TEACHING ONLINE
Course 6:STUDYING ONLINE: A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS
Course duration / 3 hours
Author name / Professor Laurie P. Dringus, Ph.D., Nova Southeastern University
Course overview / Welcome to Studying Online: A Guide for Students! The purpose of the guide is to help you prepare for a highly successful and engaging learning experience in your online learning environment. Whether you are preparing to take your first online course or you are an experienced online course-taker, this guide offers informative and practical tips for studying online successfully.
The overall objective of the course is to develop an orientation to successful learning and to prescribe effective strategies for studying online. This orientation will help you develop a keen awareness of how studying online affects your learning experience in an online course.
After completing this course you will be able:
· To gain insight into the main aspects of online learning and course delivery, looking at what it means to be an online learner, and to gain useful information on online study habits and successful learner e-readiness.
· To evaluate aspects of your own personal learning qualities and to learn strategies to support your learning process in an online course.
· To understand how motivation drives and reinforces your process for studying and learning online.
· To learn effective time management strategies to stay on target in an online course.
· To learn how to create your own effective study environment.
· To learn effective and practical strategies for studying online successfully.
REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK / Note to development group members: Please see the questions from the author at the end of this course outline.
Unit 1 title / Introduction to studying online
Screen title / Screen learning outcome / Notes on screen content
1a.
Online learning – fact and fiction / To introduce how an online course works through reviewing common FAQs by students. / Students need to know how an online course works and often times they have questions about online course delivery format, its structure, and what students should do in certain circumstances. In this screen, we explore through presenting frequently asked questions, different aspects of the workings of an online course and things students must do to have a successful online course experience.
Some of these FAQs will be drawn from Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek (2012, pp.235-239), 28 Frequently Asked Student Questions about Distance Education, in Teaching and Learning at a Distance. For example:
“What kind of structure do online courses typically use? Answer: Many times a course is divided into units, usually 10 to 15…”
Activity: Note-making – Describe your assumptions about online learning and what kind of experience you would like to have in taking an online course.
Activity: Scenario – the following scenario describes a teacher who reflects on how she conducts her online course and how she engages students in her course. Question to the student: What did you learn from reading this scenario?
1b.
What is online learning? / To learn about the main aspects of online learning and delivery.
/ · Define key components of online learning.
· Identify characteristics of online learning environments.
· Describe key differences and similarities among online learning, traditional and blended learning approaches.
Activity: Key Terms Matching – Participants match words/terms to meanings for various aspects of online learning.
1c.
Pedagogical models of online learning / To understand the key concepts of four main online pedagogical approaches. / Activity: Related concepts – Introducing pedagogical models of online learning:
· Open learning
· Distributed learning
· Asynchronous learning
· Constructivist-based learning
1d.
On being an online learner / Completing this screen will contribute towards your ability to recognize important qualities of a successful online learner. / This screen will describe issues on being an online learner, including important qualities of a successful online learner as suggested by Talbot, Simpson, and others.
List characteristics of online learners proposed by Dabbagh and Bannan-Ritland (2005, p.39), Online Learning: Concepts, Strategies, and Application: “Being fluent in the use of online learning technologies; exhibiting a need for affiliation; understanding and valuing interaction and collaborative learning; possessing an internal locus of control; having a strong academic self-concept; having experience in self-directed learning or the initiative to acquire such skills.”
Podcast: ‘What is online learning?’ in regards to the learner experience, and what it is not. Explain realistic anticipations and expectations for experiencing online learning. For example, is it realistic to think that online learning is a 24-7 experience?
Activity: Is online learning for you? Do you have the personal attributes and skills to succeed as an online learner? Adapt the list from Studying at a Distance: A Guide for Students, Christine Talbot (2010) p11. Talbot suggests the following personal attributes and skills are needed for studying at a distance: self-confidence, perseverance/resilience, determination, self-discipline, time management skills, forward planning, effective communication skills, ability to take responsibility for your learning, a balanced learning style, critical reading and note-making skills, IT skills, information literacy skills, effective record-keeping, and the ability to ask for help from the most appropriate source.
