab/v.mv?d=1_67 • Example: http://otel.uis.edu/copel/

11. Lots more to consider • Synchronous sessions • Engaging students • Presence • Inter-institutional collaborations • Cross-cultural • Assessment and evaluation What issues have you encountered?

12. Contact Info Ray Schroeder Director of Technology-Enhanced Learning University of Illinois at Springfield One University Plaza Springfield, IL 62703 (217)206-7531 Schroeder.ray@uis.edu