Facilitating e-Learning:
Myths, Magic, or Just a Lot of Bonk?
Dr. Curtis J. Bonk
Indiana University and CourseShare.com
http://php.indiana.edu/~cjbonk
cjbonk@indiana.edu
I. E-Learning Myths
II. E-Learning Magic
III. E-Learning Bonk
I. E-Learning Myths….
10 Myths of Technology Integration
Myth #1.
Instructors can just teach the same
way they always have.
Vanessa Dennen’s (2001) Research
on Nine Online Courses
(sociology, history, communications, writing, library
science, technology, counseling)
Poor Instructors
• Little or no feedback given
• Always authoritative
• Kept narrow focus of what
was relevant
• Created tangential
discussions
• Only used “ultimate”
deadlines
Good Instructors
• Provided regular qual/quant
feedback
• Participated as peer
• Allowed perspective sharing
• Tied discussion to grades,
other assessments.
• Used incremental deadlines
Myth #4.
Learning is not improved when
using technology.
Brains Before and After
Technology Integration
Before
After
Basic Distance Learning Finding?
• Research since 1928 shows that DL
students perform as well as their
counterparts in a traditional classroom
setting.
Per: Russell, 1999, The No Significant Difference
Phenomenon (5th Edition), NCSU, based on 355
research reports.
http://cuda.teleeducation.nb.ca/nosignificantdifference/
Myth #6.
There are no models or best practices
for teaching with technology.
Part I. Best Practices:
Who are some of the key
scholars and players…???
Let’s brainstorm comments (words or short
phrases) that reflect your overall attitudes
and feelings towards online teaching…
Feelings Toward Online Teaching
The Online Teacher, TAFE, Guy Kemshal-Bell (April, 2001)
(Note: 94 practitioners surveyed.)
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Exciting (30)
Challenging (24)
Time consuming (22)
Demanding (18)
Technical issue (16); Flexibility (16)
Potential (15)
Better options (14); Frustrating (14)
Collab (11); Communication (11); Fun (11)
What are your e-learning
myths???
II. E-Learning Magic….
It Works!!!
Can a community
magically occur online?
How Facilitate Online Community?
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Safety: Establish safe environment
Tone: Flexible, inviting, positive, respect
Personal: Self-disclosures, open, stories telling
Sharing: Share frustrations, celebrations, etc
Collaboration: Camaraderie/empathy
Common language: conversational chat space
Task completion: set milestones & grp goals
Other: Meaningful, choice, simple, purpose...
Facilitating Electronic Discussion
• Provide Guidelines and Structure (e.g. assign
due dates, times, and points)
• Instructor modeling better than guidelines
• Deadlines motivate but also limit participation
• Be patient, prompt, and clear
• Constantly Monitor, Converse not Dictate
• Weave and Summarize Weekly
• Foster Role Play, Debate, and Interaction
The Center for Research
on Learning and Technology, Indiana University
Learning to Teach with
Technology Studio
TICKIT Goals
• Knowledge, skill, & confidence
• Thoughtful infusion of technology
• Help schools capitalize on their
technology investments
• Deeper student learning
• Leadership cadres in schools
• Link schools and university
TICKIT Training and Projects:
• Web: Web quests, Web search, Web edit/pub.
– Includes class, department, or school website.
• Write: Electronic newsletters, book reviews.
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Tools: Photoshop, Inspiration, PowerPoint.
Telecom: e-mail with foreign countries Key pals.
Computer conferencing: Nicenet.org.
Digitizing: using camera, scanning, digitizing.
Videoconferencing: connecting classes.
E-Learning: HighWired.com, MyClass.net,
Lightspan.com, eBoard.com
Overview of TICKIT
•In-service teacher education program
•Rural schools in southern Indiana
•Yearlong, 25 teachers from 5 schools
•Primarily school-based
•Supported by participating school
systems, Arthur Vining Davis
Foundations and Indiana University
Not everything is magical!
Online Technology Pushes
Pedagogy to the Forefront
Frank Newman & J. Scurry, Chronicle of Higher Ed, July 13, 2001, B7.
