e-education journal

Excerpt from Dorothy Parker's "But the One on the Right" - Read Ahead DEMO by Full Tilt Ahead

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 14:43:00 +0000

Excerpt from Dorothy Parker's "But the One on the Right" - Read Ahead DEMO by Full Tilt Ahead

Appointed to Council of Distance Learning Directors in Theological Education

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 14:55:00 +0000

I am pleased to announce that I have been invited to serve with an energetic new group of educators and administrators seeking to provide leadership in distance theological teaching and learning environments, the Association of Theological Schools' Council of Distance Learning Directors in Theological Education.

A common theme in theological education is embodiment, a pedagogical imperative that includes modeling Christ-likeness to integrate faith and learning. The other primary concern of theological education is spiritual and ministerial formation, which requires building relational skills and practicing community engagement. Theological educators express doubts about the ability of online learning environments to allow for the goal of embodiment or relationship and community building.

As the Brains of Full Tilt Ahead, LLC and Online Learning Instructional Designer for Emory's Candler School of Theology, serving with this group will help me explore how the disciplinary culture of theological education interacts with online learning decisions for theological courses and programs.

Resources:

Hess, M.E. (2005) Engaging technology intheological education: All that we cannot leave behind. Rowan and Littlefield: Lanham, MD.

--> Naidoo, M. (2012). Ministerial formation oftheological students through distance education. HTS Theological Studies,68(2), 65-73.

Adobe Connect Training Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 19:43:00 +0000

I have just finished offering a series of training sessions on Adobe Connect for a small number of faculty and staff in a theological school. The training was open for all to attend online in an Adobe Connect meeting room once every two weeks without needing to attend every session.

The Reason
We need the faculty of our new 90% online degree to become very familiar and comfortable with the Adobe Connect environment because they will be hosting 2 classes a week in these web-conferencing meeting rooms. Only a few faculty a year will need this skill, but we have a full six year projection of the faculty who will be teaching in the program, so these faculty have also been invited and some are beginning the training now.

Shout out to Lynda.com

I prepared to do these trainings by reflecting on my experience using Adobe Connect as a participant and host and realized I needed to learn more. I used Lynda.com's training on Adobe Connect to get a full introduction- excellent resource.

The Training Approach
I started the trainings with a very structured approach- the first three sessions were scripted and participants were limited to short application practices at the end of each session. By the fourth session, I was able to make all participants Hosts upon entering and let them play around with features as we talked about them. Happy accidents and collegial cajoling made these sessions fun and seemed to get results. We even tried out a mobile session with participants logging in with I-devices from touch to pad.

The Results
The few faculty who attended the structured training series have expressed gratitude and increased comfort levels and have also signed up to continue in weekly sandbox meetings to start brainstorming teaching ideas and experimenting with carrying those out on Adobe Connect. Additional faculty have also signed up to join.

My Opinion
The only negative experiences we had were related to bandwidth- delays that interfered with effective communication. So far, I've only been able to gather information on how to guide faculty and students on troubleshooting. I would rather have discovered more solutions towards prevention.

At an institutional level, we are reconsidering which web-conferencing platform to continue using. I like the features of Adobe Connect that help hosts create a learning environment beyond sharing mic, cam and screens. The training participants in my sessions were particularly interested in the reusable objects and customizable layouts as well as the breakout rooms.

Shout out to The Thiagi Group

The most creative part of this process was getting to modify Interactive Lecture ideas from Thiagi et al's book for the online learning classroom. For example:

Chat Box Interrupted Lecture

· Pause from time to time during the lecture

· Ask a random student to "translate” the lecture into plain English

· Useful for complex topics and with students who have high level of language skills

Set it Up

· Create a Note explaining the activity.

· Create a Chat box named “Plain English”

Run it

Step 1> Begin lecturing for about 5 minutes.

Step 2> Randomly select a student to type an interpretation of this segment of your lecture into the Chat box (alternatively, call on students and enable their mics/cams).

Step 3> After the interpretation, ask if other students have anything to add.

Step 4> Repeat approximately 5 times at different intervals throughout the lecture.

Instructional Design Basics for Online Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 15:44:00 +0000

In every online learning design decision, you will find elements of the above considerations.

1) All decisions should be learning centered. Note: This does not say learner-centered. Even though learners are a primary concern of all design decisions, the learner is only part of the learning equation. You are also working with instructors, subject-matter experts, content and resources as central variables as well. So, the imperative is to stay focused on the desired learning outcome.
GROAN
Yes, I hear the collective reaction to the tiresome drumbeat of the instructional designer about learning outcomes. But don't think of them as that bulleted list of objectives with verbs from Bloom's taxonomy. Think of them as something to hold on to whenever you are faced with a variety of choices, tools, ideas and possibilities. You can always grab one anchor- what is the desired learning outcome? And how do we get the learners there?

2) The process of instructional design should be systematic. Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, done- right? ADDIE and we're outta here. Well, not quite so easily. But having a clear sense of method and a plan can keep your progress steady and ensure thorough attention to details. You can determine what this system is, based on your work style and parameters. As we'll see in #6, the systematic approach is rarely linear, but you should have non-negotiable procedures and checks in place to keep you on track and to keep your learning design accountable to a high standard of quality.

3) Every online learning design will be evidence-based if the formula of show, scaffold and sustain is followed.

Show learners the knowledge, skills or attitudes needed for the learning objectives;
Scaffold their ability to practice these skills, and
Sustain learning beyond the classroom by offering resources and encouraging reflective practice.

This formula has often been shown to be successful in educational research. Any additional experimentation with approaches to online learning should also build from existing research on evidence-based practices.

4) As much as possible, the strategy for online learning should make information available just-in-time when the learners are looking for it and ready for it. The structure of an online classroom can attend to this by keeping current resources available on opening pages. The important notion to shake loose is "I put it in the syllabus." Even though it is useful to provide an overview of all activities at the beginning of a course, it is more strategic to repeat this information when it will be most useful to learners.

5) In line with the just-in-time approach, you can be strategic about how much information you provide when learners are looking for it. Similar to "chunking," providing "just what's needed" helps keep learners focused and works against overload. For example, the same information that may have originally been delivered in a long classroom lecture could be rolled out strategically in bits and pieces through asynchronous discussions.

6) The process of instructional design is not so neatly tied up in the profession's acronym, ADDIE: analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate, as it may seem. An initial design, even when based on careful needs and audience analysis, may fall apart in the idiosyncracies of a particular context. Or new constraints may present themselves. Instead of proceeding in a linear way, the steps of ADDIE are part of an iterative process that allows us to experiment, prototype, test, rethink, redesign and keep improving.

7) In order to meet the needs of learners, instructors, administrators and institutions in authentic learning environments, instructional designers must ensure that learning tools and activities can be easily integrated with existing practices and resources. This requires ecological thinking, working back and forth between innovative learning goals and institutional and instrumental parameters. It is also important to consider the lifestyles of learners and consider how to make the learning environment accessible and flexible for their habits.

8) Repeated messages are learned. This fact has been shown in study after study of cognition, memory and even marketing. Making sure that information and materials are placed redundantly throughout learning activities and environments will ensure not only ease of use but also increased learning.

9) Finally, every online learning decision should be responsive to the needs of users and provide the mechanisms for continued feedback loops. No learning design should be considered final as long as new users and goals are being added. By creating environments that can be customized for unique demands and automated for convenience, instructional designers can effect the right balance for usability and scalability.

Just to make it a nice round number, what would you add for #10?

Lecture Capture: Echo 360

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 18:08:00 +0000

We are implementing an A/V content management and lecture capture system at Emory University, Echo 360.

Echo360 allows users to schedule and record lectures and presentations from their desks (personal capture), the classroom (podium/classroom and system capture) or outside source (media import). All content managed in Echo360 can be made available through a web link or embedded content areas in a Learning Management System. The Echo360 interface allows users to track student interaction with the lectures and provides space for students to discuss the content.

Below are some of my thoughts and experiences with Echo 360 after 6 months of use.

Using Echo 360

Personal Capture: We have had a few faculty members use the personal capture feature to record lectures at their desks and upload to an online learning environment.

Pedagogy: This feature allows faculty to experiment with hybrid and flipped learning so they can offer lectures as supplemental materials like reading assignments and use more class time for discussions and activities.
Technology: The tracking and discussion features surrounding the personal capture once it is posted on the course site are useful. The integration with the Learning Management System is also a great convenience for faculty. However, the limitations of the recording feature for editing and for switching between screen recording and webcam recording are clunky. If a user wants to record herself briefly at the beginning of a presentation, then share the screen for a slide presentation, then it would either need to be two separate recordings or the box where the webcam recording appeared will stay in place as a blank gray box throughout the screen recording. Because of these drawbacks, I am currently recommending to faculty that they use software like Camtasia to record personal lectures instead. These recordings can still be imported into the Echo 360 environment through the media import option.

Podium or Classroom Capture: We now have all of our classroom computers equipped with the Echo 360 classroom capture client. However, we only have half of those rooms wired with mics to capture audio. We have a roaming mic we can move to any room to use for capture if needed.

Pedagogy: Faculty users are both interested in making their lecture recordings available to students after class and hesitant to offer this "get out of class free" card. Those faculty members who had already embraced the use of I-tunes to offer their lectures have been first to make this change to Echo 360 and have been using it with success. They comment that students are glad to have access and have observed through tracking that students are using the lectures to study in the course.
Technology: Users are pleased that they do not have to turn this system on- no additional technology support is needed once the user is trained to use the mic and the recordings have been scheduled. The system tray that displays on the computer is helpful because it confirms for users that the capture is recording and also offers them the opportunity to stop, pause or extend recordings.
The use of Echo 360 instead of I-tunes has resulted in one loss of functionality that users are not happy with- they cannot stream the audio from the lecture on their mobile devices and listen to the lectures in the car. They could download the m4v file and add it to their device to listen to, but this creates an extra step.

System Capture: We have just installed our first Echo 360 appliance with an HD camera in our largest lecture hall. We are still in the early stages of this process and do not have a full class recorded yet.

