The Power of Peer Review

My peer review group got off to a chaotic start, but in the end, I was lucky enough to receive feedback from both Benny and Neethu on my instructional design document (IDD). The peer review experience did help me to improve the content in my document. Simply reading through my peer’s document enlightened me on some requirements and formatting that needed my attention.  For example, I did not fully understand the requirements outlined in the rubric for the section on learning theory. So, I searched and found several peer reviewed journal articles and included them as references to strengthen and support why I chose the constructivist learning theory. I included the statement that constructivism is the foundation of project-based learning in which students are approached with a problem and engage in activities that allow and lead to real world problem-solving (Almala, 2005). Then, I linked the learning activities in my project to the constructivist learning theory. Now, I feel the paragraphs on learning theory meet the expectations outlined in the rubric. 

Next, there was information in the environmental resources that needed more detail in which I assumed the reader would understand. So, I added the specifics of items such as naming the particular learning management system participants would be utilizing. Towards the end of the document, the reviewers restructured a few sentences and added and deleted words.  I made all of these changes based on their suggestions. In addition, a great resource was shared that explains the levels and adoption of technology integration into the classroom. Although, I didn’t use the resource in my design document since the analysis was already conducted, it is a website that I will introduce in our district as we look at teacher levels of technology integration.

Another suggestion that I considered was changing how I numbered my goals and objectives. In the first instructional design course I completed, we did not use the format that Benny suggested. However, when I looked at how the goals and learning objectives for this course were formatted, I noticed that it was the format in which Benny referenced. So I used the G.1 and O.1.1 format when listing goals and objectives. I have noticed there are several inconsistencies with how things were presented in our previous instructional design course versus this instructional design course. So, I will need to ensure that I read the directions and rubrics carefully as not to assume I already know the expectation.

My design document was similar to one of my peers, so that reassured me I was on the right track. I know that the instructional design document needs to be well thought out because the course in which I will be building the next twelve weeks will be based on the information outlined in it.  Therefore, I appreciate having a peer from the class review the IDD and make suggestions as it only strengthens the content of the document. 

Reference

Almala, A. H. (2005). A constructivist conceptual framework for a quality e-learning environment. Distance Learning, 2(5), 9-12. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230696773?accountid=7113

Strengths and Weaknesses of Pedagogies Underlying Online, Blended Learning, and MOOC's

          Advanced technologies and media have rapidly increased the progression of online, blended learning, and massive open online course (MOOC) learning formats. Self-directed learning, collaborative inquiry, instructor and peer feedback, and development of social presence are all pedagogical methods when utilized in e-learning formats can improve student learning outcomes when applied to fitting content and needs of students.

Self-directed learning has become important with the exponential growth in information and ever changing technologies. People are challenged with continuously developing skills and knowledge in order to be competitive in the work force. For example, distance learning has increased in popularity as it offers flexibility of scheduling and educational opportunities that might not otherwise be available. However, self-directed learning sounds like an easy strategy to implement, but in reality, people often are not motivated or need the social support of community to help them engage in the learning process (Lin, 2008).

Collaborative inquiry is a design that recognizes exploring issues and determining solutions through questioning, reflection, and dialogue. Learning is achieved by participating in dialogue through interactions and basing new learning on prior experiences (Lin, 2008). The learner can reach out to peers to collaborate, share knowledge with others, build on each other’s knowledge, or co-create knowledge. Forms of collaborative inquiry include participating in discussion forums, blogs, and wiki spaces. These technologies help users create online communities where they can connect with others who have the same interests or expertise. Through the use of these online tools, students have more opportunities to an increasing knowledge base. However, learners must be willing to actively seek communications with others who have the same aspirations instead of depending on the educator to find answers to their questions or provide the knowledge they are seeking (Lin, 2008).

Providing feedback that accesses the quality of work or student performance can help guide a student’s learning throughout an online course and establish teaching presence (Getzlaf, Perry, Toffner, Lamarche, & Edwards, 2009). Feedback can include encouragement and direction, so students can expand their ideas and reach specific learning goals or outcomes. Feedback from peers can be utilized to critique student artifacts, while feedback from instructors can provide both guidance and motivation to the learner. In addition, when students participate in providing feedback to peers, students receive practice at critically examining a concept. However, if feedback is not constructive or provided in a timely manner, then the feedback may not be beneficial to the student. 

Students establish social presence when they have a sense of belonging and ownership in their own learning (Swan & Shih, 2005). Social presence can be developed in online discussions using textual cues which indicate satisfaction during interactions between students. In addition, the development of relationships between students during online discussions increases student social presence; and in return, students present more social presence in responses to their peers. However, research found that online discussions that focused on readings that were provided for students did not produce personal responses that led to having a social presence. Instead, discussions based on a student’s own personal experience led to a higher social presence in the course. The use of online discussions which focus on personal experiences can increase the student’s social presence in the discussion or interactions with peers (Swan & Shih, 2005).  

