All of the video presentations were awesome! Our class did a wonderful job of introducing their keynote speakers. I commented on the video presentations of the members of my learning community and several other presentations as follows:
Learning Community Responses
April Hayman http://idlovesedtech.wordpress.com/
April I liked the fact that your video was extremely informative. I think that this is important when introducing a keynote speaker because the audience may not have any prior knowledge about the topic at hand. The variations in scenery also tied in to your video perfectly. Great Job!
Tom Jacob http://incitefultechnology.blogspot.com/
Tom,
Great presentation! I am especially fond of your transitions. Your video flowed rather nicely which shows that you have taken a great deal of time ensuring that you transitioned from each segment in the clip seamlessly. Great job!
Elaine Gagne http://erg4education.spaces.live.com
Elaine, you have done a great job on your video. Your choice of video software was a great one. In addition, your video was the first one that I have reviewed that actually had a real world connection with the actual presentation. This proves that you have gone above and beyond the required work to find out more information about Jude Carrol. Great Job!
Robert Streff http://bobstreff.blogspot.com/
Bob, Your video presentation is very unique. I like the way in which your video contained informative information as well as real world connection. Your video editing is also great. I especially liked the way you used the picture in picture editing to inform while using examples in the other segmented portion of the screen.
Aimee Cothran http://aimee-educ7102.blogspot.com
Aimee, I loved your interviews and real world scenario. It seems very unrehearsed which is great when showing real world connections. It makes your film have the feel of a documentary.
Responses to the EDUC 8842 Class
Kathi Middleton http://middletonprinciplesdistanceeducation.blogspot.com/
You brought credibility to your video presentation by actually being in the video and speaking about your topic. If you used cue cards or used your computer as a teleprompter I couldn't tell. Great job on your video!
Jamie Washington: http://jamiwashington.blogspot.com/
Your use of different scenes and video clips was a great strategy to use. It keeps the viewers engaged and attentive to the video. Great Job!
Lamont Newsome: http://newsometechnology.blogspot.com/
Your scenario video clips give your video presentation a real world connection that made your research articles hit home. Your researched documented information tied in well with your clips. Kudos to the students that helped out! Great Job.
Janelle Horton http://mshorton.wordpress.com/
Thank you for including so much information on Second Life. It is great that your students are able to utilize the software. I will also take a look at it. Based on your presentation it seems rather interesting.
Dave Harms http://daveharms.wordpress.com
Dave, your video was both interesting and informative. I liked the way in which you gave real life examples of several of the key points that you made in your presentation. It will give the viewers that may have a hard time understanding the concepts a real world connection that they are familiar with.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Asynchronous versus Synchronous Interactions
Take 2
Welcome to my video presentaton on asynchronous versus synchronous interactions! I have listed both my first and revised presentations.
Please view my revised video presentation below:
This video can also be found at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCAypcD3QUw
TAKE 1
This was my first attempt at the video presentation.
This video presentation can also be found at the following link: http://animoto.com/play/l0tvp5AC21PVCCmmMPqfNw
Last but not least I would like to thank my learning community – April, Aimee, Bob (Robert), Elaine and Tom – For taking time out of their busy schedule to network on our video presentations.
Annotated Bibliography
Video 1
Brown, A., & Green, T. (2009). Time Students Spend Reading Threaded Discussions in Online Graduate Courses Requiring Asynchronous Participation. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(6).
This research study produces a comparison of the time needed to administer a traditional online course with the time it takes to read discussions in online courses. The study analyzes five discussion threads in 21 sections in six different graduate courses. The results specify that asynchronous web-based discussions can take a graduate student about one hour to read. These findings are about equal to the amount of time needed for face-to face courses’ considering it takes under two hours to create a message and response to a discussion posting. This research therefore analyzes the time it takes to complete each type of course assignment. Further research should include but is not limited to using other schools and different classes to administer the research study to.
Lambert, J., Gong, Y., & Cuper, P. (2008). Technology, transfer, and teaching: The impact of a single technology course on preservice teachers' computer attitudes and ability. Journal of technology and teacher education, 16 (4), 385-411.
This article reveals key findings regarding preservice teachers’ self-rated computer expertise. Their ability to use computers effectively is significantly related to their attitudes towards computer usage. Several other findings that I helped me to analyze how students and teachers choose the forms of technology to be used were that students who perceive themselves as less knowledgeable about computers experience more anxiety than students who rate themselves as more knowledgeable. The authors indicated in their study that even one computer course related to educational technology did impact positively on preservice students’ perceptions of technology being used as an instructional tool. Their extensive bibliography supports their conclusion that teachers who value technology are more apt to employ it in the classroom. I chose this article because the research conducted compares the teacher’s attitudes with their views of their computer expertise. Although this article does not directly research asynchronous or synchronous communication it can help to understand why teachers may choose to use asynchronous or synchronous integration. It is a great research study on teacher’s readiness to integrate technology into their lessons. In my opinion it is important to analyze how prepared teachers are to use technology. It can give insight on why teachers chose to use technology and why they chose to use certain types of technology, whether they are asynchronous or synchronous devices.