Pedagogy: Our faculty are most interested in this tool because it can also capture video. Some believe this is important because of the performance aspects of their lectures. Others are more interested in being able to include student discussion groups in the recording archive. I am curious to see how faculty experiment with this more versatile tool.
Technology: This tool is more flexible than the personal capture tool. If a user moves from capturing screen display to video or does both simultaneously, students are able to close windows or adjust their size as needed when viewing recordings. However, these captures also cannot be edited. This restriction on editing is the biggest drawback of Echo360 that I've observed so far.

Media Import: This is one of the most versatile options for Echo 360 and we have a few faculty using it already who are not using the other features.

Pedagogy: This feature highlights Echo 360's capabilities as a content management system. This tool creates a space for integrating media in the online classroom because of its compatibility with the Learning Management System and surrounding features. We are using this as the primary tool for offering multimedia in our online classes because we can track student interaction, create discussion spaces and streamline issues with video streaming.
Technology: The first time we used this feature was to allow faculty who were in a room without Echo 360 installed to record their lectures as they would for I-tunes and import the recording into an Echo 360 site. Now we are also using it to support faculty who have multimedia components to their courses.

Administering Echo 360

As someone who is usually quick on the uptake with new tools, I have found the administrative interface and workflow for implementing Echo 360 to be less than optimal. The process for entering terms, users, rooms, devices and schedules into the system could be improved. It seems a little ad hoc instead of carefully designed.

It requires quite a bit of infrastructure to support the use of the tool as well. We have campus level support that I frequently have to call on. I have also needed support from the IT team we have at our school for desktop support of A/V components, media support and classroom technology support.

Overall, I am a fan of the potential of the tool, pedagogically, technologically and administratively, and look forward to each version improving the user experience. n.b. I am writing this the first week of classes while support for the tool and the scramble of last minute requests is intensive. After lectures are being recorded automatically on schedule, and I start to forget the system exists, my tone of praise is likely to be more enthusiastic.

Reinventing Education, Anant Agarwal Keynote at Sloan-C #aln13

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 14:14:00 +0000

Sloan C Friday Keynote: Anant Agarwal from edX

https://www.edx.org
a $60 million investment from MIT and Harvard

Compared to large classrooms/lecture halls, students often prefer virtual contact with instructors
-Feels more personalized, learning in a way that is customized to their needs

On campus education hasn't changed in centuries- lecture, podiums, neat rows
-30% of students routinely sleep in class

Move to blended learning and small, interactive groups

edX History
They were hoping for 2000 students. 10,000 signed up in first few hours.
Eventually 155,000 students enrolled in the first course- Circuits and Electronics

26,349 tried first problem set
10,547 made it to midterm
9318 passed the midterm
8240 took the final exam
7157 Certified

Compares the concept of the retention rate in MOOCs to the acceptance rate of schools like MIT.

United Nations has # of countries in the world as 214, and they have students from more than 217 countries.

30% of students from US
13% from India

edX is a non-profit
offers open edX code

China platform XuetangX (schoolX)
France Universite Numerique
Arab region platform Erdaak by QRF

MOOCs contribute to improving campus learning e.g. San Jose State University where course retake rates droped from 41%to 9%

Anatomy of an edX Online Class-
*Active Learning
-students go to bed dreaming of green check marks
-gamification virtual labs
-Harvard course- Science of Cooking

*Peer Learning

*Credentialing
- XSeries Certificates, sequences of courses

How long should videos be?
How does student engagement relate to video lengths?
Philip Guo
863 videos, 5,265,833 watching sessions
Compared certificate earners to all other students
Certificate earner results:
Maximum engagement-- 6-9 minutes long
40 minute video- median watch time 2 minutes

Hours spent on Homework in relation to total points in a course-- more hours spent more total points in the course

Sloan C Online Learning Conference 2013 #aln13

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 14:07:00 +0000

Attending Daphne Koller's keynote session: The Online Revolution: Learning without Limits. Koller was a member of the team who launched the Stanford MOOC experiment. She founded Coursera, the leading forum for MOOCs and a catalyst in the MOOC explosion.

https://www.coursera.org

She demonstrates an interactive method- in video quizzes- that allows every student to grapple with the questions before the smarty pants at the front of the class doing it first.

She discusses the challenge of grading 100,000 students.

Auto-graded homeworks and exercises. Even complex exercises like online labs- have students perform experiments with resources in their own environment- video and put through tools like image tracking solutions. Third-party integration through LTI compatibility.
Advantage of scalability but also a pedagogical advantage- immediate feedback. Prompts gaming, leveling mentality to resubmit and try again-- self-induced mastery. "Students who engage in mastery-based learning do better on summative exams, not just formative exams."

Peer grading. Calibrated peer review mixed with ideas from crowd-sourcing. Grading rubric designed by instructor and trained to use it. Encourages collaborative learning through peer evaluation and discussion. Pedagogical benefits- critical thinking about quality of work, reflective process. Duneier at Princeton examined whether the peer evaluations are as credible as those done by more advanced learners (TAs) -- found that raters had similar levels of consensus. This relies on having a good rubric.

This brand of online courses creates more of a sense of community feedback. Discussion boards attract experts.
Students often get their answers faster and in more depth because the work of response is distributed.
Global community offers multiple perspectives and diverse contexts for the topics and problems posed. On campus professors ask students to attend the MOOCs in order to get this exposure.

Do we need face-to-face interaction? Yes. Participants have begun meeting in local areas in tandem with MOOCs. Example: Ohio minority women in 40s-50s, unemployed or working in low-paying jobs brought together for a computer lab and chose a MOOC to take. 6 of these women pased an MBA level exam in this course. The power of combining high quality online material with local support. This prompted the launch of Learning Hubs- access to high-speed internet and facilitated learning.

Credentials
Verified certificate program- sign up 2 weeks within the course for the Signature Track- identity confirmed with web camera pic, keystroke biometrics (NEAT!!) and photo id. It costs approx $50. And it can be posted in a places like a LinkedIn profile. This effort has already raised over $1 billion. Completion rate for students who sign up for Signature Track 60%. Completion rate for those who declare they intend to finish and sign up for Signature Track 84%. GA Tech professor compared completion rate for same class on campus (74%) to his signature track MOOC students 99%.

Data Collection
Every class is instrumented so easier to measure learning activities and student behavior at large scales. This allows teachers to understand how to deliver information and design learning activities better.
The 2 Sigma problem- Bloom 1984- achievement distribution of learners in Lecture, Mastery Learning or Individual Tutoring. Best achievement for individual tutoring, but we cannot afford this for every single student.

Key components for an effective MOOC formula
High quality online content
Produced locally or adapted
Active learning, problem solving
Personal attention to students

Where next?
MOOCs offer a brand new curve for student learning x faculty productivity
Blue ocean strategy- not competing with incumbents, improving different set of attributes, creates markets that did not exist before. MOOC market currently is often lifelong learners, not traditional students.

Friedman "Big breakthroughs happen when what is suddenly possible meets what is desperately necessary."

Questions for Faculty on Online Course Content

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 16:18:00 +0000

Your Creations

How will you design? Storyboard?

How do you plan to organize?

What is your course integration plan?

Can you create modular pieces to be reused in different contexts?

What is your development schedule?

What is your expected development time?

What tools do you need for production?

What support do you need for production?

Will users need guides or protocols?

Have you designed for accessibility?

Have you optimized for mobile?

How will you ensure quality?

Outside Resources

Have you reviewed copyright and fair use?

Should you link through your university's library digital reserves system?

Have you checked links in multiple browsers?

Will access require setting permissions?

What will user Login process be?

Will users require guidelines or support?

Have you included in checklist for broken links in course maintenance protocol?

Will this resource be embedded content or a link?

Have you checked for accessibility?

Have you optimized for mobile?

How will you ensure quality?

Review of College Unbound by Jeffrey J. Selingo

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:16:00 +0000

College Unbound: The Future of Higher Education and What It Means for Students by Jeffrey J. Selingo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For someone who follows the Chronicle of Higher Ed or popular coverage of higher ed in general, there is not much new or surprising here. But Selingo personalizes and contextualizes the facts and figures being thrown at us in the media with his own reporting of anecdotal realities for students, parents and universities. The book cover review quotes focus on the technology disruption elements of his book, but this focus seems only to serve his broader and deeper indictment of the current system in general.

My takeaways from Selingo's coverage:

-Most universities are out of touch and slow to respond to what is a major shift in educational needs and expectations of higher ed students & parents.

-Current degree and major models may hinder more purposeful and future looking learning. Other models, such as those presented on pg. 149 could be explored.

-A gap year could help students mature and be ready to start college.

-Flexibility in course delivery models and certification methods is an emerging need.

My criticisms of Selingo's coverage:

-Selingo shares several stories of exceptional faculty with excellent teaching practices, but when he discusses "faculty" at large he shows some disdain. He writes this book from a student and parent advocacy standpoint and sometimes puts too much responsibility on faculty shoulders and often colors them as dispensable.

-Similar to the prior point, Selingo makes some messy causal claims about institutional responsibility for student success that are a little heavy handed. His logic gets a bit convoluted in trying to answer the question of individual or institutional responsibility for students finishing their degrees. He acknowledges the confounding variables for why students might drop out, but then still wants to argue that because Princeton graduates students at such a high rate, every student should have an equal chance of graduating from any institution. In some logical contortions he tries to support this claim by talking about high achieving students who undermatch- or go to schools with lower graduation rates. But he doesn't follow this up to show if those students, who might also have gotten into a top tier school, finish the lower tier programs with lower rates- he just says they lowered their chances of graduating by merely entering the school. Give me data on some of these individual, undermatched students' graduation rates, and I might see his point better. But whenever he can't find the data, he implies some institutional conspiracies and proceeds to speculate.

-Where he does have data- earnings comparisons between schools, I start to cringe a little. Though he acknowledges that colleges should be for more than setting ones' future wages, he can't stop talking about it and letting that data influence his recommendations for the future of education.