          Online, blended learning, and massive open online course (MOOC) learning formats provide new learning opportunities when course design includes proven online pedagogy.

References

Lin, L. (2008). An Online Learning Model to Facilitate Learners' Rights to Education. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 12(1), 127-143.

Getzlaf, B., Perry, B., Toffner, G., Lamarche, K., & Edwards, M. (2009). Effective Instructor Feedback: Perceptions of Online Graduate Students. Journal of Educators Online, 6(2), n2.

Swan, K., & Shih, L. F. (2005). On the nature and development of social presence in online course discussions. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 9(3), 115-136.

What have I learned so far in my Technology-based Learning Environments course? How can I apply what I have learned? or What do I need to know more about when designing my own instructional design project in Canvas?

The teacher's role is to be an instructional designer that can
implement effective online technology that elicits the
desired student outcomes.

I found the article by Savery and Duffy (1995) to be beneficial and timely since our district is implementing a blending learning pilot program at our high school campus, and I will be designing an online class for my project. In a blended approach, instructional design is based on problem-based learning and a constructivist learning theory. In addition, my classmate Kelly Kelsoe also had an article posted about several factors that must be in place for students to grasp the benefits of a blended learning instructional design approach (Francis and Shannon, 2013). And I found an article that addresses the challenges and experiences of transforming a traditional classroom into a social constructivist approach (Dalsgaard and Godsk, 2007).

Some people might think that I am a little crazy, but I actually enjoy the opportunity to design instructional projects. And all of the articles above have certainly given me some new aspects in online instructional design to think about. First, let’s consider key factors that will transform an online course and engage students. Effective online tools need to be included in the design to take advantage of the affordances that technology can offer. This will mean creating activities in which students can interact and receive feedback from their peers. In addition, reflective activities will need to be included in order to give students time to think about their own thinking. We all know that reflection has a big effect size on student learning. So, discussion forums and blogging are activities to consider during the design and development phase of the ADDIE model.

Next, what have I learned about the constructivist learning theory and the social constructivist learning theories? How can I apply them to my design? I focused on the idea of “puzzlement is the stimulus for learning” when reading the Savery and Duffy (1995) article. I will need to consider how to organize the online course so that authentic learning is taking place and students are the center of the learning. In addition, I will need to create a stimulus puzzlement that stimulates the new learning opportunities.

The Savery and Duffy (1995) and the Dalsgaard and Godsk, (2007) articles both highlighted that knowledge evolves through social interactions which lead to individual understandings of knowledge. I will need to research which social media and Web 2.0 programs could be implemented to elicit the desired student outcomes in the project.

And the biggest challenge will be designing the course with a scenario or problem and also ensuring that the activities the students complete will cover the intended goals and objectives of the course. But first, I must draw a conclusion to what the subject of the instructional design might be. Digital Leadership? Implementing Blended Learning? iPads in the Classroom? So many interesting choices to select from.

References

Dalsgaard, C., & Godsk, M. (2007). Transforming traditional lectures into problem‐based blended learning: challenges and experiences. Open Learning, 22(1), 29-42.

Francis, R., & Shannon, S. J. (2013). Engaging with blended learning to improve students’ learning outcomes. European Journal of Engineering Education, 38(4), 359-369.

Savery, J. R., & Duffy, T. M. (1995). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. Educational technology, 35(5), 31-38.

Web 2.0 and Student Writing Scores

I have been asked by my colleagues on several occasions, "Does the money in which the district spends on technology really make a difference?" "Can you provide evidence?" Well, my best answer today is embedded in the research that has been conducted by others. And hopefully soon, I will be completing a study of my own  in which I can shed some light on the subject. For now, here is an abstract of a research paper that I recently completed, and if it sparks an interest, I have provided a link to the full 10 pages. What do you think about the impact that technology has on your district?

Does the Implementation of Web 2.0 Applications in the English Language Arts Classroom Improve 7^th Grade Student Writing Scores?

Abstract

Over the last ten years, interactive Web 2.0 applications have become widespread and are popular forms of communication among school-aged children. With the gain in popularity of online Web 2.0 applications and being an essential part of a student’s everyday life outside of the classroom, teachers should take advantage of the affordances these evolving technologies can bring to the classroom. In particular, can the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in place of traditional writing methods improve student writing scores as denoted on the STAAR writing test? Does the use of interactive Web 2.0 applications motivate students to share their thoughts through their writing? Currently, there is little evidence that the use of Web 2.0 technologies versus traditional writing methodologies have a significant impact on the improvement of middle school student writing scores. A quantitative study involving classes of 7^th grade students who utilize Web 2.0 applications during writing assignments compared to classes of 7^th grade students who practice traditional writing methods could provide more insight about the results of implementing Web 2.0 applications in an English Language Arts classroom.

Keywords: Web 2.0, English Language Arts, STAAR test, writing performance

If this peaks your curiosity, then here is the link to the 10 page research paper and all of the resources. 