Marrero, M., Woodruff, K., Schuster, G., & Riccio, J. (2010). Live, Online Short-Courses: A Case Study of Innovative Teacher Professional Development. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11(1), 81-95.
This research study critically analyzes how teachers from NASA Explorer Schools their alumni schools and schools that applied but were not selected as NASA Explorer Schools to view their series of synchronous short – courses. Seven short-courses are administered to the teachers. Through follow-up activities including essays, field notes, questionnaires and personal communications the research study reveals that the teachers think that the short courses are useful and provided many opportunities for further collaboration. They also feel that these courses are relevant enough to help their daily practices as a teacher. These findings conclude that synchronous multi-media based courses are beneficial to teacher’s professional development.
Maurino, P. (2007). Online asynchronous threaded discussions: Good enough to advance students through the proximal zone of activity theory. Tech Trends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 51(2), 46-49.
This paper presents a study which involves researching student interaction and participation under the lens of Activity Theory and Social Computing. Activity Theory is a philosophical framework that integrates the objective, the sociocultural, and the ecological, while Social Computing describes any type of computing application in which software serves as an intermediary or a focus for a social relationship. The research questions are: (1) How does online student-to-student interaction compare to in-class student-to-student interaction?; (2) Are students satisfied with online classroom discussions?; and (3) Are online classroom discussions sufficient to promote the social/cultural learning emphasized in Activity Theory and the Social Computing paradigm? The study is conducted at the State University of New York at Farmingdale. Research methods included faculty interviews, classroom observations, analysis of student course evaluation forms, and examination of online threaded discussions. Discussion questions were evaluated using two models: Engestrom's Model A and Model B, and Ngeow and Kong's four-tier taxonomy of guided discussion, inquiry, reflection, or exploration. Responses were evaluated using Bigg's SOLO taxonomy. The study shows that online classes generate more interaction and class discussion than traditional classrooms and upper level classes produced more discussion and interaction than lower level classes. This increased interaction is attributed to a number of factors including mandatory participation requirements by teachers, efforts to transcend transactional distance confusion, compensation for shyness or oral speaking problems, additional preparation time, and the social culture developed in the online environment.
This is the first research I have encountered that find that online classes generate more social interaction than traditional classes. Various factors are given for the difference including upper level classes, mandatory participation and strict requirements by instructors.
Rooney, J. (2009, May). This school is about kids. Educational Leadership, 66(8), 87.
This article focuses on the frustrations that new principals have with meeting constant testing requirements. These are the principals that know the heart of each and every one of the students that attend their schools. This makes me think that I shouldn’t keep my focus entirely on how the types of asynchronous and synchronous learning environments are chosen and why but also about alternative assessments. I believe when creating lessons, courses and assessments it is important to consider alternative modes of assessments which would include asynchronous and synchronous modes of assessments. The article gives a list of a few responsibilities of administrators. These responsibilities will be very helpful when choosing assessments and integrating them into a classroom curriculum. This research study also explores how one can change the way teachers think about assessment Since most teachers are used to using traditional forms of assessment this is sometimes a challenge. The study indicates how using an alternative assessment change student’s way of learning. To conduct the study teachers are given a chance to find out what it was like to design and use alternative forms of assessment. The study then shared challenges that the teachers may face when choosing the forms of assessment. I think that this article will be very helpful in my research because it shares the challenges that one may face when choosing assessments and how the teachers worked through them.
Skylar, A. (2009). A Comparison of Asynchronous Online Text-Based Lectures and Synchronous Interactive Web Conferencing Lectures. Issues in Teacher Education, 18(2), 69-84.
This article compares online learning when it is divided into asynchronous online text-based lectures and synchronous interactive web conferencing lectures. The study analyzes the performance between students, their preferences and their perception of an increased level of technology skills in both online text-based asynchronous and synchronous interactive web conferencing lectures. This research study analyzes pre and post computer literacy surveys and tests as well as an additional satisfaction survey while receiving an asynchronous WebCT lecture and a synchronous version of the same lecture on Elluminate Live. The study makes clear, through an analysis of forty-four preservice general education and special education students that both the asynchronous and synchronous versions of the lecture are effective in delivering the prepared lesson. The similarities however stop there. An overwhelming seventy-five percent of the students would rather take the synchronous version of the course due to the asynchronous courses lack of interactivity between the students. In addition the students feel that they can increase their technology abilities and skills in both courses. Further research should include a different population of students, course instructional material and course delivery mediums to cross reference these results to identify similarities and differences in the research findings.