“Many faculty members are still
concerned whether the technology is
simple and reliable enough to use for
more-sophisticated learning tasks.
Increasingly, however, better software is
emerging that engages students in more
effective learning.”
Timeout for a break from
our sponsors…
III. E-Learning Bonk
FRAMEWORKS!
1. Reflect on Extent of Integration:
The Web Integration Continuum
Level 1: Course Marketing/Syllabi via the Web
Level 2: Web Resource for Student Exploration
Level 3: Publish Student-Gen Web Resources
Level 4: Course Resources on the Web
Level 5: Repurpose Web Resources for Others
======================================
Level 6: Web Component is Substantive & Graded
Level 7: Graded Activities Extend Beyond Class
Level 8: Entire Web Course for Resident Students
Level 9: Entire Web Course for Offsite Students
Level 10: Course within Programmatic Initiative
2. Four Key Hats of Instructors:
– Technical—do students have basics? Does their
equipment work? Passwords work?
– Managerial—Do students understand the
assignments and course structure?
– Pedagogical—How are students interacting,
summarizing, debating, thinking?
– Social—What is the general tone? Is there a
human side to this course? Joking allowed?
– Other: firefighter, convener, weaver, tutor, conductor, host,
mediator, filter, editor, facilitator, negotiator, e-police,
concierge, marketer, assistant, etc.
Still More Hats
Assistant
Devil’s advocate
Editor
Expert
Filter
Firefighter
Facilitator
Gardener
Helper
Lecturer
Marketer
Mediator
Priest
Promoter
3.
Push to Explore: "You might want
to write to Dr. ‘XYZ’ for...," "You
might want to do an ERIC search on
this topic...," "Perhaps there is a URL
on the Web that addresses this
topic..."
But there
problems…
Problems Faced
Administrative:
Pedagogical:
• “Lack of admin vision.”
• “Lack of incentive from
admin and the fact that
they do not understand the
time needed.”
• “Lack of system support.”
• “Little recognition that this
is valuable.”
• “Rapacious U intellectual
property policy.”
• “Unclear univ. policies
concerning int property.”
• “Difficulty in performing
lab experiments online.”
• “Lack of appropriate
models for pedagogy.”
Time-related:
• “More ideas than time to
implement.”
• “Not enough time to
correct online assign.”
• “People need sleep; Web
spins forever.”
How Avoid Shovelware?
“This form of structure… encourages
teachers designing new products to
simply “shovel” existing resources into
on-line Web pages and discourages any
deliberate or intentional design of
learning strategy.”
(Oliver & McLoughlin, 1999)
How Bad Is It?
“Some frustrated Blackboard users who say
the company is too slow in responding to
technical problems with its coursemanagement software have formed an
independent users’ group to help one
another and to press the company to
improve.”
(Jeffrey Young, Nov. 2, 2001, Chronicle of Higher Ed)
Intrinsic Motivational Terms?
1. Tone/Climate: Psych Safety, Comfort, Belonging
2. Feedback: Responsive, Supports, Encouragement
3. Engagement: Effort, Involvement, Excitement
4. Meaningfulness: Interesting, Relevant, Authentic
5. Choice: Flexibility, Opportunities, Autonomy
6. Variety: Novelty, Intrigue, Unknowns
7. Curiosity: Fun, Fantasy, Control
8. Tension: Challenge, Dissonance, Controversy
9. Interactive: Collaborative, Team-Based, Community
10. Goal Driven: Product-Based, Success, Ownership
Intrinsic Motivation
“…innate propensity to engage one’s interests
and exercise one’s capabilities, and, in doing so,
to seek out and master optimal challenges
(i.e., it emerges from needs, inner strivings, and personal
curiosity for growth)
See: Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985).
Intrinsic motivation and selfdetermination in human behavior. NY:
Plenum Press.
1. Tone/Climate: Social Ice Breakers
A. Readiness Checklist
1. The amount of time I can devote to
this class is…
2. I am a self-motivated individual.
3. I am a good “time-manager.”
4. I complete whatever I start.
5. I am not a procrastinator--I like to
get things done today and not put off
for tomorrow.
