Internet-Based Multimedia Resources for Online Learning

In online education, it is vital to know of resources that can be used by both educators and learners that include all kinds of multimedia types in order to cover all types of learning preferences. Finding resources is easy but finding useful resources that have been reviewed by people with expertise in the fields of education are another matter. I explored some multimedia resource sites and found some that I feel could be exceptionally useful to educators of all levels.

Utubersity - YouTube is one of the most well-known of media resource sites, but it can be hard to find quality videos there sometimes. However, some people have already recognized this problem and have created sites devoted to helping filter the good, bad, and ugly. Utubersity has done a lot of the legwork in finding educational videos from YouTube and organizing them in ease-to-find categories. They have videos and lectures for practically every educational topic one could imagine. I compared searches on this site and YouTube to see how much work this resource saves by doing the filtering and quality control for me, and I was rather impressed. On Utubersity I could find what I wanted within seconds, and I had the benefit of knowing it had already been peer reviewed and checked for accuracy. When I ran the same search on just YouTube, I had to wade through pages of opinionated and often inaccurate information before finding something I would consider trustworthy.  I learned that sites devoted to helping with educational resources could alleviate a lot of the stress that finding valid resources can sometimes cause.

Classroom Aid – This site is devoted to digital learning in all of its forms. They have resources for videos, audio, games, game-building, and the list just goes on. This site even includes free mini-courses in learning how to build interactive learning environments. Their selection of materials is impressive and broken down into easy to find and understand categories. This site has information about studies done regarding digital education and best practices as well as motivational stories and looks at future tech in relation to the digital education settings.

Concerns about incorporating resources

Incorporating new information or resources can always be a bit scary for an educator, especially someone newer to the practical end of teaching. Finding resources that will be updated as needed, maintained, and accessible are always a factor with online resources. Think of it as going to the library but the book you need was checked out and never returned, the same hurdles would have to be jumped. This is why it is vital for educators to go over the resources they are giving students to make sure any links work, that the information is still relevant, and to understand any steps needed to accessing the resource so they can help students that may struggle. Anytime technology is incorporated into learning, even online learning, the educator needs to keep in mind the technological level of understanding their students may or may not possess. Part of using these resources can also include needing to find the resources to teach the skills required to use them. Conrad and Donaldson (2011, p. 93) point out, “To be effective, the activity must have value outside of the learning setting and should build skills that can be used beyond the life of the course.” This piece of advice can include needing to help students learn basic platform operations like inserting pictures, or how to choose a specific timeframe from a video instead of the whole video. In today’s digital world these “basics” can mean the difference between authentic and useful online education and simply traditional education that is placed online.

References

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Setting Up Effective Online Learning Experiences

Setting Up Effective Online Learning Experiences

There are many steps to establishing an effective online learning experience for adult learners. Syllabuses and assessment plans must be made, course site accessed, course layout decided or template explored, materials and links must be verified and understood, getting acquainted with facility resources such as technical support and other educators in the program, planning out full schedule to account for holidays or events, preparing discussion topics, and asking for feedback or using standards of quality rubrics.

I feel the most essential of these elements are the course site as it is the access point for the learning, the first few weeks of discussion posts and assignments along with their materials need to be ready, and the syllabus which contains the expectations of the learner, instructor, facility, and grading policies. According to Boettcher and Conrad (2010, p. 63), “The course elements that must be completed for an online course are the syllabus, the weekly plans and discussion postings for the first weeks, and the course site.”

However, that is just the essential technical aspects of the course in my mind; there is still the community aspect of setting up also. This includes welcome posts and icebreakers to help the students feel comfortable but also it helps the instructor learn a bit about the student which can be insightful. Dr. Palloff (Laureate Education, 2012) points out “… if I'm getting a sense that part of where that student is coming from is based on their background, and the life they've lived, and their experiences et cetera, sometimes I'll go back to their intro or bio to check that out.” These beginning social exercises help give personality and dimension to everyone instead of being just a name and text which makes for more concise communications.

Clear communication is essential to an online education setting where the lack of voice and body language can easily lead to misunderstandings or confusion. Sometimes what seems clear to one person reads a different way to other because they lack those key cues that help convey meaning. In some cases, clarity can be achieved through the use of video and/or audio clips as they add dimension to the character of the person and information.