Video 2
Brown, A., & Green, T. (2009). Time Students Spend Reading Threaded Discussions in Online Graduate Courses Requiring Asynchronous Participation. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(6).
This research study produces a comparison of the time needed to administer a traditional online course with the time it takes to read discussions in online courses. The study analyzes five discussion threads in 21 sections in six different graduate courses. The results specify that asynchronous web-based discussions can take a graduate student about one hour to read. These findings are about equal to the amount of time needed for face-to face courses’ considering it takes under two hours to create a message and response to a discussion posting. This research therefore analyzes the time it takes to complete each type of course assignment. Further research should include but is not limited to using other schools and different classes to administer the research study to. This research study is relevant to how people read and process asynchronous information. The results are relevant to the Coca Cola company’s choice of surrounding their World of Coca-Cola facility with asynchronous information to educate their visitors all about their products.
Flocchini, P., Prencipe, G., Santoro, N., & Widmayer, P. (2005). Gathering of asynchronous robots with limited visibility. Theoretical Computer Science, 337(1-3), 147-168.
This research article analyzes how robots are used on a plane such as in an assembly line format. This is important because this simulation replicates how robots are used in industry in an assembly line format where there is limited visibility of how one task is being accomplished on either side of the work environment. In this case these robots work together on a semi-synchronous task. This is the first time I have heard of the term semi-synchronous. In addition one will receive exposure to the algorithms and types of programs that have to be written for computers to work efficiently in this way.
Hansen, J., & Traeholt, R. (2007). Mathematics and "Lego" Robots. Mathematics Teaching Incorporating Micromath, (204), 32-33.
This research article describes how robots are via remote control. These types of robots are called Telerobots. These robots react to a synchronous signal. A teacher can use these robots in their classrooms to teach students about sequential movements, problem solving skills and mathematics. The article further describes in detail how to make a telerobot. It also does provide a real world connection to students about how robots can be used to accomplish a task.
Lambert, J., Gong, Y., & Cuper, P. (2008). Technology, transfer, and teaching: The impact of a single technology course on preservice teachers' computer attitudes and ability. Journal of technology and teacher education, 16 (4), 385-411.
This article reveals key findings regarding preservice teachers’ self-rated computer expertise.
Their ability to use computers effectively is significantly related to their attitudes towards computer usage. Several other findings that I helped me to analyze how students and teachers choose the forms of technology to be used were that students who perceive themselves as less knowledgeable about computers experience more anxiety than students who rate themselves as more knowledgeable. The authors indicated in their study that even one computer course related to educational technology did impact positively on preservice students’ perceptions of technology being used as an instructional tool. Their extensive bibliography supports their conclusion that teachers who value technology are more apt to employ it in the classroom. I chose this article because the research conducted compares the teacher’s attitudes with their views of their computer expertise. Although this article does not directly research asynchronous or synchronous communication it can help to understand why teachers may choose to use asynchronous or synchronous integration. It is a great research study on teacher’s readiness to integrate technology into their lessons. In my opinion it is important to analyze how prepared teachers are to use technology. It can give insight on why teachers chose to use technology and why they chose to use certain types of technology, whether they are asynchronous or synchronous devices.
Marrero, M., Woodruff, K., Schuster, G., & Riccio, J. (2010). Live, Online Short-Courses: A Case Study of Innovative Teacher Professional Development. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11(1), 81-95.
This research study critically analyzes how teachers from NASA Explorer Schools their alumni schools and schools that applied but were not selected as NASA Explorer Schools to view their series of synchronous short – courses. Seven short-courses are administered to the teachers. Through follow-up activities including essays, field notes, questionnaires and personal communications the research study reveals that the teachers think that the short courses are useful and provided many opportunities for further collaboration. They also feel that these courses are relevant enough to help their daily practices as a teacher. These findings conclude that synchronous multi-media based courses are beneficial to teacher’s professional development.
Prencipe, G. (2005). The Effect of Synchronicity on the Behavior of Autonomous Mobile Robots. Theory of Computing Systems, 38(5), 539-558. doi:10.1007/s00224-005-1101-1.
This article analyzes how robot usage has changed over time and how it effects their purpose. Over the years robots have changed from being needed for completing large complicated tasks to now having many different robots move and react synchronously to accomplish the very same task that one robot would be responsible for in the past. The article researched two types of robots the Atom and Corda to see how well they accomplish a synchronous task. Their findings conclude that the Corda robot is more suitable for their needs.
This article is relevant in analyzing how robots are chosen to purchase, create and programmed to perform a task. It also gives feedback into how a researcher can analyze such products.
Skylar, A. (2009). A Comparison of Asynchronous Online Text-Based Lectures and Synchronous Interactive Web Conferencing Lectures. Issues in Teacher Education, 18(2), 69-84.
