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Slide 1: or Developing a Socially Constructed Self-Paced Learning Environment Jason Rhode, PhD www.niu.edu/~jrhode 1
Slide 2: Objectives • Discuss rationale for developing a socially constructed self-paced online learning environment • Demonstrate implementation of the eLGG open source social networking system • Share results of a recent research study exploring learner’s preferences for interaction in a socially constructed self-paced environment. 2
Slide 3: Introductory Ideas interaction self-paced learning emerging communication approaches social networking 3
Slide 4: What comes first? • • • • • Structure Instructor-driven Objectives Closed LMS • • • • • Interaction Student-driven Activities Open PLE 4
Slide 5: Assumptions • Substance and function of online interactions varies • Interaction is essential for a quality learning experience • Sole use of traditional learning management systems often results in restrictive, instructivist learning environments 5
Slide 6: Dron’s Theory of Transactional Control Dron, J. (2006). Social software and the emergence of control, The 6th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies. Kerkrade, The Netherlands. Retrieved March 23, 2007, from http://www. cmis.brighton.ac.uk/staff/jd29/papers/icalt2006.doc 6
Slide 7: Types of Interactions 7
Slide 8: Warburton’s 3D Matrix http://warburton.typepad.com/liquidlearning/2007/11/what-is-the-bes.html 8
Slide 9: Warburton’s 3D Matrix http://warburton.typepad.com/liquidlearning/2007/11/what-is-the-bes.html 9
Slide 10: Groups vs. Networks http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephen_downes/252157734/ 10
Slide 11: Weblogs as a Learning Space http://eduspaces.net/csessums/files/-1/9894/weblogbrainstorming.jpg 11
Slide 12: Using Blogs in Education 12
Slide 13: Anatomy of a Socially Constructed Self-Paced Learning Environment 13
Slide 14: Operational Definitions • Socially Constructed Learning Environment Individuals actively participating in learning encounters through organic social networks • Self-Paced Learners retain control over pace in which they engage in learning interactions and activities 14
Slide 15: VFCC Online Certificate Program Characteristics • Adult learners enrolled in fully-online professional development certificate program for children’s ministry professionals and laity • New cohort of learners begins a course each month • Learners proceed through course activities at an individualized pace with only stipulation being end-of-course deadline • Program entitled, “Children’s Ministries University Online” 15 • More details at www.cmuo.com
Slide 16: eLGG • Open source • Fully customizable • Active development for extending the platform • Can be configured to use LDAP authentication http://classic.elgg.org/features.php • Public or private networks • Blogging, tagging, user controls, RSS, & user profiles • Users create own networks • Hosted solution elggspaces.com 16
Slide 17: Sample eLGG Communities • • • • • • http://community.brighton.ac.uk http://me2u.athabascau.ca http://cmuonet.org http://commun-it.org http://ubuntero.org http://vlpc04.tugraz.at 17
Slide 18: Community - cmuonet.org 18
Slide 19: Logged-In Access 19
Slide 20: Posting a New Entry 20
Slide 21: Friends 21
Slide 22: Communities 22
Slide 23: Tag Cloud 23
Slide 24: Course Blog Integration with Blackboard Course 24
Slide 25: Research Design • Mixed methods approach • Semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted near the conclusion of the course 25
Slide 26: Measures • Semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted over the phone, each approx. 1 hr. in length • Questions addressed 3 main types of interaction and formal vs. informal nature of such interactions 26
Slide 27: Empirical Study • • • • Engagement (Activity) Value Equivalency Perceived Impact 27
Slide 28: Engagement in Interaction • Overwhelmingly positive responses to course community, CMUOnet 28
Slide 29: Reported Involvement • Most reported using course blog and social bookmarks • Instructors blog was very helpful for most • Participants didn’t attempt to contact outside experts • In-course discussion was limited 29
Slide 30: Findings • Blogging valued equally, and in some instances higher, than asynchronous discussion via the LMS • Email was the preferred mode of interaction with instructor, blogging preferred for interaction with others • Feedback from instructor was reported as very important • Participants identified a correlation between quality of interaction and quality of learning experience 30
Slide 31: Conclusions • Depending on the specific circumstance, not all forms of interaction may be either equally valued by learners or effective • Informal interactions were as important as formal interactions in determining the quality of the online learning experience • Blogging was shown to be equivalent to or even superior to instructor-directed asynchronous discussion via the discussion board in a LMS 31
Slide 32: Further Study • Explore perspectives of learners in varying disciplines/institutions/social-cultural backgrounds/online learning environments • Differing learner populations • Unique aspects of emergent asynchronous communications such as blogging, collaborative authorship, social bookmarking, and social networking • To what extent can a social network system meet the needs of designers, instructors, and learners and therefore be capable of replacing an LMS? • What impact does course size have on the self-paced online learning experience? 32
Slide 33: Q&A Thank you for coming! This session is archived online at www.niu.edu/~jrhode Also, my email address is jrhode@niu.edu 33