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Articles of Interest
September 2009: This article reviews the importance of discussions in an online course and the role an instructor plays in designing discussion questions to promote student thinking. It identifies the significance of promoting constructivist thinking in students, where students learn from social interactions, discussions, and getting input from multiple perspectives. The article offers several examples of the types of questions which can be used to promote effective on-going discussions. It also identifies the importance of utilizing the discussion method when teaching a DL course. The article states that when a variety of higher-order, expanding questions are used to initiate discussions—and probing follow-up questions are employed—the discussion method can be highly effective, providing a forum to enhance constructive thinking. Instructors can promote constructivist thinking by:
In a constructivist learning environment, the instructor needs to keep in mind that when facilitating online discussion, asking the right questions is almost always more important than giving the right answers. July 2009: The Office of Professional Development is offering some face-to-face workshops scheduled on July 10th, 2009 at HBC which might be of interest to DL instructors. You can find out about the workshops being offered at the Software Day website.
June 2009: RSS feeds are a great way for DL instructors and students to automatically receive information, blogs, discussions and articles about course related topics. An instructor teaching business or finance, for example, can have his or her class receive RSS feeds from the Wall Street Journal, Motley Fool, Forbes, Fortune, Yahoo Finance, etc. The class can then discuss articles and topics which relate to the subject matter covered in the course. (Video providing a demonstration what an RSS feed is and how to subscribe to it.) Steps needed to add an RSS subscription list to a content area in Blackboard:
May 2009: This month's article of interest is on how to develop screen capture movies using Camtasia and how to create portable media for iPods, Palm Pilots, Creative Zen Vision:M, and Sony PSP. With Camtasia, ACC instructors can develop online screen capture movies with accompanying voice over audio narration. Here are just some of the ways this software can be used:
Camtasia software is available at an ACC campus Faculty Resource Center (FRC). (To record the voice over audio, you will also need a microphone. If you do not already have a microphone, you can check with an ACC Media Center regarding microphone availability.) Once movies have been developed with Camtasia, they can not only be made available online as screen capture movies within Blackboard, or YouTube, but they can also be converted into portable media which you can send out (via a podcast for example) to students to play on their iPods, Palm devices, Sony PSPs or other portable media players. For assistance in developing Camtasia movies, contact an Instructional Development Specialist at an ACC campus. April 2009: With a continued commitment to demonstrating technologies and resources, we have created the content for this month's article in an online PowerPoint format. With Zoho, a free online service, instructors can embed an web-based PowerPoint slide show with lecture content, graphics and other media. The PowerPoint slides and player can then be embedded directly into a course blog, web page or into a Blackboard course content area. See an example of the Zoho slide show player and our online article of interest in PowerPoint slide presentation format. Obtain a free Zoho account or to view examples of other web-based slide presentations. (To create an account, click on the Sign Up link.) For additional information, view frequently asked questions about Zoho. March 2009: Examine the use and effectiveness of blogs in higher education, such as using blogs to promote interaction in online courses. This article reviews survey results from students who incorporated blogs into three different online courses: expository writing, e-commerce, and government. Web logs (blogs) have become increasingly popular and many faculty members across the country have incorporated them into college courses to engage students in discussing course materials, to foster a sense of community, and to enhance learning. This study found that the blog was an effective learning tool, especially when used by students prior to beginning a class discussion session on a particular topic. The students become more engaged in the course materials when they had participated in a blog first. Using the blog, students not only were required to read the course materials but to also to analyze and apply the course concepts in order to move beyond a superficial understanding of the materials.The authors of this article argue that blogs can be effective at enhancing class discussions across a variety of disciplines. Some free blogging sites include: Blogger, Wordpress, and LiveJournal. February 2009: In an effort to improve student success and retention, many are looking for social/educational technology. As the link between student perceptions of engagement and success in higher education becomes more apparent, institutions will continue to search for technology that allows students to feel a sense of community even at a distance. This article provides information on new and emerging technologies and some other concepts that could be helpful within a technologically advanced classroom. October 2008: Retention and student success are among some of the most important issues facing both Distance Learning and on-campus college courses today. Reading the article may benefit your DL students and help them succeed in their courses. September 2008: Develop live, virtual office hours within Blackboard using Wimba's Voice Direct. Voice Direct gives ACC instructors the opportunity to create live one on one or group interactions within a synchronous audio-based interface. These live chat sessions can be used to create virtual office hours, student reviews, group discussion and projects, debates, topic reviews, assignments, exercises, and research projects, just to name a few. Learn more about the features and functions of Wimba's Voice Board within Blackboard. July 2008: This month's feature is a video demonstrating Wimba's Voice Board within Blackboard. Wimba's Voice Board enables instructors to create audio recorded messages in a threaded discussion board format. These discussion boards can be used to post audio based discussion threads, topic reviews, assignments, exercises, individual or group projects, debates, and research projects. Learn more about Wimba:
June 2008: This month's feature is a video demonstrating how to embed YouTube clips in Blackboard. March 2008: Voice Presentation is the newest voice communication tool from Wimba. It gives instructors the ability to display and narrate webpages and online streaming video content (e.g., YouTube, Expert Village, Google Video, etc.) as well as other media rich sites within Blackboard. Students can also comment on the audio presentation by typing in text or recording an audio response. This feature opens up many exciting opportunities for course interaction and communication. Wimba's Higher Education Spotlight on Great Basin Community College describes how the college incorporated Voice Presentation within Blackboard to create personalized interactivity in online classes, and increased retention rates for their distance education courses by up to 7% over courses using Blackboard alone. February 2008: This month, the featured articles of interest provide information on Hybrid courses. Hybrid is the name commonly used to describe courses that combine traditional face-to-face classroom instruction with online computer-based learning. At ACC, there are two types of Hybrid formats: HYD — Hybrids offered through Distance Learning (51% or more of the course work is online, with some additional classroom and/or laboratory meeting times), and HYC — Classroom Hybrids (50% on campus and 50% online). Some of the benefits of both Hybrid formats cited in the following articles include:
The first article is by Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP). It provides reference information on Hybrids, including a section on the background and theory of Hybrid classes, and examples of other institutions offering Hybrids. February 2008: This article is from Old Dominion University. It includes considerations for designing and delivering Hybrid courses, such as time, communication, student access, managing assignments and grades, and technology issues. For additional information on hybrid course benefits for instructors, students, and institutions, see Hybrid Learning. January 2008: 1. What is secure computer-based testing and where are the tests delivered? Secure computer-based tests are exams which can only be accessed by students in the ACC Testing Centers through a secure browser interface. ACC faculty members can have test results scored automatically for multiple choice, true/false, multiple answer, short answer, and fill in the blank questions. Essay tests can also be given with follow up grading by the instructor. Additional information about secure computer-based testing within Blackboard. 2. What do I need to develop a secure computer-based exam? Secure computer-based exams can be created using the Respondus Authoring Tool (Advanced Blackboard Testing Options). Respondus is a desktop software application that interfaces with Blackboard. It is used by instructors who want to develop secure computer-based tests within Blackboard. (Most individual faculty members will use Respondus.) Get started with Advanced Blackboard Testing Options using the Respondus Authoring Tool. 3. Can I use Respondus if I don't use Blackboard? No. Respondus was designed to interface directly with course management systems such as WebCT and Blackboard. Therefore, it is not possible to use Respondus without having a Blackboard account. Learn more about how to obtain a Blackboard account. 4. Can I use my existing exam files to make a secure computer-based test? An instructor can use existing exam document files (.DOC, .TXT, or .RTF format) for a secure computer-based test. However, before the existing exam file can be used, it must be converted into the appropriate format. Respondus has specific file formatting guidelines that need to be followed for computer-based tests. Before importing exam questions into Respondus, it is recommended to save the document as a .TXT file. Plain text files are optimal because this format removes many of the Word document codes (e.g.; automatic bulleted lists, etc.) that can sometimes cause problems when importing questions. 5. How can I convert existing Blackboard tests into secure, computer-based tests? Instructors who have already developed tests within Blackboard can make those tests secure by converting the exam settings within Respondus and then uploading those new settings to Blackboard. Unlike the other exam settings (dates available, time limits, forced completion, etc.), the Lockdown browser security setting can only be made in the Respondus desktop software application, not within Blackboard. 6. Who can offer secure computer-based exams in the Testing Centers? The current ACC Academic Testing Center guidelines dictate that secure computer-based tests are only available to Distance Learning instructors. Non-Distance Learning instructors who want to offer secure computer-based testing must first contact the Testing Center administrative staff. 7. How do I inform the Testing Centers that a secure exam will be delivered? Instructors who want to deliver secure, computer-based exams in the ACC Testing Centers, need to inform the Testing Center staff that the exam will be available by completing a Testing Center Transmittal form and making sure each of the Testing Centers is notified. Before offering a secure computer based test for your course, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the Academic Testing Center Policies & Procedures. 8. How do I retrieve students' scores? After students have submitted their exams in the Testing Centers, scores are automatically sent to the instructor's Blackboard Gradebook for multiple choice, multiple answer, true/false, fill in the blank, and matching questions. Essay and short answer questions require the instructor to enter a score manually into the Blackboard Gradebook. 