This article compares online learning when it is divided into asynchronous online text-based lectures and synchronous interactive web conferencing lectures. The study analyzes the performance between students, their preferences and their perception of an increased level of technology skills in both online text-based asynchronous and synchronous interactive web conferencing lectures. This research study analyzes pre and post computer literacy surveys and tests as well as an additional satisfaction survey while receiving an asynchronous WebCT lecture and a synchronous version of the same lecture on Elluminate Live.
The study makes clear, through an analysis of forty-four preservice general education and special education students that both the asynchronous and synchronous versions of the lecture are effective in delivering the prepared lesson. The similarities however stop there. An overwhelming seventy-five percent of the students would rather take the synchronous version of the course due to the asynchronous courses lack of interactivity between the students. In addition the students feel that they can increase their technology abilities and skills in both courses. Further research should include a different population of students, course instructional material and course delivery mediums to cross reference these results to identify similarities and differences in the research findings.
These findings help to understand why the Coca-Cola company uses both asynchronous and synchronous data interactions in their World of Coca-Cola facility.
Welcome to my video presentaton on asynchronous versus synchronous interactions! I have listed both my first and revised presentations.
Please view my revised video presentation below:
This video can also be found at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCAypcD3QUw
TAKE 1
This was my first attempt at the video presentation.
This video presentation can also be found at the following link: http://animoto.com/play/l0tvp5AC21PVCCmmMPqfNw
Last but not least I would like to thank my learning community – April, Aimee, Bob (Robert), Elaine and Tom – For taking time out of their busy schedule to network on our video presentations.
Annotated Bibliography
Video 1
Brown, A., & Green, T. (2009). Time Students Spend Reading Threaded Discussions in Online Graduate Courses Requiring Asynchronous Participation. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(6).
This research study produces a comparison of the time needed to administer a traditional online course with the time it takes to read discussions in online courses. The study analyzes five discussion threads in 21 sections in six different graduate courses. The results specify that asynchronous web-based discussions can take a graduate student about one hour to read. These findings are about equal to the amount of time needed for face-to face courses’ considering it takes under two hours to create a message and response to a discussion posting. This research therefore analyzes the time it takes to complete each type of course assignment. Further research should include but is not limited to using other schools and different classes to administer the research study to.
Lambert, J., Gong, Y., & Cuper, P. (2008). Technology, transfer, and teaching: The impact of a single technology course on preservice teachers' computer attitudes and ability. Journal of technology and teacher education, 16 (4), 385-411.
This article reveals key findings regarding preservice teachers’ self-rated computer expertise. Their ability to use computers effectively is significantly related to their attitudes towards computer usage. Several other findings that I helped me to analyze how students and teachers choose the forms of technology to be used were that students who perceive themselves as less knowledgeable about computers experience more anxiety than students who rate themselves as more knowledgeable. The authors indicated in their study that even one computer course related to educational technology did impact positively on preservice students’ perceptions of technology being used as an instructional tool. Their extensive bibliography supports their conclusion that teachers who value technology are more apt to employ it in the classroom. I chose this article because the research conducted compares the teacher’s attitudes with their views of their computer expertise. Although this article does not directly research asynchronous or synchronous communication it can help to understand why teachers may choose to use asynchronous or synchronous integration. It is a great research study on teacher’s readiness to integrate technology into their lessons. In my opinion it is important to analyze how prepared teachers are to use technology. It can give insight on why teachers chose to use technology and why they chose to use certain types of technology, whether they are asynchronous or synchronous devices.
Marrero, M., Woodruff, K., Schuster, G., & Riccio, J. (2010). Live, Online Short-Courses: A Case Study of Innovative Teacher Professional Development. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11(1), 81-95.
This research study critically analyzes how teachers from NASA Explorer Schools their alumni schools and schools that applied but were not selected as NASA Explorer Schools to view their series of synchronous short – courses. Seven short-courses are administered to the teachers. Through follow-up activities including essays, field notes, questionnaires and personal communications the research study reveals that the teachers think that the short courses are useful and provided many opportunities for further collaboration. They also feel that these courses are relevant enough to help their daily practices as a teacher. These findings conclude that synchronous multi-media based courses are beneficial to teacher’s professional development.
Maurino, P. (2007). Online asynchronous threaded discussions: Good enough to advance students through the proximal zone of activity theory. Tech Trends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 51(2), 46-49.
