Reflecting about the scholarshipof teaching and learning whendesigning a PBL online courseabout social mediaAnn-Louise Davidson PhD ann-louise@education.concordia.ca

Nadia Naffi nadianaffi@gmail.com

ContexteLearning is a 50 billion dollar industry thatpromises to:

reach broad audiences

reduce cognitive load (self-paced eLearning)

save money (50% less costly than instructor-led training)

save the environment (90% less energy than traditional courses)

grow

Online learning is growing in Canadian universities

1 million online course registrations (Bates 2012; Contact North 2012)

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Very early into the century, we realized that eLearning, like all types of learning, had its merits and its pitfalls.

ADDIE

The biggest criticism ofeLearning is that it tends tovalue step-by-step structuredinstruction and leaves verylittle space for the learner.

Give us the content and we’ll design it

Give us the content and we’ll design it

Course designContent

Experience

Design the learner experienceand they will find

the content

Partners in crime (we co-design and co-teach online courses in a PBL approach)

An acknowledgement of the base of experience oflearnersAn emphasis on students taking responsibility for

their own learningA crossing of boundaries between disciplinesAn intertwining of theory and practiceA focus on the processes of knowledge

acquisition rather than the products of suchprocessesA change in staff role from that of instructor to that

of facilitatorA change in focus from staff assessment of

outcomes of learning to student self- and peerassessmentA focus on communication and interpersonal skills

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PBL Characteristics

In a typical online learning experience, students use theInternet to go through well-defined sequences of instructionto complete learning activities and reach learning objectives(Ally, 2008).

Whereas, when adopting an online problem based learning(PBL) approach, students are the ones who are mappingtheir learning experience and constructing their ownknowledge (Savin-Baden, 2006; Duncan, Smith, & Cook,2013).

Typical Online Learning Experience vs. Online Problem-Based Learning Experience

The purpose of this course is to examine the foundations andevolution of digital communications technologies. Studentswill explore the shift from analogue to digital technologies;identify the range of digital communications technologiescurrently in use, analyze the impact of these technologies oncommerce, the professions, education and society in general.Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the social andenvironmental impact of digital technologies, including issuesof equity and digital divide.

Digital Communicaton Technologies:Course description

Digital Communicaton Technologies:Competency

Exploit digital communication technologies to solve problems in a social learning perspective

How Do We Proceed?

12 weeks = How many problems?

Is this...1 problem per week? (problems around topics)1 problem per x weeks? (problems around units)Problems presented at the beginning and students

have 12 weeks to solve them?

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Ill Structured Open-EndedProblems/Scenarios/Cases

Pedagogical space

Pedagogical competencies

Pedagogical competencies

Desjardins, 2001, 2005

Novice Expert

http://theconversation.com/radical-rethink-how-to-design-university-courses-in-the-online-age-9737

Model 1 PBL for

EpistemologicalCompetence

Model IIPBL for Professional

Action

Model IIIPBL for

InterdisciplinaryUnderstanding

Model IVPBL for

TransdisciplinaryLearning

Model VPBL for CriticalContestability

Knowledge Propositional Practical andperformative

Propositional,performative and practical

The examining and testingout of given knowledge

and frameworks

Contingent, contextualand constructed

LearningThe use and managementof a propositional body of

knowledge to solve ormanage a problem

The outcome-focused acquisitionof knowledge andskills for the work

place

The synthesis ofknowledge with skills

across disciplineboundaries

Critical though anddecentring oneself fromdisciplines in order to

understand them

A flexible entity thatinvolves interrogation of

frameworks

Problemscenario

Limited solutions alreadyknown and are designed

to promote cognitiveunderstanding

Focused on a real-lifesituation that

requires an effectivepractical resolution

Acquiring knowledge tobe able to do, therefore

centred aroundknowledge with action

Characterized by resolvingand managing dillemnas

Multidimentional, offeringstudents options foralternative ways ofknowing and being

Students

Receivers of knowledgewho acquire and

understand propositionalknowledge through

problem-solving

Pragmatists inductedto professional

cultures who canundertake practical

action

Integrators acrossboundaries

Independent thinkers whotake up a critical stance

towards learning

Explorers of underlyingstructures and belief

systems

FacilitatorA guide to obtaining the

solution and tounderstanding the correctpropositional knowledge

A demonstrator ofskills and a guide to

“best practice”

A coordinator ofknowledge and skillacquisition across

boundaries or both

An orchestrator ofopportunities for learning

(in its widest sense)

A commentator, achallenger, a decoder ofcultures, disciplines and

traditions

Assessment

The testing of a body ofknowledge to ensure

students have developedepistemological

competence

The testing of skillsand competenciesfor the work place

supported by a bodyof knowledge

The examination of skillsand knowledge in a

context that may havebeen learned out of

context

The opportunity todemonstrate an integratedunderstanding of skills andpersonal and propositional

knowledge acrossdisciplines

Open-ended and flexible

Savin-Baden, 2000, p.126

PBL Models

Online Problem-Based Learning Experience

Pre-discussion of acomplex, ill-structuredproblem (i.e.,brainstorm) in thetutorial group meeting.

Formulation oflearning issues inthe tutorial groupmeeting

Individual self-directed learning(SDL) activities

Sharing and criticallyevaluating theliterature findings inthe subsequenttutorial groupmeeting

Loyens, Kirschner, & Paas, 2012, p.404 with modifications

1

Students arepresented with anill-structuredproblem throughweb-based materialincluding text,videos, andsimulations (Savin-Baden, 2006).