1. Tone/Climate: Ice Breakers
B. Eight Nouns Activity:
1. Introduce self using 8 nouns
2. Explain why choose each noun
3. Comment on 1-2 peer postings
C. Two Truths, One Lie (Kulp, IBM)
1. Tell 2 truths and 1 lie about yourself
2. Class votes on which is the lie
2. Feedback:
A. Learner-Content Interactions
2. Feedback:
B. Anonymous Suggestion Box
George Watson, Univ of Delaware, Electricity
and Electronics for Engineers:
1. Students send anonymous course feedback (Web
forms or email)
2. Submission box is password protected
3. Instructor decides how to respond
4. Then provide response and most or all of suggestion
in online forum
5. It defuses difficult issues, airs instructor views, and
justified actions publicly.
6. Caution: If you are disturbed by criticism, perhaps do
not use.
3. Engagement:
A. Electronic Voting and Polling
1. Ask students to vote on issue before class
(anonymously or send directly to the instructor)
2. Instructor pulls our minority pt of view
3. Discuss with majority pt of view
4. Repoll students after class
(Or Delphi or Timed
Disclosure Technique)
anonymous input till a due date
and then post results and
reconsider until consensus
Rick Kulp, IBM, 1999)
3. Engagement
B. Annotations and Animations:
MetaText (eBooks)
4. Meaningfulness:
A. Job or Field Reflections
1. Instructor provides reflection or
prompt for job related or field
observations
2. Reflect on job setting or observe in field
3. Record notes on Web and reflect on
concepts from chapter
4. Respond to peers
5. Instructor summarizes posts
5. Choice:
A. Web Resource Reviews
6. Variety:
A. Just-In-Time-Teaching
Gregor Novak, IUPUI Physics Professor
(teaches teamwork, collaboration,
and effective communication):
1. Lectures are built around student
answers to short quizzes that have
an electronic due date just hours
before class.
2. Instructor reads and summarizes
responses before class and weaves
them into discussion and changes
the lecture as appropriate.
7. Curiosity:
A. Synchronous Chats
1. Find article or topic that is
controversial
2. Invite person associated with that
article (perhaps based on student
suggestions)
3. Hold real time chat
4. Pose questions
5. Discuss and debrief (i.e., did anyone
change their minds?)
(Alternatives: B. Email Interviews with experts;
C. Assignments with expert reviews)
8. Tension:
A. Role Play
• List possible roles or personalities (e.g.,
coach, questioner, optimist, devil’s
advocate, etc.)
• Sign up for different role every week (or
for 5-6 key roles during semester)
• Reassign roles if someone drops class
• Perform within roles—try to refer to
different personalities in peer commenting
Role 8: Conqueror or
Debater/Arguer/Bloodletter
• Takes ideas into action, debates with
others, persists in arguments and
never surrenders or compromises
nomatter what the casualties are
when addressing any problem or
issue.
Role 10:
Slacker/Slough/Slug/Surfer Dude
• In this role, the student does little or nothing
to help him/herself or his/her peers learn.
Here, one can only sit back quietly and
listen, make others do all the work for you,
and generally have a laid back attitude (i.e.,
go to the beach) when addressing this
problem.
9. Interactive:
A. Critical/Constructive Friends, Email Pals…
1. Assign a critical friend (based on interests?).
2. Post weekly updates of projects, send reminders
of due dates, help where needed.
3. Provide criticism to peer (I.e., what is strong
and weak, what’s missing, what hits the mark)
as well as suggestions for strengthening.
In effect, critical friends do not slide over weaknesses,
but confront them kindly and directly.
4. Reflect on experience.
10. Goal Driven and Products:
A. Gallery Tours
1. Low Risk <-------> High Risk
Job Risk Continuum
2. Low Time <-------> High Time
Time Continuum
3. Low Reality <-------> High Reality
Authenticity Continuum
4. Low Cost <-------> High Cost
Expense Continuum
Final advice…whatever you do…