This paper presents a study which involves researching student interaction and participation under the lens of Activity Theory and Social Computing. Activity Theory is a philosophical framework that integrates the objective, the sociocultural, and the ecological, while Social Computing describes any type of computing application in which software serves as an intermediary or a focus for a social relationship. The research questions are: (1) How does online student-to-student interaction compare to in-class student-to-student interaction?; (2) Are students satisfied with online classroom discussions?; and (3) Are online classroom discussions sufficient to promote the social/cultural learning emphasized in Activity Theory and the Social Computing paradigm? The study is conducted at the State University of New York at Farmingdale. Research methods included faculty interviews, classroom observations, analysis of student course evaluation forms, and examination of online threaded discussions. Discussion questions were evaluated using two models: Engestrom's Model A and Model B, and Ngeow and Kong's four-tier taxonomy of guided discussion, inquiry, reflection, or exploration. Responses were evaluated using Bigg's SOLO taxonomy. The study shows that online classes generate more interaction and class discussion than traditional classrooms and upper level classes produced more discussion and interaction than lower level classes. This increased interaction is attributed to a number of factors including mandatory participation requirements by teachers, efforts to transcend transactional distance confusion, compensation for shyness or oral speaking problems, additional preparation time, and the social culture developed in the online environment.
This is the first research I have encountered that find that online classes generate more social interaction than traditional classes. Various factors are given for the difference including upper level classes, mandatory participation and strict requirements by instructors.
Rooney, J. (2009, May). This school is about kids. Educational Leadership, 66(8), 87.
This article focuses on the frustrations that new principals have with meeting constant testing requirements. These are the principals that know the heart of each and every one of the students that attend their schools. This makes me think that I shouldn’t keep my focus entirely on how the types of asynchronous and synchronous learning environments are chosen and why but also about alternative assessments. I believe when creating lessons, courses and assessments it is important to consider alternative modes of assessments which would include asynchronous and synchronous modes of assessments. The article gives a list of a few responsibilities of administrators. These responsibilities will be very helpful when choosing assessments and integrating them into a classroom curriculum. This research study also explores how one can change the way teachers think about assessment Since most teachers are used to using traditional forms of assessment this is sometimes a challenge. The study indicates how using an alternative assessment change student’s way of learning. To conduct the study teachers are given a chance to find out what it was like to design and use alternative forms of assessment. The study then shared challenges that the teachers may face when choosing the forms of assessment. I think that this article will be very helpful in my research because it shares the challenges that one may face when choosing assessments and how the teachers worked through them.
Skylar, A. (2009). A Comparison of Asynchronous Online Text-Based Lectures and Synchronous Interactive Web Conferencing Lectures. Issues in Teacher Education, 18(2), 69-84.
This article compares online learning when it is divided into asynchronous online text-based lectures and synchronous interactive web conferencing lectures. The study analyzes the performance between students, their preferences and their perception of an increased level of technology skills in both online text-based asynchronous and synchronous interactive web conferencing lectures. This research study analyzes pre and post computer literacy surveys and tests as well as an additional satisfaction survey while receiving an asynchronous WebCT lecture and a synchronous version of the same lecture on Elluminate Live. The study makes clear, through an analysis of forty-four preservice general education and special education students that both the asynchronous and synchronous versions of the lecture are effective in delivering the prepared lesson. The similarities however stop there. An overwhelming seventy-five percent of the students would rather take the synchronous version of the course due to the asynchronous courses lack of interactivity between the students. In addition the students feel that they can increase their technology abilities and skills in both courses. Further research should include a different population of students, course instructional material and course delivery mediums to cross reference these results to identify similarities and differences in the research findings.
Video 2
Brown, A., & Green, T. (2009). Time Students Spend Reading Threaded Discussions in Online Graduate Courses Requiring Asynchronous Participation. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(6).
This research study produces a comparison of the time needed to administer a traditional online course with the time it takes to read discussions in online courses. The study analyzes five discussion threads in 21 sections in six different graduate courses. The results specify that asynchronous web-based discussions can take a graduate student about one hour to read. These findings are about equal to the amount of time needed for face-to face courses’ considering it takes under two hours to create a message and response to a discussion posting. This research therefore analyzes the time it takes to complete each type of course assignment. Further research should include but is not limited to using other schools and different classes to administer the research study to. This research study is relevant to how people read and process asynchronous information. The results are relevant to the Coca Cola company’s choice of surrounding their World of Coca-Cola facility with asynchronous information to educate their visitors all about their products.
Flocchini, P., Prencipe, G., Santoro, N., & Widmayer, P. (2005). Gathering of asynchronous robots with limited visibility. Theoretical Computer Science, 337(1-3), 147-168.
This research article analyzes how robots are used on a plane such as in an assembly line format. This is important because this simulation replicates how robots are used in industry in an assembly line format where there is limited visibility of how one task is being accomplished on either side of the work environment. In this case these robots work together on a semi-synchronous task. This is the first time I have heard of the term semi-synchronous. In addition one will receive exposure to the algorithms and types of programs that have to be written for computers to work efficiently in this way.
Hansen, J., & Traeholt, R. (2007). Mathematics and "Lego" Robots. Mathematics Teaching Incorporating Micromath, (204), 32-33.
