Online Learning in Agricultural & Life SciencesCourse Overview with Hope Kelly

Hello and welcome to our course on online learning in agricultural and life sciences. This presentation will provide you with an overview of the topics covered and assignments for this class.1

Course Content Overview

Application

Our class follows the principles set forth in our textbook by Clark & Mayer. To begin we look at what e-Learning is and an overview of the body of evidence that supports the principles that are covered.Next, well move into five multimedia principles that really help us to make design choices that tie into how we create instructional media beginning with the fundamental multimedia principle and then principles regarding contiguity, modality, redundancy and coherence.That is followed with three principles that go beyond multimedia design and look towards making human connections through personalization and embodiment techniques, managing cognitive processing through segmenting, and techniques to support psychological engagement.The final few weeks of class, we are looking at five strategies that can have a profound influence on the success of learning outcomes including approaches to using examples, managing practice, developing collaboration with CSCL, supporting learner control through navigation, and developing thinking skills through problem based learning.Our final week will focus on application, though this will be carried throughout the entire course in your discussions and assignments.Each of these topic areas is covered in a weekly format and content and activities can be found on the corresponding module pages.2

Why online learning in ag and life sciences?

Although principles of how people learn online stay the same across contexts, where and what people are learning changes. Like much of our coursework, the goal here is take these evidence based principles and theories and apply them to whatever discipline or setting you may be working in. This course presents these principles with examples drawn from agriculture, natural resource, and life sciences to demonstrate their applicability and because meaningful examples allow us to retain these principles for transfer to our current and future work. So throughout the course, we will pull examples of online learning from a diverse range including: 4-H and school based ag programs, extension and governmental organizations, industry training, and from colleges of agricultural and life sciences.

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Discussions and AssignmentsWeekly Class Discussions Analysis and Application Assignmentse-Learning Product

Yellowdig pins*

There are three main graded components for the class.First, we have weekly discussions that will have prompts. Please review the instructions and expectations about discussions laid out in the syllabus and on the Welcome page.Second, you will have a series of analysis and application exercises that correspond to the principles or strategies we cover.Third, an e-Learning lesson or module will be developed following the guidelines we have explored.I am also testing a new discussion application called Yellowdig and due to the fact that I am not sure how it will go, this will be extra credit as outlined on the Welcome page and in your syllabus.4

Due Dates & TimeExpectation to post to discussions early in the week and complete responses by Sunday nightAssignments typically due by Sunday at 11:59 p.m.24 hour turn around for queries unless on a holiday or weekend

Please post to the discussions as soon as you are able so everyone has time to read and respond by Sunday night. A reasonable deadline to impose on yourself maybe Thursday or Friday of the week that the content is covered.

Please keep an eye on the due dates, everything is due on Sunday evenings just before midnight.I will also try to get grades to you within one work week so you have feedback before the next assignment is due.If for any reason you need to adjust a due date in an emergency please contact me as soon as possible prior to the due date.

As questions arise, I will try to respond to you as quickly as possible, but of course I will be offline much of the weekend and during our holidays.

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More QuestionsRefer to the SyllabusPose your question to the General Discussion BoardAsk the InstructorAsk the Help Desk

Please refer to the syllabus as the guiding document.

All assignments have detailed instructions and some have templates within the Assignments tool. If you still have questions about assignments that are not specific to you, please post to the general discussion board, so that the answer that I or a peer provides can be viewed by everyone.

Please use the email tool within the course site to contact me with questions. If you need to talk over the phone or Skype, please email so that we can arrange a time.

Finally, if you are having issues with your connection, credentials or the functionality of the course site and I am not available contact the UF help desk. They have 24 hour support.

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Ready, set, go!

Once you have finished perusing the Welcome page, its time to get started with our first weekly moduleall about what e-Learning is and how people learn from and with electronic media.7