1e.
Universal design and accessibility / Contribute to an awareness of different learning needs and the important role of accessible design in online learning. / Introduction to universal accessibility.
Discussion topic: to generate an awareness of how others’ learning needs may differ from yours and why/how online learning can be a great leveler.
Pod: ‘Your context’ – Institutions can input information directly into the course screen.
1f.
A preview of students’ success stories and their online study habits / To develop good learning skills and habits for studying online as described by successful online learners. / Identify/list essential online study habits and ‘survival’ skills.
Video: Success Story Part 1 – In this video, students share their successful online study habits and survival skills.
Activity: Video or audio interview with authors Christine Talbot and/or Ormond Simpson: What advice would you give a first-time online course taker?
Pod: Studying a blended learning course.
1g.
Introduction to interactivity and engagement / To understand the dynamics of interactivity and engagement in the online learning environment and what online communication means to your learning process. / · Describe basics of online communication, interactivity and engagement (definitions and quotes by experts (Hiltz &Turoff; Walther; Herring; Garrison, Anderson, & Archer; Swan)).
· Describe dynamics of online and transactional interaction and communication modes (Moore’s Interactivity Model, Jonassen’s Time and Place Dispersion CMC model, other).
· “Beyond being there”: Describe factors influencing interactivity in online environments: telecommunications, the flow experience, facilitation practices, social context cues, remote collaboration (Hollan & Stornetta, Csikszentmihalyi, Sproull and Kiesler, Thurlow, others).
Activity: Tips for effective engagement in online discussions. What communication mode (asynchronous or synchronous) do you prefer? What feelings do you have about communicating with others in an online academic discussion?
Activity: Watch the TED Talks.com video featuring Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on “Flow: The Secret to Happiness”, and fast forward 10 minutes into the talk to where he talks about flow and “being in the zone” (http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html).Question to the student: What is your impression about flow and “being in the zone” in relation to your process of studying online?
1h.
Focus area: Social presence in a community of inquiry / To understand the importance of social presence in the context of learning in a community of inquiry. / The Community of Inquiry (introduce the model and the three presences) in the context of learning in online discussions. Focus on social presence.
Activity: Focus – creating social presence in online discussions. How do you feel about social presence in the online environment? (Rephrase items from the CoI.) Example items:
a. I feel online or web-communication is an excellent medium for social interaction.
b. I feel comfortable conversing through the online medium.
c. I feel comfortable participating in online course discussions.
d. I feel comfortable interacting with other course participants.
e. I feel comfortable disagreeing with other course participants while still maintaining a sense of trust.
f. I feel that my point of view should be acknowledged by other course participants.
g. Online discussions help me to develop a sense of collaboration.
Pod: ‘Further Reading’ – On the Nature and Development of Social Presence in Online Course Discussions (2005) by Karen Swan and Li Fang Shih.
1i.
Technical skills and soft skills: Are you e-learning ready? / To determine your own level of e-learning readiness. / Explain e-learning readiness as it applies to learners’ engagement level, study preferences, technical knowledge and competencies, etc.
Activity: E-learning Readiness Survey – contains questions about your engagement level, study preferences, and technological readiness (familiarity with tools, software, competencies, skills, other). Link: http://www.gatewaycc.edu/e-learning-readiness-survey.
1j.
Unit review / This screen will review and check understanding of key concepts covered in the preceding screens.
Unit 2 title / Diagnostic: What type of learner are you?
Screen title / Screen learning outcome / Notes on screen content
2a.
‘Types’ of learning / Introduction to the ways you can discuss ‘types’ of learning. / Activity: Related concepts to describe:
· Characteristics
· Styles
· Preferences
· Presence
2b.
What type of learner are you? / To gain insight into general concepts and popular notions about learner characteristics and how you learn.
