learning technology.......juice

Planning a faculty develop program for blended or online?

2012-01-17T11:53:00.001-08:00

Our materials are available through the Sloan Consortium at:
http://sloanconsortium.org/node/193
http://sloanconsortium.org/node/194

There also are an array of materials are available online at:
Http://hybrid.uwm.edu
https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/groups/sa/ltc/www/blendedpresentations/
Http://LTC.uwm.edu

Hope you find these materials useful

MOR leadership institute MKE

2012-01-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

MOR leadership institute, Milwaukee, WI
Jan 10th - 11th

Personal notes and reflections

Day 1

Developing practices to enable you to lead:

1.) Prioritize what's important
2.) Be intentional: presence, what, how
3.) Allocate time to what's important
4.) Manage your calendar
5.) Delegate, develop, coach
Brian McDonald, MOR Associates, Inc

Is this something we should be doing anymore?

Steps in Strategic Thinking
1. Frame the issue at the strategic level (versus tactical). For example,
how could we better serve our customers? How could we better
leverage technology?
2. Outline the options.
3. Identify important considerations (such as alignment with corporate direction, impact on customers, cost or revenue implications,
etc.).
4. Develop a couple scenarios and play out your premises.
5. Determine the right thing to do from a strategic perspective.
6. Design an action plan.
Brian McDonald, MOR Associates, Inc

Practices Designed to Develop Strategic Thinking
The following are practices MOR Associates has used with clients to
help develop strategic thinking within multiple levels of the organization.
1. Asking participants to identify external or internal forces and trends
or customer feedback or financial data and play out the implications of this analysis. This exercise, wherever it begins, invites
people to explore different scenarios.
2. Simply having people identify 3 to 5 strategic issues within their
unit will help participants focus on critical areas within their sphere
of influence. Once they start this practice, it is easy to spot other
issues that have longer-term implications they need to consider.
3. Engaging people from different levels of the organization in task
forces, focus groups, or action learning teams will give participants
a practice field for developing their strategic thinking capability.
4. Having people use a different format for taking notes can help
sharpen an individual’s strategic lens.
5. Having managers ask the right questions can also foster strategic
thinking. Examples might be: What other scenarios have you considered? What do you think the long-term implications are if we
do that? Using coaching questions such as these will, in some cases,
prompt people to raise their perspective.
Brian McDonald, MOR Associates, Inc

Reflections and goals

Defensive calendaring
Limit email in the morning (don't check it for 30 minutes in the AM), what are the 3-5 things you want to get done today
Explore google tasks lists for staff and self, schedule time to review/prioritize/focus tasks
Explore remember the milk, multiple lists, set alerts
Continue to focus on not interrupting staff spontaneously
Share more the variables that impact decision making (i.e., faculty/students needs, UWM goals, national trends, viability based on LTC resources ($, staff time, etc.), LTC staff interests)
Be more explicit about expectations of the unit, individuals
Empower staff through knowledge (budget, decision-making, etc)
Share more philosophies, priorities, etc., to aid in decision making
Empower staff to take the lead on projects, relinquish need to be copied on all email, figure out how to stay in the loop
Develop groups to take on internal and external work process and communication needs (synchronous, email, calendaring, marketing, website, status reporting)
Focus status based on project rather than the individual
Complete laundry list of projects, prioritize, get rid of the fat
Figure out how to focus on myself, my needs
Review Meeting 1 coaching sheet

Never focus on the lack of resources - focus on projects which are a priority

SWOT activity

Impact of societal values and practices on university work processes, including business services, research, teaching and learning, i.e., mobile, open, free, cloud, synchronous, automation

Specifically, transformation of the expectations for student and faculty support to be 24/7, just in time, real time, user driven ; providing of services through an array of devices leading to development of applications that are device and platform agnostic; increase in use of free, web 2.0, cloud services leading to an increase university costs for human resources to support; increase in expectation for "free" services (i.e., wireless, software, learning management systems, course offerings, open source, etc.); making key decisions about what devices and software to support, to what degree, how to secure; consideration of freedom of location and need to "move time" in program offerings, services provided (tech, library);

Increase in accountability due to decrease in funding from State and due to new Federal legistation (i.e., state authorization act, credit hour for seat time).

Day 2

Reflection/Commitments --

Implementing strategic planning framework pp. 98-99 -- very practical since question driven
SWOT exercise (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) delivered via qualtrics, then discuss f2f
Schedule time for strategic planning
Develop vision (what kind of organization do we want to be? what will it be like for our stakeholders when we achieve our vision? what values are most important?)
Implement strategic planning model, could be used on a per project basis
Implement defensive calendar, task lists, remember the milk, no email for 30 min in AM
Empower staff w/knowledge to enhance decision making -- what knowledge or info should be shared?
Share external scan with unit staff, economy, technology, government, demographics, stakeholder, other

Tanya's philosophies - delegation

Find your staff's strengths/interests and match them to an organizational task

I don't delegate, I give team members the lead on a project

Empower your staff with knowledge so they can lead and make decisions as you would

In order for my team members to get their job done, I ask them what they *need* from me

MOR - Learning community group - Vision

Establish a community with which to receive coaching
Establish culture of interinstitution collaboration
Be able to better accomplish UW system mission
Develop support networks and build relationship among leaders in UW System
Monitor community challenges and successes
Leverage connections to improve flow of info and expertise
Catalyst -- Leading to improve campus communities

From vision to strategy

Group A - vision statement
Group B - strategies and tactics to obtain vision (i.e., peer coaching, reflection)
Group C - what are strategies and actions for MOR Assoc coaches
Group D - What will help/hinder achieving vision
Group E - How do we stay the course -- maintain enthusiasm - what will we need to do to support this change, continuous, so it comes to fruition

Group B - strategies and actions to obtain vision
(i.e., peer coaching, reflection, commitment statements)

continued interaction
digital form of communication, synchronous meetings, wiki with push to email or rss feed to aggregate like google reader, fb, twitter, ifttt
f2f meetings, bi-annually or quarterly - at ITMC

affinity groups around projects (tech implementations, process orientated or thematic, improving skill or strategies,

moving accountability to our community

VISION -- create a collaborative community that is committed to developing our shared leadership and the success of our individual campuses and UW systems...

Ask for a rating of a 1-10 in agreement rather than yes or no

Neuroscience

70-905 reiterates patterns
10-30% mindful

Game, neuroscience
7, 14, 21, 28...
7, 17, 27...

Search for an instructional design consultant

2011-12-19T09:12:00.000-08:00

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Position Vacancy Announcement

Instrumentation Innovator – Instruction

Learning Technology Center

Academic Affairs

Working Title: Instructional Design Consultant

Appointment Type/%: Ad Hoc, Academic Staff, 50-100%, 6 months

Position Description: The person in this position plays a key role in UWM's efforts to develop and deliver hybrid/ blended, online, and technology-enhanced courses. This person works with faculty and teaching staff and provides them with the pedagogical consultation, instructional design support, and software instruction needed to develop successful and effective hybrid /blended, online, and technology-enhanced courses. In order to better understand the needs of faculty and teaching staff and the challenges they face using technology for instruction, this person is expected to teach a course or course module each year.

Duties and Responsibilities

§ Provide individual pedagogical and instructional design consultation for faculty and teaching staff who need assistance and support developing hybrid /blended, online, and technology-enhanced courses.

Responsible for coordinating instructional design services for one or more UWM's hybrid/blended programs and/or online programs.

§ Assist with the planning, designing, promotion, and teaching of faculty development programs, educational technology workshops, and demonstrations designed for faculty and teaching staff who are developing hybrid/blended, online, and technology-enhanced courses.

§ Help provide the workshops, support, and consultation needed by faculty and teaching staff to effectively use the campus course management system, Desire2Learn.

§ Provide assistance for faculty who are using rich media, podcasting, student response systems (clickers), and other technologies in their courses.

§ Teach or contribute to the teaching one section of a credit course for an academic department each year.

§ Assist with the development and writing of grant proposals and with identifying extramural sources of funding for LTC activities related to hybrid/blended learning, online learning, and learning technologies and, when appropriate, help coordinate the activities of these projects.

§ Participate in professional development activities such as workshops and conferences in order to keep abreast of new developments in the instructional uses of technology, and help present papers and reports on LTC initiatives at professional conferences.

Required Qualifications for Instructional Designer

Masters degree
Teaching experience at the college level that includes hybrid /blended, online, or technology-enhanced courses.
Experience and skill in using course management systems such as Desire2Learn, Blackboard, and WebCT.

Preferred Qualifications for Instructional Designer

Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree.
Experience and success consulting with faculty and academic staff on instructional design issues, including the development of hybrid/blended and online courses and the effective use of technology for teaching and learning.
A demonstrated commitment to providing the best quality of service and support to faculty and teaching staff.
Experience working with rich media, podcasting, and student response systems is preferred.
Effective public speaking, presentation, and listening skills.
Excellent writing and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively as a member of a small, tightly-integrated unit.
Ability to set priorities and meet deadlines in a very busy and rapidly evolving department.
Excellent organizational and problem-solving/troubleshooting skills.

