Title: Online%20Learning:%20From%20Research%20to%20Application
1Online Learning From Research to Application
- Dr. Curtis J. Bonk
- Associate Professor, Indiana University
- President, CourseShare.com
- http//php.indiana.edu/cjbonk,
- cjbonk_at_indiana.edu
2Are you ready???
3Brains Before and After E-learning
After
Before
And when use synchronous and asynchronous tools
4Tons of Recent Research
- Not much of it
- ...is any good...
5Basic Distance Learning Finding?
- Research since 1928 shows that DL students
perform as well as their counterparts in a
traditional classroom setting. - Per Russell, 1999, The No Significant Difference
Phenomenon (5th Edition), NCSU, based on 355
research reports. - http//cuda.teleeducation.nb.ca/nosignificantdiffe
rence/
6Online Learning Research Problems (National
Center for Education Statistics, 1999 Phipps
Merisotos, 1999 Wisher et al., 1999).
- Anecdotal evidence minimal theory.
- Questionable validity of tests.
- Lack of control group.
- Hard to compare given different assessment tools
and domains. - Fails to explain why the drop-out rates of
distance learners are higher. - Does not relate learning styles to different
technologies or focus on interaction of multiple
technologies.
7Online Learning Research Problems(Bonk Wisher,
2001)
- For different purposes or domains in our study,
13 concern training, 87 education - Flaws in research designs
- - Only 36 have objective learning measures
- - Only 45 have comparison groups
- When effective, it is difficult to know why
- - Course design?
- - Instructional methods?
- - Technology?
8Evaluating Web-Based InstructionMethods and
Findings (41 studies)(Olson Wisher, October,
2002 International Review of Research in Open
and Distance Learning)
http//www.irrodl.org/content/v3.2/olsen.html
9Wishers Wish List
- Effect size of .5 or higher in comparison to
traditional classroom instruction.
10Evaluating Web-Based Instruction Methods and
Findings(Olson Wisher, in review)
- there is little consensus as to what variables
should be examined and what measures of of
learning are most appropriate, making comparisons
between studies difficult and inconclusive. - e.g., demographics (age, gender), previous
experience, course design, instructor
effectiveness, technical issues, levels of
participation and collaboration, recommendation
of course, desire to take addl online courses.
11Evaluating Web-Based Instruction Methods and
Findings(Olson Wisher, 2002)
- Variables Studied
- Type of Course Graduate (18) vs. undergraduate
courses (81) - Level of Web Use All-online (64) vs.
blended/mixed courses (34) - Content area (e.g., math/engineering (27),
science/medicine (24), distance ed (15), social
science/educ (12), business (10), etc.) - Attrition data (34)
- Comparison Group (59)
12Some of the Research Gaps(Bonk Wisher, 2000)
- 1) Variations in Instructor Moderation
- 2) Online Debating
- 3) Student Perceptions of e-Learning Envir.
- 4) Devel of Online Learning Communities
- 5) Time Allocation Instructor and Student
- 6) Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Applications in Sync/Asynchronous Envir - 7) Peer Tutoring and Online Mentoring
- 8) Student Retention E-learning and Attrition
- 9) Graphical Representation of Ideas
- 10) Online Collaboration
13Many forms of Online InstructionThe Web
Integration Continuum(Bonk et al., 2001)
- Level 1 Course Marketing/Syllabi via the Web
- Level 2 Web Resource for Student Exploration
- Level 3 Publish Student-Gen Web Resources
- Level 4 Course Resources on the Web
- Level 5 Repurpose Web Resources for Others
-
- Level 6 Web Component is Substantive Graded
- Level 7 Graded Activities Extend Beyond Class
- Level 8 Entire Web Course for Resident Students
- Level 9 Entire Web Course for Offsite Students
- Level 10 Course within Programmatic Initiative
14Learning Improved(Maki et al., 2000)
- Intro to Psych Lecture vs. Online
- Online performed better on midterms.
- Web-based course students scored higher since had
weekly activities due - Lecture students could put off reading until
night before exam.