Branding Yourself as a Digital Leader

I am ecstatic to blog about my final project in which my classmate and colleague, Kelli Kelsoe, and I have just completed for our Instructional Design class we are taking through an online program at UNT. It was designed as a two day training which addresses the problem that many administrators today lack the knowledge to lead and implement a vision for using technology to promote excellence and support transformation throughout their campus, department, and district. The advancements in technology, and its use in our everyday lives, have changed how students communicate and learn. In order to keep students engaged in their own learning, administrators must embrace the new technology innovations to optimize the potential that digital devices and their resources can bring to the educational environment. 

Although all teachers in Castleberry have a professional development plan which includes the infusion of technology, all administrators have not been afforded training opportunities on how to utilize and model the use of technology to transform their campus or department into a 21^st Century digital-age learning environment. The burst in growth of free Web 2.0 applications has provided new ways to improve public relations through two-way communications, receive personalized professional development, brand yourself, increase student engagement, and take advantage of new opportunities by leveraging connections made through the use of technology. Because of this burst, it is an ideal time to train administrators on how to use technology tools to transform their campus or department and become a digital leader.

The format of the training includes face-to-face instruction along with collaborative group time. Electronic resources have been provided through a shared livebinder titled, Branding Yourself as a Digital Leader. This format meets the needs of both the participants and the trainers by providing all resources in one shared online location that can be accessed both during and after the training. The livebinder provides multiple formats of training materials including: Prezi’s, Slideshares, Google Slides, YouTube tutorial videos, links to Web applications, interactive surveys, links to documents, blog posts, scholarly articles, online classroom management tools, embedded interactive and/or collaborative Web applications, and activity rubrics. The selected format provides adequate face-to-face time to introduce concepts, collaborative activities so participants will have time to implement what they have learned, and time to reflect on how to implement and apply what they have learned.

A link to an emaze presentation is available that summarizes the project, the implementation of the project, sample products created during training, and key topics to consider in future training. In addition, videos of several administrators and their testimonials describing what they have learned about branding themselves and how to be a digital leader on their campus are provided in the presentation. As new administrators enter the district each year, they will complete this training on, Branding Yourself as a Digital Leader.   

Reflection on Instructional Design

First, in order to have good instructional design, the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) framework should be implemented. During the analysis stage, the problem preventing the desired outcome or behavior should be identified along with the causes of the problem. The designer can conduct interviews, review existing documentation, or review surveys. In addition, the format of the training and lesson goals and objectives should be established. During the design phase, the learning activities should be determined and aligned with the goals and objectives. How the lesson will be assessed to ensure mastery and consideration of the evaluation process is completed during the design phase. Next, during the development stage, the actual activities of the lesson should be fully created along with the job aid for the client. Then, you are ready to implement your training. Once the training is complete and participants provide feedback, the instructional designer should adjust any areas that were unclear to the learners or repair any technical glitches.  Taking the time to complete this process can help ensure a successful training.

Also, what did I learn from the Evaluation of the product? What would I do differently next time? How much did I learn from the process and evaluation that will make me a better future instructional designer?

I completed this project with a colleague and classmate, Kelli Kelsoe. I believe that it takes longer to develop training when working with a partner; however, the end product was much better than the first instructional design. Each instructional designer brought new innovative ideas to the table for discussion in which the other designer was not aware of. In addition, we were constantly reviewing the product, so mistakes were found quickly and corrected. The project scope was overwhelming once we added the content from two designers into one document and training session. The participants did complain that they needed more time to complete the assignments. The training will be utilized in the district, so the allotted time for each activity has been adjusted along with allowing some “think” time between day one and day two. One item that I had to learn the hard way was concerning the use of a google survey form. I created a 20 question survey, but did not set the permissions so others could not edit the survey. Unfortunately, someone customized the form after the participants utilized it. I was able to collect the data, but I will have to recreate the form again for future use. 

The Texas Library Association Conference 2015

TLA 2015 Conference

The Texas Library Association Conference April 14-17

Last week, I was honored at the Bluebonnet Awards Luncheon and received The Distinguished Library Service Award for School Administrators because of the hard work that the Castleberry ISD teacher-librarians put towards my nomination. I can’t express how privileged I am to have the opportunity to be representing the libraries as an advocate and friend of school libraries. Today, libraries play an important role in our schools and are the learning hubs that bring students, teachers, parents, and experts in our community together to learn.  

Although our libraries are equipped with books, ebooks, digital resources, databases, makerspaces, brainstorming tables, presentation TV’s, Smart Boards, Digital Signage, Cable access, computers, mobile devices, Xboxes, a Wii, a virtual high school library created in Minecraft, and our latest edition, the Castlebucks café, our greatest assets are our Castleberry ISD Teacher-Librarians.

You can build beautiful libraries and have a great vision, but without the right people in place that share your vision, it is impossible to reach your goals! I want to send a special thanks to our CISD Teacher-Librarians for being the best group of librarians the district has ever employed! I look forward to working with you in the years to come.