Salary/Pay Basis

Salary Range: $45,000 to $61,000, 12 month annual basis.

Application Procedures:

Please send brief letter of application, vita, names and contact information of three references, and a two-page writing sample to Tanya Joosten, tjoosten@uwm.edu.

Tentative starting date: January, 2012

UWM is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer.

All finalists for this position will require a criminal records review consistent with the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act

The names of nominees and applicants who have not requested in writing that their identities be withheld and the names of all finalists will be released upon request.

For the UWM Campus Security Report see http://www.cleryact.uwm.edu or call the Office of Student Life at 414.229.4632 for a paper copy.

Social Mobile Activity

2011-10-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

Social Mobile Activity, 3:00PM to 4:00PM

Question:
Why is EDUCAUSE the best thinking in Higher Ed IT?

Learning Outcomes
- provide an active learning opportunity
- increase interactivity, engagement, and cooperation
- develop 21st century skills

Learning Activity
An experiential learning activity facilitating the use of mobile social, including user generated content and student driven content (links, images, video) captured and shared on mobile devices, using mobile apps, browsers, and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and more).

Objective
Develop an argument using social media to answer the question outlined above. The tasks outlined below will assist you in your data collection, research, and evidence building in order to develop your argument and earn points. This information gathered on mobile devices will be shared through mobile social media apps.

The team with the most points wins!

Note: Tips in helping you complete the tasks will be tweeted out by @tjoosten or @csoleil using the hashtag #edusocmedia

Tasks

Develop and tweet the name of your group and it's members using the hashtag #edusocmedia. Include your group name as a hashtag on all of your posts (e.g., #teamx). 5 points

Create a Facebook fan page for your group where you will share your research and evidence answering the questions, “Why is EDUCAUSE the best thinking in Higher Ed IT?” Tweet out the URL using #edusocmedia #teamx. 20 points

Find an article or blog by someone reflecting on the annual EDUCAUSE conference and share out on Twitter using #edusocmedia #teamx. 10 points*

Post an image of something that represents the conference on Twitter or another social media tool using #edusocmedia #teamx. 10 points*

Post an image of 5 or more attendees at EDUCAUSE on Flickr or another image sharing tool using #edusocmedia #teamx. 20 points*

Post a 30 sec+ video of an individual discussing why they feel EDUCAUSE is the best thinking in Higher Ed IT on Youtube or another video sharing tool and tag with #edusocmedia #teamx. 20 points*

Post a 30 sec+ video with one EDUCAUSE staff member discussing why they feel EDUCAUSE is the best thinking in Higher Ed IT on Youtube or another video sharing tool and tag with #edusocmedia #teamx. 20 points*

Post a 30 sec+ video with a conference attendee on what they are looking forward to doing this week at Educause on Youtube or another video sharing tool and tag with #edusocmedia #teamx. 20 points*

Find a video of an individual discussing their EDUCAUSE experience and post on your Facebook fan page or Tweet tag with #edusocmedia #teamx. 10 points*

Share your images, videos, and articles collected on your Facebook fan page. 50 points

*tasks can be done more than once to score additional points

Bonus points:

Each retweet of another team tweet, 5 points
Reply to another team’s tweet, 5 points
Each Youtube video or other of another team favorites/liked, 5 points
Including your location on social media updates, 5 points

Liking a Facebook post of another team, 5 points

Commenting on another team's YouTube Video, 10 points
Each "tip" you tweet out to the other teams*, 10 points

Deadline: 4:00PM

Social Media at EDUCAUSE #edu11

2011-10-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

10/18/2011

Seminar 14A - Teaching and Learning with Social and Digital Media in Higher Education
http://www.educause.edu/events/E11/SEM14A

Seminar 14P - "Social Mobile" Learning for Educators
http://www.educause.edu/events/E11/SEM14P

10/19/2011

Expert Discussion Session: Using Social Media to Leverage Your Professional Networks, Online Conference
http://www.educause.edu/events/E112/OL02

10/20/2011

Social Media - Constituent Group Meeting
http://www.educause.edu/events/E11/DISC49

What topics should we discuss?

Hashtags:

1. Don't forget to use the #edu11 hashtags in your tweets at the conference and to connect with folks.

2. Also, please use #edusocmedia for posts or resources related to educational uses of social media.

updated 10.14.11

Others:

EDUCAUSE has given the constituent groups some extra exposure this year and we wanted to share them with you!

We'll be part of the poster sessions taking place during the following times:
Wednesday - 1:30-2:30PM
Thursday - 12:30-1:30PM

We'll also be in the Constituent Group Lounge during the following times for anyone that might need or want a little hands-on help getting set up with different social media accounts, talking through best practices, use of social media - or anything else!
Wednesday - 10:30-11:20AM
Wednesday - 2:30-3:20PM
Thursday - 1:30-2:20PM

Stop by and see us, we'd love to chat with you!

An Online Learning Community: What We Learned During the Design, Build, and Launch

Carrie L. Saarinen, Instructional Designer, Programs Coordinator, Brown University Oct 19th, 2011, Wednesday, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM, Table 74, Exhibit Hall A/B/Chttp://www.educause.edu/E2011/Program/PS024

updated 10.15.11

Social Media for Educators -- Book cover has arrived!

2011-09-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

The marketing team just sent to me the cover for the book. It took me a minute to digest it, but I am super excited about the design. Again, the book will be arriving in the spring.

You can now pre-order the book in the US at:

http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118118286.html

To eText or no?

2011-09-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

This @wiredcampus article got me thinking, once again, about the push for etexts by publishers and some in higher ed.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/major-publishers-join-indiana-u-project-that-requires-students-to-use-e-textbooks/33156?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

I would support use of free OER over publisher driven #etexts. I have used etexts and digital articles in lieu of traditional textbooks because they provide increased access for students at a reduced or free price. I was one of those students that had a very challenging time affording my textbooks.

When visiting Alex Pickett at SUNY and working with her group on their NGLC grant, I was surprised and excited that they had set a ceiling of $50 for student materials for the course, mainly the textbook. They were looking to use OER over an expensive textbook. This was definitely going to be a challenge for faculty. They know needed time and new skills to locate the needed content.

For years, the textbook was an easy task for educators. I have a few choices in my class. I used the same one for years. It was the same one which my instructor used when I was an undergraduate. The textbook also guides many faculty learning outcomes, course design, and more, where really our learning outcomes, desired results, should be guiding us. Textbooks need to stop driving us...

Also, educators need new skills in locating and evaluating OER -- rubrics, checklist, etc. Anyone have any?

When I tried etextbooks out, 4-5 years ago, in order to give my students greater access to the text, to the content, there were lots of technical challenges with publisher "walls." Students paid, but then couldn't access the reading. There were lots of security mechanisms in place no just-in-time technical support when needed. Also, students needed a new username and password, which they often misplaced or lost. Further, they weren't able to download them. They had to read them within the publisher site. Technical problems diminishing access is a concern.

At the time the ebook or etext or etextbook was offered at about 40% of the price of the paper book. However, this has changed and we are now seeing these digital versions being offered at the same or a greater price eliminating the idea of affordable access.

I moved to focus on backward design, my learning outcomes, and then used those to find free digital content for my students through an array of textbooks, journal articles, and web sites.

The second reason I see for etexts is for the ability to annotate (which can be done with any digital article in Adobe Acrobat Pro) or have rich, engaging activities integrated within them (e.g., 3D animated objects). This is the main reason where digital texts can lead to increase learning based on the pedagogical use.

In this article, the study is troubling in ways. We need better methodology in evaluating etextbooks. Learning was equated to the grade, and it showed no impact on "student learning." It also appears that the instrument didn't ask about any technological challenges, ease of use, accessing ebook (McGraw Hill authentication), cost, etc.

On twitter, a colleauge tells me that maybe mode and method of delivery doesn't matter (See post http://screencast.com/t/SrPCOMWzRb). Is this truly the case?

The bottom line is what does the digital delivery of text facilitate, if anything? Like any digital technology, it will greatly depend on how it is used. If you are not going to strategically implement the etext into your course design (e.g., in class annotation or interaction with text), then there is not going to be an impact on your desired learning outcomes.

So, again, before embarking on these etext initiatives, let's really focus on what is important and what is the desired impact on students. Simply offering a digital version of a paper textbook is not going to necessarily increase student learning.

Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube: Social media for educators at DTL

2011-09-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

Workshop presented at the 27th Annual Distance Teaching and Learning Conference in Madison, WI on August 3rd, 2011.

Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube: Social media for educators

Tanya Joosten, Associate Director & Sharon Stoerger, Learning Technology Consultant, Learning Technology Center, UW–Milwaukee (with Matthew Russell and Dylan Barth)

Social media tools are changing how we communicate and build networks, offering powerful learning opportunities for students and professionals. Explore how social media can support pursuit of your instructional and professional goals.

Presentation slides

Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube: Social media for educators

View more presentations from Tanya Joosten.

Evaluation

27^TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON DISTANCE TEACHING & LEARNING

EVALUATION SUMMARY

Session Title: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube: Social Media for educators

Presenter(s): Tanya Joosten and Sharon Stoerger

Scale: 5 = Excellent 4 = Very Good 3 = Good 2 = Fair 1 = Poor

ITEM MEAN SCORE

1) Presentation Style 4.55

2) Presenter knowledge 4.83

3) Quality of Information 4.61

4) Quality of visuals used 4.67

5) Quality of activities/discussions 4.55

6) Overall rating 4.67

I LEARNED:

A GREAT DEAL: 12
A MODERATE AMOUNT: 4
A LIMITED AMOUNT: 0

THE REASON I SELECTED THIS WORKSHOP

12 Curiosity about topic
4 need to know about this for a project

0 Heard speaker present before
0 recommended by someone

1 Heard/read about presenter(s)

2 Other (Please Explain)

□ Is very important to my DL courses

□ Need to introduce and promote the topic where I work

TOPICS OF FUTURE INTEREST

YouTube
If it catches – Google +
This workshop assumes a lot of knowledge already. You should have session for beginners.

ATTENDEE COMMENTS

Excellent workshop. Would love a follow-up discussion
Excellent presenters
Fantastic!
Thank you! I’m already using most of these tools but appreciate some new ideas for social connectivity in courses. Also appreciate skill at keeping participants on track!
Excellent session
Very informative! I have a lot to do…
Liked how we did activities instead of an information dump. Was engaging.
Excellent session!
Moved too fast at the beginning (twitter). Needs to explain who is seeing what after we post. Explain “risks” for those who value privacy (and exposure)
I wish just a bit more time could have been included about the basics

Using Wikipedia in the classroom?

2011-08-29T16:51:00.001-07:00

Resources:

http://chronicle.com/article/Collaborative-Learning-for-the/128789/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/Wikipedia/30676

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/WikipediaintheClassroomChangin/220908

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/WhatWikipediaCanTeachUsAboutth/162561

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/UsingWikipediatoReenvisiontheT/162770

Access: Digital content, books, lectures...

2011-08-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

[working draft]

Strategic brainstorming

How do we use it to scale use of digital media in online and blended courses? How can OER lead to increase access and affordability of digital resources for students (in lieu of textbooks) AND faculty (time and energy)? What effective models of implementation for faculty and faculty development are available? How do we assist faculty in identifying appropriate OER? and so forth...

Goals....

Work with GER faculty to identify strategies to delivery content in an digital, affordable, and accessible format. GER content is more generalizable and changes less than upper level specialized classes focusing on higher order learning.

Offering students "digital" content for under $50 or free, esp for freshman/sophomore foundation and large lectures classes.

Identify how to best select OER materials for integration into course...identify model for course integration.

Teach faculty how to use OER to select and integrate resources into their courses rather then spending time and resources on reinventing the wheel. Will safe time and resources for faculty in developing digital content.

Gaming and gamification

2011-08-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Instant Feedback -- Competition -- Reward/Incentives -- Real World problems -- Teamwork -- Leadership

Gaming can make the a better world, TedTalk, Jane McGonigal
http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html

Quest 2 Learn school, New York
http://elydis.wordpress.com/category/gamification/
http://gamification.co/2011/04/07/school-is-fun-when-you-quest-to-learn/
http://q2l.org/node/27#media

Chronicle:
Gamifying homework
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/gamifying-homewor/28407
Lessons learned in playful game design
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/lessons-learned-in-playful-game-design/33876
How to gamify your course website
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/how-to-gamify-your-class-website/31332

Forbes: Gamification of education
http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/28/education-internet-scratch-technology-gamification.html

Gamification.org, lots of more resources, pubs, etc.
http://gamification.org/wiki/Gamification_of_Education

Chore Wars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46UB9hPrIfM

Lift
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/what_twitters_co-founders_appear_to_be_building_ne.php

Daily Feats
http://www.dailyfeats.com

Gowalla
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/location-based-gaming-for/26720

Google Tech Talks: Gamification
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O1gNVeaE4g&feature=related

Chronicle: Games in the Classroom (part 1)
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/games-in-the-classroom-part-1/35596?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

Mobile apps for learning

2011-08-26T09:23:00.001-07:00

Apple iPad in Education http://www.apple.com/education/ipad/
Apple Apps for Learning http://www.apple.com/education/apps/

Some Education Apps in iTunes Store http://itunes.apple.com/us/genre/ios-education/id6017?mt=8

~10,000 Education Apps Reviews (MacWorld) http://www.macworld.com/appguide/browse.html?cat=Education
Droid Top Apps for Education http://www.droidxforums.com/forum/droid-x-apps/7803-top-apps-education.html
101 Best Android Apps in Education http://101bestandroidapps.com/category/education/
Ten of the Best Apps for Education http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/03/24/ten-of-the-best-droid-apps-for-education/
Ten of the Best Apps in Higher Education http://www.ecampusnews.com/technologies/10-of-the-best-apps-for-higher-education/
Boston College Mobile Apps for Higher Ed http://idesweb.bc.edu/ides/website/teaching_tools/resources/teach_resources/mobile_app

From: https://sites.google.com/site/edumooc/edumooc-week-four-online-learning-apps-and-mobile-learning

Ode to SonicPics
http://ipadsatburley.blogspot.com/2011/04/ode-to-sonicpics.html

Other mobile stuff
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/08/22/kno-adds-khan-academy-resources-to-e-textbooks-for-ipad.aspx

Medical stuff
http://mobileactive.org/ultrasound-windows-mobile-inexpensive-pervasive-and-future
http://clinicalposters.com/news/2011/0315-healthcare-embraces-ipad.html
http://medgadget.com/2011/03/osirix_hd_now_available_for_ipad.html

Hiring learning technology assistants to support D2L and more!!

2011-08-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

Title
Learning Technology Assistant
(2 positions available)

Department
Learning Technology Center

The Learning Technology Center (LTC) supports instructors who wish to incorporate learning technologies into
their teaching. The LTC staff comprises experienced faculty who understand the classroom and online teaching
environments, and who use technology in their own teaching.

Reports to
Me! Interim Associate Director, Learning Technology Center

Position Description
The person in this position will primarily help provide support, consultation, and workshops for faculty and
teaching staff who use D2L, in order to assist themin developing effective technology-enhanced, blended, and
online courses.

Key areas of responsibility

Provide support for instructors in their use of D2L via email, phone, and face-to-face consultations
Conduct “D2L Basics” workshops (up to 11 participants)
Support additional learning technologies and projects, as needed

Term of employment
Fall semester

Qualifications

Graduate student status
Experience as primary instructor for technology-enhanced, blended, or online coursesat the college level
Experience and skill in using the UWM learning management system, Desire2Learn
Commitment to providing the best quality of service and support to faculty and teaching staff
Ability to work independently and collaboratively as a member of a small, tightly-integrated unit
Ability to set priorities and meet deadlines in a very busy and rapidly evolving department
Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills
High degree of professionalism in working with individuals via email, phone, and face-to-face
Ability to master complex technical details and to convey these to others with patience and clarity
Effective communication skills, including writing, interpersonal, public speaking, and listening skills

Salary, hourly, negotiable

Contact Information
Apply for this position by sending resume and letter of interest to Tanya Joosten, LTC Interim Associate Director: TJOOSTEN@uwm.edu

Applications will be accepted until positions are filled.

Linking course activities to student learning outcomes

2011-08-16T09:33:00.001-07:00

George presented at the 2009 OPID conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

http://www.wisconsin.edu/opid/conf/Conf09/09program.htm

LINKING COURSE ACTIVITIES TO STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

AN SOTL CASE STUDY

George E. Smith

University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Introduction

A generally held perception among educators is that most undergraduate students do not understand or appreciate General Education, either in concept or in application through Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). This perception is confirmed in senior exit surveys and accreditation reports for many institutions.

As a SoTL case study, the present research attempted to assess the process of student reflection on learning outcomes and competencies. (A larger purpose of the study was to enhance undergraduate knowledge and achievement of General Education competencies and SLOs in SPCH 3250/Interpersonal Communication, a course that satisfies competencies in both the speech and social science components of the institution’s General Education Program.)

Metacognition & Learning Outcomes

Students’ reflective processes involve metacognition—that cognitive activity in which we think about our thinking. Flavell (1979) contends that participant maturity impacts objectivity in this reflective process, and further argues that the quality and quantity of such reflection can be increased through systematic development. Metacognition, therefore, is an active, evolutionary process that must accommodate diverse ways of learning.

