This class has been so informative for me. I feel I have learned so much, and, in the process, would be able to explain these technologies to others.
Many times during this class, I was forced to get outside my comfort zone and try something new, delve into some new technology – and I succeeded (for the most part, ha!). It was a pleasure to learn these new skills and know that I will be able to apply them to my personal and professional life.
I think one of the most useful skills I picked up was with Screen Castle. This will come in handy so much with the online classes I teach. It’s so much easier showing the students on the screen where to find the material than giving them written directions. I cannot wait to use this or Diigo, for that matter. The more I consider Diigo, the more I love it and see its great potential for educational purposes.
And, of course, there is Second Life. It was the assignment that was too fun to actually be work – it was play time! Second Life, especially after reading the chapters in the book, really opened my eyes as to what technology is progressing toward. We live in such a global community, and Second Life really puts that into perspective.
I can’t wait until the fall quarter starts and I can begin implementing some of these technologies in class. I think my students will actually enjoy class more with the hands-on projects. Not only that, but they’ll be expanding their knowledge while having fun at the same time. These IT classes I’ve taken this quarter often have not seemed like work – they’re too interesting to be work.
Mass media is moving more with technology, and it’s important for journalism/mass communication educators to keep up with the new technologies. I’ve already showed my colleagues many of the projects we’ve done in this IT class (and the others I’m taking), and they’re very excited to learn the skills as well.
I am grateful I chose to minor in IT. This was a wonderful decision, and I’m looking forward to taking many more IT courses within the next year. I have benefited so much from learning these new technologies, and I feel that I will be a better educator because of it. Not only that, but I know I’ll continue to use many of these technologies in my personal life, too.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Assignment 7 – Second Life
I had my doubts about Second Life’s potentials at first, but once I had my meeting with Dr. Mark and Jenn, I realized just a fraction, I’m sure, of Second Life’s abilities. Then, when Drs. Yuen and Mark started discussing the possibilities of online conferences, I suddenly realized how incredibly amazing Second Life is.
The assignment for Second Life was to become accustomed to our avatars, attend class meetings online when needed, and give a presentation on Thursday, July 22.
All in all, I love Second Life. I’ve showed it to my coworkers and explained the potentials it has.
You want to attend class somewhere where you couldn’t travel? Have class in Second Life.
You want to attend (or even create!) a conference, but there’s no money in the travel budget? Have a conference in Second Life.
We’re just tapping the tip here, too, but I am just stunned with everything that Second Life offers. It’s not just listening to a lecture – you actually see a person’s avatar, and, through that avatar, you get a sense of what that person is like. What do they draw inspiration from, are they creative, are they serious, are they silly?
I’m not sure if I’ll use Second Life in my class this next year. I feel that I need to become more accustomed to what Second Life offers, but I did get very excited with Dr. Mark suggested the possibility of an international conference this fall via Second Life. Like the title of this class, this is an emerging technology, one that can easily benefit academia. Everything I mention seems to revolve around money, but that’s such a huge burden for universities right now. As I work at a university and attend an out-of-state university, as well, perhaps that’s why I’m so quick to see where money can be saved.
In all, I thought Second Life was a fantastic aspect to this class. Not only is it fascinating, but it’s just downright fun. Madelon made a comment on one of her blogs about how Second Life could become addicting, and I wholeheartedly agree. I spent a lot of time on there without even realizing where the hours had gone.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Discussion 7
Discussion 7 is due July 19. We had the option of choosing to discuss Chapter 12 or 14, and I chose Chapter 14.
Chapter 14 Summary
More and more individuals are seeking higher educational skills, and it is recognized that Americans need more education to compete in a global marketplace. This chapter discussed the need for digital-based gaming educational tools in relation to various theories.
With the constructivist theory, students construct their own learning and take an active role in their education. Incorporating technology into education is complementary to this approach. It also allows for flexible and interdisciplinary learning in the online environment.
The online communities in which students participate must have an authentic content, and, while online game-based learning can be beneficial, teachers must recognize that students may have difficulty at first as they understand the skills. However, the benefits outweigh the negatives as students will have the ability to learn and adapt in real world techniques as well as other similar online classroom environments.