What inspired me in Selingo's work:

- He focuses on ways to encourage universities to get to the "sweet spot" of their students' learning needs. This is my favorite quest. In interviewing some Indian students about a training program they attended once, I saw a student describing his favorite college professor. With reverence, his eyes lit up and he said,"Oh! did he know how to get to the crux of the matter." I replay this in my head often for its passion.

View all my reviews

O Go Biblios 75

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:03:00 +0000

Ally's chapter "Foundations of Educational Theory for Online Learning" in Athabasca University's free web book Theory and Practice of Online Learning provides a very useful summary of the three major theoretical frameworks of learning and shows how they can all be used to offer effective online learning. It is impressive to see how the author concisely reviews the theories, along with supporting paradigms for the theories, into cohesive guidelines for online learning.

I have these comments to add:

1) Ally says that "online learning knows no time zones, and location and distance are not an issue." I disagree. I believe this is a common misconception about online learning that creates unrealistic expectations for learners and facilitators. Even asynchronous learning is highly dependent on a certain flow of discussions, activities, group collaboration and feedback. These components can be affected by disparate time zones and locations. Is it more flexible than a face-to-face classroom? Yes. But time and space are still factors.

2) Ally offers three diagrams for basic information mapping. Here are some great resources for making concept maps (for instructors and learners):

Wisemapping
Coggle
Smart Art in MS Word

3) Ally says that "information should be placed in the center of the screen for reading." I'm surprised by this comment, and there's no support cited for it. I have done extensive research on visual communications and reading from computer screens, and this is not a principle I have ever seen supported or espoused. Eye-tracking studies on web users show varied results for predicting where users' eyes will travel across a screen and for what types of information. Yes, centered text will attract attention in some contexts, but this advice needs more context than provided in his bulleted list. My research and experience would lead me to advise attention to font size before page placement.

4) Ally addresses learning styles in this overview, a controversial topic because the data around this concept is complex. First, it's difficult to find evidence to support any of the current ed psych models of learning styles; second, it's difficult to predict what approaches would or would not enhance learning for those styles if they do exist. Yet, most K-12 and Higher Ed professional development and best practices include advice or requirements to address learning styles.

I think this is because we all get the sense that something like this is at work in how we learn and that people do learn differently. After a lifetime of being a whiz at all standardized tests, verbal or quantitative, but a total doofus in a laboratory setting (what is it that you people are seeing through that microscope???), I was faced with my first real learning challenge when trying to learn my husband's family's language: Kannada. There's no Rosetta stone, and they don't use our alphabet. Since my only path to learning it seemed to be through my ears, I came to realize- I don't learn well that way. I learn through reading and understanding written symbols. Lucky for me our entire education system has been heavily weighted towards learners like me. If we were still in the days of Socrates' preferred oral tradition, I may have been labeled a slow learner early on.

I am highly conscious of this as an instructional designer and look for ways to make sure that information is presented in a variety of ways. However, looking at the specific inventories and models presented by Ally in this article is not too helpful since these models have not been well-supported in research.

5) Ally presents some additional information on motivating learners by including the two stalwarts of this body of research: intrinsic v extrinsic and Keller's ARCS model. I want to add a caveat to the C, for Confidence, in Keller's model. Yes, success helps build learners' confidence, but how many of you remember with absolute clarity every answer you got wrong in your learning endeavors? I know for me, getting it wrong or feeling conflicted about new information tends to increase my chances of storing information in my long term memory. I like to build in ways for learners to be surprised by something they hadn't considered or to even feel irritated or annoyed at points. Our competitive sides can often be motivated from a sense of failure as well as success.

6) I was surprised by Ally's comment that lectures are only instructor-centered in traditional classrooms and that this is no longer an issue in online classrooms because learners encounter content "first-hand." Yes, many online facilitators have moved away from lectures, but many still include them. In my experience of reviewing 200+ faculty-developed online courses at a state university over the last 5 years, I'd estimate at least 50% are still including recorded lectures. Plus, even those faculty who become more like "curators" of outside content instead of presenting their own lectures, are still choosing and framing information through their perspectives and expertise. This is a primary role of the faculty. It is also a responsibility of faculty to design ways for students to personalize the information in both traditional and online classrooms. I think Ally's comparison is false here.

All in all this was an impressive feat of compiling the dense learning theory basis for current online learning guidelines and best practices.

Known knowns & Unknown unknowns

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:54:00 +0000

Last year I was invited to give a presentation at the Center for Instructional Innovation at Georgia State University. This presentation was for faculty who want to improve the quality of their online discussions. I pulled together some strategies I have used over the years- many prompted by faculty development workshops I have attended at the University of Phoenix Online.

The central point of this presentation is to take advantage of the archive created by an online asynchronous discussion to move classroom conversations past the first fits and starts. Have your ultimate goal in mind and learn from the discussions how to move your students towards those revelations.

Here is the presentation:

Known knowns & unknown unknowns from Roxanne Russell

How Thiagi helped me catch a thief

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:27:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was excited about an upcoming dinner date with Thiagi (to know him is to love him, to not know him is a shame- Google him). I wanted to look back in my blog to a couple of entries I had made about him- one from an interview he granted the first time I met him and the second from a webinar I attended of his. Rather than tediously looking through each post and to narrow from the general search term "Thiagi", I decided to Google a phrase I remembered writing in one of my blog posts "good results can come from barely listening to Thiagi."

Turns out I had never Googled an exact quote from my blog before, and my search results were surprising. I found my blog post. But I also found another blog post EXACTLY like it. So I followed the link to a blog that had reproduced every single one of my blog posts for the last 7 years. The blog had a different title, different format and 4 additional posts that were not mine, but otherwise, a complete reproduction of my blog.

My first step was to ask about the problem on a Blogger discussion board. A helpful community member posted links about how to handle copyright infringement on Blogger within minutes. I followed the steps I found on the link and asked that the other blog be disabled. After several e-mails back and forth, and a tedious process of providing every single url of my original content and the infringing content, MOST of the infringing content is no longer accessible. I appreciate this quick action.

But will I ever get to fill in the blanks? Who did this? When? Why? Can I sue for damages? What would those damages be?

Do you have any experience with this type of situation you can share with me?

Social Networking Tools to Support a Community of Practice in China

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:27:00 +0000

This post offers a summary of a project with L. Roxanne Russell, David E. Stone, Qi Wang & Xiaoxue Wang. A presentation of this material is available to subscribers at http://editlib.org/noaccess/34352.

Introduction

In 2006, a Chinese professional organization in the field of conservation education , Chinese Conservation Educators Association (CCEA)*, joined with a conservation-education organization , US Conservation Educators Association (USCEA)*, in the US to begin a nationwide professional development program in the People’s Republic of China. Prior to the launch of this joint-initiative, no professional development program existed for this group of Chinese professionals. The goals of this program were to develop and support a network of professional educators who have the skills, knowledge and tools to promote their conservation missions through education.

USCEA is currently focusing its efforts on training a core group of graduates who have demonstrated passion and commitment towards furthering the profession with the long-term goal that they will take ownership of future content and be prepared to lead the ongoing development of the profession in China. US and Chinese members of this joint-initiative invited the authors of this paper, instructional technology researchers and practitioners, to assist with their efforts to offer social networking tools in support of building and maintaining a community of practice among these professionals. From a design-based research perspective, findings from qualitative data collection in naturalistic settings are shared about habits, trends and barriers to the use of social networking in professional development in China discovered in this case.

Theoretical Framework

Wenger & Snyder (2000) define communities of practice as “groups of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion for a joint enterprise.” Wenger (2002) presents the case of a transgovernmental community sponsored by the World Bank where this perspective evolved over time as those responsible for knowledge management acknowledged that “the areas where the knowledge-sharing system worked best were those in which there was a community of practitioners interacting on a regular basis, with a tradition of collaborating around problems and sharing knowledge” (p.2). The community of practice framework is appropriate to how the participating organizations in this project envision their professional development program. Their goal is to build on existing groups that have that “shared expertise and passion” to learn and discuss topics essential to their conservation mission. Therefore, the approach to exploring the use of social networking tools for this project should correspond to a perspective of knowledge as “embedded in the community” as described by McLure-Wasko & Faraj (2000, p.160). Also, McDermott (1999) highlights the importance of using information technology to support communities that share knowledge, emphasizing how technology can help organize, maintain, and distribute knowledge to others in the community.

Methodology

Reeves, Herrington & Oliver (2005) describe the following characteristics of design-based research: “focus on broad-based, complex problems; integration of design principles with technological affordances for solutions; rigorous and reflective inquiry to test and refine innovative learning environments as well as to reveal new design principles; long-term engagement with constant refinement of protocols and questions; intensive collaboration among researchers and practitioners; and commitment to theory construction & explanation while solving real-world problems.” Qualitative data was gathered in a naturalistic way, reflecting the informal data gathering habits of practitioners in a real-world setting. Design participants were instructional technologists with practical and research experience, members of the CCEA and members of the USCEA. Notes from a face-to-face brainstorming meeting and virtual collaboration communications were collected from all participants from the early stages of researching and brainstorming possible solutions. Data was examined for habits, trends and barriers to the design of social networking tools for the purposes of this project.

Project Needs

At the outset of this collaboration, we established the following initial requirements of the social networking solution based on communications with the CCEA and USCEA teams:

• freely or very cheaply available on the web in China
• already popular in use in China
• includes an archive
• a tool we have the capability to help provide the support for in setting up, piloting & handing over.

With these basic and general guidelines, we began research into Chinese social networking habits and trends by searching both English and Chinese websites.

Chinese Internet Habits

Popular information available through the web emphasized the popularity of traditional bulletin-board systems with Chinese internet users (Web2Asia, 2008). The most popular identified bulletin board site was:

• Discuz: http://www.discuz.net/

Chinese members of the collaboration team corroborated this information and also suggested that internet habits in China tended to favor instant messaging, in particular the use of QQ, a product offered by China’s largest Internet portal, Tencent.

