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Six Themes of E-Connectivity in Online Courses
Dr. Andree Swanson
October 2011
Grand Junction, CO
Little bit of background…
Doctoral student at the
University of Phoenix
Educational Leadership
focusing on distance
education
Establishing the Best
Practices for Social
Interaction and E-
Connectivity in
Online Higher
Education Classes
Problem Statement
• Research revealed:
• Students believe they are unable to connect with their instructors in online classrooms.
• General problem:
• Faculty and administrators in online programs…
• Do not adequately address the social and psychological connectivity needs of students
This lack of attention to the social and affective needs has a negative effect on
learner satisfaction and retention
Support for Problem Statement
• More online courses
• Often less successful
• Higher dropout rate than in
traditional schools.
• Omission of social interaction
• Slagter van Tryon and Bishop (2006)
identified that online instructors do not
achieve a social connection (e-connectivity)
with their students.
• Faculty do not consider the social and
psychological needs of each student’s
learning styles (Fearing & Riley, 2005).
•The lack of engaging the social and psychological needs of
distance learners, negatively affects the dropout rate of
online students.
•Slagter van Tryon and Bishop (2006) stated that the
attrition rate in the online classroom is at least 40%
higher than a traditional classroom.
Purpose of the Study Qualitative Delphi
study Quantitative
component Identify the best
practices for… Social interaction E-connectivity
Proprietary schools Online students
Best practices may provide education leaders Standard for training Establish guidelines for
creating a… More effective Interactive
Will help the students
Definition of Terms
E-mmediacy or e-connectivity
the feelings or believing of social
connectedness that students and faculty get
through the technologically enhanced online
learning environment.
(Slagter van Tyson, 2007; Slagter van Tyson & Bishop, 2006).
Definition of Terms
Expert is a person who has “special knowledge, skill,
expertise, and experience in a given area of study” (Baker,
2005, p. 16).
Elliott (2003) defined an expert
The person in the room with the most knowledge on
the subject.
Significance of Study
Although enrollment in online education
continues to grow and gain in popularity…
the level of learner satisfaction has
decreased, while attrition has increased
(Allen & Seamen, 2006; Flood, 2002; Martinez, 2003; Simonson, 2006)
Significance of Study
Significant to educational leaders and policy makers…
May positively impact…
student learning
reduce attrition
increase retention
improve classroom standards
improve standards and guidance for faculty
Could add to the credibility and
reputation of online degrees for the ever-increasing
distance-learning student population
The Research Questions were…
What non-technology
features can be included to
best accommodate all
learning styles?
How can an instructor
effectively motivate online
students?
What kinds of contact may
occur in an optimal online
educational environment or
learning management
system?
How can faculty reach the
social and psychological
needs of the students?
Fundamental Theories
Constructivist Learning
Theory
Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs
Bandura’s Social Learning
Theory
Deci and Ryan’s Self-
Determination Theory
Stahl, Koschmann, and
Suthers’ Computer
Supported Collaborative
Learning
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Theoretical Framework
Bloom’s Taxonomy Cognitive Affective Psychomotor domains
This was the overarching theory for this study.
Relevant Research on Topic
Slagter van Tryon and Bishop (2006)
Identifying “e-mmediacy” -- Strategies for Web-based
Instruction: A Delphi Study.
Relevant Research on the Topic Literature related to
technology not “soft skills”
No resources on e-connectivity or e-mmediacy
Limited peer-review literature on… Twitter Facebook MySpace
Historical Research Biblical Times
Paul’s letters to the churches
1837 Correspondence
courses
Historical Research Radio Courses
1957 – 1962 Television Courses Sunrise Semester
Methodology
Population Under Investigation
The goal 30 experts to participate (20 educational experts and 10 student experts).
Participants were selected from the HLC/NCA accrediting region.
HLC/NCA region “in the states of Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming” (HLC/NCA,
2009, para. 1).
“Expert” Criteria
Faculty experts were considered to be experts Educational background (doctoral degree) Time in academia (3 years).
The educational experts selected for the study ranged from senior faculty members to administrators from NCA/HLC accredited proprietary schools. All faculty participants earned a doctoral degree.
The study’s student experts 2 years of online learning experience from NCA/HLC
schools.
By virtue of the educational experts’ positions with their respective schools, and the students’ duration in online
education, both faculty and students were deemed experts.
Pilot Study
First come, First served basis Three faculty experts
One faculty dropped out Three student experts … initially Asked open-ended seed questions Six themes emerged…
Emerging Themes
Show relevance to students. Establish e-connectivity. Instructor presence. Positive communication. Ability to be open to social networking. Use of technologies to e-connect.
These themes were used to categorize the results of the Delphi study.
Delphi Study
Three rounds Round One
46 total participants Round Two
33 total participants Round Three
32 total participants
Participants did not participate in
subsequent rounds as study was done over
Christmas / New Year
See Limitations
Conclusion of Data 100% consensus
on receiving constructive feedback 70% consensus
felt that social connectivity was important 90% consensus
use email, message boards, the asynchronous classroom, and case studies.