Before 3-D virtual world, educators looked at MUDs – Multi-User Dungeons. In MUDs, students were responsible for people other than their classmates, which made them more willing to work out difficulties with other players. Also, MUDs used text for communication, which enhanced writing skills. However, MUDs did not last long, and now educators seek graphical virtual environments for educational success.
The digital game-based theory states that students who are more experiential in learning provide finding answers through interaction with others, which digital games offer. Digital gaming is more informal, and the roles of students and teachers vary. The lines that separate massively multiplayer online games – MMOGs – and virtual worlds are blurred. Individuals who participate in virtual worlds discover that playing is not isolated; the picture of young boys playing in their parents’ basement no longer applies. Virtual worlds are now vibrant simulated environments where users communicate with each other, as with Second Life. Some of the differences between MMOGs and Second Life are as follows: There is competition in MMOGs but a lack of creativity, but the opposite is in Second Life. In Second Life, participants can text chat, instant message, or verbally converse with other people. Second Life, like other virtual worlds, also allows individuals to be anyone they want to be.
However, not everyone enjoys learning through virtual worlds, as it takes some time to adjust to. Also, sometimes students violate Terms of Service agreements. Other problems with educational functions of virtual worlds include encounters with cyber-bullies and “drive by” shoutings during class. The proliferation of sexual content is also an issue educators must address.
Second Life and other virtual worlds cannot alone foster a healthy and beneficial learning environment. The SECOND LIFE model can assist, which includes: support experimentation, encourage play, construct scaffolded spaces, opt out of lecture and passive approaches, nurture player choices and decision making, design “realistic” environments, lead students toward a sense of space, increase student learning, foster the formation of a learning culture, and enhance technology-focused skills.
Of course, future research is needed, and virtual worlds may not completely replace traditional educational activities. However, incorporating virtual gaming into an educational environment can be beneficial for students’ learning.
How could teachers/educators use the material/information addressed in the chapter to help improve their instruction or professional development?
I think virtual gaming could be very beneficial for online learning. Online classes would be so much more fun and creative if virtual worlds were used. I know I’m already learning a lot with Second Life, and I think having class in our USM symposium site would be so intriguing. Also, I think students can learn a lot about each other through their avatars, which assists with community group-building skills. It also helps that you can actually talk to other people instead of just IM. While IM does help with written skills, I feel that at the master’s/doctoral level, we should be decent writers already.
This is the wave of future education, especially with distance learning – and I’m greatly looking forward to it!
What future trends do you see coming from the topics dealt with in the chapter? In other words, do you think the material/information discussed in the chapter has any relevancy to the future or is it just a passing fad?
I think I’ve mentioned in previous posts as to how the bad economy is contributing to education. We have no funds for conferences; rising tuition is making students tighten their belts, to use a colloquial phrase. I love the idea of having international conferences via virtual worlds and think it’s a brilliant idea. While I thoroughly enjoy traveling to conferences, I see the benefits, especially when budgets are so tight, in having online conferences. I can’t wait until our Second Life presentation next week to get a better handle on how this would take place.
Reference
Stoerger, S. (2010). In Yan g, H. H., & Yuen, S. C. (Eds.), Collective Intelligence and E-Learning 2.0: Implications of Web-Based Communities and Networking (pp. 248-267). Hershey, Pennsylvania: Information Science Reference.
Chapter 14 Summary
More and more individuals are seeking higher educational skills, and it is recognized that Americans need more education to compete in a global marketplace. This chapter discussed the need for digital-based gaming educational tools in relation to various theories.
With the constructivist theory, students construct their own learning and take an active role in their education. Incorporating technology into education is complementary to this approach. It also allows for flexible and interdisciplinary learning in the online environment.
The online communities in which students participate must have an authentic content, and, while online game-based learning can be beneficial, teachers must recognize that students may have difficulty at first as they understand the skills. However, the benefits outweigh the negatives as students will have the ability to learn and adapt in real world techniques as well as other similar online classroom environments.
Before 3-D virtual world, educators looked at MUDs – Multi-User Dungeons. In MUDs, students were responsible for people other than their classmates, which made them more willing to work out difficulties with other players. Also, MUDs used text for communication, which enhanced writing skills. However, MUDs did not last long, and now educators seek graphical virtual environments for educational success.