• QQ: www.qq.com/

One team member compared this habit to another communication habit in China, avoiding the use of voicemail. This widely-held impression has been supported in popular, trade and scholarly sources (Buckman, 2005; Park, Yang, & Lehto, 2007; Yan, 2003). These habits seemed to signal a preference for immediacy in communications.

The USCEA and CCEA teams had already established QQ communications among the professional network in China and appointed a facilitator; however, no formal activities or protocols had been established for using this system as part of the professional development program or building a community of practice. The team also wanted more features of a social network, not just instant messaging. No bulletin board system had been established for the professional network.

Chinese Social Networking Trends

When this project began, the most popular social networks available in China were:

• Xiaonei: http://www.xiaonei.com/
• Qzone: http://qzone.qq.com/

The China Internet Network Information Center’s (2009) Statistical Report on Internet Development in China only mentions “social networking services” sites one time, in relation to shifts in blog trends: “a considerable number of grass-roots blogs transferred from professional blog operators to more interactive SNS (Social Networking Services) sites, which benefited blog update and growth” (p. 30).

The USCEA and CCEA teams were interested in exploring a possibility like Xiaonei in order to build a social network for professional development. However, members of these teams predicted a few barriers to the use of social networking for this group of professionals.

Barriers to Social Networking for this Professional Network

Participants were first concerned about workload and budget issues. Since members of the professional educators network were already participating in this network as volunteers, there was some concern that the extra load of maintaining and participating in the new network would become a burden on a few individuals. However, USCEA and CCEA team members expressed confidence that leaders in the network with appropriate skills were available and likely to be willing to perform such tasks for the group.

Members of the CCEA team also displayed some reluctance to the use of bulletin board systems or social networking tools because of concerns about keeping records of unsupervised conversations and activities of this professional network through archived forums. The CCEA team falls under direct oversight of a Chinese Ministry that would need to approve archived web forums for this professional network; as predicted by the CCEA team, in the end, approval for such forums was not granted.

Because of the team’s foresight in anticipating this barrier, however, we were able to offer suggestions for using the already established QQ forum to accomplish their professional development goals. We discussed the option of implementing a scheduled curriculum for synchronous chat sessions through QQ on topics related to professional development. The teams decided this was an appropriate plan to work around the current barriers and began immediately to plan the curriculum.

Conclusion

The early stage of this collaboration to explore technology solutions for supporting this community of practice offers some insight into the habits, trends and barriers of social networking for professionals in China. We discovered broad-based cultural preferences for immediacy in communications in China as well as differences in adoption trends towards social networking sites. Finally, we found systemic issues related to establishing a social network for professionals in China to be more restrictive than in the US. Future projects and research in this area need to explore such barriers more specifically to begin to find solutions for working within this system to offer technological solutions for building communities of practice in China.

*For the purposes of anonymity, these groups names have been changed.

References

Buckman, R. (2005, December 1). Why the Chinese hate to use voice mail. Wall Street Journal.

China Internet Network Information Center. (2009). Statistical Report on Internet Development in China. Retrieved from: http://www.cnnic.cn/uploadfiles/pdf/2009/10/13/94556.pdf

McDermott, R. (1999) How information technology inspired, but cannot deliver knowledge management. California Management Review.

Park, J., Yang, S. & Lehto, X. (2007) Adoption of Mobile Technologies for Chinese Consumers. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 8, 196 - 206.

Reeves, T.C., Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (2005). Design research: A socially responsible approach to instructional technology research in higher education. Journal of Computing and Higher Education, 16(2), 97-116.

Siwal. (2008, January 17). So where’s China in the world of Social networking Sites – Facebook, MySpace. TechRadar Blog. Message posted to: http://techradar1.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/so-wheres-china-in-the-world-of-facebook-myspace/

Wasko, M.M. & Faraj, S. (2000). “It is what one does”: why people participate and help others in electronic communities of practice. Journal of Strategic Information Systems 9 (2/3), 155–173.

Web2Asia. (2008) Online Social Networks in China [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/web2asia/web2asia-online-social-networks-in-china-presentation

Wenger, E. (2002) Ayuda Urbana: a constellation of communities of practice focused on urban issues and challenges in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean region. Case study written for the BEEP Project of the European Union, www.beep-eu.org, Case 333.

Wenger, E. and Snyder, W. (2000) Communities of practice: the organizational frontier. Harvard Business Review. January-February, pp. 139-145.

Yan, X. (2003). Mobile data communications in China. Communications of the Association for Computing Machinery 46(12), 80-85.

Culture, Values & Ethical Standards

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:43:00 +0000

This post summarizes research and reflections on cultural dynamics in values and ethical standards related to education.

Several researchers have provided critical analysis of educational or pedagogical values across cultures (Bentley, Tinney & Chia, 2004; Ku, Pan, Tsai, Tao & Cornell, 2004; Loewer, 2003; Zhang, 2010). These analytical approaches often rely on literature review and reports of historical and current trends to frame characterizations of learning cultures defined by national, regional or tribal boundaries. Zhang (2010) defines learning culture as “historically-rooted attributes related to learning and education carried by an identifiable community. These cultural attributes are demonstrated as collective, intuitive understanding of what learning is about and how it should be practiced” (p. 232). In this body of literature, these learning culture characterizations are often offered to describe behaviors of learners and inform educational initiatives in these contexts or to advocate for resistance to the imposition of outside learning culture influences. In Young’s (2009) CBM model cultural beliefs and values are included as an element of the psychology of culture and defined as “the ideals, principles, or standards” that “evolved historically from the various social and economic contexts in a society” (p.235).

Along with attention to culture in educational or pedagogical values, there is also a discussion in the instructional design field about the challenges of establishing ethical standards across cultures. There is consensus in this discussion that uniform rules for any online community should reflect a compromise and negotiated set of standards for that community (Bradshaw, Keller, & Chen, 2003; Dodig-Crnkovic & Horniak, 2006; Hergert, 2003; Marchessou, 2001). However, often this is not the case; rather rules are often established through power and to benefit those who are in power. Bradshaw, Keller and Chen (2003) suggest that “the cultural and social-power position of the ethics code creators, within both local and global contexts, and the cultural distribution and representation of individuals charged with making decisions regarding ethical standards, are important factors in considering the applicability of a code of ethics to an international community” (p. 18). Bradshaw et al. frame their discussion of power relations with the term “cultural capital” which they define as “symbolic power based on a variety of factors related to social status and cultural ascendancy” (p. 15). Young’s (2009) CBM model includes attention to cultural capital as an element of the anthropology of culture but takes a more narrow view of this construct as part of the economics of a society or culture with a focus on production, distribution and consumption characteristics of a culture or target learner.

Bentley, J.P.H., Tinney, M.V. & Chia, B.H. (2004) Intercultural Internet-Based Learning:

Know Your Audience and What It Values. Educational Technology Research & Development, 53(2), 117-127.

Bradshaw, A.C., Keller, C.O. & Chen C. (2003). Reflecting on ethics, ethical codes, and

relevance in an international instructional technology community. Tech Trends, 47(6) 12-18.

Dodig-Crnkovic, G. & Horniak, V. (2006). Togetherness and respect: Ethical concerns of privacy in global web societies. AI & Society, 20, 372-383.

Hergert, T. (2003) Consultant's dilemmas: Trust, ethics, and effective practice across cultures. TechTrends, 47(6), 26-33.

Ku, H., Pan, C.,Tsai, M., Tao, Y. & Cornell, R.A. (2004) The impact of instructional technology interventions on Asian pedagogy. Educational Technology Research & Development, 52(1), 88-92.

Loewer, A. (2003). Preserving, restoring, integrating: Educational practices of the Yanomamo, Ojibway, and Aborigines in contemporary society. Educational Technology Research & Development, 51(2), 83-87.

Marchessou, F. (2001). Some ethical concerns in ed-tech consultancies across borders. Educational Technology Research & Development, 48(4), 110-114.

Young, P.A. (2009). Instructional design frameworks and intercultural models. Hershey, PA: IGI Global/Information Science Publishing.

Zhang, J. (2010). Technology-supported learning innovation in cultural contexts. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58, 229-243.

Notes on Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:29:00 +0000

An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I made the final decision to pursue a PhD in Instructional Technology, I read this book in the months before starting as a way of plunging into the study of education. I don't think I could have chosen any better- excellent!

My book notes:

Section 1: On the different species of philosophy

In this section Hume distinguishes philosophy for the sake of philosophy from applied philosophy. He wishes to argue for a more scientific approach to exploring "human understanding."

p. 2 If they can discover some hidden truths which may contribute to the instruction of posterity.
p. 5 defines metaphysics as the "absolute rejection of all profound reasonings
p. 6 of any art or profession: "a spirit of accuracy carries all of them nearer their perfection, renders them more subservient to the interests of society"
p. 8 the mind is endowed with several powers and faculties, that these powers are distinct from each other, that what is really distinct to the immediate perception may be distinguished by reflexion: and consequently, that there is a truth and falsehood, which lie not beyond the compass of human understanding. There are many obvious distinctions of this kind, such as those between the will and understanding, the imagination and passions, which fall within the comprehension of every human creature; and the finer and more philosophical distinctions are no less real and certain, though more difficult to be comprehended.

Section 2: Of the origin of ideas

In this section, Hume distinguishes thoughts and ideas from sensory impressions.

p. 13 the less forcible and lively are commonly denominated Thoughts or Ideas--- impression- all our more lively perceptions, when we hear, or see, or feel, or love, or hate, or desire, or will. And impressions are distinguished from ideas, which are less lively perceptions, of which we are conscious, when we reflect on any of those sensations or movements above mentioned.
p. 13-14 creative power of the mind amounts to no more than the faculty compounding, transposing, augmenting, or diminishing the materials afforded us by the sense and experience.
p. 16 When we entertain, therefore, any suspicion that a philosophical term is employed without any meaning or idea (as is but too frequent), we need but enquire, from what impression is that supposed idea derived? And if it be impossible to assign any, this will serve to confirm our suspicion."