In Inquiry into the College Classroom: A Journey Toward Scholarly Teaching (2007), Savory, Burnett and Goodburn provide practical commentary on instructional research in anecdotal form.

In its College Learning for the New Global Century (2007), the American Association of College & Universities (AACU) directs institutions to teach students “how to integrate the essential learning outcomes within a purposeful, coherent, and carefully sequenced plan of study.” Within its Liberal Education & America’s Promise (LEAP) proposal, AACU charges institutions with the responsibility to help their students learn how to learn, i.e., reflect on the learning process.

With this charge in mind, the principal investigator (PI) created a case study in which students’ metacognition might be examined within the context of a course approved for General Education credit.

Methodology

The following research questions were developed for this SoTL case study.

· Are student understanding and appreciation of General Education enhanced as a result of reflective writing?

· How do specific course assignments and activities contribute to students’ understanding and appreciation of General Education?

As instructor of two sections of SPCH 3250/Interpersonal Communication, the principal investigator selected this course as a basis for answering the two research questions because (1) most students enroll in this course to satisfy General Education requirements in speech or social sciences, and (2) the course content and activities offer ample opportunities for personal reflection.

The course’s SLOs and General Education competencies were listed in the syllabus (distributed the first day of class), posted on the course’s website (Desire2Learn), and included as part of each reflective/assessment assignment during the semester so that students would have routine access to these. To some extent these SLOs and competencies overlapped (the latter established by the institution’s Undergraduate Curriculum Commission). The outcomes and competencies (for social sciences and speech) were coded to simplify student reference to these during reflective/assessment activities.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

SLO-1 Demonstrate knowledge of the theories, concepts and terminology of the communication process as they relate to interpersonal communication.
SLO-2 Demonstrate the ability to access and organize information logically.
SLO-3 Demonstrate critical listening and reasoning skills.
SLO-4 Discuss and demonstrate knowledge of nonverbal communication.
SLO-5 Demonstrate self-knowledge and the ability to conduct intrapersonal analysis.
SLO-6 Apply the concepts of interpersonal communication in a variety of contexts.
SLO-7 Discuss and demonstrate knowledge of conflict management.

General Education competencies (social sciences and speech)

SS-1 Demonstrate knowledge of individual and social behavior.
SS-2 Display knowledge of the problems and issues within the social sciences.
SS-3 Demonstrate knowledge of the methods used to study these problems and issues.
SP-1 Understand the processes of human communication.
SP-2 Access and organize information logically.
SP-3 Design and deliver speeches effectively.
SP-4 Develop critical listening and reasoning skills.

Similarities among SLOs and General Education competencies were necessary strategies in course design. Theoretically all courses satisfying General Education requirements display similar applications (albeit peculiar to course content and activities).

In brief SPCH 3250/Interpersonal Communication included the following activities which formed the bases for student reflection/assessment.

Self-concept paper in which student compare/contrast their perceptions of “self” with those of others
Undesired Repetitive Patterns (URP) paper in which students identify and analyze personal “problem behaviors” and then propose a plan to eliminate or correct these behaviors
Interpersonal journals in which students enter 4-5 reflections per week
Two one-on-one conferences with the instructor
Listening assignment in which student analyze their own listening behaviors
Outside readings for which students make in-class presentations, based on books selected from an instructor-approved list
Perfect Mate paper in which students list positive traits sought in “significant others” (and negative traits to be avoided), followed by small-group consensus discussions
Three written examinations (two in-class tests and a take-home final exam)

The instructor’s perceptions of how the SLOs and competencies related to the course’s activities are reflected in Table 1. Inasmuch as the assessment process asked students to consider and explain these relationships, this grid was not provided to students during the semester (since this would’ve reduced the reflective nature of the activity).

Table 1: Course Activities, General Education Competencies & Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)	Self-concept paper	Undesirable Repetitive Patterns (URP) papers	Interpersonal journal	One-on-one conferences	Listening paper	Outside readings	Perfect Mate assignment	Written examinations
SS-1 Develop knowledge of individual & social behavior.	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SS-2 Display knowledge of the problems & issues within the social sciences.	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SS-3 Demonstrate knowledge of the methods used to study these problems & issues.	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SP-1 Understand the processes of human communication.	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SP-2 Access & organize information logically.	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SP-3 Design & deliver speeches effectively.						X
SP-4 Develop critical listening & reasoning skills.	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SLO-1 Demonstrate knowledge of the theories, concepts & terminology of the communication process as they relate to interpersonal communication.	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SLO-2 Demonstrate the ability to access & organize information logically.	X	X			X	X		X
SLO-3 Demonstrate critical listening & reasoning skills.	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SLO-4 Discuss & demonstrate knowledge of nonverbal communication.	X	X	X	X	X	X		X
SLO-5 Demonstrate self-knowledge & the ability to conduct intrapersonal analysis.	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SLO-6 Apply the concepts of interpersonal communication in a variety of contexts.	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SLO-7 Discuss & demonstrate knowledge of conflict management.		X	X	X				X

The PI’s original intention was to ask students to reflect on six of the activities listed, and to require individual assessments to be submitted electronically. Inasmuch as this plan would have generated approximately 250 assignments, the PI elected to reduce the list of activities assessed to four (self-concept paper, listening assignment, Perfect Mate assignment, outside readings/presentation). The PI selected these particular activities because they represented stand-alone assignments, whereas (1) the Undesired Repetitive Patterns papers and individual journals were viewed as on-going assignments that were inherently reflective, and (2) the personal conferences and written examinations were themselves reflective activities, albeit directed by the instructor.

In addition, the assessment process was changed from an individual assignment to a small-group assignment (which facilitated group discussion of SLOs and competencies among students). This second change in methodology was also prompted by technical difficulties in the electronic submission process.

These two methodological changes in the PI’s original plan reduced the instructor’s grading volume by approximately 75-80% and generated an additional assessment consideration, i.e., comparing the relative merits of individual and group assessments. Reflections on the personal journal and the one-on-one conferences were assessed through questions on the final exam. In addition, one question on the final exam asked students to “assess the assessment process” employed throughout the semester.

For each of the selected assignments, groups were given approximately 24 hours to submit a 200-word reflection that assessed how that particular activity contributed to achievement of the course’s SLOs and/or General Education competencies. The reflective groups of 3-6 students were assigned on a stratified random basis (e.g., the outside reading presentations were made in two class periods a month apart, so some students conducted reflections four weeks earlier than did others).

To facilitate each assessment, groups were given an instruction sheet, a cover check sheet that listed the SLOs and competencies, a list of group members, and the instructor’s assessment rubric (with three criteria: accuracy of identifying appropriate SLOs and competencies, the depth and quality of the reflective assessment, and the overall writing quality, e.g., grammar and spelling). The instructor evaluated each group’s reflections and returned these submissions (with the evaluation rubric) during the next class period.

The PI’s assessment of this reflective process (i.e., answering the two original research questions) consisted of an anonymous in-class survey (see Table 2) and an essay question on the final examination (excerpted student comments are presented under “Process Assessment & Results”).

From a methodological perspective, the PI attempted to minimize concerns about the reliability of the exam responses by establishing an atmosphere of openness with the student participants with comments like “I’m really interested in your opinions and perspectives on this reflective process” and “honest reactions are really important and helpful to me.”

Process Assessment & Results

Forty students participated in the reflection assessment process (i.e., completed the anonymous in-class survey and the take-home examination) during the Spring 2008 semester. The PI’s methodological decision to employ group reflections rather than individual reflections limited the instructor’s ability to evaluate each student’s personal reflection (although examination comments confirmed the anticipated problems that accompany most group projects, i.e., not all group members contributed equally).

The initial assessment consisted of a one-page anonymous survey which included five statements; participants were asked to respond on a five-point Likert-type scale. Chi-square analysis was used to study the data (see Table 2).

Responses to two of the five statements (#1 and #4) were not statistically significant. These items asked (#1) whether the group discussions and reflective process improved participants’ understanding of the SLOs and competencies, and (#4) whether this process might’ve been more effective if conducted as individual rather than group reflections.

Responses to one statement (#5)were statistically significant at the .05 level: the discussions and submissions regarding SLOs and competencies were an inefficient use of time, i.e., “busy work.”

Finally, responses to two of the statements (#2 and #3) were statistically significant at the .01 level. These items asked (#2) whether the discussions and reflections helped participants’ achievement of the SLOs and competencies, and (#3) whether discussion of course activities, SLOs and competencies

in groups improved participants’ understanding and awareness of why we engaged in the activities.

