Online Learning Communities

Walden’s video this week entitle “Online Learning Communities” presented Dr. Rena Palloff and Dr. Keith Pratt indicated that the creation of an online learning community can help facilitate course results and is the vehicle in which online learning is best delivered. In this video, Dr. Pallof and Dr. Pratt described the basis of creating a learning community for online facilitators.

How do online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses?

The online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses in a variety of ways. First, learning community is defined as an effective group of learners who supports one another in the learning process in order to explore the content in the course as well as to construct knowledge and meaning about the subject. It is stressed in this video that in order to create dynamic learning communities the facilitators and learners must be equal participants. Consequently, in the online learning community, the focus of intent is on the learner instead of the instructor. The online learning communities emphasize the learning process by assisting collaborative learning by interactively sharing experiences and knowledge. As Bruner (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004) points out, “development is intrinsically bound up with interaction” (pg. 4). The online learning community should by supported by the facilitator by means of a learning community approach. The course regulations of engagement should be obviously affirmed in order that the learner and facilitator are conscious of the course anticipation on input and other essential activities.

What are the essential elements of online community building?

As revealed by Dr. Pallof and Dr. Pratt, the essential elements of an online learning community are people, purpose, process, method, and social presence. The people are recognized as the learners and facilitators, yet the purpose is identified as the learning objectives of the course. In a learning community you will find common trust, mutual values, social interaction, and a manner of accommodating one another. A learning community is comprised of learners of geographical locations with diverse cultural values. The social presence is the student’s sense of presence in the midst of the group and the emotion that they fit in and become an engaged learner. The relationship is accomplished when the students covet learner to learner interaction as well as learner to instructor interaction. The learning community should be set up to provide the students with easy navigation and technology that are inviting to the learners. The learning environment must be accessible for millennial learners as well as “digital immigrants” identified as adult learners; nevertheless, a slower pace is recommended for adult learners. The students should be welcomed to class preferably by means of a welcome letter emailed to every student in the class as well as post it in the class. An icebreaker activity can also be utilized to kick off learner interactivity in a common and enjoyable approach.

How can online learning communities be sustained?

Recommendation of a new student orientation is essential so that learners become acquainted with each other and the course learning system. This will also promote the learners to become familiar with the login portal and the fundamental principles of distance learning structure. The online learning community can be sustained if the student has accomplished positive learning and a sense of belonging in the virtual learning environment. Facilitators of online courses are often engaged in a variety of activities planned to uphold the online learning even though it may not always seem clear to the learners. The instructor should be involved in the whole process. At the start of the course, facilitators must be endlessly measuring levels of participation, and detecting when a learner unexpectedly withdraws, perhaps signaling a need for a slower pace plus seal gaps in the individual student’s academic experience. Facilitators can reinforce the learning community as needed by scheduling live chat or conference calls over telephone. As Palloff & Pratt point out, instructional designers can ensure that the construction of a course upholds the wellbeing of the online community (2011).

What is the relationship between community building and effective online instruction?

Effective online instruction is very much encouraged by the online learning community. Although information is offered by books, nevertheless group interaction constructs connection among course content and prior knowledge. Constructing and upholding a online learning is essential in an online course.

References

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Laureate, Inc. (n.d.). Online Learning Communities [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5364570&Survey=1&47=6469801&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

21st Century Learning Matters

Collaborative Training Environment

Reflect on the following real-world example for designing a collaborative training environment:

A new automated staff information system was recently purchased by a major corporation and needs to be implemented in six regional offices. Unfortunately, the staff is located throughout all the different offices and cannot meet at the same time or in the same location. As an instructional designer for the corporation, you have been charged with implementing a training workshop for these offices. As part of the training, you were advised how imperative it is that the staff members share information, in the form of screen captures and documents, and participate in ongoing collaboration.

According to Beldarrain (2006) “Technology is responsible for distorting the concept of distance between learner and instructor, and enabling learners to access education at any time and from any place” (p. 139). Rising technologies offer opportunities for instructor-student in addition to student-student real-time and/or time-delayed collaboration. Beldarrain (2010) indicated that blogs, wikis, and podcasts are identified as web tools that promote interaction and collaboration connecting members of a group. Consequently, wikis is identified as a potential benefit in distance learning. According to Campbell (2010) “A critical benefit for distance students is that wikis offer convenience by allowing students to work asynchronously from different locations” (p. 84).