Section 3 Of the association of ideas

In this brief section, Hume proposes three categories for defining association between ideas: resemblance, contiguity in time or place and cause or effect-- three principles of connexion

p. 18 But that this enumeration is complete and that there are no other principles of association except these, may be difficult to prove to the satisfaction of the reader, or even to a man's own satisfaction. All we can do, in such cases, is to run over several instances, and examine carefully the principle which binds the different thoughts to each other, never stopping till we render the principal as general as possible

Section 4 Sceptical doubts concerning the operations of the understanding

Part 1

Relations of ideas: geometry, algebra, arithmetic

Propositions of this type are discoverable by the mere operation of thoughts, without dependence on what is anywhere existent in the universe

Matters of Fact

p. 20 All reasonings concerning matter of fact seem to be founded on the relation of cause and effect- near or remote, direct or collateral

What is the nature of that evidence which assures us of any real existence and matter of fact, beyond the present testimony of our senses, or the records of our memory?

p. 20 causes and effects are discoverable, not by reason but by experience

p. 24 the utmost effect of human reason is to reduce the principles, productive of natural phenomena, to a greater simplicity, and to resolve the many particular effects into a few general causes, by means of reasonings from analogy, experience and observation

Part 2
What is the nature of all our reasonings concerning matter of fact?
-founded on the relation of cause and effect

What is the foundation of all our reasonings and conclusions concering that relation?
-experience

What is the foundation of all conclusions from experience?
-all influences from experience suppose that the future will resemble the past and that similar powers will be conjoined with similar sensible qualities

Section 5 Sceptical solution of these doubts

Part 1

p. 36 Reason is incapable of such variation. The conclusions which it draws from considering one circle are the same which it would form upon surveying all the circles in the universe.
All inferences from experience are effects of custom, not of reasoning.

Part 2

Belief

p. 39 nothing but a more vivid, lively, forcible, firm, steady conception of an object, than what the imagination alone is ever able to attain
p. 41 customary conjunction of the object with something present ot the memory or senses
p. 42 Sensible objects have always a greater influence on the fancy than any other; and this influence they readily convey to those ideas to they are related, and which they resemble.

Section 6 Of probability

p. 47 There are some causes, which are entirely uniform and constant in producing a particular effect; and no instance has ever yet been found of any failure or irregularity in their operation... but there are other causes which have been found more irregular and uncertain
p. 48 Though we give the preference to that which has been found most usual, and believe that this effect will exist, we must not overlook the other effects, we must not overlook the other effects, but must assign to each of them a particular weight and authority, in proposition as we have found it to be more or less frequent.

Section 7 Of the idea of necessary connexion

p. 50 There are no ideas, which occur in metaphysics, more obscure and uncertain than those of power, force, energy or necessary connexion, of which it is every moment necessary for us to treat in all our disquisitions.
p. 51 all our ideas are nothing but copies of our impressions, or, in other words, that it is impossible for us to think of anything, which we have not antecedntly felt, either by our external or internal senses
p. 52 external objects are they appear to the sense, give us no idea of power or necessary connexion
p. 62 one object connected with another -- they have acquired a connexion in our thought and give rise to this influence, by which they become proof of each other's existence

Section 8 Of liberty & necessity

Part 1

p. 66 the economy of the intellectual system or region of spirits
p. 67 Beyond the constant conjunction of similar objects, and the consequent influence from one to the other, we have no notion of any necessity or connexion
p. 74 It seems almost impossible, therefore, to engage either in science or action of any kind without acknowledging the doctrine of necessity, and this inference from motive to voluntary actions, from characters to conduct.
p. 76 particular objects are constantly conjoined together, and that the mind is carried, by a customary transition, from the appearnce of one to the belief of the other.
p. 78 By liberty... we can only mean a power of acting or not acting, according to the determinations of the will
p. 79 There is no method of reasoning more common, and yet none more blameable, than in philosophical disputes, to endeavor the refutation of any hypothesis, by a pretence of its dangerous consequences to religion or morality.

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Cultural considerations in collaboration and communication

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:33:00 +0000

This post reviews IDT literature on cultural dynamics related to collaboration and communication in learning teams and online settings. For example, Paulus et al. (2005) address the challenges of teams of international students working on project-based learning activities in a study exploring “whether or how one component of culture, power distance, could provide insight into group dynamics” (p.43). Paulus et al. (2005) take a case study approach and collect data through observation, interview and questionnaire data, and analyzed using an affinity diagram technique to organize. The participants are members of an elective course in graduate design at a large Midwestern university in the US, including both US and international students. Paulus et al. (2005) discuss the results in relation to Hofstede’s two levels of power distance: low and high. They described the activities of the groups and cross-referenced with low or high power distance indicators to show where groups fell in different group dynamic topics, e.g. roles, decision-making, etc. They found that low power distance was revealed within group interactions of international students and high power distance was revealed in inter-group conflict between international students and US students. Ku and Lohr (2003) also rely on Hofstede’s dimensions to examine cultural influences in the online learning environment. Problems associated with the use of Hofstede’s dimensions will be discussed later in this literature review. Young’s (2009) CBM model addresses group dynamics with attention to cultural relations, providing questions for guided inquiry of how learners relate to each other.
Burniske (2003) takes a case study approach to examine an online community of educators in Ghana and Uganda, finding that communication issues related to culture were a challenge: “Participants confronted myriad challenges, including a cultural bias with respect to questions and criticism (two fundamental activities in the telecollaborative process), which predisposed them to consider such gestures ‘impolite’ among strangers” (p. 107). In a case study of intercultural online communications between US and Taiwanese college students, Shih & Cifeuntes (2003) found “six intercultural issues and phenomena during [e-mail] exchanges: a) the need for visual images, b) bewilderment of Taiwanese students, c) excessive expressions of gratitude of Taiwanese students, (d) disparate expectations, (e) direct versus indirect writings, and (f) misinterpretation” (p. 86). Young’s (2009) model provides extensive attention to cultural communications, defined as the exchange or transmission of information, and provides levels of inquiry on this topic that include: language, nonverbal and verbal; writing; temporal communications; visual communications; and semiotics, signs and symbols.

References

Burniske, R.W. (2003). East Africa Meets West Africa: Fostering an Online Community of Inquiry for Educators in Ghana and Uganda. Educational Technology Research & Development, 51(4), 106-113.

Hofstede, G. (1984). National cultures and corporate cultures. In L.A. Samovar & R.E. Porter (Eds.), Communication Between Cultures. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ku, H. Y., & Lohr, L. L. (2003). A case study of Chinese students’ attitudes toward their
first online learning experience. Educational Technology Research and Development, 51(3), 95-102.

Paulus, T. M., Bichelmeyer, B., Malopinsky, M.P. & Rastogi, P. (2005). Power distance and group dynamics of an international project team: a case. Teaching in Higher Education, 10(1), 43-55.

Shih, Y.D. & Cifuentes, L. (2003) Taiwanese intercultural phenomena and
issues in a United States–Taiwan telecommunications partnership. Educational Technology, Research & Development, 51(3), 82-102.

Young, P.A. (2009). Instructional design frameworks and intercultural models. Hershey, PA: IGI Global/Information Science Publishing.

Review of Theatetus of Plato on Goodreads

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:13:00 +0000

Theatetus of Plato by Plato
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So if I write down everything my teacher says and publish it, I get to be the author?

Is knowledge perception? 1) Theaterus' claim
2) Protagorus' doctrine that man is the measure of all things 3) Heraclitus' theory of flux

---> supports Platonic doctrine that true reality is a non sensible realm of changeless being "The Forms"

Critique of three theses
1) each man is the measure of his own wisdom
2) everyone is equally wise
3) there is no such thing as wisdom
4) no one is wiser than anyone else

-------
3 stages
1) Development of ideas
2) Maturity of ideas
3) Metaphysical Truth

This work represents potential & intelligence

Recent scholarship questions whether The Theatetus is an intentionally deceptive dialogue ----> Socrates is less consistent & this may be intentional for reader to be engaged in the challenge

Plato does not allow for perceptions because they are sensory dependent

Theory of Recollection - you already had all the knowledge & it got scattered at birth.

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Review of Ecological Thinking on Good Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:12:00 +0000

Ecological Thinking: The Politics of Epistemic Location by Lorraine Code
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In Ecological Thinking: The Politics of Epistemic Location, Code (2006) frames her philosophy of “ecological thinking” in reverent analysis of Rachel Carson’s methods in works like Silent Spring. She calls Carson a “practitioner of a practical ecology reliant on ‘empirical generalizations’,” yet also dependent on “narrow and precise local hypotheses.” She characterizes this method as “living the tension… working back and forth between an instituted, rhetorically monitored scientific orthodoxy and an attentive respect for particularity that is subversive of many of the fundamental assumptions of scientific orthodoxy.” She then builds an argument around such negotiations of empiricism. Code seeks to articulate an epistemology and accompanying methods/methodologies “capable of generating and adjudicating knowledge both about the factuality of the physical/material world and about a social order whose epistemic assumptions are complicit in sustaining its own positive and negative enactments” (p.97). Finally, she proposes an epistemology that assumes “statements of fact indeed acquire or fail to achieve factual status situationally according to the patterns of authority and expertise constitutive of the institution(s) of knowledge production in whose discursive spaces they circulate and within whose praxes they are constituted and embedded” (p. 99).

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ICTs in Emerging Economies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:03:00 +0000

This post explores analysis and findings in research literature that points to a need for more flexibility and attention to culture in the process of instructional design and integration of instructional technology in emerging economies.

In reflecting on a previously conducted survey, Zhang and Shin (2002) compare the open and distance education models of China, India and Hong Kong. This study considers types of courses, delivery methods, student demographics, including gender and access, funding and staffing. They also show that India’s flagship open learning institution (IGNOU) is primarily staffed by part-time adjunct faculty and that ICT initiatives lag behind the other two countries. These researchers conclude that the China’s program is indigenous and Hong Kong and India’s are imported.