9. What information should I provide to my students about secure computer-based testing? Make sure students know how to log into the computer-based exams. It is recommended to refer them to the following URLs: 10. How can my students take secure computer-based tests in the Testing Centers? The administrative process for taking a secure computer-based test in the Testing Center is the same as for a paper-based test. Students need to provide the appropriate identification to access an exam. In addition, an instructor or Testing Center may require other documentation such as a permission slip, etc. There is a Bb Test icon on the desktop; you must instruct your students to select the icon and log into Blackboard using their Blackboard user ID (ACCeiD) and password. December 2007: This article is by the North Carolina Conference of English Instructors. The information outlines how students should participate in discussion and group forums. It also references specific features and functions of a discussion forum within Blackboard and provides some hints on how instructors can optimize Blackboard's discussion feature. In addition, the article discusses how to respond to discussion threads, how to work with group pages and projects, as well as copying and pasting text within discussions. December 2007: This resource is from Old Dominion University's Distance Learning Student Orientation web site. It provides reference information for how to develop and maintain netiquette when communicating online. The article has tips on how to use asynchronous and synchronous discussion forums, as well as offering some core rules of netiquette. November 2007: This article, written by faculty members at Western Carolina University, describes survey research of fourteen online courses where instructors and students were asked their perceptions about the challenges and essential elements of developing a sense of community in online classes. Results showed that both instructors and students believed that building a community was very important, and perceived it to be harder to build community online than in traditional classes. Additionally, while the majority of students and instructors both identified the same elements for building online community, there were significant ranking differences in what the two groups believed were important. The implications of these findings are discussed, and recommendations are provided for how instructors can model community behaviors in their online classes. October 2007: The Instructional Design Tips for Online Learning checklist was developed by Joan Van Duzer of Humboldt State University to be used in conjunction with California State University—Chico's Rubric for Online Instruction to help provide a framework for designing and developing online courses. The checklist is divided into six parts which correspond to the categories of the Rubric for Online Instruction: Learner Support and Resources, Online Organization and Design, Instructional Design and Delivery, Assessment and Evaluation of Student Learning, Appropriate and Effective Use of Technology, and Faculty Use of Student Feedback. August 2007: An article outlining some of the findings by Stuart Glogoff, an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona who uses discussion forums in his DL courses. It describes how he directed students to content-specific websites on which they researched a topic; integrated that information with their own ideas, knowledge, and solutions; and then published their work on course blogs. July 2007: An article from Inside Higher Ed analyzes a recent report released by the U.S. Education Department, which provides a detailed look at the characteristics of part-time college students.
May 2007: An article by Inside Higher Ed tracking the increase in the implementation of distance education classes at community colleges across the country. The article summarizes the key findings of a new study on e-learning, released at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges, representing a compilation of 320 community colleges throughout the United States. Among the key findings: distance education enrollments were up an average of 15% for community colleges across the country, compared with an average of 2% for face-to-face classes. Of the institutions surveyed, approximately 70% reported that they could not keep up with the increasing student demand for more distance learning courses. The article also includes comments by readers from around the country about the findings. May 2007: This article was included in the fall 2003 edition of the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration (Volume VI, Number III). It examines thirty-two trends that affect distance education, organized into categories as they pertain to students and enrollment, faculty members, academics, technology, the economy, and distance learning. April 2007: A USA Today supplement; the second edition of a new quarterly newsletter produced in partnership with the US Distance Learning Association. February 2007: The University of Maryland has one of the oldest and most extensive distance education programs in the country, and their website provides a wealth of useful resources for DL instructors, including a planner's guide to the site, a module on getting started, a module on teaching your online course, and a DL and technical vocabulary reference. The "Teaching Your Online Course" module is a useful reference, containing information on topics such as orienting students to online learning and technologies, communicating online, and management strategies. The "Resources and Activities" page, assembled by a consortium of research and technology fellows, is a collection of interactive, technology based, web-accessible learning objects, activities, assignments, and assessments organized into various academic discipline areas. The "Online Curriculum" module presents critical issues common to most DL institutions and academic departments such as establishing and incorporating standards of good practice, integrating instructional technologies into curricula, securing resources, providing incentives for faculty, and measuring outcomes through carefully designed assessment strategies. January 2007: A USA Today supplement; the first edition of a new quarterly newsletter produced in partnership with the US Distance Learning Association. October 2006: Developed by California State University—Chico, this website contains a rubric and guidelines for developing online instruction. A DL course is developed and delivered differently than a traditional face-to-face course; techniques and methodologies which work well in face-to-face classes may not be as effective for distance education. Therefore, special consideration should be given to the analysis, design, development, implementation/delivery, and evaluation of a DL course. This resource can be used as a guide to assist ACC faculty in the planning, design, development, delivery, and evaluation of DL courses. It consists of six topics, with criteria for standards in each of the following areas: Learner Support and Resources, Online Organization & Design, Instructional Design and Delivery, Assessment and Evaluation of Student Learning, Innovative Teaching and Technology, Faculty Use, and Student Feedback. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Post secondary Education. The article gathers information from twelve accrediting agencies in the United States, and evaluates various distance learning programs, identifying "best practices" as well as "red flags." Download Adobe Reader to view and print PDF files. |