15Learning Improved(review by Chang, 2003)
- Online outperformed peers in histology
(anatomyplant and animal tissues under
microscope) course (Shoenfeld-Tacher et al.,
2001) - Web enhancements raised exam performance, grades,
attitudes toward economics - Agarwal and Day (1998)
- Online business communications students performed
better on final exams than on campus (Tucker,
2000)
16Integrating Wireless Content Syllabus Magazine,
May 13, 2003
- Study by Mobile Learning Corp group of college
institutions - Digital content helped first-year college
accounting students learn - Online interactive exercises useful to student
learning - Encouraged independent student learning, and
instructors to adopt coaching role.
17Learning Worse(Wang Newlin, 2000)
- Stat Methods Lecture vs. Online
- No diffs at midterm
- Lecture 87 on final, Web a 72
- Course relatively unstructured
- Web students encouraged to collab
- Lecture students could not collab
- All exams but final were open book
18Learning Improved or NotOrganizational
Behavior, IUSE(Keefe, Educause Quarterly, 1,
2003)
- Keefe studied 4 semesters of courses, 6 sections,
118 students - Face-to-face more satisfied with course and
instructor - Those in online course associated with lower
grades
19Online FindingsOther Concerns
- Requires instructor be responsive any time
- Ottenhoff Lawrence (1999).
- A study of 436 educational Web sites--instructors
use simple and limited communication tools - Mioduser, Nachmias, Lahav, Oren (1998)
- Few syllabi posted to World Lecture Hall utilized
Web for interaction and collaboration - None utilized practitioners as mentors
- Cummings, Bonk, Jacobs (2002)
20Learning Improved or Not(Sankaran et al., 2000)
- Students with a positive attitude toward Web
format learned more in Web course than in lecture
course. - Students with positive attitude toward lecture
format learned more in lecture format.
21Contrasting Findings are the Norm
- Some courses impersonal, isolating, and
frustrating (Hara Kling, 2001) - Sense of community and lower attrition rates when
support interactivity, reflection, and sharing
(Harnishfeger, March, 2003)
22Different Goals
- Making connections
- Appreciating different perspectives
- Students as teachers
- Greater depth of discussion
- Fostering critical thinking online
- Interactivity online
23Student Basic Quantitative
- Grades, Achievement Test Scores, etc.
- Number of Posts
- Overall Participation
- Computer Log Activitypeak usage, messages/day,
time of task or in system - Attitude Surveys
24Student High-End Success
- Message complexity, depth, interactivity,
questioning - Collaboration skills
- Problem finding/solving and critical thinking
- Challenging and debating others
- Case-based reasoning, critical thinking measures
- Portfolios, performances, PBL activities
25Other Measures of Student Success(Focus groups,
interviews, observations, surveys, exams, records)
- Positive Feedback, Recommendations
- Increased Comprehension, Achievement
- High Retention in Program
- Completion Rates or Course Attrition
- Jobs Obtained, Internships
- Enrollment Trends for Next Semester
26Electronic Conferencing Quantitative Analyses
- Usage patterns, of messages, cases, responses
- Length of case, thread, response
- Average number of responses
- Timing of cases, commenting, responses, etc.
- Types of interactions (11 1 many)
- Data mining (logins, peak usage, location,
session length, paths taken, messages/day/week),
Time-Series Analyses (trends)
27Electronic Conferencing Qualitative Analyses
- General Observation Logs, Reflective interviews,
Retrospective Analyses, Focus Groups - Specific Semantic Trace Analyses, Talk/Dialogue
Categories (Content talk, questioning, peer
feedback, social acknowledgments, off task) - Emergent Forms of Learning Assistance, Levels of
Questioning, Degree of Perspective Taking, Case
Quality, Participant Categories
28Overall frequency of interactions across chat
categories (6,601 chats).
29Network Conferencing Interactivity (Rafaeli
Sudweeks, 1997)
- 1. gt 50 percent of messages were reactive.
- 2. Only around 10 percent were truly interactive.
- 3. Most messages factual stmts or opinions
- 4. Many also contained questions or requests.
- 5. Frequent participators more reactive than low.
- 6. Interactive messages more opinions humor.
- 7. More self-disclosure, involvement,
belonging. - 8. Attracted to fun, open, frank, helpful,
supportive environments.