As an instructional designer, I will utilize the wikis to provide an outstanding collaborative environment which can permit individuals within the six regional offices that are separated by diverse locations and/or time zones to upload, edit, and distribute information in the form of documents and links to screen captures. One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to perform training is by screen captures through the use of Jing ((http://www.jingproject.com) or Trailfire ((http://www.trailfire.com). Griffin (2010) stated that both provide a URL for the screencast that can be shared via e-mail or instant message or on a webpage. Therefore, I will provide each individual with and URL address. I will also use CamStudio to record audio to make AVI files in order to distribute to the staff. This will provide them with vital information needed for training. I feel that this will assure me that each individual, high and low, has the value of effectiveness that is necessary to implement an impression for enhancement.

Reference
Beldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2),139–153.
Campbell, K., & Ellingson, D. (2010). Cooperative learning at a distance: An experiment with wikis. American Journal of Business Education, 3(4), 83-89.

Griffis, P. (2009). Building pathfinders with free screen capture tools. Information Technology & Libraries, 28(4), 189-190.

http://camstudio.org

Defining Distance Learning

The definition of distance learning has transform is constantly changing due to the development of technology. It is a term that is swiftly changing its meaning. Distance learning is a term that can be utilized to portray any of a quantity of instructional circumstances. Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek (2009) indicated that distance education is inspired by globalization in form of supersonic air travel, satellite television, computer communications, and community changes (p.35). According to the Distance Learning Timeline, the growth of technology has developed from the 1830’s until the current time with the correspondence through mail to the current time with the exploit of Web 2.0 (Laureate, Education, 2009). I believe that these changes are base on person’s profession because more occupations are technology related.

Before starting this course, my personal definition of distance learning was learning from a distance through some form of communication that bond learners from diverse backgrounds of intelligence and information. My terror of distance learning was learning without the presence of an instructor. A question came in mind with a wonder of how learning takes place in distance learning. I thought how in the world I will learn without being in the classroom with an instructor. I learned that distance learning and its relationship to rising computer technologies have jointly presented numerous promises to the field of education. Distance learning is acknowledged by colleges and universities as a way of maintaining development (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008).

This week I learned that a definition is needed to fit all situations of distance learning because of its history covering so many diverse learning environments. I find that distance learning is defined by four components 1) institution-based, 2) teacher and student separation, 3) interactive telecommunications, and 4) learning experiences (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009). According to Dr. Michael Simonson (Laureate, Education, 2009), “Distance education can be defined as formal education which the learning group (teachers, students, resources) are separated by geography and sometimes by time.”

 This learning has made a great impact on my personal definition because I find that some form of distance learning has been around for a very long time. It has made life easier. There has always been a need for this type of learning. Learning from a distance has always been a part of our lives. For example cars, phones, and computers are things we must learn how to operate from a distance. All schools are influenced by distance learning. The No Child Left Behind Act requires K-12 environment to offer distance learning as an option to help students obtain their education (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008). My definition of distance learning engages learners and resources along with an instructor learning at a distance. I find that you can be removed from a classroom and still learn.

As distance learning continue to expand in the future, my vision is to see universities offer more learning resources and assistance for online students that are not trained to participate inside an online set-up. I believe that universities should have some type of remedial such as online orientation in order to assist learner in getting on the right track. This will assist learners in setting education goals and self discipline. I have witness students fail or dropout because they could not perform in their course. I would also like to see online instructors take more of a plan to communicate and assist learners in gaining understanding of their work.

In conclusion, distance learning has and will persevere to unlock new boundaries in education and learning. I deem that in the future instructional designers should train more in widen designs that will eternally differentiate the customary way of teaching and the new age of educational technology. Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman (2008) stated, “There is a strong need for instructional designers, specifically trained in distance education technologies and design, who are ready to tackle distance education challenges at all levels” (p. 65).

References

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63–67.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Distance education: The next generation [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5089759&Survey=1&47=6368695&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.

Multimedia Program: "Distance Learning Timeline Continuum,” Walden University, 2009.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.