This research article describes how robots are via remote control. These types of robots are called Telerobots. These robots react to a synchronous signal. A teacher can use these robots in their classrooms to teach students about sequential movements, problem solving skills and mathematics. The article further describes in detail how to make a telerobot. It also does provide a real world connection to students about how robots can be used to accomplish a task.
Lambert, J., Gong, Y., & Cuper, P. (2008). Technology, transfer, and teaching: The impact of a single technology course on preservice teachers' computer attitudes and ability. Journal of technology and teacher education, 16 (4), 385-411.
This article reveals key findings regarding preservice teachers’ self-rated computer expertise.
Their ability to use computers effectively is significantly related to their attitudes towards computer usage. Several other findings that I helped me to analyze how students and teachers choose the forms of technology to be used were that students who perceive themselves as less knowledgeable about computers experience more anxiety than students who rate themselves as more knowledgeable. The authors indicated in their study that even one computer course related to educational technology did impact positively on preservice students’ perceptions of technology being used as an instructional tool. Their extensive bibliography supports their conclusion that teachers who value technology are more apt to employ it in the classroom. I chose this article because the research conducted compares the teacher’s attitudes with their views of their computer expertise. Although this article does not directly research asynchronous or synchronous communication it can help to understand why teachers may choose to use asynchronous or synchronous integration. It is a great research study on teacher’s readiness to integrate technology into their lessons. In my opinion it is important to analyze how prepared teachers are to use technology. It can give insight on why teachers chose to use technology and why they chose to use certain types of technology, whether they are asynchronous or synchronous devices.
Marrero, M., Woodruff, K., Schuster, G., & Riccio, J. (2010). Live, Online Short-Courses: A Case Study of Innovative Teacher Professional Development. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11(1), 81-95.
This research study critically analyzes how teachers from NASA Explorer Schools their alumni schools and schools that applied but were not selected as NASA Explorer Schools to view their series of synchronous short – courses. Seven short-courses are administered to the teachers. Through follow-up activities including essays, field notes, questionnaires and personal communications the research study reveals that the teachers think that the short courses are useful and provided many opportunities for further collaboration. They also feel that these courses are relevant enough to help their daily practices as a teacher. These findings conclude that synchronous multi-media based courses are beneficial to teacher’s professional development.
Prencipe, G. (2005). The Effect of Synchronicity on the Behavior of Autonomous Mobile Robots. Theory of Computing Systems, 38(5), 539-558. doi:10.1007/s00224-005-1101-1.
This article analyzes how robot usage has changed over time and how it effects their purpose. Over the years robots have changed from being needed for completing large complicated tasks to now having many different robots move and react synchronously to accomplish the very same task that one robot would be responsible for in the past. The article researched two types of robots the Atom and Corda to see how well they accomplish a synchronous task. Their findings conclude that the Corda robot is more suitable for their needs.
This article is relevant in analyzing how robots are chosen to purchase, create and programmed to perform a task. It also gives feedback into how a researcher can analyze such products.
Skylar, A. (2009). A Comparison of Asynchronous Online Text-Based Lectures and Synchronous Interactive Web Conferencing Lectures. Issues in Teacher Education, 18(2), 69-84.
This article compares online learning when it is divided into asynchronous online text-based lectures and synchronous interactive web conferencing lectures. The study analyzes the performance between students, their preferences and their perception of an increased level of technology skills in both online text-based asynchronous and synchronous interactive web conferencing lectures. This research study analyzes pre and post computer literacy surveys and tests as well as an additional satisfaction survey while receiving an asynchronous WebCT lecture and a synchronous version of the same lecture on Elluminate Live.
The study makes clear, through an analysis of forty-four preservice general education and special education students that both the asynchronous and synchronous versions of the lecture are effective in delivering the prepared lesson. The similarities however stop there. An overwhelming seventy-five percent of the students would rather take the synchronous version of the course due to the asynchronous courses lack of interactivity between the students. In addition the students feel that they can increase their technology abilities and skills in both courses. Further research should include a different population of students, course instructional material and course delivery mediums to cross reference these results to identify similarities and differences in the research findings.
These findings help to understand why the Coca-Cola company uses both asynchronous and synchronous data interactions in their World of Coca-Cola facility.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Great Static & Dynamic Technologies Concept Maps
EDUTechSpecial
Aisha Chadwick
http://chadwickeds.blogspot.com
Using both static and dynamic forms of technology is a great idea. Your post states that you would use dynamic forms of technology “for learning group activities and discussions”. Are there any instances where using dynamic forms of technology would be inappropriate for our students?
Jami Washington
http://jamiwashington.blogspot.com
You have great examples of static and dynamic forms of technology. I agree with Janelle Horton on the social networking sites. They can be great dynamic tools for students to learn through technology integration!
