User:Vtaylor/Technology Supported Learning

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Technology Supported Learning - using technology to encourage and facilitate student-centered learning activities

"educational technology is whatever stuff you need to use to support the practice of effective teaching and learning ...adapted and integrated because they were inherently useful ... There isn’t really such a thing as “educational technology” – there is technology, used in the context of teaching and learning. --D'Arcy Norman, Weblog


Technology Supported Learning (TSL) is a professional development workshop for community college faculty. It is offered as an on-campus workshop, and as a facilitated online course, but the materials can be used by faculty for self-directed learning .



TSL introduction

Technology supported learning is more than technology enhanced instruction. It recognizes that learning is supported in many different ways, even if there is no formal teaching involved. Based on Chickering and Gameson's Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, [1],the Technology Supported Learning (TSL) workshop models participant-centered learning. You decide what you want to learn and how. The learning outline guides you through the practices, open educational resources (WikiEducator and Moodle), suggested reading and activities - blogs, discussions, email, and collaborative writing projects. You are the self-directed online learner and we are here to support you on your journey of discovery.

The workshop follows the Connectivism model explained in this animation. Your participation is directed by question prompts, for maximum flexibility to meet your needs within your time constraints. We focus as much on learning processes as on content. Effective education requires more than skills training. It involves challenging attitudes, values and beliefs and assisting learners to adapt to change. Reflect upon what it means to learn with and from technology, as well as how your students utilize, learn and engage with technology.


Activities - for each of the Seven Principles there are

  • overview notes
  • discussion topics - Explore, Learn and Apply - discussion prompt questions and other posts
  • technologies that support each principle - test-drive, develop learning activities for your own course, describe your experience
  • collaboration


Audience

Faculty, instruction designers, teachers, facilitators, tutors, mentors


Estimated time to complete

For each topic, reading notes, participating in discussions, completing the technology exploration activities should take about 2-4 hours. Total time is flexible but most participants should plan to spend 15-20 hours completing all of the activities outlined in the TSL workshop.

Just want an overview? Review the lesson outline, post to your own blog and comment in the discussion forums. Doing all the suggested activities is optional but great learning experience if your time permits.


.. For additional setup information for Technology Supported Learning (TSL) as self-directed learning, click here. . Also see Overview and About this workshop


Resources

  • TSL Resources - articles, blogs, newsletters, open educational resources (OER), podcasts


Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

In 1987 Chickering & Gamson published the now famous Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. These principles are based on the perspective that the goal of a proper undergraduate education should be active, cooperative, and challenging.

  1. encourage student-faculty contact
  2. encourage cooperation among students
  3. encourage active/engaged learning
  4. give prompt feedback
  5. emphasize time on task
  6. communicate high expectations
  7. respect diverse talents and ways of learning

Learn by doing. Participate in the discussions and work through the activities outlined. For the Technology Supported Learning (TSL) workshop, each module addresses one of the seven principles and the good practices that support it.


Learning outcomes

  • participate in several forms of technology supported learning
  • discuss applicability of functions to traditional expectations for technology in teaching and learning and identify differences
  • suggest new learning activities


Overview

First we will look at the Seven Principles. Taken together they for the basis for learning about teaching, learning and technology ...Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education


Explore

  • What are some characteristics of your teaching style that are important to you and your students?
  • What learning activities bring out the best in your students?
  • What impact is technology having on you and your students?


Learn

  • Reading - Seven Principles
  • The Seven Principles were written in 1987. Instructional Immediacy and the Seven Principles: Strategies for Facilitating Online Courses was written in 2003. Why are they still relevant today?
  • Has technology changed the interpretation of some of these Principles?
  • Have students and their expectations changed since the Principles were written?


Apply

  • What challenges does today's higher education environment place on faculty and students?
  • What does "learning" mean to you? What happens in a successful learning situation? Make sure to note what constitutes "learning" or "mastery" in your discipline based on the ideas in Getting Started on Your Teaching Philosophy

Now we will look at the Seven Principles individually...


1. Encourage student-faculty contact

The first principle, Student-Faculty Contact is characterized by instructional tools where the instructor is in charge of the interaction with students. Students interact directly with the instructor for questions, comments and evaluations. The instructor may interact with students as a group in a lecture hall, classroom or online lecture (one-to-many) or individually (one-to-one).

Technology functions available to support student-faculty contact include discussions, assignments, quizzes, and course resources.