The digital game-based theory states that students who are more experiential in learning provide finding answers through interaction with others, which digital games offer. Digital gaming is more informal, and the roles of students and teachers vary. The lines that separate massively multiplayer online games – MMOGs – and virtual worlds are blurred. Individuals who participate in virtual worlds discover that playing is not isolated; the picture of young boys playing in their parents’ basement no longer applies. Virtual worlds are now vibrant simulated environments where users communicate with each other, as with Second Life. Some of the differences between MMOGs and Second Life are as follows: There is competition in MMOGs but a lack of creativity, but the opposite is in Second Life. In Second Life, participants can text chat, instant message, or verbally converse with other people. Second Life, like other virtual worlds, also allows individuals to be anyone they want to be.
However, not everyone enjoys learning through virtual worlds, as it takes some time to adjust to. Also, sometimes students violate Terms of Service agreements. Other problems with educational functions of virtual worlds include encounters with cyber-bullies and “drive by” shoutings during class. The proliferation of sexual content is also an issue educators must address.
Second Life and other virtual worlds cannot alone foster a healthy and beneficial learning environment. The SECOND LIFE model can assist, which includes: support experimentation, encourage play, construct scaffolded spaces, opt out of lecture and passive approaches, nurture player choices and decision making, design “realistic” environments, lead students toward a sense of space, increase student learning, foster the formation of a learning culture, and enhance technology-focused skills.
Of course, future research is needed, and virtual worlds may not completely replace traditional educational activities. However, incorporating virtual gaming into an educational environment can be beneficial for students’ learning.
How could teachers/educators use the material/information addressed in the chapter to help improve their instruction or professional development?
I think virtual gaming could be very beneficial for online learning. Online classes would be so much more fun and creative if virtual worlds were used. I know I’m already learning a lot with Second Life, and I think having class in our USM symposium site would be so intriguing. Also, I think students can learn a lot about each other through their avatars, which assists with community group-building skills. It also helps that you can actually talk to other people instead of just IM. While IM does help with written skills, I feel that at the master’s/doctoral level, we should be decent writers already.
This is the wave of future education, especially with distance learning – and I’m greatly looking forward to it!
What future trends do you see coming from the topics dealt with in the chapter? In other words, do you think the material/information discussed in the chapter has any relevancy to the future or is it just a passing fad?
I think I’ve mentioned in previous posts as to how the bad economy is contributing to education. We have no funds for conferences; rising tuition is making students tighten their belts, to use a colloquial phrase. I love the idea of having international conferences via virtual worlds and think it’s a brilliant idea. While I thoroughly enjoy traveling to conferences, I see the benefits, especially when budgets are so tight, in having online conferences. I can’t wait until our Second Life presentation next week to get a better handle on how this would take place.
Reference
Stoerger, S. (2010). In Yan g, H. H., & Yuen, S. C. (Eds.), Collective Intelligence and E-Learning 2.0: Implications of Web-Based Communities and Networking (pp. 248-267). Hershey, Pennsylvania: Information Science Reference.
Assignment 6: VoiceThread
Before July 12, we were required to create a VoiceThread presentation with a minimum of 10 slides, with a title slide and audio for each slide. We then were required to comment on two students' presentations.
My VoiceThread can be found at http://voicethread.com/share/1241202.
VoiceThread was very easy to use, and it did not take me long to figure out what to do. I think, however, that part of the reason it came easily to me is because I've adapted to using new technologies. Yes, every technology is a bit different, but the ones that we've used for this class have been exceptionally user friendly. The only problem I've had with any of the assignments, really, was the ScreenCastle one (in IT 648), and that was because I had trouble transferring the screencast to YouTube for some reason.
I had trouble making my VoiceThread public at first, but I was able to fix that problem soon. I was thankful I was able to write about something that I teach -- sensationalism in the media. The subject made me much more comfortable with the creation of the VoiceThread. I didn't feel as if I had to learn a new technology and new material.
VoiceThread was a great technology for us to use, and it reminded me of audio PowerPoint slides that I do for my classes now. However, this had additional benefits as other individuals could make written or audio comments regarding the presentation. Not only that, but individuals could comment on each slide if he/she wanted, which was really interesting. Not only can you make a comment on the presentation as a whole, but you can put a comment in the exact place where you might have a question or praise.
I liked VoiceThread and saw its uses, but, with some of my students, I feel that learning this technology would hinder them learning the material. They could learn to leave voice or text messages on the presentation, but I think they would rather simply e-mail me questions or comments -- but I've been known to be wrong more than once!
