Module 2 Blog Post
Collaboration has drastically changed over the last few years. It used to be that you collaborated with people in the building. Now there are many different innovations that allow for collaboration across town, across the state, across the country, and across the world. Some of the latest innovations are wikis, blogs, and forums that allow for people to share their knowledge on various topics. Students, educators, and experts alike can express their opinions, knowledge, and beliefs to work together to form a consensus. I feel that as with Wikipedia, when the argument is over then the best explanation/information for a given topic.
The blog post by Evan Rosen discusses the way the collaboration with the use of Web 2.0 tools like wikis have aided in the advancements in medicines that make Mayo Clinic infamous. They use PBWorks in particular. The stakeholders at Mayo use it as a “sandbox where people can figure things out.” Other collaborative tools that Mayo uses are Skype, instant messaging, and video conferencing.
http://collaborationblog.typepad.com/
Another blog that has been posted on the value of collaboration is one by David Berkowitz. The blog is entitled “Higher Education’s Future: Collaboration, Augmented Reality, Faculty Education.” The content of the blog is from a panel discussion of 5 professors to” explore the challenges and opportunities in using social media to advance higher education.” The panel was hosted by McGraw-Hill Student Innovations. Adam Ostrow, explains that online learning is better in some respects that you do not get graded on just showing up to class. That you are expected to participate in discussions, respond to blogs, and wikis for grading purposes. The key is to keep students engaged. With collaborative tools this can be accomplished.
http://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2010/02/06/higher-educations-future-collaboration-augmented-reality-faculty-education/
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
For the Module 1 blog comments I posted to Luis Alives http://farawaylearning.blogspot.com/
and Cynthia Shelton http://shelcy316.blogspot.com/
and Cynthia Shelton http://shelcy316.blogspot.com/
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Module 1 Blog Discussion:
Is evolution needed in DE for the next generation?
After reading the articles on instructional design for distance learning and viewing the vodcast of Simonson I do agree that evolution is needed to make distance education a viable mode of education for the next generation. I remember when the first online programs were introduced. The general public did not see them as creditable. My mother even made comments like, “They are just paying for a grade.” I am sure that my mother was not the only one out there that felt that way. Proving DE as creditable was and at time still is the first hurdle to be overcome when recruiting new students. As stated in the introduction of second in a three part series on instructional design by Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008) that there is still no assurance that “high instructional quality is recognized and valued” still today. This may become a non issue as competition becomes fierce for the e-learning market and the fact that performance based testing is being developed to increase the creditability of online courses. Eventually performance based assessments may spill over into traditional on-campus education. (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008)
When it comes to distance education in the K-12 setting, it takes on a new face. There are greater benefits along with greater disadvantages to DE in this sector of education. Huett, Moller, Foshay, and Coleman, (2008) stated that “virtual schooling is one of the fastest growing areas for K-12 schools.” I see many advantages to DE in this sector. It can remedy the issue of overcrowding, teacher shortages, reduced funding, and offer remedial to enrichment opportunities to students who are homebound, home schooled, traveling, or need flexible schedules due to various reasons. However DE does not need to become a place to educate our failing students or as a quick and easy service for students who need to make up courses (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008) My only issues with distance education in K-12 education is the lack of interaction that takes place. These years are so formative int eh development of a child’s eventual character. If DE utilized I believe that there my be ways that the students interact with one another whether in the virtual realm (wikis, live chat, blogs) or in f2f interaction is possible.