Learning outcomes

  • participate in several forms of technology enhanced student-faculty contact
  • discuss applicability of functions to traditional expectations for student-faculty contact and identify differences
  • suggest new learning activities


Overview

There are many simple technology tools available to enhance Student-Faculty Contact. This is one area where small changes can make significant improvements in student learning and retention. ... 1. Encourage student-faculty contact


Explore

  • Are you ready for self-directed online learning? What Makes a Successful Online Student? Are you enhancing your on-campus course or developing a fully online course? Have you had an opportunity to see the student side of online learning first-hand?
  • Introductions and expectations (Explore) - What is your experience with enhancing instruction with technology? What are your expectations for developing and enhancing your own teaching with technology? What would you like us to know about you and your participation in this learning adventure?
  • Can you find your way around the course resources, activities and navigation? Click on any links that sound interesting. Keep a list of links that you follow. Was this what you expected? Is there enough information provided so understand what is going on? Do you know where to start? Can you get back to the main page? What instructions, guidelines and information do students need? Is the technology that is readily available within this workshop presentation clear?
  • What are the learning outcomes for your course as stated in your syllabus and course outline? Is it helpful to map the technologies covered here to support students learning your course content? Are there specific outcomes that you want to support with technology?


Learn

  • Student contact technologies - Is this your first encounter with an online course as a student / participant? Are you able to participate in all forms of student-faculty contact activities in this module - discussion, assignment, quiz? What is applicability of these functions to traditional expectations for student-faculty contact. What are some differences? Are these new learning activities?
  • Learn more about the Seven Principles. Search the web for articles, papers or resources that discuss the Seven Principles. How they can be applied to technology enhanced learning or distance learning? Add a link to a site along with your summary.
  • Have you considered blogging? Do you know what blogging is?


Apply

  • How would the technologies outlined in the 1. Encourage student-faculty contact notes be applied to your own course? Suggest ways that you could incorporate these tools into your teaching.
  • Resources, assignments, quizzes - Demo one of functions or tools that looks interesting. Can you use this in your teaching? Does this technology support your learning outcomes?
  • Effectiveness measures - How are you grading activities with these learning outcomes now? How would you assess the impact of feedback from instructor for students? How do you structure your allocation of points? Do you include high-stakes tests? What is the distribution of points by topic? How could the technology enhance student-faculty contact?
  • How are you doing? Review the criteria for this Principle in the Course Evaluation Checklist. Any new insights or applications to share?


2. Encourage cooperation among students

The next of the Seven Principles is Cooperation Among Students that provides students with the opportunity to work together in groups, usually under the direction of the instructor. Discussions, collaborative learning, share writing in a wiki are all examples of technology enhancing cooperation among students.


Learning outcomes

  • participate in activities as students that require cooperation
  • assess the challenges and benefits of technology in student cooperation
  • discuss the role of group projects learning in higher education
  • use choices and surveys for group selection work on group projects, small group discussions, introduction to the wiki for collaborative writing
  • discuss peer review process and applicability


Overview

Students often resist working in groups for fear of having their grades pulled down by the least effective member of the group. In practice, students working in groups learn more about the content area and are more engaged in the activity than working individually. In the "real world" people rarely work alone. Learning to work collaboratively in an online environment is an important life skill. ... 2. Encourage cooperation among students


Explore

  • What Color is Your Brain? How do you and your students interact with others? Do you include ice-breaker activities? Do they provide useful information for discussions and online collaborations?
  • Groups - What is your experience with group projects in your classes? What is the role of group projects learning in higher education?
  • Group project experience - Have you participated in online group projects? What was your experience (and frustrations) as you participated in activities as students that require cooperation? What are some of the challenges and benefits of technology in student cooperation? Your comments can be based on previous courses - F2F or online, and your participation in this discussion.


Learn

  • Student cooperation forum - How do you incorporate student cooperation in your on-campus class? What are some of the challenges with the current process? Would adding technology change the group dynamics? Do students do their group work entirely in class? If they work outside of class, how do you know what is going on?
  • Do you provide students with a service similar to the De Anza Student Success Center (SSC)? Is this resource being used by your students? Would you recommend this service to your students?