My VoiceThread can be found at http://voicethread.com/share/1241202.
VoiceThread was very easy to use, and it did not take me long to figure out what to do. I think, however, that part of the reason it came easily to me is because I've adapted to using new technologies. Yes, every technology is a bit different, but the ones that we've used for this class have been exceptionally user friendly. The only problem I've had with any of the assignments, really, was the ScreenCastle one (in IT 648), and that was because I had trouble transferring the screencast to YouTube for some reason.
I had trouble making my VoiceThread public at first, but I was able to fix that problem soon. I was thankful I was able to write about something that I teach -- sensationalism in the media. The subject made me much more comfortable with the creation of the VoiceThread. I didn't feel as if I had to learn a new technology and new material.
VoiceThread was a great technology for us to use, and it reminded me of audio PowerPoint slides that I do for my classes now. However, this had additional benefits as other individuals could make written or audio comments regarding the presentation. Not only that, but individuals could comment on each slide if he/she wanted, which was really interesting. Not only can you make a comment on the presentation as a whole, but you can put a comment in the exact place where you might have a question or praise.
I liked VoiceThread and saw its uses, but, with some of my students, I feel that learning this technology would hinder them learning the material. They could learn to leave voice or text messages on the presentation, but I think they would rather simply e-mail me questions or comments -- but I've been known to be wrong more than once!
Discussion 6
Discussion 6 was due July 12, and, while we were assigned to read Chapter 11, our instructions were the same as the other discussions.
My answer
Summary
As the generation coming up loves video games and the video gaming technology continues to evolve and advance, educators have shifted their attention to determine how to harness the gaming tools for constructivist learning. The authors introduced VISOLE, Virtual Interactive Student-Oriented Learning Environment, which is a constructivist approach to game-based learning. VISOLE can assist students with multi-disciplinary knowledge and problem solving skills.
Two background thoughts behind game-based learning are behaviorist game-based learning and constructivist game-based learning. The first is usually associated with drill-and-practice games which have a clear reward structure in order to encourage students to complete the tasks. Usually, the teachers’ involvement is minimal. Constructivist game-based learning includes playing mini-games, which can take anywhere between a few minutes to an hour to complete. One of the games that some scholars are hoping to introduce into high school curriculum is Civilization III, where players lead a civilization from 4000 BC to present day. Other scholars hope to see games which are in an epistemic frame and allow students to play in multiple simulations of various professional careers that they might choose.
The authors cited principles for constructivist learning design, which are: motivation, previous knowledge, contextual and active learning, social activity, and experience. Intrinsic motivation, situated learning, and teacher facilitation are needed for VISOLE to be successful. To get even closer to the heart of the matter, VISOLE has three pedagogical phases: multi-disciplinary scaffolding, game-based situated learning, and reflection and debriefing.
The authors also noted that students need to be motivated intrinsically and be immersed in the game. Interactive gaming with multi-disciplinary facets needs to have real-life situations that allow students to practice, participate, have a community, and identify with other human players or non-player characters. As far as teacher participation goes, the teacher should remove the scaffolds gradually as the students become more adapt at the game. Debriefing, another VISOLE pedagogical phase, should be conducted by the instructor and allow students to participate in meta-cognitive thinking that transforms their gaming experience into their learning experience.
FARMTASIA is one VISOLE design discussed by the authors, which involves multi-disciplinary areas such as geography, biology, and economics. It’s based on real data simulation and simulates how crops and livestock evolve in a near real-world way. FARMTASIA records every student’s movement on the game, and the teachers can review what the students are doing in the game.
How could teachers/educators use the material/information addressed in the chapter to help improve their instruction or professional development?
FARMTASIA strongly reminded me of Facebook’s Farmville. Even the pictures looked similar. Something I hadn’t thought of with Farmville, though, was the idea that it could be used as an educational tool (though, as I’ve never played Farmville before, I’m not sure how adequate its educational value is). I can easily see how this would be beneficial, especially for K-12 students in multi-disciplinary areas. Actually, I can see a Batman-esque game forming where students could gain engineering and science skills by putting gear and equipment together for Batman. I was never a video gamer growing up, but I do see how they can be beneficial for students today.