30Week 4
Starter Centered Interaction (Hara, Bonk,
Angeli, 2000)
Scattered Interaction (no starter)
31Nonnative speakers did not assume roles,
Americans used role names, Ching-Fen Chang (May
2003)
32Ching-Fen Chang (May 2003)
- it appeared that the Web-based forum
discussions especially enabled the nonnative
speakers of English to contribute to the class
discussions by providing more opportunities to
contribute than face-to-face discussions.
33Schallert Reed, AERA, April 2003
- Nonnative students do not participate equally in
written discussions - Enthusiastic and frequent contributors do not
necessarily make intellectually significant
contributions. - Some who seem deeply engaged may be less
rigorously engaged in many conversations
34Collaborative Behaviors(Curtis Lawson, 1997)
- Most common were (1) Planning, (2) Contributing,
and (3) Seeking Input. - Other common events were
- (4) Initiating activities,
- (5) Providing feedback,
- (6) Sharing knowledge
- Few students challenge others or attempt to
explain or elaborate - Recommend using debates and modeling appropriate
ways to challenge others
35Online Collaboration Behaviors by Categories (US
and Finland)
Behavior Categories Conferences () Conferences () Conferences ()
Behavior Categories Finland U.S. Average
Planning 0.0 0.0 0.0
Contributing 80.8 76.6 78.7
Seeking Input 12.7 21.0 16.8
Reflection/ Monitoring 6.1 2.2 4.2
Social Interaction 0.4 0.2 0.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0
36Dimensions of Learning Process(Henri, 1992)
- 1. Participation (rate, timing, duration of
messages) - 2. Interactivity (explicit interaction, implicit
interaction, independent comment) - 3. Social Events (stmts unrelated to content)
- 4. Cognitive Events (e.g., clarifications,
inferencing, judgment, and strategies) - 5. Metacognitive Events (e.g., both metacognitive
knowledgeperson, and task, and strategy and well
as metacognitive skillevaluation, planning,
regulation, and self-awareness)
37Some Findings (see Hara, Bonk, Angeli, 2000)
- Social (in 26.7 of units coded)
- social cues decreased as semester progressed
- messages gradually became less formal
- became more embedded within statement
- Cognitive (in 81.7 of units)
- More inferences judgments than elem
clarifications and in-depth clarifications - Metacognitive (in 56 of units)
- More reflections on exper self-awareness
- Some planning, eval, regulation self qing
38Surface vs. Deep Posts(Henri, 1992)
- Surface Processing
- making judgments without justification,
- stating that one shares ideas or opinions already
stated, - repeating what has been said
- asking irrelevant questions
- i.e., fragmented, narrow, and somewhat trite.
- In-depth Processing
- linked facts and ideas,
- offered new elements of information,
- discussed advantages and disadvantages of a
situation, - made judgments that were supported by examples
and/or justification. - i.e., more integrated, weighty, and refreshing.
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40Critical Thinking (Newman, Johnson, Webb
Cochrane, 1997)
- Used Garrisons five-stage critical thinking
model - Critical thinking in both CMC and FTF envir.
- Depth of critical thinking higher in CMC envir.
- More likely to bring in outside information
- Link ideas and offer interpretations,
- Generate important ideas and solutions.
- FTF settings were better for generating new ideas
and creatively exploring problems.
41Unjustified Statements (US)
- 24. Author Katherine
- Date Apr. 27 312 AM 1998
- I agree with you that technology is definitely
taking a large part in the classroom and will
more so in the future - 25. Author Jason Date Apr. 28 147 PM 1998
- I feel technology will never over take the role
of the teacher...I feel however, this is just
help us teachers... - 26. Author Daniel Date Apr. 30 011 AM 1998
- I believe that the role of the teacher is being
changed by computers, but the computer will never
totally replace the teacher... I believe that the
computers will eventually make teaching easier
for us and that most of the children's work will
be done on computers. But I believe that there
42 Indicators for the Quality of Students
Dialogue(Angeli, Valanides, Bonk, in review)
43Social Construction of Knowledge (Gunawardena,
Lowe, Anderson, 1997)
- Five Stage Model
- 1. Share ideas,
- 2. Discovery of Idea Inconsistencies,
- 3. Negotiate Meaning/Areas Agree,
- 4. Test and Modify,
- 5. Phrase Agreements
- In global debate, very task driven.