Group synchronous andasynchronousdiscussions are fosteredin a wide variety of Web2.0 environments suchas chat rooms,discussion boards,forums, wikis and blog.These Web 2.0environments are eitherbuilt within learningmanagement systems,such as Blackboard, orin exterior Internetplatforms, such asWikispaces or Blogger(Duncan et al., 2013;Loyens et al., 2012).

Synchronous tutorialsare held in web-conferencingenvironments, suchas Adobe Connect.

Synchronous tutorialsare held in web-conferencingenvironments, suchas Adobe Connect.

PBL

Clas

sical

Mod

elO

nlin

e PB

L

2 3 4

DiscussionaboutProject

TeamBuilding

ProjectPart 1

PeerFeedback

InstructorFormativeFeedback

ProjectPart 1Revision

ProjectPart 2

PeerFeedback

InstructorFormativeFeedback

ProjectPart 2Revision

ProjectPart 3

PeerFeedback

InstructorFormativeFeedback

ProjectPart 3Revision

InstructorSummativeFeedback

ProjectDone withAll Parts

TeamEvaluation

TeamEvaluation

PBL Project & Feedback Loops

DiscussionaboutProject

TeamBuilding

ProjectPart 1

Needs assessment:identification of troubleareas andcompetencies to bedeveloped

ProjectPart 1Revision

ProjectPart 2

ProjectPart 2Revision

ProjectPart 3

ProjectPart 3Revision

InstructorSummativeFeedback

ProjectDone withAll Parts

TeamEvaluation

TeamEvaluation

PBL Project Phases

Evaluation: creation of formative andsummative instruments

Learning material:production of learningprogram material

Online Interactions: 4 Possibilities

11:16 AM 08:26 PM

Same Place

Different Place

Synchronous Asynchronous

Course structure

12 modules1.Problem-based learning

videos posted onYouTube

2.One hour of compulsorysynchronous grouptutorial activities in AdobeConnect (for any timezone)

3.One hour devoted toasynchronous onlineactivities such as forumdiscussions, self-directedlearning activities, etc.

Technologies usedGoogle DocsPreziFacebookLinkedInTwitterInstagramRedditYouTubeAdobe ConnectBlackBoardWikispacesSkypeEmailDropbox

Designed for the mobile learningculture anywhere, anytime, through any device

Three overarching PBL Scenarios

Students will solve these problems through interacting in social mediaand reading about concepts and principles of digital communicationtechnologies.

Commerce: Someone has abusiness that is going down thedrain. The competition is high andthe competitors are tackling themarket from all perspectives.They have a strong onlinepresence and their publicity istargeted directly towards thecustomer.

Education: Someone who has a languageschool is trying to expand his/her businessbeyond the brick and mortar school. The issue isthat he/she needs to change the pedagogy andneeds to make decisions regarding thetechnologies through which this will happen.

Professions: Someone who is new toCanada needs to find employment.He/she has a wealth of experience inhis/her country of origin, but the jobmarket here in Canada is different.Licenses and accreditations are not thesame, people search for jobs online andmuch of the job market is invisible.

Pierre

VickyHarry

Ricardo

Jack

Mary

Joe

Week 1: IntroductionWeek 2: Breaking traditional communication modelsWeek 3: Environments, netiquette and PBL scenariosWeek 4: Online presence and online identity managementWeek 5: Networking yourselfWeek 6: CommerceWeek 7: Liberal professionsWeek 8: EducationWeek 9: Aggregate, filter, connectWeek 10: Working in collaboration (group work and CoPs)Week 11: SocietyWeek 12: Synthesis of the course and presentation of the model

Harry! That’s me! I’m

Harry. I need to get my

business online and I

don’t know how. If I can

do it for Harry, I can do

it for myself. Or vice

versa.

I realized I was Ricardo

and I really wanted to

solve his problem.

I associated a lot with

Mary. Not that I had a

language school or

anything like that. But I

am going through a

transition. At my school,

I have to use technologies

and I really don’t know

where to start. It was

nice to see someone else

had the same problem. I

liked having the help of

my classmates to solve

her problem.

Reflective analysis

Instructor #1Planning: designing the learner experience, finding

relevant/authentic problems, finding a way to design a coursein collaboration with another instructor

Doing: providing feedback without correcting content, facilitatingdiscussions, encouraging social media interactions, managinggroup work

Challenges: student knowledge, group work, managingtensions without being present

Benefits: development of relevant 21st century skills, increasedcreativity

Reflective analysisInstructor #2Planning: designing a course with no content, designing

assignments for students coming from different backgroundsand taking the course for different reasons

Doing: being present on social media platforms, participating tostudents’ discussions, being available for questions and forformative feedback on different platforms

Challenges: facilitating discussion in tutorials instead oflecturing, encouraging students to participate in discussions,dealing with outsiders and left behind students

Benefits: teaching within a growing community, having newknowledge continuously pushed towards you, reflecting on thisnew knowledge and using it

Conclusion

Was it worth the trouble? Absolutely!

Would we do it again? Yes!

Did the students benefit from the experience? The aredemanding more!

What would we do differently?

Assignments: simplifying steps

Feedback loop: providing templates for students

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Thank you!