Inasmuch as survey responses were anonymous, the PI’s assessment process did not allow comparison of these data with participants’ responses to the essay question on the final exams

Table 2: Survey Results	Strongly Agree	Somewhat Agree	Undecided … Not Sure	Somewhat Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Total
1 I felt the (small) group discussions and reflective process improved my understanding of the course's activities, Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and/or General Education competencies.	6	14	7	9	4	40
2 I felt the (small) group discussions and reflective process helped my achievement of the course's Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and/or General Education competencies.	6	19	5	7	3	40
3 I felt discussing the course activities, Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and General Education competencies in groups improved my personal understanding & awareness of why we engaged in such activities in class.	14	14	4	5	3	40
4 I felt my understanding of the course activities, Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and General Education competencies would've improved if I had been asked to analyze these as an individual student rather than as a member of a discussion group.	5	5	8	11	11	40
5 I felt the group discussions and submissions regarding SLOs and competencies were an inefficient use of our time, i.e., "busy work." We could have invested our time more wisely and/or efficiently with other types of activities, assignments, discussions, etc. The group discussions on SLOs and competencies did not improve my understanding of these components nor my achievement of them.	9	7	7	10	7	40
N=40

(that—obviously—were associated with specific students). While research design might question the reliability of these responses (i.e., students’ answers might have reflected their own self-interest), the PI had no specific reason to think that respondents were not being open and honest in their answers.

Students were asked to respond to the following “question” on the final examination.

Discuss the effectiveness and efficiency of our small group discussions on how course activities helped you achieve the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and General Education competencies presented at the beginning of the semester. Reflect on whether this improved your understanding of the SLOs and competencies, and whether the process contributed to their achievement.

Similar to the (anonymous) survey data, the content of student exam responses reflected a wide range of reactions to the reflective process. The comments provided insight into student perceptions of SLOs, General Education competencies, and the educational process in general—especially group projects. (A limitation of the research design was the inability to list all student comments, even in an appendix; as a result, the research included a certain amount of subjectivity in the PI’s content analysis of student responses.) Inasmuch as the research design did not allow direct association of (anonymous) survey responses and content analysis of essay answers, excerpted comments within the present research were meant to be illustrative rather than precisely representative.

Some essay responses addressed the differences between the first two survey items, i.e., the difference between understanding the SLOs and competencies, and actually achieving these outcomes. Other comments addressed the efficiencies (or inefficiencies) of group assignments.

Of the 40 participants, 24 students (60%) presented positive-only comments. Seven students (17.5%) presented negative-only comments. Nine students (22.5%) presented mixed comments, i.e., both positive and negative aspects. The net result was that 82.5% of the students expressed positive comments and 40% of the students expressed negative comments (“mixed” students counting twice in the overall tally).

Representative of the positive comments were the following excerpts. (Numbers were assigned to individual students in order to inventory responses—without identifying the authors.)

13. I had a better understanding of what the SLOs and competencies are because I never really read through them before and none of my other professors go through them either. I think understanding what they are has helped me achieve the competencies, but this is probably the only class I will do this in …

24. The group discussions made understanding the SLOs and GE competencies extremely easy. When you take your own view on these outcomes, and throw others in, it helps you see something in a different way than you are used to looking at them. [sic]

31. I know that these discussions greatly helped me and (I) believe that they helped others as well in understanding what the student learning outcomes and general education competencies were, and why they are in place.

Student comments regarding the reflections and assessment conducted in groups (as reflected in the third survey statement) were mixed. It was noted, however, that 28 of 40 students agreed (“strongly” or “somewhat”) with the “in groups” item, which was significant at the .01 level. Not surprisingly, some negative comments addressed the inequity of participants’ contributions in group projects.

This trade-off between individual and group reflections was clearly addressed in several comments.

4. … The small groups were inefficient because all they did was identify what the group thought … I guarantee you half the people that are writing this final exam still don’t understand what connection is between the course activities to the SLOs and General Education competencies [sic]

20. I think the small group discussions are a waste of time … no one takes the assignment seriously.

33. … I don’t think there was a single time in my groups that everyone contributed. There were many times when one or more people would just sit there and not care and then still get the credit for it. Also the assignments were very repetitive.

39. … In most of the groups I felt that there would be only a certain amount of people [sic] that would contribute to the assignment, while the others just watched or played with their cell phones.

In summary, the student essays excerpted above reflected perceptions and opinions consistent with the anonymous survey data. Comments dealt with the overall nature of reflection, the efficiency and effectiveness of the activities within SPCH 3250, and the inequities of group projects.

Analysis & Discussion

Based on the student comments and survey data, the reflective process was challenging for some students. This process was further complicated by much of the content (i.e., General Education) that forced students to reflect on (perhaps) their least-favorite area of learning. As a result, this metacognition moved many students out of their reflective “comfort zones.” Many students had never been asked to reflect on the “how” or “why” of learning, having been restricted to the lowest levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy throughout much of their formal education.

Coupled with attitudinal barriers toward General Education, many participant comments reflected a negative reaction toward the reflective process. Reflections on different sets of activities or experiences in different courses may have yielded different results. For example, the practical utility of SLOs in courses not part of General Education (e.g., disciplines like accounting, agriculture or engineering) may have facilitated more effective student understanding of and commitment to SLOs—without the reflections required in the present study. But student approaches to General Education courses may differ significantly. From a student perspective, both the content (e.g., history, composition, music) and the desired outcomes (e.g., critical thinking skills, communication skills) of General Education coursework may be perceived as less practical and, therefore, more challenging to value.

Superficial analysis of both the anonymous survey data and the student comments might prompt an overly simplified observation: some students “get it” and some students do not, especially in General Education coursework. However, despite the many negative perceptions expressed by student participants, more promising and positive insights into the reflective process might suggest that we continue such engagement, even if we never achieve 100% satisfaction among our students.

Contributing variables to such mixed reactions from students include faculty members’ lack of understanding of the reflective process and lack of commitment to General Education coursework (based on disciplines more focused on marketable skills and career development). Neither of these conditions need be permanent, in that faculty in-service and development programs are often available to supplement faculty training in discipline-specific programs.

Based on the number of positive comments from participants, the PI asserts that most students’ understanding and appreciation of General Education were enhanced as a result of the reflective writings (i.e., both the group reflections and the final examination’s essay question). Further, the PI asserts that—again, based on student comments—some of the course activities and assignments contributed to students’ understanding and appreciation of General Education, despite criticisms that group projects often present a skewed perception of individual contributions and achievements. In other words, conducting reflections as individual assignments rather than group assignments might have yielded different results (and different respondent perceptions).

Suggestions for Additional Research

As the PI’s “first cut” at this sort of research, the present SoTL project provided initial insights into student perceptions of metacognition. Many thought-provoking suggestions were generated in the student responses. In part many of these suggestions were perceived (by the PI) as a function of whether or not the students “got it” (i.e., understood the nature of SLOs, General Education competencies, course activities, and small-group discussions). Clearly many of the student comments on the essay exam addressed issues of metacognition, even though that term may not have existed in students’ vocabularies.

Several suggestions warrant consideration, although some of these comments conflict in scope.

Conduct the analysis as individual—rather than group—projects.
Conduct the analysis is groups of two rather than in groups of 4-6 students.
Conduct online surveys to increase efficiency.
Conduct the analysis as a class discussion (rather than in smaller groups), i.e., with no written submission.
Continue to conduct analysis in small groups (i.e., maintain the current structure).

Perform different statistical analyses appropriate for the type of data collected.

Alternate course-related approaches may also include the following strategies in the future.

Have the instructor simply explain to the class why they’re conducting each course activities, i.e., identify which SLOs and competencies are being addressed in a particular class activity (although the instructor might have assumed such connection to be implicit in the assignment).
Provide all students with the “Course Activities, General Education Competencies, and Student Learning Outcomes” grid (see Table 1) at the beginning of the semester, and refer back to it prior to each course activity.
Add essay questions to the course’s two in-class unit exams, asking students to reflect on specific course activities completed to-date (which would also facilitate post-exam discussion in class).

In addition, refinement of the anonymous survey instrument and essay questions might prompt different (i.e., more valid, more reliable) student responses. More sophisticated analyses of student responses would also be suggested (e.g., a content-analysis rubric for the essays).

Also suggested might be a more comprehensive explanation of General Education competencies, SLOs and course activities in an introductory course (e.g., “Introduction to College Life”) required of all first-year students. Such a course would incorporate explanations of critical thinking, reflective processes, metacognition, etc. (It is also possible that specific disciplines may elect to develop their own in-house introductory course that addresses this content.)

Conclusion

The present SoTL project seemed to confirm perceptions of student engagement and metacognition, especially as these issues relate to General Education courses. However, conclusions based on both the survey data and students’ narrative responses are, at best, mixed in contributing to our understanding of student perceptions of the learning process, the value of group projects, and whether selected activities and discussions contribute effectively to the achievement of SLOs and General Education competencies.