When teaching adults online, there are also considerations that need to be observed for scheduling and understanding purposes. If the instructor is going to be unreachable during normally available hours, this needs to be expressed to the students so they can also plan around it as needed. Adult students also come into classes with a broad range of education, experiences, backgrounds, and personalities all of which the instructor and classmates need to keep in mind. While the adult educators main job is to guide the learners, there is also the responsibility of making safe space for voicing opinions and ideas freely without fear of hostility. It is ok and even beneficial to have a difference of views and ideas being discussed, but it is not ok to so in a negative manner.

I feel a well planned and executed first few weeks combined with an open and friendly atmosphere are vital to any successful online course. Without both of these elements, the rest has no foundation to build upon and the learners will lose confidence in the education and the learning. If the instructor is well-prepared and sets a good example of communication in the community area during the first few weeks of the course, it sets the stage for deeper and more meaningful learning exchanges between everyone.

References

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Online Learning Communities

Online Learning Communities

This week we are studying the significance of online community building in educational settings. Socialization in traditional education settings is not like socialization in an online setting. However, 21^st-century socialization and online communications do have much in common. An online community can offer support, peer interactions, study assistance, and a primary means of communicating with others from all over the world regardless of geographic location. With the tools offered through online mediums, we can see and hear each other as if in the same room and technology is already spreading into allowing feeling and smelling through virtual settings. Just having access to these tools does not guarantee efficient use of them, however. In an educational context how the tools are used is more important than just using them because they are available. Let’s look at what elements are needed for online community building, their impact on education, their sustainability, and the relationship between them and effective online instruction.

What are the essential elements of online community building?

The essential elements of online community building are people, purpose, and community (Laureate Education, 2012).

People – Students, faculty, experts, administration, approved members only.

Purpose – There needs to be a shared sense of purpose that binds the community together.

Process – The methods of interaction available to assist learning and growth.

How do online learning communities significantly impact the learner’s learning and satisfaction with online education?

Online communities function as support groups where learners can assist one another to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts being learned. Online communities also offer more options for those that may have a disability making them ADA compliant (Laureate Education, 2012). Ease of access to assistance and the support of peers encourages learners to keep trying even when they struggle as there are people they can reach out to for help. In online schooling attrition rates are always watched, and it is often the first few classes that assist in determining if a learner stays or leaves. The presence of an online community increases the attrition rates by acting a guides and mentors to the newer or struggling students.

How can online learning communities be sustained?

These online communities can be sustained by always offering their use to new learners so that when others leave there is always a flow of people to help each other. They also need to make use of modern technology in a way that is friendly to experienced and novice users. Using emails to welcome each student personally, even if sent in a batch, gives a feeling of welcome and connectedness. The communities need to be wary of using technology just for the sake of using it. For example, using Twitter for a debate class would become more of a brief argument rather than allowing for detailed discussion simply because of the character length limit. Twitter would be good to use for the instructor and classmates to remind each other of deadlines though or to ask a quick question.

What is the relationship between community building and effective online instruction?

When an instructor and classmates work together to build a community to builds trust, respect, and support. Once trust and respect are established it creates settings where learners feel safe to explore ideas, make mistakes, and push boundaries that can lead to new learning without fear of repercussions such as mockery or inequality. In an online learning community, it is easy for learners to become isolated and feel left out by the very nature of the learning taking place away from the rest of the learners. These feelings of isolation can lead to self-doubt and a loss of confidence as the learning and learner disconnect from the outer world where the learning must be utilized (Laureate Education, 2012).

Conclusion

Taking online classes where the learner just looks at the content of the course with no regard for the community it is a part of only gives part of the benefits of quality learning. Working together, helping one another, and building upon the work of others is an essential component of all education and online is no exception. Because of the lack of physical presence, it is vital to building an online presence by being an active member of the online community. As an educational institute or an instructor it is their job to make sure the community is there and that the learners are aware of it being available. 

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Online learning communities. Baltimore, MD: Author. 

Introduction

My name is Heather Dunlap, and I am a student of education. I am working on my M.S. in Adult Education with an emphasis on online environments. The class I am taking now, Online Instructional Strategies for Adult Learns, is the first of my program focused specifically on the online setting. I am excited and looking forward to learning everything I can. Most of my classmates are new to me this term as I just recently took a break, so I have a lot of 'getting to know you' to do also. I hope people enjoy my blog and maybe even learn something from each other.