Testing Word Blog Feature

This is a test of the blog feature in Word. Will it allow formatted text?

Colored text? Venn Diagrams?

Other topics and tools we discussed in the session...

Requested Resources from Workshop Participants

Free audio editing software:

Audacity

Free Course Management System:
Nicenet

A place to share educational material:

Connexions

"Generational Learning Styles" by Julie Coates

Free phone conversation recorder:
Gabcast

Session Abstract

Research has shown that student satisfaction, faculty satisfaction and learning outcomes are all enhanced through the cultivation of learning communities in online classes. At the University of Illinois Springfield, we employ a variety of effective practices to engage the instructor with learners and the learners with other learners in online classes. These practices involve specific strategies included in the instructional design, two-way (Web 2.0) technologies, and coordination of activities. Methodologies range from the use of peer mentors to time-proven online activities to the use of innovative technologies to build and sustain the learning community through the semester. Those attending the session will engage in assessing the strategies, technologies and activities as well as suggest others that we all may consider. There are a number of ways to help establish a sense of community: time allotment, support, validation, similarities, peer mentors , and multimedia feedback such as podcasting.

The Machine is Us/ing Us!

Sloan-C Effective Practices for Student Satisfaction

Panelists:
Deborah Antoine
, Instructional Design Specialist, OTEL, UIS
Kandice Biggs, Writing Specialist and Composition Instructor, UIS
Vickie Cook, Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership, UIS
Emily Welch, Instructional Design Specialist, OTEL, UIS

Online Student Engagement to build communities

In 2006 the National Survey of Student Engagement began to gather data regarding the perceptions of college students level of engagement in online classrooms and how this compared to their perceptions of engagement in face-to-face classrooms. E-learners who participated in this survey reported higher levels of engagement and levels of statisfaction with their courses than did their face-to-face counterparts. More information available at: http://insidehigered.com/layout/set/print/news/2006/11/13/nsse

Peer Mentoring Program and Online Tutoring Program

Role as peer mentor:

Background

  • Peer mentor in PAC 442 (Internet and the American Life) (2x)
  • Peer mentor in PSY 323 (Adolescence Psychology) (3x)

Role to students

  • Assisted students with course related questions via the BB discussion forum and e-mail
  • Responded to students on the discussion forum to stimulate discussion and model appropriate feedback

Role to instructor

  • Forwarded student questions when necessary
  • Monitored and evaluated BB discussion board participation

Important Tips

  • Establish a relationship with the instructor and students
  • Know expectations of the instructor for the students and peer mentor
  • Know the boundaries between the peer mentor and students

Online tutoring program to support our online students:

Blackboard one-to-one tutoring appointments

  • Meet with tutor in student’s group page via the discussion forum
  • Post assignment instructions and assignment
  • Give feedback in asynchronous communication to work with students who cannot meet on campus or at a common time with the tutor

Elluminate one-to-one tutoring appointments

  • Meet with tutor in tutor’s V-Room
  • Share work via the application sharing feature in Elluminate
  • Give feedback in synchronous communication to work with student who cannot meet on campus but can meet at a common time with the tutor

Elluminate online workshops

  • Meet with group of students who register for a workshop
  • Instruct with PowerPoint slides imported into the white board
  • Interact with students by asking them questions about the slides and asking them to apply what they’ve learned via the white board

Web 2.0 Community Learning Builders RSS Aggregators

Yahoo! lists a plethora of RSS Aggregators, but increasingly they are built into browsers and other regular software.Examples:Internet Explorer 7FirefoxOperaSafariSample applications:In classes with current events applications, students may gather relevant news reports and post comments, etc. Faculty members may track new and emerging developments in their discipline. Google Reader
Link: http://dir.yahoo.com/computers_and_internet/data_formats/xml__extensible_markup_language_/rss/rss_readers_and_aggregators/

Wikis

Wiki - PBwiki
One of the most versatile Web 2.0 applications is the Wiki.
Type of web site
Multiple people can easily add, remove, or edit the content
Uses versioning to track changes
Some require registration or a password for editing
Editing can be done through simplified HTML markup language or a WYSIWYG editor
Nice list of educational uses of wikis is hosted by Wikispaces
Largest and best-known wiki is Wikipedia
An edited and reviewed version of Wikipedia is emerging at CitizendiumWiki uses:
Collaborate with colleagues on professional projects
Group projects, essays and reports
Space for free writing or journaling
Share resources – web sites, annotated bibliographies, models for assignments
Create a compendium of terms and concepts for the course to use as a study guide
PBwiki is representative of many wiki sites - offering free hosting for educational uses. It includes several templates: classroom, syllabus, and group project. PBwiki also offers ideas for instructional uses of wikis, as well as "how-to" videos for your students. In addition to basic wiki features, you can add widgets for spreadsheets and calendars, videos, and voice chat.
Try it out at our Building Online Communities in Online Classes Blog:http://creatinglearningcommunitiesonlineclasses.pbwiki.com/

Blogs - Blogger

Web Logs or "blogs" are web pages that are generated with software that commonly puts postings in reverse chronological order. One common software program to create blogs is http://blogger.com - owned by Google. (a new blog is created every half second)

Sample applications:
  • Journal blog - to collect and present student journal entries
  • Filter blog - to post a collection of items such as news stories, or as in this case, technologies

Online Learning Update
Google Search for Online Learning
Blog Search at Google
Sample Aggregation into Web Pages

What is RSS?

RSS stands for really simple syndication (or rich site summary). It is the tool that enables instant sharing, notification and syndication of new and / or updated materials.

Virtual Worlds

Virtual Worlds Listing

There are more than three dozen virtual worlds that are in used in educational applications. Best known for Education is Second Life.

Second Life Education Information Web Page

Croquet(Open Source 3D Virtual World)

ActiveWorlds

There

Podcasting

Podomatic provides free online creation and hosting of up to 250 MB.

The Freesound Project
Part of Creative Commons allows use of sounds for podcasting for education.

Tool Factory Podcasting provides a great $99 "enhanced" podcasting tool for windows.


Profcast is a $60 tool for Mac OS-X.

How To Create a Podcast for Your Online Course

iTunes