Apply

  • Group project set-up - How would you go about adding a group project to your course? How are your dividing up the class into groups? How do you divide up students in an on-campus class? What tasks are students to perform as a group? What is the final product?
  • Discussions, messages, collaborative learning - Demo another one of functions or tools that looks interesting. Can you use this in your teaching? Does this technology support your learning outcomes? Would this be applicable to your course? How would it fit in with your learning outcomes?
  • Peer reviews - How do you use the peer review process? What is its applicability to student learning? Are there tools available online that will help students perform peer reviews?
  • Will you add a group project to your own course? How will you handle group selection? What is the group projects' "deliverable"?
  • Course development - What are some ways that you could incorporate these tools into your teaching.
  • How are you doing? Review the criteria for this Principle in the Course Evaluation Checklist. Any new insights or applications to share?


3. Encourage active/engaged learning

Ideally, all students are active and engaged learners most of the time. However, the reality is that instructors must work to provide the environment that motivates students to participate in their learning.

Students are comfortable with technology in many forms. Enhancing instruction to tap into the media literacy of students is not difficult, as we shall see. Other strategies for promoting Active/ engaged learning include project based learning, and educational games.


Learning outcomes

  • review strategies for including active and engaged learning in instruction
  • discuss problem-based learning in higher education
  • create an activity that requires new approach to instruction of curriculum content and add activity to own course
  • discuss assessing student performance


Overview

Students who have grown up with technology in education and entertainment expect to engage with their learning. Active learning can take on many forms, and students are quick to adapt - often, more quickly than their instructors. ...3. Encourage active/engaged learning


Explore

  • Need some inspiration and video for your course? TED Talks: Every year, a thousand “thought-leaders, movers and shakers” get together at a four-day conference called TED (which is short for Technology, Entertainment and Design). In this collection, you’ll find various talks presented at the conferences. They usually run about 20 minutes. Attend a virtual lecture. Why is this interesting? Post the link to the session you visit and 2-3 sentences describing the topic and your experience to the Virtual Lectures discussion. Can this be used in class or for personal development.
  • Educational games - Games as educational resources and learning activities? Have you discovered an educational game or article describing them? Do you use games in your instruction? Do you have links to good stories? Do you have good (and not-so-good) experiences including games?


Learn

  • Active and engaging - How can this principle be enhanced using technology? Are there classroom activities that could be adapted for online learning? What attributes contribute to student engagement?


Apply

  • Project based learning, course objectives, outcomes - Which one of the other functions or tools looks interesting? Can you use this in your teaching? Does this technology support your learning objectives? Would this be applicable to your course? How would it fit in with your learning objectives?
  • Graded assignments and quizzes - What are some options for assessing student learning? How are concerns about academic integrity, cheating, outside assistance addressed by the options and settings provided?
  • Measuring student achievement - What are some of the ways that technology is affecting your methods for promoting active participation, engaging students and evaluating student learning? Need some new ideas? Do you have specific questions?
  • What concerns do you have about Privacy and Personal Information as they apply to technology in instruction?
  • How are you doing? Review the criteria for 3. Encourage active/engaged learning in the Course Evaluation Checklist. Any new insights or applications to share?


4. Give prompt feedback

It seems that students have shorter attentions spans than ever, and with some justification. "Generation Instant Gratification" has never had to wait for anything. Although the Seven Principles date back to the late 1970s and 80s the principle of Prompt feedback is as important as ever.

Fortunately, technology provides some relief - Self-grading quizzes, comments and annotated assignments, chat, all allow students to work at their own pace AND receive prompt feedback. This can be a big help in the 24 / 7 world where today's students live, work and learn.


Learning outcomes

  • review issues of plagiarism, intellectual property, cheating
  • investigate tools for assessing student learning
  • complete quizzes and develop quiz questions and quizzes in own course
  • complete assignments with feedback and add activity with feedback to own course
  • discuss appropriate level of control and feedback response for learning being assessed


Overview

Be careful what you wish for - you might get it. Technology enhancements can facilitate providing Prompt feedback. Being instantly available to head-off serious problems is good. However, giving students the opportunity to solve problems themselves, or asking classmates for assistance is essential. ... 4. Give prompt feedback


Explore

  • Technology Enhanced Feedback - Do you include self grading quizzes? How can quizzes be used for active learning? Should students be limited to one attempt at a quiz? How important are personalized notes in assignment grading? Do you have references to articles or sites that describe the use of rubrics for evaluating student work that you can share?


Learn

  • Prompt Feedback - What forms can feedback take that promote learning? What technology can be incorporated to improve prompt response or facilitate extending feedback? What technologies are available to change the process of providing feedback?
  • Academic Honesty - Do you discuss issues of plagiarism, intellectual property, cheating with your students? What impact has technology had on academic honesty in general? Do technology tools for assessing student learning help or hinder?