Aisha Chadwick
http://chadwickeds.blogspot.com
Using both static and dynamic forms of technology is a great idea. Your post states that you would use dynamic forms of technology “for learning group activities and discussions”. Are there any instances where using dynamic forms of technology would be inappropriate for our students?
Jami Washington
http://jamiwashington.blogspot.com
You have great examples of static and dynamic forms of technology. I agree with Janelle Horton on the social networking sites. They can be great dynamic tools for students to learn through technology integration!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Static versus Dynamic Technologies
I believe that I am in the middle of a static and dynamic continuum. Although I know that asynchronous instructor based learning is not always appropriate for an online learning environment I still feel comfortable with using “wikis, blogs, discussion boards, chats, and other similar approaches. The middle-of-the-road approaches allow learners to interact with the content” (Moller, 2008). Although the use of these tools will require the use of learned knowledge, using dynamic technologies will “involve learners on a much deeper cognitive level” (Moller, 2008). Creating courses that are embedded with dynamic tools will show that the user can accomplish the desired task using multiple problems, tasks and situations. I believe that a course embedded in dynamic tools and procedures will help the students to obtain knowledge that uses a higher level of thinking and creates a better understanding of the online course.
References
Moller, L. (2008). Static and dynamic technological tools. Laureate Education, Inc.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Graphic Organizer Responses
I responded to Marlon Wade's Storyboard at http://cybergogue.blogspot.com with the following post:
Thank you for mentioning the administrative tools. These tools are also an important aspect of collaboration that we sometimes fail to mention.
I also commented on Aimee Cothran's post at http://aimee-educ7102.blogspot.com
Aimee, I enjoyed viewing your graphic organizer. Since all learners have different degrees of experience using technology do you think this can affect the way in which students think and communicate and collaborate with others online?
Thank you for mentioning the administrative tools. These tools are also an important aspect of collaboration that we sometimes fail to mention.
I also commented on Aimee Cothran's post at http://aimee-educ7102.blogspot.com
Aimee, I enjoyed viewing your graphic organizer. Since all learners have different degrees of experience using technology do you think this can affect the way in which students think and communicate and collaborate with others online?
Friday, October 29, 2010
Tools for Success in Online Learning
My graphic organizer can be viewed on this blog or at the following link:
http://www.mindomo.com/view.htm?m=9ef1c01fb0f946e197bb30d6b6e77df5
Many of the technological tools that learners use outside the classroom can also be used in online classes. The capabilities of software that formerly had to be brought as a separate program to be downloaded to one computer have been included in internet based software. There are a lot of advantages to internet based software such as using less memory on your computer and capabilities from any computer as long as you can access the internet. In addition many hands on technology tools are now being computer simulated. Therefore you can access a robots tutorial program and work with a simulated robotic arm online rather than having to purchase a robotic arm for thousands of dollars. In an online learning environment, these devices, and tools are great for adding manipulatives to the course. Students therefore can learn without purchasing any additional software or devices.
http://www.mindomo.com/view.htm?m=9ef1c01fb0f946e197bb30d6b6e77df5
Many of the technological tools that learners use outside the classroom can also be used in online classes. The capabilities of software that formerly had to be brought as a separate program to be downloaded to one computer have been included in internet based software. There are a lot of advantages to internet based software such as using less memory on your computer and capabilities from any computer as long as you can access the internet. In addition many hands on technology tools are now being computer simulated. Therefore you can access a robots tutorial program and work with a simulated robotic arm online rather than having to purchase a robotic arm for thousands of dollars. In an online learning environment, these devices, and tools are great for adding manipulatives to the course. Students therefore can learn without purchasing any additional software or devices.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Fascinating Storyboards
It is enlightning when you can see what goes on behind the scenes of a great movie or play. It is always facinating to see how these forms of entertainment really started and how they made them interesting. I viewed several storyboards that proved to be great short films in the making. Take some time to check them out!
The four faces of the virtual world is quite interesting. It gives me the sense that your storyboard will capture the attention of its viewers. Your graduation section would be great if preceded or followed by statistics of the graduation rates of students enrolled in distance education courses. Your connection to the real world is unique. Your clips of the St. Louis public school will show that your storyboard is actually based on factual information. Thank you for your posting! You have done a marvelous job on your storyboard so far.
Aisha Chadwick - http://chadwickeds.blogspot.com/
Aisha, your storyboard is very realistic. I mean let’s face it; many people don't want to hear someone go on and on about information that they already know or don't want to hear. What you did is point out several examples of really great online games and classroom assessments that many educators, parents and students need to hear about. The one thing that I think would be really great is to point out how the students feel about these websites. It would give your viewers a chance to see how the students felt about using these websites. Great resources!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
My Responses to Module 3 Blogs
Check out my responses to other module three discussions on online communities at the following blog sites:
Janelle Horton at http://mshorton.wordpress.com/
You hit the nail on the head regarding the importance of a supportive culture being established early on. Many non-responsive online community members may have issues. From a sense of inadequacy to a need for new writing skills, many people that are not contributing may need some extra support to help them get on the right track.
