Learning innovation and the individual-community
nexus: Intercultural applicability of social
networking tools in open and distance education
CNIEReaching new heights: Learning
innovationBanff, April 27-30 2008
Previously …Community formation …
Across semestersAcross culturesFrom novice to expertFrom receiver to reflectorFrom learner to practitioner to mentor
Experiences of pedagogy
Experiential learningTask/project-based learningCollaborative learning
Community of mutually-supportive reflective inquirers
Extended community of experts-novicesCommunity of learner-practitioners
Social constructivism & teacher change
Self-reflection on beliefs & values Exposure to choice Experience of affordances Consciousness of conflict/dysjuncture
• Exposure to modelling of effective uses of technology• Experience & practice in a range of applications facilitating change in attitudes/beliefs
(Richardson & Placier, 2001; King, 2002; Bird & Rosaen, 2005; Brook & Oliver, 2005; Hughes, 2005)
Attitudes towards technology & effective use
of it entwined with teacher learning, comprising:
subject matter knowledge pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge
In other words … teachers will only embrace change and innovation
when they can see positive benefits in terms of: direct relevance to their content area usefulness from a practical task perspective, and increased effectiveness for their day to day classroom
teaching.(Hughes, 2005)
Tools used Webquests using SDSU portal
<http://www.webquest.org/>Dreamweaver + online media & resources
Hot Potatoes + various other online templating tools + media
Social communication/networking:Wiki – MediaWiki hosted on university server
(www-viewable)Individual blogs – Blogger (www-viewable)IMDiscussion forumChate-Portfolios
Expectations vs Use of SN Tools 1 .../2 Expectations
Wiki for internal-remote
collaborationownershipeasily accessible from
everywhere (where my students were located)
Blogsownershipreflective spaceflexible (& re-
purpose-able) spaceextensible outside
timelines of course
UsesWiki
Experimenting with the interface Group organization: sharing &
collaboration Hints & tips (Q & A, quick fixes) Interesting articles/sites Posting projects
Blogs Reflection
self-reflection peer evaluation
Communication mutual support & feedback
Community formation & maintenance Interaction
Among members of single cohort
Across continents & oceans Across semesters Across cultural & social
dysjunctures
Expectations vs Use of SN Tools 2 .../2 Expectations
IM for quick changes of plan to check if online
Discussion forum formal course-related
theoretical Qs & responses
Chat synchronous local &
international coordinatione-Portfolios
formal annotated electronic record of program documents, artefacts, achievements
UsesIM
• Notification of: • Lateness• chat entry• new posts
Discussion Forum Formal course evaluation Formal comments on the course
& projects… in response to instructor’s
postingsChat
• synchronous remote/ internal communication on:
• Discussion• catch-up• Socializing• course-related transactions
E-Portfolios– Created but hardly (yet)
used– Possibly because of formal
nature cf digital stories
Course outcomes:
Processes Self-reflection Self-evaluation Self-efficacy Independent
inquiry Self-initiation Self-motivation Peer evaluation Realization of
usefulness of formation of community network
Products Webquests Online media-
supported teaching module
Wiki sites Blogs
Course-relatedPersonalTravelPost-course/
practitioner
Social presence: effective interaction & learning community formation
No. & frequency of interactions initiated No. & frequency of responses to others Cultural effects on interactions ** Types of communication actions **
Classification of postings
Postings by category
Supp
Refl
Trans
Org
Supportive
Supporting
Compliment
Empathy
Advice
Information
Thanks
Reflective
Musing
Complaint
Photo
Transactional
Help Request
Help giving
Query
Organizational
Announcement
Features emerging from classification
High incidence of supportive comments (1/3):Complimenting, supporting, giving advice, thanking,
empathizingHigh incidence of reflective comments:
Musing, photographs, complaintsMuch less transactional:
Asking & answering Qs, requesting & receiving helpSmallest category: organizational
Persistence of post-course blog use
All but 1 posted on their blogs post-course >50% maintained & expanded theirs, creating
others, & using with own classes >30% maintained blog contact & mentored
subsequent cohorts Similar patterns across subsequent semesters have
shown Experience of being mentored seems to engender
willingness to mentor Experience of becoming reflective, independent &
interdependent members of a community promotes willingness to support emerging independence
And now the story continues …
In fully online mode … - or is it a different story??
New context, similar approach
In transition fromf2f CALL Teacher Ed to …Blended/hybrid CALL Teacher
Ed to …Fully online mix of CALL &
general DE to …Fully online DE Teacher
Education
Online constraints & considerations
Intercultural aspectsGeography & accessTimezonesAppropriate technology
Tools made available 1 … /2
Synchronous & asynchronous CMC:Moodle:
Discussion forumsIM near-synchronous chatWikisBlogs (not used)
EmailVoIP (Skype)Elluminate LiveElluminate vRooms
Tools made available 2 … /2
Instructional technologies Discovery/exploratory
technologies Community-facilitating
technologies (Facebook, Me2U, Flickr, tagging applications, RSS etc)
Beginning with a tale of 2 wikis
… & 2 Moodles …Exploratory learning - using the
available tools for purposes that seem appropriate …
Learning together …
Choices & constraints 1 …/2
Individual vs community “traditional” personality of DE
students Role of academic dialogue at
Masters levelFacilitation in DE environment?
Choices & constraints 2 …/2 Mismatch between:
Requirements Expectations (teacher & learners) Teaching & learning approaches
(including intercultural aspects) Assessment criteria Assessment process (in transition)
What constitutes PARTICIPATION??
Collaborative Moodle wiki sites
CDE Moodle & wikiInternal to coursePassword protectedLocked down by university adminUnable to add guests or students
CDE Moodle wiki site
CDE Moodle wiki site
Collaborative Moodle & wiki sites
Education University of IcelandOpen MoodlePassword protectedGuests & students added manuallyhttp://moodle.khi.is/course/category.php?id=8 Wikispaces sites for student-student, student-
teacher & teacher-teacher collaborationhttp://athabascakhi.wikispaces.com/Athabasca
Communications Technologies
Elluminate Livehttp://www.elluminate.com/Elluminate vRoomshttp://www.elluminate.com/vroom/
Skype
Changing rolesReflective practiceOpennessCollaborationNegotiationChanging assessment practices: e-
Portfolios
Some advice from my students
Critical differences in DE 1 …/2
a necessity for lifelong learning “green”-er (x4) Accessibility & openness (x5) centrality of CMC Flexibility
importance for lifestyle & commitments freedom to design your own program & courses
according to interest Accessibility, breaking down barriers & reaching
remote locations autonomy in experience & direction (x4)
Of both experience of learner & direction of studies i.e.Self-motivationSelf-designed courses & program
Keeping up with advancements in technology (x3)
Critical differences in DE 2 …/2
multi-modal techniques to cultivate engagement (x2) Move from “compensation model” to “celebration
model” (x3) DRAGONS:
Diverse (many and different; distinct and unalike) Requisites (anything indispensable) Accessing (obtain or retrieve from a storage device
like information on a computer Global (not limited or provincial in scope Opportunities (a possibility due to a favourable
combination of circumstances) Non-traditionally (not conforming or in accord with
the considered norm) Sustained (supply with necessities and support)
Questions?Comments?Suggestions?Advice?
Debra HovenCentre for Distance Education,
Athabasca University
http://cde.athabascau.ca/faculty/debrah.php http://deincanada.blogspot.com/
http://[email protected]