- Dialogue remained at Phase I sharing info
44Problem-Based LearningDistance Ed, 23(1), 2002
- Practical learning issues generated more
interactions and higher levels of interaction
than theoretical issues - Communities of learners need to negotiate
identity and knowledge and need milestones (chat
session agreements, producing reports, sharing
stories, and new work patterns) - Group development (1) negotiate problem and
timetable, (2) divide work in subgroups, and (3)
produce drafts of products
45Social Constructivism and Learning Communities
Online (SCALCO) Scale. (Bonk Wisher, 2000)
- ___ 1. The topics discussed online had real world
relevance. - ___ 2. The online environment encouraged me to
question ideas and perspectives. - ___ 3. I received useful feedback and mentoring
from others. - ___ 4. There was a sense of membership in the
learning here. - ___ 5. Instructors provided useful advice and
feedback online. - ___ 6. I had some personal control over course
activities and discussion.
46Problems and Solutions(Bonk, Wisher, Lee, in
press)
- Tasks Overwhelm
- Confused on Web
- Too Nice Due to Limited Share History
- Lack Justification
- Hard not to preach
- Too much data
- Communities not easy to form
- Train and be clear
- Structure time/dates due
- Develop roles and controversies
- Train to back up claims
- Students take lead role
- Use Email Pals
- Embed Informal/Social
47Benefits and Implications(Bonk, Wisher, Lee,
in press)
- Shy open up online
- Minimal off task
- Delayed collab more rich than real time
- Students can generate lots of info
- Minimal disruptions
- Extensive E-Advice
- Excited to Publish
- Use async conferencing
- Create social tasks
- Use Async for debates Sync for help, office
hours - Structure generation and force reflection/comment
- Foster debates/critique
- Find Experts or Prac.
- Ask Permission
48More Implications
- Include Variety tasks, topics, participants,
accomplishments, etc. - Make interaction extend beyond class
- Have learners be teachers
- Find multiple ways to succeed
- Add personalization and choice
- Provide clarity and easy navigation
49Ten Ways Online Ed Matches or Surpasses FTF, Mark
Kassop, Technology Source, Michigan Virtual Univ,
May/June 2003
- Student-centered learning
- Writing intensity
- Highly interactive discussions
- Geared for lifelong learning
- Enriched course materials
- Online demand interaction and support
- Immediate feedback
- Flexibility
- An intimate community of learners
- Faculty development and rejuvenation
50My Evaluation Plan
51Other Evaluation Plans
- Quality on the Line Benchmarks for Success in
Internet-Based Distance Ed (e.g., the
teaching/learning process) (Blackboard NEA,
2000) - http//www.ihep.com/Pubs/PDF/Quality.pdf
- The Pedagogical Rating of Online CoursesSyllabus
Magazine, Jan, 2002, Nishikant Sonwalkar
52Best PracticesWho are some of the key scholars
and promoters???
53Three Most Vital SkillsThe Online Teacher, TAFE,
Guy Kemshal-Bell (April, 2001)
- Ability to engage the learner (30)
- Ability to motivate online learners (23)
- Ability to build relationships (19)
- Technical ability (18)
- Having a positive attitude (14)
- Adapt to individual needs (12)
- Innovation or creativity (11)
54Lets brainstorm comments (words or short
phrases) that reflect your overall attitudes and
feelings towards online teaching
55Feelings Toward Online TeachingThe Online
Teacher, TAFE, Guy Kemshal-Bell (April,
2001)(Note 94 practitioners surveyed.)
- Exciting (30)
- Challenging (24)
- Time consuming (22)
- Demanding (18)
- Technical issue (16) Flexibility (16)
- Potential (15)
- Better options (14) Frustrating (14)
- Collab (11) Communication (11) Fun (11)
56Changing Role of the TeacherThe Online Teacher,
TAFE, Guy Kemshal-Bell (April, 2001)
- From oracle to guide and resource provider
- From providers of answers to expert questioners
- From solitary teacher to member of team
- From total control of teaching environment to
sharing as a fellow student - From provider of content to designer of learning
experiences.