Georgiana Newson at http://gnedtechspace.blogspot.com/
I have also noticed that the amount of time expected to respond has decreased. Lets face it technolgy is everywhere and so is the internet. It has become the norm for people to expect a response fast quick and in a hurry via the world wide web!
Janelle Horton at http://mshorton.wordpress.com/
You hit the nail on the head regarding the importance of a supportive culture being established early on. Many non-responsive online community members may have issues. From a sense of inadequacy to a need for new writing skills, many people that are not contributing may need some extra support to help them get on the right track.
Georgiana Newson at http://gnedtechspace.blogspot.com/
I have also noticed that the amount of time expected to respond has decreased. Lets face it technolgy is everywhere and so is the internet. It has become the norm for people to expect a response fast quick and in a hurry via the world wide web!
How do we get shy Fran to collaborate?
When encouraging students to participate in collaborative learning initiatives adult learners should have the option to customize some of the work involved. Differentiating instruction is not only important for students; it is important for adult learners as well. Whereas there can be a matrix of assignments that the students can choose from. The students then can choose from an array of discussion topics, assignments or jobs that they can complete. By giving them the opportunity to choose their work or functions in the online community they can take ownership of their work. Their varying skill levels, preferred ways of learning and assessment can now be showcased. In addition each topic should encourage the students to add their personal views. It is important to “encourage students to share experiences & beliefs in online discussion” (Swan, 2004) .Shy Fran can then choose a topic that she is interested in. That way each student will participate.
The instructor can also encourage student to student and student-teacher collaboration by developing:
- Rubrics
- Detailed grading systems
- Requirements that stress the importance of collaboration.
- Reward System
- Class office hours
- Student Access to online help
- Instructions for creating class projects
- Sample model class/coursework
- Encouragement personalized help for bashful and intimidated students.
Additional suggestions can be found in the Relationships Between Interactions and Learning in Online Environments , some of which are to: “ make participation in discussion a significant part of course grades. Develop grading rubrics for discussion participation. Require discussion participants to respond to their classmates postings &/or to respond to all responses to their own postings. Stress the unique nature & potential of online discussion in faculty development”. My collegue Janelle Horton made an excellent point in her blog, Ms. Horton's Hangout. She stated that "having collaborative learning assessed for a grade should deter students from not participating in the learning community" (Horton, 2010). These increased rules and regulations should also encourage participatin in the online community.
Finally we all need to recognize that not all students are on the same level intellectually. A student that does not participate often may be intimidated by writing or novices at using a computer. Encouragement is critical when others fall behind to ensure that they all finish as a team!
References
Horton, J. (2010, October 9) Module 3 - assessing collaborative efforts {Web log comment} Retrieved from http://mshorton.wordpress.com/.
Horton, J. (2010, October 9) Module 3 - assessing collaborative efforts {Web log comment} Retrieved from http://mshorton.wordpress.com/.
Swan, K. (2004). Relationships between interactions and learning in online environments. The Sloan Consortium.
Asyncronous vs. Syncronous Storyboard
Asyncronous vs. Syncronous Communication is the topic of my storyboard. Please feel free to comment on it's components so far.
The storyboard below with image clips can also be viewed at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YuyELEwFLTakKZEuE8pETRmdhqtXcrb7SVJohmyaFw8/edit?hl=en&authkey=CPyqyLgE
The storyboard below with image clips can also be viewed at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YuyELEwFLTakKZEuE8pETRmdhqtXcrb7SVJohmyaFw8/edit?hl=en&authkey=CPyqyLgE
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Distance Education: Does it really go the distance?
Distance Education has increased over the years. While more and more people are enrolling and receiving an education online many argue about its effectiveness. In the business environment distance education is used more and more to train employees but is it really effective? “More cynical practitioners observe that it often seems that managers or customers care only about the appearance of training. These practitioners argue that managers promote e-learning only because it is relatively cheap to deliver, and it absolves them from the obligation to provide potentially more expensive or involved training.” (2008)
The advocates of elearning don’t feel that way. In fact millions of dollars are being pumped into online learning because of its capabilities that extend beyond the traditional classroom environment. As per Dr. Leslie Moller an Associate Professor at the University of South Dakota “significant learning often occurs as the result of learner-to-learner communication. Logically, meaningful learning is more likely to occur when learners have access to a supportive community that encourages knowledge building and social reinforcement". (2008)
What is the value of distance education? What are your thoughts about it? How can distance education be used to provide instruction? Do you think that an individual can receive a degree online that equivalents to one that they could receive in a face-to face environment?
Reference
Reference
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.
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