Imaginative Approaches to Fusing Technology and Teaching in an

Online Course

Dr. Judy Ettinger and Dr. Debra Osborn2005 NCDA Skill Building Session

Orlando, Florida

Goals and Objectives

• Define online teaching and the learning environment.

• Review strengths & challenges of online teaching.

• Demonstrate online career course delivery.

• Identify challenges and rewards.

• Translate traditional activities into virtual realities.

Introductions – Who We Are

• Name

• Where we work

• Experiences with • Online Teaching • Online Learning

Definitions

• Online Teaching

• Online Learning

Let’s see what you know

QUIZ

Question 1

• You can’t teach core counseling skills in an online course.

• False.• Somewhere, someone is teaching

a CACREP core skill online.

From Journal of

Technology in

Counseling, May 2002

From Journal of

Technology in

Counseling, May 2002

http://jtc.colstate.edu

From Journal of

Technology in

Counseling, May 2002

http://jtc.colstate.edu

How do we teach skills in a traditional environment?

• Demonstrate the skill.

• Instructor observe/evaluate the skill via roleplay.

• Writing better responses.

• Self-evaluation.

• Peer evaluation.

But, can these skills be taught virtually?

Transformation

• Demonstrate the skill.

• Instructor observe/evaluate the skill via roleplay.

• Writing better responses.

• Critiquing video segments.

• Self-evaluation.

• Peer evaluation.

• QuickTime/video segment of a skill.

• Record/send in skill demonstration.

• Written better responses.

• Critiques of video segments.

• Selected transcripts and self-evaluative comments.

• Selected transcripts and peer evaluative comments.

QUIZ-Question 2

• Teaching an online course requires less time than teaching a traditional course.

TIME

TRADITIONAL ONLINE

Class Prep: Days Per Week?

7 days a week

Actual Class Time As much as you desire

Other Activities Requiring Time?

Question 3

• You need to be a techie to effectively design and deliver an online course.

Demonstration

Blackboard Demonstration

ADDING CONTENT

-Word Documents

-PowerPoints

Click on Course Documents

DISCUSSSION BOARD

QUIZZES

QUIZ

Question 4

• It is very difficult to really know your students when you are teaching online.

• Question: How do you build community in a traditional class?

Getting to Know Students Virtually

• You get to know them in a different way

• Time required

• Assignments• Introductory• uniqueness

Possible Ways to Build Community

• Create work groups

• Link student responses

• Pictures

• Surveys

• Chats

• Email

• Self-disclosure

• Require pairing/collaboration on some assignments

• Weekly announcements

• Introductions Discussion Forum

WORK GROUPS

CHATS

BREAK

Question 4

• Teaching online requires a different skill set than teaching face-to-face

What makes a “good” teacher?

• Passion/enthusiasm

• Respect for students

• Knowledge of subject matter, resources

• Able to incorporate students’ existing knowledge

• Gets all students involved

• Problem solver

• Flexibility

• Not content to sit on his/her laurels

What makes a “good” online teacher?

• Passion/enthusiasm

• Respect for students

• Knowledge of subject matter, resources

• Able to incorporate students’ existing knowledge

• Gets all students involved

• Problem solver

• Flexibility

• Not content to sit on his/her laurels

• Patience

But, there are some other factors to consider…

Getting your students on the same page technology-wise.

One Different Challenge:

Other Skills

Time to check the email, bulletin boards

Ability to problem-solve technology wise

Calm in crisis (power outages during a test)

Your Great Activities - Traditional

TRANSFORMATIONS

Some of our transformations.

• Instrument Critique

• Interactions About Assignments

• Roleplay Skill Demonstrations

• Study “guides”

INSTRUMENT CRITIQUE

TRADITIONAL

• We put all our ideas up on the board:

• strengths and challenges of the instrument,

• who it would work best with,

• interpretation issues, etc.

ONLINE

• We use the Discussion Board in two separate sections:

1. Everyone enters their critique.

2. Each student summarizes the reactions of the class and come to some conclusions about the instrument.

Our Other Transformations

Interactions About Assignments

TRADITIONAL

• I’ll meet with a student for a few minutes before or after class to voice my concerns.

• We then come up with a plan for correcting the weaknesses in the assignment.

ONLINE

• Online the student puts the assignment in a Drop Box and I make my comments via an e-mail to the student.

• Choose words very carefully.

• Nonverbal cues?

• More fragile?

• Possibilities for misunderstanding.