Apply

  • Adding Feedback - How do you plan to incorporate technology enhancements to provide prompt feedback in your own instruction? To what extent are you planning to have the feedback automated to accommodate student-directed learning?
  • Response - What is an appropriate level of control and feedback response for learning being assessed? Should quiz feedback be a teaching tool?
  • Self-grading quizzes, comments and annotated assignments, chat - Which other Moodle functions or tools look interesting? Did you try any out? Did you have any problems? Can you use this in your teaching? How would it fit in with your learning objectives?
  • How are you doing? Review the criteria for 4. Give prompt feedback in the Course Evaluation Checklist. Any new insights or applications to share?


5. Emphasize time on task

"Time plus energy equals learning. There is no substitute for time on task." -- Arthur W. Chickering and Zelda F. Gamson

Some assignments and course activities produce wonderful learning experiences for students. Some are viewed as drudge work and don't produce the desired results. We think our subjects are important and interesting. Getting students to spend the time can be a challenge.

For promoting student Time on task there are a number of technology-facilitated learning activities. These include web-based research, collaboration and presentation.


Learning outcomes

  • review types of media
  • discuss use of media in course work
  • access media types
  • locate and include media appropriate for own course
  • explore other activity types and suggest suitability - books, workshop, etc.
  • discuss accessibility issues, adaptive and assistive technologies


Overview

Learning takes time. There is no substitute for student learning through Time on Task. However, making the time interesting and rewarding for students can be enhanced dramatically with technology. ... 5. Emphasize time on task


Explore

  • Have you reviewed "media" or Open Educational Resource (OER) - free course content that apply to your course - lectures, instructional materials, audio, images?


Learn

  • Ready-made instruction - Are you using instructional content created by someone else? What do you think about open source resources, including whole courses? MIT, Harvard, Berkeley and Stanford as well as other institutions make lectures available - would you permit your lectures to be available like this? Would you include some of these other materials in your course?
  • Do any of the suggestions posted in the Teaching strategies discussion in the moodle.org Using Moodle Forums apply? Enter the course as a "Guest" or register and be counted as a Moodle user.
    http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=41
    Do you have any questions about these suggestions to determine if something will work for you in the Moodle Teaching strategies discussion?


Apply

  • Enhancing content - What are your expectations for student time on task with the additional media or open educational resources? What does this material bring to your course? How do you think students will use the information? Are you requiring students to use the material? How will you determine the effectiveness of this addition? ...This is the "what" discussion.
  • External content - How could you include content from external sources into your course?
  • Research, collaboration, presentation, wikis - Try one of the functions or tools that looks interesting. What was your experience? Will this promote time on task for your learners?
  • How are you doing? Review the criteria for 5. Emphasize time on task in the Course Evaluation Checklist. Any new insights or applications to share?


6. Communicate high expectations

Setting High expectations for students lets them know that this important and interesting. Being clear about what you are asking them to do directs their actions. Students coming to higher education at a community college vary enormously in background, recent academic experience and motivation for learning the subject. Expectations can be presented and reinforced through evaluation, communication, and modeling.


Learning outcomes

  • review communication tools
  • understand grading options and displays
  • review tracking features
  • discuss student expectations and instructor's role in setting course expectations
  • participate in communication activities - asynchronous and real-time
  • explore grading options and settings in own course
  • discuss evaluating student participation and performance


Overview

You have the power. Students are sophisticated consumers of tech-based presentation. If your course looks technically proficient and professional, then your students are more willing to accept your high expectations of them. ... 6. Communicate high expectations


Explore


Learn

  • Setting expectations - Are there differences in students' learning needs - transfer, career enhancement, lifelong learners? How do you set and communicate your expectations to students? Are you considering offering your course as a "hybrid" or fully online? How will that affect your expectations for students learning?
  • Student expectations - What are student expectations about you and your course? Are you the "sage on the stage" or the "guide on the side" for your course, or something completely different? To what extent is your presence expected/required? Should students expect to "see" a lot of the instructor? Are there situations where instructor presence can negatively impact student-student cooperation?
  • How does the rubric Assessing Teacher Technology Projects compare with your course? What is your progress compared with the rubric? Is this Technology rubric applicable? Do you see some areas where you might rework the technology enhancements in your own course?