To identify your own personal learning style as auditory, visual, or tactile. / Describe learning characteristics in practical terms so that the learner can derive his/her own characteristics from the text.
Activity: The VARK Questionnaire – How do I learn best? Link: www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire)
Overview of learning style from the viewpoint of auditory, visual, tactile.
Activity: Learning Style – Take a learning style inventory (See Link: http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/LSI/LSI.htm)
to determine your learning style in adapting successfully to an online learning environment.
2c.
Learning styles / To learn about various learning styles and how learning style relates to academic performance. / Discuss learning styles (Kolb’s and others) and learning styles inventories. The screen will be general to LSI and will note that some LSI’s (like the Learning Styles Questionnaire by Honey and Mumford) have to be purchased and/or professionally administered and scored. There is also disagreement as to the practicality and validity of learning styles, so there is a need to make the learner aware of the advantages and limitations of learning styles.
Activity: Quotes about learning styles and academic performance in online learning – students enter their own opinions on these quotes and click to view author reflections.
Activity: Links on learning styles in the online environment.
2d.
Learning preferences / To learn general concepts about learning preferences as a way to maximize your learning experience online. / Distinguish between learning styles and preferences. Describe learning preferences. Describe why students may feel learner preferences may have more practical application for them versus knowing about learning styles.
Activity: Learning Preferences – which of the following categorizations of learning would best fit your personal approach to learning and would maximize your educational experience online?
2e
Focus area: Learning Presence / To learn how you can create learning presence effectively in the online environment. / (See Shea, Hayes, Smith, et al. 2012)
Describe in practical terms the basic elements of learning presence in the online environment.
Quote: “Because learners are accountable for their learning they exhibit distinctive behaviors, motivations, and strategies that are indicative of a distinct learning presence in online environments (p. 93).”
Quote: “Learning presence is evident where learners are asked to actively collaborate. Far less forethought/planning, monitoring of learning and strategy use appear in whole class discussion than in collaborative activities (p. 93).”
Activity: Study the Learning Presence Coding Scheme (adapted by Shea et al. 2012, p. 94). How would you approach these as strategies for engagement and for optimizing learning presence in an online course?
· Forethought and planning: goal setting; planning; coordinating and assigning tasks to self and others.
· Monitoring: checking for understanding; identifying problems or issues; noting completion of tasks; evaluating the quality of an end product; appraising level of interest and engagement; noting one’s own or group’s learning behavior.
· Strategy use: seeking, offering, providing help or information; seeking, offering, providing clarification; advocating effort.
2f.
Unit review / This screen will review and check understanding of key concepts covered in the preceding screens.
Unit 3 title / Motivation: What affects motivation?
Screen title / Screen learning outcome / Notes on screen content
3a.
Motivation as a driving force / To understand how motivation drives and reinforces your process for studying and learning online. / Basics on motivation and distinctions between motivation and self-confidence.
Activity: What motivates you to learn? How much of your ‘self’ do you give to an online course? Create a concept map that helps you visualize your own personal qualities, attitudes, values, habits, and skills in studying online.
Activity: Is motivation more important than self-confidence? Can there be such a thing as too much self-confidence? (See Simpson, 2012, pp 15-16).
3b.
Internal and external motivations that can affect your ability to focus / To recognize what kinds of life events and personal issues (internally or externally-based) may affect your motivation to study online. / Students studying online often do not know how to balance studying, life events, job responsibilities, and other factors. Tips on how to stay on focus. Tips on when unexpected life events may impact academic performance.
Describe how two types of motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) and other personal qualities impact studying and learning.
Activity: Case Study – Joe’s story of a personal event that affected his ability to stay focused in his online course.
Activity: Intrinsic or extrinsic motivation – what works for you? (See www.pickthebrain.com)
3c.
Motivation and self-discipline / To develop good strategies for self-discipline and to learn to combat common feelings about isolation, procrastination, and distractions. / A focus on self-discipline and how to develop proactive strategies for studying online. (Proactive versus reactive.)