57Dennens Research on Nine Online
Courses (sociology, history, communications,
writing, library science, technology, counseling)
Poor Instructors Good Instructors
- Provided regular qual/quant feedback
- Participated as peer
- Allowed perspective sharing
- Tied discussion to grades, other assessments.
- Used incremental deadlines
- Little or no feedback given
- Always authoritative
- Kept narrow focus of what was relevant
- Created tangential discussions
- Only used ultimate deadlines
58Common Instructor Complaints
- Students dont participate
- Students all participate at the last minute
- Students post messages but dont converse
- Facilitation takes too much time
- If they must be absent, the discussion dies off
- Students are confused
59Reasons why...
- Students dont participate
- Because it isnt required
- Because they dont know what is expected
- Students all participate at last minute
- Because that is what was required
- Because they dont want to be the first
- Instructor posts at the last minute
60Research on Instructors Online
- If teacher-centered, less explore, engage,
interact (Peck, and Laycock, 1992) - Informal, exploratory conversation fosters
risktaking knowledge sharing (Weedman, 1999) - Job Varies--Plan, Interaction, Admin, Tchg
- (McIsaac, Blocher, Mahes, Vrasidas, 1999)
61Study of Four Classes(Bonk, Kirkley, Hara,
Dennen, 2001)
- TechnicalTrain, early tasks, be flexible,
orientation task - ManagerialInitial meeting, FAQs, detailed
syllabus, calendar, post administrivia, assign
e-mail pals, gradebooks, email updates - PedagogicalPeer feedback, debates, PBL, cases,
structured controversy, field reflections,
portfolios, teams, inquiry, portfolios - SocialCafé, humor, interactivity, profiles,
foreign guests, digital pics, conversations,
guests
62(No Transcript)
63But there is a Problem
64(No Transcript)
65How Bad Is It?
- Some frustrated Blackboard users who say the
company is too slow in responding to technical
problems with its course-management software have
formed an independent users group to help one
another and to press the company to improve. - (Jeffrey Young, Nov. 2, 2001, Chronicle of Higher
Ed)
66Must Online Learning be Boring?
What Motivates Adult Learners to Participate?
67Motivational Terms?See Johnmarshall Reeve
(1996). Motivating Others Nurturing inner
motivational resources. Boston Allyn Bacon.
(UW-Milwaukee)
- Tone/Climate Psych Safety, Comfort, Belonging
- Feedback Responsive, Supports, Encouragement
- Engagement Effort, Involvement, Excitement
- Meaningfulness Interesting, Relevant, Authentic
- Choice Flexibility, Opportunities, Autonomy
- Variety Novelty, Intrigue, Unknowns
- Curiosity Fun, Fantasy, Control
- Tension Challenge, Dissonance, Controversy
- Interactive Collaborative, Team-Based, Community
- Goal Driven Product-Based, Success, Ownership
681. Tone/Climate Ice Breakers
- A. Eight Nouns Activity
- 1. Introduce self using 8 nouns
- 2. Explain why choose each noun
- 3. Comment on 1-2 peer postings
- B. Coffee House Expectations
- 1. Have everyone post 2-3 course expectations
- 2. Instructor summarizes and comments on how they
might be met - (or make public commitments of how they will fit
into busy schedules!)