Comments from some students (especially from those who seemingly “got it”) suggested that the reflective process aided their understanding of course activities, SLOs and competencies. Although some students balked at the reflective process, the positive declarations by other students may warrant continued inclusion of such discussions in future course. Additional research into reflective discussions is also warranted.

References

American Association of Colleges & Universities (2007). College Learning for the New Global Century: A Report from the National Leadership Council for Liberal Education & America’s Promise.

Flavell, J.H. (1979). Metacognition and Cognitive Monitoring: A

New Area of Cognitive-Development Inquiry. American

Psychologist,34, 906-11.

Hartman, Hope J., ed. (2001). Metacognition in Learning and Instruction: Theory, Research and Practice. Spring Publishing.

Savoy, Paul, Amy Nelson Burnett, and Amy Goodburn. Inquiry Into the College Classroom: A Journey Toward Scholarly Teaching. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc. (2007).

Assessment Plan Checklist

2011-08-16T08:00:00.001-07:00

1.) Are there other forms of than exams and a final paper?

2.) Is frequent, low stakes assessment included (discussions, cats, quizzes)?

3.) Is there opportunity for your students to build online learning community through asynchronous interactions (discussion activities or group work)?

4.) Are any final papers or final projects chunked into smaller pieces?

a. Abstract – 5 points

b. Outline – 5 points

c. Introduction – 5 points

d. Draft – 15 points

e. Final – 70 points

5.) Is assessment taking various forms (written, exams, dialogue)?

a. When I am creating my assessment plan, I tend to try to divide the assessment into writing assessment, dialogue assessment, and examination assessment, so that depending on one's preferred assessment form (do better on tests than written assignments), no one person is at a disadvantage.

6.) Is any one form of assessment weigh more than 30% (i.e., exams 45%, paper 45%). If so, consider reducing any one form of assessment to 30% (exams or quizzes 30%, paper or written 30%) and include some other forms of assessment such as CATS, group projects, simulations, discussion activities, etc…

7.) Does your assessment include student work in the f2f?

8.) Instead of using participation or attendance, focus on what learning outcomes you hope to achieve in the f2f and what specific assessment tools can be used to capture that learning or the goals you want to achieve in the f2f (basic content or higher order thinking).

a. For example, in my f2f I focus on higher order thinking, so I have my students do a lot of group work analyzing cases or performing simulations, which are part of my assessment plan. In one of Alan's hybrid courses, he focuses more on basic content delivery in his f2f, so he performs assessments like CATS to measure what is still unclear to students when they leave the f2f.

Blended learning at SUNY

2011-08-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

I presented a 2 day workshop as part of an #nglc grant that SUNY (#sln) received to transform a series of programs from online/f2f to blended.

SUNY, SLN information
http://wiki.sln.suny.edu/display/SLNNGLC/Blended+Learning+Faculty+Development+Workshop++8.15-16.11
http://slnfacultyonline.ning.com/group/blended-learning

UWM Resources
UWM hybrid site http://hybrid.uwm.edu
UWM blended presentations https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/groups/sa/ltc/www/blendedpresentations/
UWM online and blended programs http://online.uwm.edu
Accessing my course info http://D2L.uwm.edu username/password hybfac

OER resources (from @opencontent, David Wiley)
http://eli2011.pathable.com/user_profiles/david-wiley
http://opencontent.org/blog/
http://www.slideshare.net/opencontent/educause-2010-openness-data-and-a-sustainable-future-for-education

Watch David's preso from ELI at:
http://www.educause.edu/Resources/OpennessLearningAnalyticsandCo/224199

OER Commons http://www.oercommons.org/
Connexions http://cnx.org/
Curriki http://www.curriki.org/
MIT Opencourseware http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
Open course Library http://opencourselibrary.wikispaces.com/
Utah State Opencourseware http://ocw.usu.edu/
Berkeley webcasts http://Webcast.berkeley.edu
Open Learning Initiative, Carnegie Melon http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/
Flatworld Knowledge http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/
OpenCourseWare Consortium http://www.ocwconsortium.org/
Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources http://oerconsortium.org/

#sunyblend twitter conversation
http://www.twazzup.com/?q=sunyblend&l=all

RSA Kenneth Johnson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

CATS
http://tep.uoregon.edu/resources/newteach/fifty_cats.pdf
http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/assess.htm
http://www.pccua.edu/assessment/classroom_assessment_techniques.htm
http://daley.ccc.edu/academic/pdf/Classroom%20Assessment%20Techniques.pdf

Designing a Learning Module
http://professorjoosten.blogspot.com/2010/08/developing-learning-module-discussions.html
http://professorjoosten.blogspot.com/2009/11/learning-module-checklist.html

Assessment Plan Checklist
http://professorjoosten.blogspot.com/2011/08/assessment-plan-checklist.html

Scavenger Hunt PPT and Worksheet
https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/groups/sa/ltc/FacultyResources/

Course evaluation checklist
http://professorjoosten.blogspot.com/2010/05/course-evaluation-checklist.html

Course evaluation guide
https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/groups/sa/ltc/CourseEvaluation/Final%20peer%20evaluation%20handbook/

Syllabus checklist
http://professorjoosten.blogspot.com/2010/08/syllabus-checklist-for-blended-and.html

Josh Jarrett Sloan-C Blended presentation
http://sloanconsortium.org/conferences/2011/blended/joshjarrett

Rio Salado Learner Analytics
http://www.gilfuseducationgroup.com/academic-analytics-new-elearning-diagnostics

Student Assessments and Tips- Are you ready for online? hybrid?

Online Learning Assessments
Illinois Online Network (ION) Self-Evaluation
Online Learning: How to Self Assess
Butler Student Assesssment
SDCC Assessment
Senecac Assessment

Tips for Success
Butler Tips for Success
ION Online Student Profile
ION Tips to Success
Bloom Online Learner
JHU Effective Learner
UW Stevens Points Tips
COD Survey
ACCD Learner

Open Education Resources from David Wiley @opencontent

2011-08-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

When teaching online or blended, we often feel the burden of being the author of our content. When moving to a digital or mediated environment, the amount of work to covert our content is overwhelming. These days, we do not need to author all of our content. We can look to Open Education Resources (OER) to re-purpose open content for use in our courses from videos and lectures to actually learning activities and modules.

In February at the ELI conference, I was lucky to hear David Wiley's Keynote. It was an early morning key note (and everyone knows I am not a morning person), but he was very humorous, entertaining, AND had a wealth of resources -- keys to a good 8am key note talk!!

Here are some of those resources:

OER Commons http://www.oercommons.org/
Connexions http://cnx.org/
Curriki http://www.curriki.org/
MIT Opencourseware http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
Open course Library http://opencourselibrary.wikispaces.com/
Utah State Opencourseware http://ocw.usu.edu/
Berkeley webcasts http://Webcast.berkeley.edu
Open Learning Initiative, Carnegie Melon http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/
Flatworld Knowledge http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/
OpenCourseWare Consortium http://www.ocwconsortium.org/
Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources http://oerconsortium.org/

OER resources (from @opencontent, David Wiley)
http://eli2011.pathable.com/user_profiles/david-wiley
http://opencontent.org/blog/
http://www.slideshare.net/opencontent/educause-2010-openness-data-and-a-sustainable-future-for-education

More:
http://onlineuniversityrankings.org/2009/the-worlds-50-best-open-courseware-collections/

K-12
http://www.openhighschool.org/
http://www.hippocampus.org/
http://www.ck12.org/flexbook/

Social Media at SUNY

2011-08-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Social Media Day at SUNY in Albany as part of the NGLC grant #sunysm

http://wiki.sln.suny.edu/display/SLNNGLC/Social+Media+Agenda-+8.12.11

"This special event is coordinated by the SUNY Learning Network (SLN) for SLN staff and our campus partner staff involved in the SUNY SLN Catch-up and Complete Enhanced Blended Learning Initiative (our NGLC grant-funded project). The purpose of this event is to train project staff in the use of social media to curate content for professional development and student support purposes, and in how to use the social web to create, innovate, grow, and sustain an effective online community."

The audience included digital age librarians, online learning concierges, HelpDesk staff, online instructional design staff.

The slides from the presentation slides from the workshop are retrievable at:

Social Media: Engaging Students, SUNY

View more presentations from Tanya Joosten

Additional Resources:

Michael Wresch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

Social Media Revolution Videos
http://www.youtube.com/user/Socialnomics09

Twitter/Facebook Resources and tools
http://search.twitter.com
http://www.twapperkeeper.com
http://www.twazzup.com
http://www.youtube.com/twitter
http://www.youtube.com/facebook

#edusocmedia
http://twapperkeeper.com/hashtag/edusocmedia
http://summarizr.labs.eduserv.org.uk/?hashtag=edusocmedia
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23edusocmedia&aq=f
http://edusocmedia.wikispaces.com
http://www.edusocmedia.org/

EDUCAUSE Social Media Constituent Group
http://www.educause.edu/cg/socmedia - Join!!