In “Taking Ownership: Strengthening Indigenous Cultures and Languages Through the Use of ICTs” Lieberman (2003) considers the dynamics of using ICTs for the benefit of indigenous cultural causes. He develops this overview by starting from the broad perspective of the impact of globalization on indigenous cultures then narrowing his focus to the impact of ICTs. Though Lieberman acknowledges both actual and potentially negative consequences of ICTs on indigenous cultures, his aim in this article is to identify examples of positive initiatives and explore the potential for further use and benefits. He highlights indigenous culture ICT initiatives for community building, language revitalization, education, commerce and environmental protection and considers these initiatives with attention to policy, capacity building, usage and implementation. Throughout the article, Lieberman emphasizes the imperative of indigenous empowerment, self-determination and ideological sustainability in order to reach positive ends through ICTs.

Lieberman does not only focus on the use of ICTs in education, yet his examples of political and economic uses still lie in a form of education- the dissemination of information. By grounding his examples in the broader discussion of the impact of globalization and ICTs on indigenous cultures, Lieberman (2003) highlights some of the central questions about the socio-cultural implications of educational technology. Does widespread use of ICTs: Encourage homogenization of cultures? Replace indigenous forms of learning or the wisdom of tradition and elders? Reinforce detrimental economic hegemonies? His answer to these questions seems to be, “Possibly”; however, he states, “it is preferable to take a pro-active and culturally sensitive approach to technology introduction.” The argument he makes in this article is that 1) the use of ICTs is already widespread and inevitable, and 2) policies towards productive and positive uses of ICTs may mediate the potential for negative consequences.

In the context of higher-education, Ezer (2006) interviews faculty and students in India to get an impression of the attitudes towards ICTs and ICTs in education in India. Ezer explores what Indian faculty and students believe to be the purpose of ICT. In particular, he poses the question of whether ICT and ICT education should work towards the benefit of individuals or society. He lays the groundwork for his findings about attitudes towards ICT and ICT education by discussing the authority dependent roots of the educational system in India. He concludes that students and faculty show optimism about ICT and seem to have whole heartedly adopted the Western model of individualistic, rational and imperialistic success. He uses his conclusion to claim that this model does not follow Ghandian philosophy. Ezer’s research is particularly relevant to the case in this research because attitudes towards ICTs by faculty and students in India interact significantly with the purpose of the training program, the students’ experience in the training program and the potential market for the i3Dv product.

In a chapter on African Education Perspectives on Culture and E-learning Convergence, Kinuthia (2007) highlights the complexities of encountering culture in e-learning environments while stressing its importance as a factor in design decisions. Resistant to prescriptive models, she proposes acknowledgement of the multiple perspectives involved for “jointly-negotiated advances” in e-learning.

Research on distance education in the global context also provides insight from nations with developed economies, revealing the same need for attention to culture (Marchessou, 1999). For example, in a chapter for the Handbook of Distance Education reviewing literature on “Learning in a Global Society,” Visser (2007) characterizes cognition as a complex “ecological phenomenon” (p.641). He explores implications of global diversity on learning networks and discusses implications for interinstitutional collaboration. Albrechtsen, Mariger and Parker (2001) review the history and current trends of distance education in Europe and Japan and emphasize the challenges of language and cultural differences in Europe, calling it a “Babel effect” (p.109).

References

Albrechtsen, K., Mariger, H. & Parker, C. (2001). Distance Education and the Impact of

Technology in Europe and Japan. Educational Technology Research & Development, 49(3), 107-114.

Ezer, J. (2006). Gandhi's third assassination: Information and communications technology education in India. Information Technology for Development, (12)3, 201-212.

Kinuthia, W. (2007). African Education Perspectives on Culture and E-learning Convergence. In A. Edmundson (Ed.) Globalized e-learning cultural challenges (pp. 60-72). Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing.

Lieberman, A.E. (2003). Taking ownership: Strengthening indigenous cultures and languages through the use of ICTs. Retrieved February 11, 2008 from Learnlink website:

Marchessou, F. (2001). Some ethical concerns in ed-tech consultancies across borders. Educational Technology Research & Development, 48(4), 110-114.

Visser, J. (2007). Learning in a global society. In M. G. Moore (Ed.), Handbook of Distance Education (Second Edition ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Culture and educational psychology constructs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:48:00 +0000

This post summarizes educational psychology constructs that have been examined in the IDT literature with attention to cross-border or cross-cultural dynamics.

In looking at components of motivation in a group of international distance education students, Visser, Plomp, Amirault and Kuiper (2002) use the ARCS model (attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction) to find that attempts to personally customize motivational messages for students was time-consuming and no more effective than collective messages.

Gunawardena et al. (1996) used Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory to characterize the learning styles of adult learners in Open University students in Sri Lanka. Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory identifies learning styles as accommodator, diverger, converger or assimilator on a Cartesian coordinate polarizing concrete experience and abstract conceptualization and active experimentation and reflective observation. Gunawardena et al. (1996) found the dominant learning style to be Assimilators and posit that “the dominant Assimilator style to a certain degree reflects the traditional ways in which students are taught in Sri Lanka, in a face-to-face lecture-style classroom where the acquisition of theory, facts, and abstract knowledge is of primary concern” (p.117). However, they do acknowledge that “one of the questions that remains to be answered in order to better understand learning styles is related to the appropriateness of the LSI for this cultural context” (p. 116).

As Tirri and Campbell (2010) point out in a discussion of the current state of cross-cultural research in education, “the flow of ideas on the psychological measurements is a one-way flood of American constructs” (p.20).

Young’s (2009) CBM approach to psychology of culture allows for inductive analysis of learners in a particular situation through qualitative inquiry and avoids the problematic implications of applying psychological constructs across cultures.

Gunawardena, C.N., Jayatilleke, G. & Lekamge, G.D. (1996). Learning style of the open university students of Sri Lanka. Educational Technology Research and Development, 44(1), 115-120.

Tirri, K. & Campbell, J.R. (2010). Current trends and dilemmas in cross-cultural research. In D.K. Sharpes (Ed.), Handbook on International Studies in Education. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Visser, L., Plomp, T., Amirault, R.J., & Kuiper, W. (2002). Motivating students at a distance: The case of an international audience. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(2), 94-110.

Young, P.A. (2009). Instructional design frameworks and intercultural models. Hershey, PA: IGI Global/Information Science Publishing.

Young's Culture Based Model

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:27:00 +0000

This post will provide a summary of Patricia Young's Culture Based Model for Instructional Design taken from her groundbreaking and useful guide, Instructional design frameworks and intercultural models (2009).

So far, one of the most comprehensive design frameworks with attention to culture in the process of instructional design has been offered by Young in her body of work from 1999-2009. Young finds that methods of integrating culture in design are limited in scope: “design has not caught up with technology and that to create for diverse audiences the process must be deliberate… the integration of culture in the design of ICTs will require novel ways of engaging the design process” (2008, p.14). Young (2009) seeks to establish culture as a design construct. First, she establishes that design is a deliberate, creative, social action that generates meaning and that “design constructs function to explain, predict and interpret design related data” (p.26). Then, she proposes that “culture is a design” that is also a creative, social act that generates meaning and order (p.26). She sees this as a semiotic relationship that should be acknowledged in design frameworks.

Young offers the Culture-Based Model (CBM) with the acronym ID_TABLET: inquiry, development, team, assessments, brainstorming, learners, elements, and training with 70 design factors tied to these features (see Figure 1). As part of the ID-TABLET framework, she lists twenty-five elements that “can be used to understand, define or evaluate the target audience” in three categories: anthropology of culture, psychology of culture and science of culture (p.64).

Figure 1 Young’s (2009) Culture Based Model

Inquiry

Genre

Framing

Omission

Backgrounding

Foregrounding

Visual Representations

Development

Consider technical, aesthetic, content, culture-based, and target audience design specifications.

Mass distribution formats.

Effective technology.

Diversify ICT format.

Understand target audience.

Explore environmental and individual/group cultures.

Quality design.

Authenticate product.

Control for interference.

Model the product or process.

Team

Cultural expert.

Enlist educators.

Culturally informed team.

Assessments

Multiple evaluation options.

Assess the assessment.

External review.

Culture-specific assessments.

Brainstorming

Financial support.

Pilot studies/field tests of product.

Assess community’s response.

Community representative on team.

Investigate target audience to authenticate product.

Reflect and assess learning goals.

Affordable design.

Meet needs of target audience.

Discuss and consider cultural context.

Present and consider outcomes.

Learners

Extend learning.

Differentiate opportunities to learn.

Empower and engage learners.

Teach proactive learning.

Identify educational objectives.

Culture-specific instructional strategies.

Enrich instructional content.

Adapt instruction to learner.

Plan for instruction.

Enculturate the learner.

Elements

Anthropology of culture

Cultural aesthetics

Cultural artifacts

Cultural capital

Cultural classification

Cultural communications

Cultural demographics

Cultural environment

Cultural history

Cultural knowledge

Cultural language

Cultural physiology

Cultural relations

Cultural resources

Psychology of culture

Cultural beliefs and values

Cultural experiences

Cultural ideas

Cultural identity

Cultural interests

Cultural misconceptions

Cultural ways

Science of culture

Cultural anomalies

Cultural cultures

Cultural futures

Cultural infinities

Cultural nature

Training

Product training.

Culture-based training.

Note. Quoted from Young (2009) pages 41-45.

Young (2009) emphasizes that her work maintains the traditional definition of instructional design, citing Reigeluth’s (1983) emphasis on systematic processes and measurability and explaining that these processes are “grounded in the generic system” of the ADDIE model (p. xv). She proposes to fill the gap where a “comprehensive framework to align culture with the ADDIE model has not been available” (p. xv). In the Foreword to Young’s book, Instructional Design Frameworks and Intercultural Models, Richey (2009) calls Young’s model an “over-lay model, one which adds the cultural component to a somewhat traditional ID model” (p. ix). However, she also says that Young’s model is “compatible with a systemic (rather than a systematic) view of the world” (p.xi). Young’s work is new and cannot yet claim to have empirical support evaluating the effectiveness of what it prescribes to designers; however, Richey (2009) declares that Young’s model is supported by rock-solid research. Young’s method for developing the model is grounded in empirical observation and qualitative analysis of instructional design artifacts.