I agree with Simonson (n.d.) when he described distance education being comprised in two parts: distance teaching and distance learning. The teacher and the learner are vital components in distance education to make it more than an online self study course. Distance education while growing exponentially, needs to be nurtured to its “critical mass” to experience its highest effectiveness and viability in the generations to come. (Simonson, n.d.) If distance education is utilized correctly, with interaction of teacher-students and students-student the results of the collaboration could be profound. With today’s problems being so large and deep rooted, it will likely take a “collection” of thinkers and innovators to solve them. After all isn’t that all education is for- to solve problems
Huett, J, Moller, L, Foshay, W, & Coleman, C. (2008). The Evolution of distance education: implications
for instructional design on the potential of the web. TechTrends, 52(5), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=7&sid=870186e5-15d5-4db7-9da8-b0455e57bfec%40sessionmgr13
Simonson, M. (n.d.). Distance education: the next generation [Vodcast], Retrieved from
http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4007780&Survey=1&47=4338460&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Simonson, M. (n.d.). Equivalency theory [Vodcast], Retrieved from
http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4007780&Survey=1&47=4338460&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Moller, L, Foshay, W, & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of distance education: implications for
nstructional design on the potential of the web. TechTrends, 52(3), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdf?vid=7&hid=7&sid=870186e5-15d5-4db7-9da8-b0455e57bfec%40sessionmgr13
Moller, L, Foshay, W, & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of distance education: implications for
instructional design on the potential of the web. TechTrends, 52(4), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=7&sid=870186e5-15d5-4db7-9da8-b0455e57bfec%40sessionmgr13
Is evolution needed in DE for the next generation?
After reading the articles on instructional design for distance learning and viewing the vodcast of Simonson I do agree that evolution is needed to make distance education a viable mode of education for the next generation. I remember when the first online programs were introduced. The general public did not see them as creditable. My mother even made comments like, “They are just paying for a grade.” I am sure that my mother was not the only one out there that felt that way. Proving DE as creditable was and at time still is the first hurdle to be overcome when recruiting new students. As stated in the introduction of second in a three part series on instructional design by Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008) that there is still no assurance that “high instructional quality is recognized and valued” still today. This may become a non issue as competition becomes fierce for the e-learning market and the fact that performance based testing is being developed to increase the creditability of online courses. Eventually performance based assessments may spill over into traditional on-campus education. (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008)
When it comes to distance education in the K-12 setting, it takes on a new face. There are greater benefits along with greater disadvantages to DE in this sector of education. Huett, Moller, Foshay, and Coleman, (2008) stated that “virtual schooling is one of the fastest growing areas for K-12 schools.” I see many advantages to DE in this sector. It can remedy the issue of overcrowding, teacher shortages, reduced funding, and offer remedial to enrichment opportunities to students who are homebound, home schooled, traveling, or need flexible schedules due to various reasons. However DE does not need to become a place to educate our failing students or as a quick and easy service for students who need to make up courses (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008) My only issues with distance education in K-12 education is the lack of interaction that takes place. These years are so formative int eh development of a child’s eventual character. If DE utilized I believe that there my be ways that the students interact with one another whether in the virtual realm (wikis, live chat, blogs) or in f2f interaction is possible.
I agree with Simonson (n.d.) when he described distance education being comprised in two parts: distance teaching and distance learning. The teacher and the learner are vital components in distance education to make it more than an online self study course. Distance education while growing exponentially, needs to be nurtured to its “critical mass” to experience its highest effectiveness and viability in the generations to come. (Simonson, n.d.) If distance education is utilized correctly, with interaction of teacher-students and students-student the results of the collaboration could be profound. With today’s problems being so large and deep rooted, it will likely take a “collection” of thinkers and innovators to solve them. After all isn’t that all education is for- to solve problems
Huett, J, Moller, L, Foshay, W, & Coleman, C. (2008). The Evolution of distance education: implications
for instructional design on the potential of the web. TechTrends, 52(5), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=7&sid=870186e5-15d5-4db7-9da8-b0455e57bfec%40sessionmgr13
Simonson, M. (n.d.). Distance education: the next generation [Vodcast], Retrieved from
http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4007780&Survey=1&47=4338460&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Simonson, M. (n.d.). Equivalency theory [Vodcast], Retrieved from
http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4007780&Survey=1&47=4338460&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Moller, L, Foshay, W, & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of distance education: implications for
nstructional design on the potential of the web. TechTrends, 52(3), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdf?vid=7&hid=7&sid=870186e5-15d5-4db7-9da8-b0455e57bfec%40sessionmgr13
Moller, L, Foshay, W, & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of distance education: implications for
instructional design on the potential of the web. TechTrends, 52(4), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=7&sid=870186e5-15d5-4db7-9da8-b0455e57bfec%40sessionmgr13
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Module 1 Blog Post
For some unknown reason I am unable to post my blog post to my site. Not sure why I am not getting the paste option to move it from Word to here. So please bare with me. I will post my blog post in the discussion forum until I figure out what I am doing wrong.
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