Apply

  • Evaluation, communication, modeling - Are there Moodle functions or tools that could apply to setting high expectations? How would it fit in with your learning objectives?
  • Tracking participation - How do tracking activity and rating student discussion posts support setting high expectations? Do these features help you assess if your expectations for student participation are being met?
  • I think... forum - What are students' expectations of higher education? What role does technology-supported learning play in meeting their expectations?
  • How are you doing? Review the criteria for 6. Communicate high expectations in the Course Evaluation Checklist. Any new insights or applications to share?


7. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning

The seventh and final principle concerns Diverse talents and ways of learning. Learning styles, modality, cultural influence all play significant roles in the differences in students within a class.


Learning outcomes

  • review learning styles, learning modality, cultural differences
  • discuss impact of technology and learning styles
  • plan and add activities to own course to address learning modality differences
  • discuss implications for student / instructor learning style differences


Overview

One of the most exciting aspects of technology enhanced instruction is the ability to provide learning experiences that acknowledge and encourage this diversity, in ways that are not practical, or even possible, in traditional classroom teaching. ... 7. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning


Explore

  • Accessibility issues - What are required accommodations for students with disabilities? What kinds of disabilities do your students have? What accommodations have you had to make?


Learn

  • Diversity of learners - What learning styles, learning modality, cultural differences do students exhibited in your classes? How do you accommodate these differences? Do you offer a choice of assignments? Do you see a connection between the use of technology and learning styles in your students?


Apply

  • Cultural influences - How does culture and diversity influence the course presentation and conduct? Does the asynchronous nature of some technology enhancements, such as discussions, change the culture of the class? Does technology promote freedoms or provide restrictions relating to any or all forms of diversity?
  • Online collaborative writing experience - Do you include activities where everyone contributes to the wiki? Have you tried collaborative writing yourself? Throughout this workshop, we have talked a lot about technology and learning. Are there specific examples either from your own practice or ideas based on the workshop materials where student retention is improved through application of technology? Add your thoughts and suggestions to the Wiki page - Collaboration.
  • Whose learning style? - What are the implications for student / instructor learning style differences. How does the learning style of the instructor affect how the course is conducted? Does the subject dictate the primary presentation style?
  • How are you doing? Review the criteria for 7. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning in the Course Evaluation Checklist. Any new insights or applications to share?


Summary and Reflection

This covers a lot of material that can be used in many ways within conventional classroom teaching as well as in hybrid, blended or fully online learning.

  • Reviewing your course against the entire Course Evaluation Checklist, how are you doing? Are there specific areas that will help your students engage in your course content? Are there specific actions that you can take that will contribute to supporting learning and retention?
  • Looking back at your introduction and expectations, how would you summarize your learning experience? What were your expectations when you started this course? Have your expectations been met? What one thing could YOU have done differently that you would have benefited from?


Literacy Rubric

Assessing "literacy" associated with the Technology Supported Learning workshop


Introduction - overview, media, communication, web based research

  • log into an online course, navigate through resources, activities
  • participate in online discussion, real-time chat, meeting
  • complete activities requiring direct input, selection
  • upload text and image files
  • view streaming video
  • listen to podcast audio - streaming, download mp3
  • use web resources for researching topic


Basics - assignments, quizzes, grades, presentation

  • create an assignment
  • input quiz questions and assemble into quiz
  • publish lecture notes
  • populate grades for student viewing
  • discuss pedagogy, learning outcomes for learning activity types
  • demonstrate activity displays


Teaching and Learning - course management, administration, evaluation

  • facilitate online discussions
  • implement assessment technologies appropriate to learning outcomes
  • discuss technology support for learning styles, accessibility issues
  • demonstrate technology options to personalize instructor "presence"


21st century Information Literacy Project

Digital Information Fluency (DIF) is the ability to find, evaluate and use digital information effectively, efficiently and ethically. DIF involves knowing how digital information is different from print information; having the skills to use specialized tools for finding digital information; and developing the dispositions needed in the digital information environment. http://21cif.imsa.edu/

Tutorials - MicroModules are self-paced, on-demand learning experiences each tailored to a specific topic. They are designed as 10-15 minute tutorials. Many MicroModules contain audio and/or video segments to communicate key concepts. http://21cif.imsa.edu/tutorials/micro


Learn more...

... see Resources for Technology Supported Learning - collection of references and tools


  • Students say... - feedback from students who participated in fully online lower division college courses


This page has been accessed 2010.8.10 3,708. 2011.2.11 4,712. 2011.5.16 5,349. 2012.5.09 7,447. 2014.3.3 12,638.

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