UWM Resources
http://UWMSocialMedia.wikispaces.com
http://UWMSecondLife.wikispaces.com
http://MySurveys.wikispaces.com

Learning space design resources

2011-07-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

Working list...

--thinking mobile, multi-use, flexible

If these walls could talk, Michael Wesch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

EDUCAUSE

http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EQVolume322009/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/163844

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/LearningSpaceDesign/17436

http://www.educause.edu/LearningSpaces

http://www.educause.edu/ELI/LearningPrinciplesandPractices/LearningSpaceDesign/5521?bhcp=1

New!

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/ClassroomNEXTEngagingFacultyan/232846 ELI whitepaper, Texas Wesleyan, Classroom.NEXT: Engaging Faculty and Students in Learning Space Design, July 27, 2011

UMN

http://www.oit.umn.edu/research-evaluation/selected-research/learning-environments/index.htm

http://www.classroom.umn.edu/projects/alc.html

http://www.classroom.umn.edu/projects/ALC_Information.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfT_hoiuY8w&playnext=1&list=PL6DD8FB89A9E60F33

MIT

http://icampus.mit.edu/TEAL/default.aspx

NC State

http://www.ncsu.edu/PER/scaleup.html

Cardinal Stritch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnU58hbYN1M

Recently Added

Wayne State
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0734331000000495

Herman Miller Education
http://hermanmiller.com/Education

Herman Miller Formal Classroom
http://hermanmiller.com/DotCom/jsp/designResources/imgSearchResults.jsp?prodId=286

Herman Miller "Mobile" Classrooms
http://hermanmiller.com/DotCom/jsp/designResources/imgSearchResults.jsp?prodId=286

Herman Miller Informal Spaces
http://hermanmiller.com/Education/Applications/Informal-Learning
http://hermanmiller.com/DotCom/jsp/designResources/imgSearchResults.jsp?prodId=287#

Laptop carts
http://www.da-lite.com/products/product.php?pID=318
http://www.pclocs.com.au/
http://www.uptime4u.com/acrobat_files/media_weapon_anthro.pdf
http://www.pc-security.com/PDF/DS-NSC-TD-20Flyer.pdf
http://www.spectrumfurniture.com/

Drivers suck!

2011-07-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

Don't you love it when you upgrade your hardware to a new OS and then half of the system doesn't work?!

This blog post documents our experience updating our computer lab.

The primary issues being the laptops 1.) will not project or work on external displays (i.e., monitors) and 2.) will not run Second Life.

The bottom line is our hardware, Latitude D830, etc., was not completely compatible with Windows 7, Enterprise, 64 bit, even though IT thought it would be. Dell's site (see Tip 1) and a chat with tech support clearly confirmed it was not.

Tip 1: Check the Dell site to see if your computer is Windows 7 compatible before updating your OS. For Dell, visit:

h ttp://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?docid=273634#Issue0_1

Also, you may want to "chat" quickly with tech support at:

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/chat/hardware_chat?c=us&cs=RC956904&l=en&s=hied

Tip 2: Visit the Microsoft Windows 7 compatibility center before moving to the new OS. Specifically, download the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Both are available at:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx

and

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/upgrade-advisor

Additionally, Dell has not created any Windows 7 drivers to support our hardware, which we could tell by visiting the Dell Latitude D830 Drivers page at:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=hied&catid=&impid=&os=WW1&osl=en&SystemID=Latitude%20D830

Tip 3: Make sure Dell or computer manufacturer has created Windows 7 drivers already. For Dell drivers, visit:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/

Since there were no Dell Windows 7 drivers, I uploaded the Vista 64 bit nVidia Driver, R205370.

Once I downloaded it onto my computer and it loaded itself in the dell/drivers folder, I had to manual update the drive through the Device Manager.

External displays work!!!

However, Second Life wouldn't work. Second Life (and possibly other software products) were not compatible with Windows 7 64 bit.

Luckily, I ran into this blog post regarding graphics cards, which led me to this magnificent nVidia site.
http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Graphics-cards/ta-p/700073

Tip 4: Visit the manufacturer site for your device to find the updated and appropriate driver. Although the driver downloaded for Vista 64 bit worked for somethings, I needed the most recent update to get Second Life (and probably other software) to work. Visit nVidia site to automatically detect the driver you need:

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

It recommended I update the driver I got on the Dell site, to this, 275.33 Driver:

http://www.nvidia.com/content/DriverDownload-March2009/confirmation.php?url=/Windows/275.33/275.33-notebook-win7-winvista-64bit-international-whql.exe&lang=us&type=GeForce%20M

and....

It worked!

As of this blog post, the "test" laptop *will* display on the projector and the monitor, and Second Life Viewer 2 *will* operate.

Checklist to follow!! Stay tuned! ;)

Social Media for Educators, Pre-order available in the UK

2011-07-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

It looks like the book is more official. WH Smith in the UK posted a page to order the book this week. Check it out at:

UWM Exploring Mobile

2011-07-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

Exploring Mobile Technologies to Increase Student Learning

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Funded by a UW System Curricular Redesign Grant

Priority Deadline: July 29, 2011

Overview

The University of Wisconsin System awarded a Curricular Redesign Grant to UWM’s Learning Technology Center to explore pedagogically effective uses of mobile technologies. More specifically, the goal of this project is to investigate the impact of mobile applications and devices on student interactions, engagement, and learning.

We would like to invite interested faculty and teaching academic staff to participate in this project where they will integrate mobile applications and devices into their Fall 2011 or Spring 2012 courses. Specifically, we are looking for student-centered, active learning experiences as described below. Proposals are not limited to these processes, and proposals that incorporate multiple processes are encouraged.

1.) Facilitating simulations or role play learning activities, which can include delivery of instructions and guidelines, data collection or information gathering, group communication, and more through student mobile devices.

2.) Developing student-created content through mobile capturing of video, audio, or images and possible sharing of students’ products through a social media tool, such as YouTube or Flickr.

3.) Fostering student learning through “off the shelf” mobile applications through the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace.

4.) Implementing a gaming curriculum or game-based learning activities facilitated through the use of mobile technologies.

5.) Developing innovative ways to deliver course content and information through mobile devices or applications.

6.) Utilizing mobile devices and applications for fieldwork, interviews, and research.

7.) Creating engaging face-to-face classes using mobile devices in order to create feedback or backchannel mechanisms in class.

The instructors selected for this program will receive support from the UWM Learning Technology Center in course redesign, be awarded a S&E stipend ranging from $500-$1,500, and be required to:

Integrate one substantial learning activity, using student-centered, active learning pedagogy, facilitated through the use of mobile devices that has the potential to impact student interactions, engagement, and learning for a Fall 2011 or Spring 2012 course;

Attend faculty consultations with LTC staff;

Assist with the LTC’s assessment of the impact of mobile devices (student pre and post survey, faculty survey); and

Participate in a debriefing session after the course is completed.

Background

The research suggests that the use of mobile devices is becoming more widespread.

234 million Americans ages 13 and older used mobile devices (Flosi, 2010).
55.7 million people in the U.S. own smartphones (Flosi, 2010).
The mobile Internet is being adopted at a faster rate than the desktop Internet (Morgan Stanley, 2010).
K-12 schools are allowing and even encouraging the use of mobile devices, including cell phones in the classroom (Project Tomorrow, 2010).
Beyond just Internet access, over 90% of 18-29 year olds use their mobile phones to send and receive text messages (Smith, Caruso, & Kim, 2010).
More than three-fourths of higher education students own and use a mobile device (Smith, Caruso, & Kim, 2010).

Mobility allows us to increase our access, efficiency, and effectiveness in meeting our process needs in teaching and learning. Our ability to retrieve, gather, and share information despite our distanciation in space and time is facilitate by mobile technology. It not only provides students access to course content and information, but facilitates opportunities to dialogue and collaborate, which can meet higher order learning needs. For faculty, they can overcome challenges of the face-to-face classroom and static learning technologies by using mobile technologies to create more informed classes, support instant exchanges of ideas and gathering of feedback, utilize new methods of student assessment through digital media, and implement experiential learning opportunities. Mobile learning opportunities have the ability to increase social interactions and engagement with students and among students.

Currently, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) has been conducting studies on how mobile applications (e.g., Web clickers and Twitter Back Channel) and mobile devices (laptops, iTouch, smartphones, etc.) can enhance the student experience. Also, UWM has been investigating the ways in which tools such as Twitter and Facebook are using push down technology and SMS text messaging through mobile devices to more effectively communicate with students. The evidence gathered indicates positive impact on student interaction, engagement, learning, and learning..

While research conducted by UWM on emerging technologies serves as a foundation for understanding how mobile and social learning can impact the learning process, more research is needed. We are looking to further explore pedagogically effective combinations of mobile technologies facilitating active learning.