Our Other Transformations

Video Demonstration of Skill

Interpreting Card Sorts

Our Other Transformations

Study “Guides” – Instead of a list…

• Practice self-help tests, worth zero points, take as often as desirable

• Using PowerPoint to teach theory

• Matching Games

http://careerresource.coedu.usf.edu/linkcareerlab/interactivelab.htm

Using PowerPoint to Teach Theory

Matching Games

Matching QUIZ

Question 6

• Course evaluations are lower for online courses

• TRUE.

Course Ratings

• Students in web course performed better than those in • Traditional or• Hybrid (half online)

But….

• Consider average course ratings:

• (Carnevale, 2000)

Traditional

Online

3.5 2.4

Evaluation Comparison of 100% Online Course

Comparing Hybrid and Online Course Evaluations

3.603.703.803.904.004.104.204.304.404.50

Description ofCourse

objectives andassignments

Communicationof Ideas andinformation

Expression ofexpectations for

performance

Stimulation ofinterest in

course

Facilitation oflearning

Overall rating ofinstructor

Factors Impacting Student Satisfaction

• support of the instructor and peers

• the amount of time they had to devote to the course, and

• the degree to which the course fit their learning styles and expectations.

(Bartolic-Zlomislic & Bates, 1999)

Question 7

• Online courses only teach to one learning style and are therefore not appropriate for many students

Ways to incorporate different learning styles

• PowerPoint or short videos with sounds (visual, auditory)

• Activities that require touch/drag (kinesthetic)

• Discussions and workgroups (interpersonal)

• Reflections-emailed or anonymous (intrapersonal)

BUT…

But…

• Some people do have difficulties with online learning

• Poor writing

• Computer phobia/Lack of skills

• Motivation

Question 8

• If you aren’t a good writer, don’t bother taking an online course

Question 9

• Students will only be successful in online courses if they are self-motivated.

• True.

“I prefer to come to class, sit back and have the instructor lecture, take

notes and take the test.”

Ways to Encourage Motivation – HOW?

• Weekly discussion questions or quizzes

• Encouraging/Making Links to other’s responses

• Work groups/group grades (but keep a grade for individual contributions as well)

• Weekly news – things/resources they don’t want to miss.

Other characteristics of successful online students

• Follow a schedule for doing online work

• Frequent interactions with professor, work group

• Make applications to other coursework, other knowledge

• Problem-solver

• Flexible

Challenges to Online Teaching

Other Challenges

• Time (to create, read, respond, grade, boundaries)

• Different learning styles and skills

• Different computer capabilities (speed, software)

• Building community

• How to teach/evaluate skill development

• Academic honesty

How can we address those challenges?

Other ways to meet the challenges.

• Set boundaries for checking email, responding to discussion questions.

• Model – find ways to address various learning styles.

• Try to equalize technology differences (e.g., CD to deal with speeds)

• Spend time orienting to BB. Create tutorials and keep in a “useful stuff” folder.

• Use surveys, pictures, email, linking, workgroups to build community.

• Use video clips to teach skills.

• Contract for honesty, consider open-book exams.

Other ways to meet the challenges.

• Set boundaries for checking email, responding to discussion questions.

• Model – find ways to address various learning styles.

• Spend time orienting to BB. Create tutorials and keep in a “useful stuff” folder.

• Use surveys, pictures, email, linking, workgroups to build community.

• Use video clips to teach skills or enhance lecture.

• Contract for honesty, consider open-book exams.

Rewards of online teaching?

Other Rewards

• Every student is actively engaged

• Convenience

• Can address different learning styles

• Allows “point in time” teaching and learning.

• Students value it.

• Keeps the instructor challenged, growing, experimenting. (enriches teaching)

• No longer the “sage on stage” but the “guide along side.”

Lessons Learned

Student and Faculty Access

Student Access Instructor AccessOther Rewards

Student Course Evaluation Comments

• “I have learned more about myself by reading what you have posted than I believed possible.”

• “I definitely found this course thought-provoking. The resources you exposed us to… (are) invaluable.”

• “I always felt I had a chance to be successful in the class.”

• “One of the best online classes I’ve taken. Dr. Osborn uses technology to make the class much easier to learn.”

• “One of the best online classes – her use of technology was excellent.”

LESSONS LEARNED

Lessons Learned: Judith

• Optional vs. required reading

• Respond individually to selected assignments

• Establish a personal relationship

• Don’t lose sight of how stressful it can be for some students.

Lessons Learned: Debbie

• For chats, give an assignment

• Alternate weekly discussion posts and quizzes (to give time to grade)

• Recycle when possible

• Ask to use great projects as examples

• Muddiest Points

• Modules (so you don’t have to rename for summer)

• Work groups and summaries

• I wonder… mentality

QUESTIONS