Review of Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:19:00 +0000

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Frank McCourt is most famous for Angela's Ashes. Before he wrote that best-selling, award winning memoir, however, he was a high school and community college English teacher. This book is a collection of stories from his classroom- ranging from run-ins with administration, anecdotes of student discussions, innovative lesson plan ideas, and his own educational journey.

View all my reviews

ADDIE or EDDIE: Analyze or Engage?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:13:00 +0000

In order to consider cultural implications of the process of instructional design and the role of its practitioners, this post considers the objective, analytical positioning of instructional designers perpetuated by the field's central model, ADDIE, by asking the question: Does the A in ADDIE provide optimal guidance in increasingly global and constructive learning environments? This question is contemplated with attention to 1) cultural implications of the ADDIE model’s analytical positioning, 2) the flexibility of ADDIE in practice, and 3) a proposed modification to replace the A, for analyze, with E, for engage.

ADDIE or EDDIE: Analyze or engage?

Introduction

If you are an instructional designer or a subject matter expert (SME) asked to design instruction or produce an instructional tool, and you turn to resources from the field of instructional design, you will most commonly be greeted by the ADDIE model or its progeny. Because the ADDIE model begins with the A, Analyze, this model tells you that your first step is to objectively approach your audience and the problem. With this beginning, the model sets in motion a process of taking apart and examining the problem, learners and the environment in order to progress to the rest of the process of designing, developing, implementing and evaluating.

As the field of instructional design continues to open up to considerations of culture, it is important to consider how this objectivist model positions its practitioners. There is an established and growing body of literature acknowledging the need to better understand the function, impact and implications of culture in instructional design (Damarin, 1998; Heemskerk, Brink, Volman & ten Dam, 2005; Henderson, 1996; Seufert, 2001; Willis, 2005). This body of literature highlights the need for cultural awareness and attention to individual differences in design, content and delivery in the areas of primary, secondary, higher education and e-learning settings (Bonk & Cunningham, 1998; Ezer, 2006; McLoughlin, 2001; Powell, 1993; Vrasidas & Zembylas, 2003; Wild & Henderson, 1997).

In order to continue to make strides in this area, we also need to consider cultural implications of the process of instructional design and the role of its practitioners. Does the A in ADDIE provide optimal guidance in increasingly global and constructive learning environments? This essay will contemplate this question with attention to 1) cultural implications of the ADDIE model’s analytical positioning, 2) the flexibility of ADDIE in practice, and 3) a proposed modification.

Cultural implications of an objective analytical model

The negative impact of objective paradigms in learning environments has been highlighted in the robust body of literature that values constructivist models for taking culture into account in education (Huang, 2002; Jonassen, 1994). Though still a topic for debate in instructional design, there is wide-spread attention to the need for transitions in teacher-directed, knowledge acquisition models of learning (Knowles, 1975; Mezirow, 2000).

There is also growing attention to how instructional designers are positioned by the analytical focus of the ADDIE model (Thomas, Mitchell & Joseph, 2002; Wilson, 2005). Borrowing from cultural studies, this discussion seeks to examine the implications of instructional designers as central analysts.

Studies and models of the roles of instructional designers clearly indicate the central role of communication and negotiating relationships (Rossett, 1998; Wang, 2007). Buber (1947/1970) philosophized dual modes of communicative relationships: 1) an I-Thou dialogue, where individuals encounter others equally in a mutual exchange of perceptions or 2) an I-It monologue, where individuals impose perceptions on others with no mutual exchange. Buber’s dualistic model is useful in examining the cultural implications of the A in ADDIE. The instructional designer, initially positioned as an analyst, works from a paradigm of I am I, and you, the problem, stakeholders, learner, environment and solution are to be taken to pieces and examined from my perspective.

In Buber’s model, this type of I-It positioning results in a monologue, where the analyst ends up in a conversation with him/herself about his/her own perceptions. This analytical structure presumes objectivity and also sets up a process that values the data gathering choices, interpretations and decisions of the analyst.

For years now, cultural critics have effectively highlighted the inaccuracy and damaging effects of such hegemonic models for inquiry (Bhaba, 1994; Said, 1978), and the impact of this critique is clearly evidenced in cultural studies of education (Giroux, 1996). With attention to both cultural and constructivist considerations, instructors now situate themselves in the classroom as facilitators. However, instructional designers are only sometimes instructors, and the classroom is only one location of the instructional design process.

The A for analyze in the ADDIE model may poorly situate instructional designers as actors in a paradigm of objectivity who are asked to break things apart in environments that are increasingly collaborative and constructivist.

ADDIE in practice

It is fair to argue that instructional designers have been positioning themselves as collaborators and facilitators for years, just look at Thiagi (1976) and his career crusade to “let the inmates run the asylum.” The ADDIE model, then, could be viewed as flexible enough to encompass transitions and diverse perspectives in the field.

In a review of the history and emerging trends of instructional development models, Gustafson & Branch (1997) defend the fundamentals of ADDIE and its progeny of models as broadly applicable and accurate against claims that they are not well-suited to current pedagogies or conditions of dynamic, constructivist and cross-cultural environments. However, in a later collaboration, Gustafson with Visscher-Voerman (2004) found that the activities of highly reputable designers “indeed, do deviate from the activities and order proposed by ADDIE models” (p. 70) and go on to examine how these activities fit into different design paradigms. As Wilson (2007) acknowledges, the rules and theories of instructional design and technology (IDT) must be examined in different settings because “the knowledge and skills required for effective practice tend to be extremely sensitive to local conditions” (p. 342). A collection of studies edited by Armstrong (2004) illustrates the sensitivity of the process of IDT to environments and systems by presenting cases in a variety of situations and discussing implications for instructional designers. In this collection, scholars and practitioners reflect on the use of ADDIE across sectors and across borders and suggest expanding the ADDIE model.

As a model, ADDIE prescribes a course of action and a way of conceptualizing design, and its purpose is to provide guidance for instructional designers. If this is the case, shouldn’t this model accurately describe transitions in the field that have been prompted by attention to culture and constructivism?

The ADDIE model has been changed before. Even though it is considered the basis for most instructional design models, the exact origin of the acronym ADDIE, is unknown (Molenda, 2003). In tracing the model back to a closely matching model used by the military, Molenda (2003) finds the acronym to be ADDIC, where the C stands for control. In its evolution, then, ADDIE has already been modified to acknowledge how one component, such as control, might be subsumed into implementation. The ADDIE model might be modified again to subsume analysis into a more encompassing and essential first step in participating in the creation of opportunities for learning: to engage. The term “analyze” might be better replaced with “engage” in order to set a tone that is inclusive of all participants and more reflective of what is happening in the field of instructional design and technology.

EDDIE: The first step is to engage

Isn’t analysis still centrally important? It’s difficult to imagine project management or even thought processes without analysis; arguably, analysis is an underlying part of every stage of the design process. By replacing analysis with engage, the EDDIE model acknowledges the crucial importance of dialogue and the inclusion of a variety of perspectives in analyzing and solving instructional design problems.

If not analyze first, why engage? The term engage could set a tone for the design process that prioritizes entering into mutual exchanges. The crucial role of relationships in the design process is highlighted by works influential to the field of instructional design (Rogers, 1995; Rossett, 1998), but not reflected in its fundamental model. The image posted above shows the role of the designer in constructive engagement the problem, stakeholders, learner, environment and solution.

Is this just a matter of semantics? In part, but it is a matter of semantics under a cultural lens that acknowledges the importance and implications of language and semiotics (Barthes, 1957/1972). ADDIE, as an acronym, is well-suited for internet information retrieval and quick assimilation into the practice of instructional designers or subject matter experts who will never take on an in-depth study of the field. With this acronym so well-designed for access and memorization, there are far-reaching implications of how it positions its practitioners in the instructional design process.

Should we just do away with models all together?

The roots of instructional design cling to the soil of the military-industrial complex and its call for more effective, efficient and productive processes for uniform training. Though still of legitimate concern in today’s learning environments that reflect the transitional growth from industrial to knowledge based economies, calls for effectiveness, efficiency and productivity are now accompanied by calls for equity, sustainability and innovation.

Petrina (2004) argues that the models proposed by instructional designers are lacking because “universal formulas” could only work in apolitical environments which arguably, do not exist. However, a model for the process of instructional design that incorporates the political, by positioning the designer to engage rather than analyze the environment and diversity of voices, may work towards more equitable, sustainable and innovative approaches and outcomes. EDDIE, as a model of inclusion, prompts practitioners to position themselves as engaged participants in a process that can make room for both objectivist and constructivist approaches, depending on the circumstances. This blended and balanced approach is advocated by a growing number of scholars and practitioners in instructional design (Christensen, 2008; Wilson, 2005).

Conclusion

If you are an instructional designer or a subject matter expert (SME) asked to design instruction or produce an instructional tool, and you turn to resources from the field of instructional design, how might your process and results differ if you were met with the EDDIE model for guidance? Studies gathering evidence from the literature about how current practices reflect constructive engagement and studies designed to test the EDDIE model would provide useful guidance in answering this question. This discussion provides a framework for further research considering the role of instructional designers in the transitioning environment of globalized instructional design.

References

Armstrong, AM (2004). Instructional Design in the Real World: A View from the Trenches. Hershey, PA: IRM Press.

Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies. (A. Lavers, Trans.) Canada: Harper Collins. (Original work published 1957).

Bhaba, H. (1994) The Location of Culture. New York: Routledge.

Bonk, C.J. & Cunnighmam, D.J. (1998) Searching for learner-centered, constructivist, and sociocultural components of collaborative educational learning tools. In C.J. Bonk & K. S. King (Eds.) Electronic Collaborators: Learner-centered technologies for Literacy, Apprenticeship and Discourse. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Britza, J.J., Lorc, P.J., Coetzee, I.E.M., & Bestere, B.C. (2006). Africa as a knowledge society: A reality check. The International Information & Library Review 38, 25-40.