692. FeedbackRequiring Peer Feedback
- Alternatives
- A. Require minimum of peer comments and give
guidance (e.g., they should do) - B. Peer Feedback Through Templatesgive templates
to complete peer evaluations. - C. Have e-papers contest(s)
703. EngagementElectronic Voting and Polling
- 1. Ask students to vote on issue before class
(anonymously or send directly to the instructor) - 2. Instructor pulls our minority pt of view
- 3. Discuss with majority pt of view
- 4. Repoll students after class
- (Option B Delphi or Timed Disclosure Technique
anomymous input till a due date - and then post results and
- reconsider until consensus
- Rick Kulp, IBM, 1999)
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724. Meaningfulness A. Professional/E-mail
Interviews
- 1. Field Definition Activity Have student
interview (via e-mail, if necessary) someone
working in the field of study and share their
results - As a class, pool interview results and develop a
group description of what it means to be a
professional in the field
734. MeaningfulnessB. Field Observation
Reflections
- Instructor provides reflection or prompt for job
related or field observations - Reflect on job setting or observe in field
- Record notes on Web and reflect on concepts from
chapter - Respond to peers
- Instructor summarizes posts
745. ChoiceA. Discussion Starter-Wrapper
- Starter reads ahead and starts discussion and
others participate and wrapper summarizes what
was discussed. - Start-wrapper with roles--same as 1 but include
roles for debate (optimist, pessimist, devil's
advocate). - Alternative Facilitator-Starter-Wrapper Instead
of starting discussion, student acts as moderator
or questioner to push student thinking and give
feedback
755. ChoiceB. Discussion Multiple Topics
- Generate multiple discussion prompts and ask
students to participate in 2 out of 3 - Provide different discussion tracks (much like
conference tracks) for students with different
interests to choose among - List possible topics and have students vote
(students sign up for lead diff weeks) - Have students list and vote.
766. Variety Just-In-Time-Teaching
- Gregor Novak, IUPUI Physics Professor (teaches
teamwork, collaboration, and effective
communication) - Lectures are built around student answers to
short quizzes that have an electronic due date
just hours before class. - Instructor reads and summarizes responses before
class and weaves them into discussion and changes
the lecture as appropriate.
777. CuriosityA. Electronic Seance
- Students read books from famous dead people
- Convene when dark (sync or asynchronous).
- Present present day problem for them to solve
- Participate from within those characters (e.g.,
read direct quotes from books or articles) - Invite expert guests from other campuses
- Keep chat open for set time period
- Debrief
787. Curiosity B. Electronic Guests Mentoring
- Find article or topic that is controversial
- Invite person associated with that article
(perhaps based on student suggestions) - Hold real time chat
- Pose questions
- Discuss and debrief (i.e., did anyone change
their minds?) - (Alternatives Email Interviews with experts
- Assignments with expert reviews)
798. Tension Role Play
- A. Role Play Personalities
- List possible roles or personalities (e.g.,
coach, optimist, devils advocate, etc.) - Sign up for different role every week (or 5-6 key
roles) - Perform within rolesrefer to different
personalities - B. Assume Persona of Scholar
- Enroll famous people in your course
- Students assume voice of that person for one or
more sessions - Enter debate topic, respond to debate topic, or
respond to rdg reflections
809. Interactive A. Critical/Constructive
Friends, Email Pals, Web Buddies
- Assign a critical friend (perhaps based on
commonalities). - Post weekly updates of projects, send reminders
of due dates, help where needed. - Provide criticism to peer (i.e., what is strong
and weak, whats missing, what hits the mark) as
well as suggestions for strengthening. - Reflect on experience.
819. InteractiveB. Symposia, Press Conference, or
Panel of Experts
- Find topic during semester that peaks interest
- Find students who tend to be more controversial
- Invite to a panel discussion on a topic or theme
- Have them prepare statements
- Invite questions from audience (rest of class)
- Assign panelists to start
(Alternative Have a series of press conferences
at the end of small group projects one for each
group)
8210. Goal Driven Gallery Tours
- Assign Topic or Project
- (e.g., Team or Class White Paper, Bus Plan, Study
Guide, Glossary, Journal, Model Exam Answers) - Students Post to Web
- Experts Review and Rate
- Try to Combine Projects
83 Motivational Top Ten
- 1. Tone/Climate/Ice Breakers 8 nouns,
expectations - 2. Feedback require fdbk, templates, e-papers
contests - 3. Engagement polling, voting, timed disclosure
- 4. Meaningfulness e-mail interviews, field
observations - 5. Choice starter-wrapper, multiple
tracks/topics - 6. Variety just-in-time-teaching
- 7. Curiosity seances, electronic guests/mentors
- 8. Tension role play, assume persona of a
scholar - 9. Interactive e-pals, symposia, expert panels
- 10. Goal Driven gallery tours
Pick one you can use??? (circle one)
84Some Final Advice
Or Maybe Some Questions???