Application

Please submit a 2 page summary of your proposed project by July 29, 2011, via e-mail to tjoosten@uwm.edu, for the priority deadline. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis until funding is no longer available. The selection of participants will be competitive.

The proposal should address the following:

How would using mobile devices and/or applications better facilitate student learning in your course? Specifically, what would be desired learning outcomes? how would you assess whether students achieved these learning outcomes? what is the learning activity in which students would take part?
What support do you need in designing this learning activity and your course design?
What mobile devices would your students use as part of this activity? What support would your students require?
Why would your course be a good opportunity to make use mobile learning?
Why are you a good candidate to participate in this grant project?

Please also complete the online form at:

http://tinyurl.com/3g3jeax

This form will ask you for the following information:

Name
Email
Campus Address
Department and Discipline
Course Title
Course Enrollment Size and Level
Course Mode (f2f, blended or online)
Other Technologies Used in Course(s).

In the meantime, please contact us with any question at LTC@uwm.edu or 414.229.4319.

Best Regards,

Tanya Joosten and Sharon Stoerger

UWM Learning Technology Center

Resources

2011 Horizon Report: Mobiles

http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2011/sections/mobiles/

EDUCAUSE Mobile Computing Resources

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/Mobile%20Computing/30529

EDUCAUSE Mobile Computing 5-Day Sprint - Summary

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ESPNTMC.pdf

Mobile Learning Articles, E-books, and Reports

http://uwmmobilelearning.wikispaces.com/Mobile+Resources

Pew Internet & American Life Project: Mobile

http://pewinternet.org/topics/Mobile.aspx

UWM Mobile Learning Articles, E-books, and Reports

http://uwmmobilelearning.wikispaces.com/

UW System Mobile Learning Resources

http://uwsmobilelearning.wikispaces.com/home

UWSL Grant Project RFP

2011-07-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

UW System Administration, Curricular Redesign Project

Request for Proposal (RFP):

Virtual Worlds, Second Life

Overview
The University of Wisconsin System awarded an Emerging Technology Grant to explore the effective use of virtual worlds, specifically Second Life, for teaching and learning. The goal of this project is to help faculty develop course activities designed to increase student engagement, sense of community, social presence, and learning through the use of virtual worlds. This project will also assess the impact of virtual worlds on teaching and learning.

We would like to invite interested faculty and teaching academic staff from the UW System to participate in this project that will assist their efforts to integrate virtual world technology into one of their Fall 2011 or Spring 2012 courses by creating a learning activity that uses Second Life as a technology to facilitate interaction and learning. The faculty members selected for this program will be awarded a small S&E stipend of $500 to attend the one day intensive workshop on July 28th, 2011, and redesign their course to include one substantial Second Life activity. All participants will receive course redesign support from the LTC. The activity developed will emphasize pedagogical best practices from UW System Second Life grant projects from 2008 - 2011.

Background
Virtual worlds, such as Second Life, have the potential to engage and motivate students by providing an alternative platform for learning where they can develop knowledge through observation, discourse, construction, and interaction through the 3D environment. They also provide a stage for students to share their work products through an immersive, synchronous medium. The Horizon Report, developed by the New Media Consortium and EDUCAUSE, reported that virtual worlds, such as Second Life, are an emerging technology that will impact higher education within three adoption horizons.

Second Life is a platform that students and faculty access through a free software download. The software provides access to a virtual space where people can connect and interact with others. More specifically, the virtual platform consists of virtual regions - islands and sims - where students congregate, share, communicate, and perform. These regions can have virtual facilities such as classrooms, meeting rooms, lecture halls, auditoriums, amphitheaters, galleries, exhibit halls, theaters, labs, medical facilities, and outdoor spots. Students navigate the Second Life environment as avatars, or digital representations of themselves. The avatars are customizable, which allow students to experiment with their own identity.

Students visiting virtual worlds can partake in various pedagogical activities, such as:

· display work: written work, architectural objects, video and film, art pieces, in a public or semi-public forum;

· complete collaborative activities focusing on behavioral and affective learning due to the simulative nature of the medium that provides a platform for experiential learning (role plays and simulations);

· participate in virtual field trips and data gathering explorations; and

· learn about concepts that relate to media and technology (e.g., virtual reality, identity, avatars, agency) through observation or participant observation.

Faculty who participate in this program will be required to:

1. Attend a one day, intensive faculty development workshop on July 28, 2011;

2. Complete the substantial redesign of one activity that includes the integration of Second Life for a fall or spring course (2011-2012);

3. Assist with the formal evaluation of the impact of virtual worlds (student surveys and faculty surveys); and

4. Participate in a debriefing session after the course is completed.

Application
Please complete the attached application form and submit no more than a 2-page summary describing the following:

· How would you use Second Life to better facilitate student learning in your course?

· What learning outcomes would be best achieved by implementing Second Life into your course?

· How would you assess your learning outcomes from the newly integrated Second learning Life activity?

· Why would your course be a good opportunity to make use of Second Life?

The selection of participants will be competitive.

Social media workshop presented at NMC11 in Madison, WI

2011-06-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Social Media for Educators

Presented by myself and Sharon Stoerger.

Social media, including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, is changing the way we communicate, share ideas, and build networks. By exploiting the power and popularity of these tools, we can provide students an enhanced learning experience. This session will focus on how social media can be used in education, both inside and outside the classroom. More specifically, we will offer real-life, tried-and-true examples to demonstrate social media's ability to increase course communication and collaboration; create engaging learning activities; enhance the student experience (e.g. satisfaction); and improve student learning and performance. Note: Attendees must bring their own computers

Visit: http://www.nmc.org/preso/8322

Check out NMC Blogger Meena's post - http://www.nmc.org/blog/8559!!

Slides are available at:

Social Media for Educators - NMC11

View more presentations from Tanya Joosten.

My latest SlideShare upload : Social Media for Educators - NMC11 http://slidesha.re/j7okDU

Additional Resources:

NMC11 Twitter hashtag archive
http://twapperkeeper.com/hashtag/nmc11

Michael Wresch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

Social Media Revolution Videos
http://www.youtube.com/user/Socialnomics09

Twitter/Facebook Resources and tools
http://search.twitter.com
http://www.twapperkeeper.com
http://www.twazzup.com
http://www.youtube.com/twitter
http://www.youtube.com/facebook

#edusocmedia
http://twapperkeeper.com/hashtag/edusocmedia
http://summarizr.labs.eduserv.org.uk/?hashtag=edusocmedia
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23edusocmedia&aq=f
http://edusocmedia.wikispaces.com
http://www.edusocmedia.org/

EDUCAUSE Social Media Constituent Group
http://www.educause.edu/cg/socmedia - Join!!

UWM Resources
http://UWMSocialMedia.wikispaces.com
http://UWMSecondLife.wikispaces.com
http://MySurveys.wikispaces.com

Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alumroot/5836376961/

eLearning Asia Social Media Resources

2011-06-10T00:09:00.000-07:00

Social Media KeyNote/Plenary

Social Media: Transforming our Digital Future

Social media tools, such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, are changing the way that people across the globe communicate, share ideas, and build networks. Just over a year ago, Google lost its position as the most visited site on the web to the social media phenomenon, Facebook (see Wall Street Journal, March 14th, 2010). The interest in social media is quickly increasing, and as with many other technologies, the educational community is looking to harness the potential of these technologies to overcome challenges in the classroom and on campus. Not only do social media have the potential to improve learning in the classroom, they will be transformational for the future of education. This session will
characterize the transformational potential of social media in education.

http://elfasia.org/elfa2011/keynotes.html

View more presentations from Tanya Joosten

http://www.slideshare.net/tjoosten/social-media-8256516

Social Media Workshop

View more presentations from Tanya Joosten

Other resources:

Twitter/Facebook resources and tools
http://search.twitter.com
http://www.twapperkeeper.com
http://www.twazzup.com
http://www.youtube.com/twitter
http://www.youtube.com/facebook

Social Media Revolution Video
http://youtu.be/3SuNx0UrnEo

#edusocmedia
href="http://twapperkeeper.com/hashtag/edusocmedia">http://twapperkeeper.com/hashtag/edusocmedia
http://summarizr.labs.eduserv.org.uk/?hashtag=edusocmedia
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23edusocmedia&aq=f
http://edusocmedia.wikispaces.com
http://www.edusocmedia.org/

EDUCAUSE Social Media Constituent Group
http://www.educause.edu/cg/socmedia - Join!!

#ELFA specific archives
http://www.twazzup.com/?q=%23elfa&l=all
http://twapperkeeper.com/hashtag/elfa
http://summarizr.labs.eduserv.org.uk/?hashtag=elfa

UWM Resources
http://UWMSocialMedia.wikispaces.com
http://UWMSecondLife.wikispaces.com
http://MySurveys.wikispaces.com

Cheers!