Buber, M. (1970). I and Thou. (W. Kaufmann, Trans.) New York: Charles Scribners Sons. (Original work published 1947).

Christensen, T. (2008) The role of theory in instructional design: Some views of an ID practitioner. Performance Improvement 47(4), 25-32.

Dahlman, C. & Utz, A. (2005). India and the knowledge economy: Leveraging strengths and opportunities. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.

Damarin, S.K. (1998). Technology and multicultural education: The question of convergence. Theory into Practice 37(1), 11-19.

Ezer, J. (2006). Gandhi's third assassination: Information and communications technology education in India. Information Technology for Development (12)3, 201-212.

Giroux, H.A. (1996). Is there a place for cultural studies in colleges of education? In H.A. Giroux, C. Lankshear, P. McLaren and M. Peters (Eds.), Counternarratives: Cultural studies and critical pedagogies in postmodern spaces. New York: Routledge, 41-58.

Gustafson, K. & Branch, R.M. (1997). Revisioning models of instructional development. Educational Technology Research and Development 45(1), 73-89.

Heemskerk, I., Brink, A., Volman, M. & ten Dam, G. (2005). Inclusiveness and ICT education: a focus on gender, ethnicity and social class. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 21, 1-16.

Henderson, L. (1996) Instructional design of interactive multimedia: A cultural critique. Educational Technology Research & Development 44(4). 85-104.

Huang, H.M. (2002). Toward constructivism for adult learners in online learning environments. British Journal of Educational Technology 33(1), 27-37.

Jonnassen, D.H. (1994). Objectivism vs. constructivism: Do we need a new philosophical paradigm? Educational Technology Research and Development 39(3), 5-14.

Knowles, M.S. (1975). Self-directed learning. New York: Association Press.

McLoughlin, C. (2001). Inclusivity and alignment: Principles of pedagogy, task and assessment design for effective cross-cultural online learning. Distance Education, 22(1), 7-29. Retrieved April 21, 2008, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 87516871).

Mezirow, J. & Associates. (2000). Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Molenda, M. (2003). In search of the elusive ADDIE model. Performance Improvement (42)5. 34-36.

Petrina, S. (2004). The politics of curriculum and instructional design/theory/form: Critical problems, projects, units and modules. Interchange 35(1), 81-126.

Rogers, E. M. (1995) Diffusion of Innovations. NewYork: Free Press.

Rossett, A. (1998). First Things Fast: A handbook for performance analysis. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Said, E. (1978). Orientalism. New York: Pantheon Books.

Seufert, S. (2001). Cultural perspectives. In H.H. Alderberger, B. Collis, & J.M. Pawlowski (Eds.) Handbook of Information Technologies for Education and Training. Berlin et. al: Springer.

Thiagarajan, S. (1976). Help I am trapped inside an ID model! National Society for Performance Improvement Journal, 10-11.

Thomas, M., Mitchell, M. & Joseph, R. (2002). The third dimension of ADDIE: A cultural embrace. Tech Trends, 46(2), 40-45.

Visscher-Voerman, I. & Gustafson, K.L. (2004). Paradigms in the theory and practice of education and training design. Educational Technology Research and Development 52(2), 69-89.

Vrasidas, C., & Zembylas, M. (2003). The nature of technology-mediated interaction in globalized distance education. International Journal of Training and Development, 7(4), 271-286.

Wang, C. X. (2007) Exploring instructional technology consulting in two different culture settings. Special Issue of International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning 1(1/2), 47-68.

Wild, M., & Henderson, L. (1997). Contextualizing learning in the World Wide Web: Accounting for the impact of culture. Education and Information Technologies 2, 179-192.

Willis, J. (2005). Culture, context, and the diffusion of technology in education. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning 1(1), 9-18.

Wilson, B.G. (2005) Broadening our foundation for instructional design: Four pillars of practice. Educational Technology 45(2), 10-15.

Wilson, B. (2007). Two roads diverging. In R.A. Reiser & J.V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology 2nd ed. New Jersey: Pearson.

Culture in Educational Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:06:00 +0000

The amount of interest and research on culture in educational technology and technology (educational technology) might be characterized by a quick internet search, which reveals a vast and growing number of journals, conference presentations, professional associations, divisions within existing professional associations, online discussion forums, blogs and social networks dedicated to this topic (See International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT); NAFSA: Association of International Educators; International Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology; UNESCO Education for All World Education Forum; International Higher Education Consulting Blog; The Global Education Collaborative Ning). In this vast body of research, there is attention to a wide array of topics such as the digital divide, multicultural education, cultural relevance, internationalization and localization of educational content and cross-cultural awareness (Aydin & McIsaac, 2004; Barta, Jette & Wiseman, 2003; Bentley, Tinney & Chia, 2004; Debry, 2002; Powell, 1997). In addition to empirical studies in those areas, critiques, analysis, definitions and theories of culture abound as trends of globalization grow (Gunawardena & LaPointe, 2008; Perkins, 2008; Subramony, 2004; Thomas, Mitchell & Joseph, 2002).

Clearly, a great amount of attention has been paid to culture in the research and design projects of the educational technology discipline in recent years, yet there is still a noticeable absence of attention to culture in some of the major publications of the field (Subramony, 2004), including the Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, 3rd edition just published in 2007. When culture is attended to in the institutionalized texts of the field, it is often approached as a manageable factor of targeting the needs of an audience. For example, in the widely-used textbook, Trends and Issues in Educational technology and Technology, in a chapter on Educational technology in Business and Industry, Richey, Morrison and Foxon (2007) address globalization of training by acknowledging the trends of internationalization and localization, claiming that “internationalization produces a culturally free product” (p.181). This type of claim relies on the assumption that educational technologists and products can somehow achieve cultural neutrality and that the culture of the audience being targeted is the only factor influencing the design of a product.

Other views seek to avoid the messy entanglement of sorting out culture. In reviewing competencies for educational technologists in the same textbook, Davidson-Shivers and Rasmussen (2007) list attention to characteristics of the target population, environment and situation as necessary for educational technologists; however, they do not mention culture. Perkins (2008) considers whether the challenges concerning culturally-sensitive design may not deal with “the nebulous concept of culture, but instead context” (p. 19). Yet, context may be distinguished from culture in that culture, as defined across disciplines, describes influences on an individual or group derived from what humans share or have shared at a social level over at least an incubating period of time (Kroeber & Kluckhohn, 1952). Context, on the other hand, may operate on for an individual without being shared and may exist only in a fleeting capacity. Context, though it may overlap in some places with culture, may not sufficiently address the complex, established and shared frames of reference individuals bring to learning experiences. Distinguishing culture from context squares with Tessmer and Richey’s (1997) approach to contextual analysis, where they identify culture as one of several contextual considerations

This post highlights a lag in attention to culture in the institutionalized literature and divergent views on whether it should be recognized as a distinct construct of significance in the discipline. This current state of discourse on culture is similar to that of emergent fields of research in any discipline.

References

Aydin, C.H. & McIsaac, M.S. (2004). The Impact of Instructional Technology in Turkey. Educational Technology Research & Development, 52(1), 105-112.

Barta, J., Jetté, C. & Wiseman, D. (2003) Dancing Numbers: Cultural, Cognitive, and Technical Instructional Perspectives on the Development of Native American Mathematical and Scientific Pedagogy. Educational Technology Research & Development, 51(2), 88-96.

Bentley, J.P.H., Tinney, M.V. & Chia, B.H. (2004) Intercultural Internet-Based Learning: Know Your Audience and What It Values. Educational Technology Research & Development, 53(2), 117-127.

Debry, D.P. (2002). Analysis of Emerging Practices in Globalizing Instructional Materials. Educational Technology Research & Development, 50(4), 73-82.

Powell, G. (1997). On being a culturally sensitive educational technologyer and educator. Educational Technology, 37(2), 6-14.

Gunawardena, C. N., & LaPointe, D. (2008). Social and cultural diversity in distance education. In T. Evans, M. Haughey, & D. Murphy (Eds.), International handbook of distance education (pp. 51-70). Bingley, UK: Emerald.

Perkins, R. A. (Nov/Dec 2008). Challenges and questions concerning “Culturally-Sensitive Design.” TechTrends, 52(6), 19-21.

Subramony, D.P. (2004) Instructional technologists' inattention to issues of cultural diversity among learners. Educational Technology, 44(4), 19-24.

Thomas, M., Mitchell, M. & Joseph, R. (2002). The third dimension of ADDIE: A cultural embrace. TechTrends, 46(2), 40-45.

Richey, R.C., Morrison, G.R. & Foxon, M. (2007). Educational technology in Business and Industry. In R.A. Reiser & J.V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends and Issues in Educational technology and Technology 2nd ed. (pp. 174-184). New Jersey: Pearson.

Davidson-Shivers, G.V. & Rasmussen, K.L. (2007). Competencies for Educational technology and Technology Professionals. In R.A. Reiser & J.V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends and Issues in Educational technology and Technology 2nd ed. (pp. 271-286). New Jersey: Pearson.

Kroeber, A.L., & Kluckhohn, C. (1952). Culture: A critical review of concepts and definitions. Harvard University Peabody Museum of American Archeology and Ethnology Papers 47.

Late to the Twitter Party

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:29:00 +0000

Running an anecdotal Twitter experiment because I can justifiably do such things in my work day and because working from home leaves me seriously lacking in the water cooler conversations.

Personal profile: I mostly play #hashtag word games and playfully rant or rave about current events and seek followers through banter about those topics

Professional Profile: I am tweeting about current design project and actively seeking edtech followers with defined daily strategy

Faux Political Persona: I am using this to get out my angst and snarkiness instead of bombarding friends and family on Facebook.

Results so far in ratios of Following/Followed by:
Personal: 381/122
Professional @ReadAhead1: 554/95
Faux Political Persona: 164/46

Too early to interpret... but I'm enjoying the process of learning about this other social media tool- both professionally and personally.