Bottom line – mostly in the affective domain
Limitations
Tracking experts in each round
Timing of the surveys
Participants did not participate in subsequent rounds as study was done
over Christmas / New Year
Delimitations
Limited to propietary distance learning faculty and administrators who have taught online for at least 36 months
From HLC region Number of participants Perceptions and bias were also their expertise Outcomes may not be generalizable to other
regions
Best Practices by Bloom’s Domains
CognitiveAffective
Psychomotor
Cognitive Domain
Theme:• Show Relevance to Students
Cognitive – Show Relevance to StudentsBloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Cognitive Show Relevance to Students
Faculty should:•encourage students•express in words that student success is important•incorporate case studies•make resources available for students to succeed•provide scenarios that are meaningful and help students apply learned information•remind students of their goals•show relevance of course materials to students’ career goals
Faculty should not:•include collaborative group projects outside of the curriculum•pass students without regard to standards
Affective Domain
Theme:• E-Connectivity
• Instructor Presence• Positive Communication
• Open to Social Networking• Students' social and psychological needs of students
Affective – E-ConnectivityBloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Affective
E-Connectivity
Faculty should be:•accommodating•caring•encouraging•flexible•warm
Faculty should:•connect emotionally with students
Affective – Instructor PresenceBloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Affective
Instructor Presence
Faculty should:•focus on a successful learning model that establishes a high standard of pedagogy•maintain a constant and consistent presence•maintain a high standard •remain flexible
Affective – Positive CommunicationBloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Affective
Positive Communication
To motivate students, faculty should be:•accommodating, yet firm and consistent•approachable through frequent communication•aware of communication problems that exist •honest in all interactions
Faculty should communicate:•clearly, effectively and convey a caring tone•constructive feedback•create a course calendar with assignment due dates at the beginning of each course•promptly•provide constructive feedback•use encouraging words
Provide:•constructive feedback•thorough and positive feedback•negative feedback
(Continued on next page)
Affective – Positive CommunicationBloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Affective
Positive Communication
Avoid negative feedback in a public classroom forum
•Communicate:•via e-mail•honestly•promptly•clearly, effectively, and convey a caring tone•due dates for assignments at the beginning of each course•firmly, consistently, and accommodate students•with encouraging words
Acknowledge:•problems that exist in the online learning environment
Faculty should be:•accommodating•encourage students•flexible
Affective – Open to Social NetworkingBloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Affective
Open to Social Networking
Faculty should use social networks in and outside the online classroom:
•if the goal is to support the learning process
Faculty should not:•create social networks in the classroom•create virtual events outside of the classroom
In the online classroom, faculty and students would, if available:
•participate in a classroom café•share off topic (i.e., photos, recipes)
To encourage students:•use social networks (i.e., Facebook, MySpace)
NOTES:
In the online classroom, faculty and students would not use Facebook, Twitter or Web 2.0
Faculty and students have not participated or used the following items to support an online classroom or to connect with another student in a classroom café, Twitter, and Web 2.0
Affective – Students' social and psychological needs of studentsBloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Affective
Students' social and psychological needs of students
Faculty should be trained and knowledgeable of:•the different learning styles of students•the psychological make-up of the student
Faculty should not:•be responsible to meet the social and psychological needs of the online learner •disregard the online students' social and psychological needs
Faculty should be:•students' social and psychological needs of students
Faculty are not responsible to meet:•social needs of students•psychological needs of the students.
Psychomotor DomainTheme:
• Use of Technologies to e-Connect
Psychomotor – Use of Technologies to E-ConnectBloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Affective Use of Technologies to E-Connect
To engage students and build community, faculty should use:
•integrate multimedia•message boards•the asynchronous classroom
Integrate multimedia: •video•audio
To engage and build community, incorporate:•e-mail (most effective method)•instant messaging •telephone / telephone conferences•web-based synchronous voice phone (i.e., Skype)•webcams•discussion boards•asynchronous message boards•live chat sessions•blogs•synchronized meetings•asynchronous chat rooms outside the classroom•social networks (i.e., Facebook, MySpace)
Psychomotor – Use of Technologies to E-Connect
Bloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Affective Use of Technologies to E-Connect
To engage students and build community, faculty should use:
•integrate multimedia•message boards•the asynchronous classroom
Integrate multimedia: •video•audio
(Continued on next page)
Psychomotor – Use of Technologies to E-Connect
Bloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Affective Use of Technologies to E-Connect
To engage and build community, incorporate:•e-mail (most effective method)•instant messaging •telephone / telephone conferences•web-based synchronous voice phone (i.e., Skype)•webcams•discussion boards•asynchronous message boards•live chat sessions•blogs•synchronized meetings•asynchronous chat rooms outside the classroom•social networks (i.e., Facebook, MySpace)
The most effective method for reaching online students•e-mail•phone calls•asynchronous discussion boards
(Continued on next page)
Psychomotor – Use of Technologies to E-Connect
Bloom's Domain
Theme Best Practice
Affective Use of Technologies to E-Connect
Not the most effective methods for reaching online students
•phone calls•live, synchronized online chat is NOT the most effective method for reaching the online students•a web-based phone call•a PowerPoint with visual and music
To encourage students:•Incorporate instant messaging •Create online videos•Use webcams
Recommendations for Further Studies
Recommendations
Created a list of best practices. This list may… Serve as a starting point for
implementation in online classrooms and prepare faculty for the online students.
Expand and incorporate into proprietary and non-profit online institutions at the graduate and undergraduate level.
Further Recommendations
Conduct a study at …◦ specific school(s) to further develop their own list
of best practices based on research.◦ reviewing a school's already created list of best
practices.◦ themes that arose based on Bloom's taxonomy.◦ development of course materials (syllabus) to
improve their relevance to online instruction.◦ effectiveness of applying the list of best practices
into online faculty training.
Further Recommendations◦ Communication theme that arose and assess this
for different populations such as doctoral students, graduate students, and undergrad students.
◦ Students perceptions of e-connectivity.◦ Evaluate the effectiveness of different social
media applications such as Facebook and Twitter in the online classroom.
◦ Effectiveness on e-connectivity using social media such as Facebook or Twitter.
◦ Understanding and application of e-connectivity through social media.
References
See Word document for references.