Did you feel this chapter helped in your understanding of the use of technology in education? Explain why or why not. Did anything confuse you? Did the chapter leave more questions for you?
It broadened my view of video games, but I am wondering how long it would take to put something like FARMTASIA together. I’m sure in a few years companies will be marketing educational video games (they already are, I know, but I mean something similar to FARMTASIA) to all areas of education, but I wonder how or if we would ever be able to specialize a game for classes – or how beneficial they would be for liberal arts, really.
Reference
Jong, M., Shang, J., Lee, F., & Lee, J. (2010). VISOLE: A Constructivist Pedagogical Approach to Game-Based Learning. In Yang, H. H., & Yuen, S. C. (Eds.), Collective Intelligence and E-Learning 2.0: Implications of Web-Based Communities and Networking (pp. 185-206). Hershey, Pennsylvania: Information Science Reference.
My answer
Summary
As the generation coming up loves video games and the video gaming technology continues to evolve and advance, educators have shifted their attention to determine how to harness the gaming tools for constructivist learning. The authors introduced VISOLE, Virtual Interactive Student-Oriented Learning Environment, which is a constructivist approach to game-based learning. VISOLE can assist students with multi-disciplinary knowledge and problem solving skills.
Two background thoughts behind game-based learning are behaviorist game-based learning and constructivist game-based learning. The first is usually associated with drill-and-practice games which have a clear reward structure in order to encourage students to complete the tasks. Usually, the teachers’ involvement is minimal. Constructivist game-based learning includes playing mini-games, which can take anywhere between a few minutes to an hour to complete. One of the games that some scholars are hoping to introduce into high school curriculum is Civilization III, where players lead a civilization from 4000 BC to present day. Other scholars hope to see games which are in an epistemic frame and allow students to play in multiple simulations of various professional careers that they might choose.
The authors cited principles for constructivist learning design, which are: motivation, previous knowledge, contextual and active learning, social activity, and experience. Intrinsic motivation, situated learning, and teacher facilitation are needed for VISOLE to be successful. To get even closer to the heart of the matter, VISOLE has three pedagogical phases: multi-disciplinary scaffolding, game-based situated learning, and reflection and debriefing.
The authors also noted that students need to be motivated intrinsically and be immersed in the game. Interactive gaming with multi-disciplinary facets needs to have real-life situations that allow students to practice, participate, have a community, and identify with other human players or non-player characters. As far as teacher participation goes, the teacher should remove the scaffolds gradually as the students become more adapt at the game. Debriefing, another VISOLE pedagogical phase, should be conducted by the instructor and allow students to participate in meta-cognitive thinking that transforms their gaming experience into their learning experience.
FARMTASIA is one VISOLE design discussed by the authors, which involves multi-disciplinary areas such as geography, biology, and economics. It’s based on real data simulation and simulates how crops and livestock evolve in a near real-world way. FARMTASIA records every student’s movement on the game, and the teachers can review what the students are doing in the game.
How could teachers/educators use the material/information addressed in the chapter to help improve their instruction or professional development?
FARMTASIA strongly reminded me of Facebook’s Farmville. Even the pictures looked similar. Something I hadn’t thought of with Farmville, though, was the idea that it could be used as an educational tool (though, as I’ve never played Farmville before, I’m not sure how adequate its educational value is). I can easily see how this would be beneficial, especially for K-12 students in multi-disciplinary areas. Actually, I can see a Batman-esque game forming where students could gain engineering and science skills by putting gear and equipment together for Batman. I was never a video gamer growing up, but I do see how they can be beneficial for students today.
Did you feel this chapter helped in your understanding of the use of technology in education? Explain why or why not. Did anything confuse you? Did the chapter leave more questions for you?
It broadened my view of video games, but I am wondering how long it would take to put something like FARMTASIA together. I’m sure in a few years companies will be marketing educational video games (they already are, I know, but I mean something similar to FARMTASIA) to all areas of education, but I wonder how or if we would ever be able to specialize a game for classes – or how beneficial they would be for liberal arts, really.
Reference
Jong, M., Shang, J., Lee, F., & Lee, J. (2010). VISOLE: A Constructivist Pedagogical Approach to Game-Based Learning. In Yang, H. H., & Yuen, S. C. (Eds.), Collective Intelligence and E-Learning 2.0: Implications of Web-Based Communities and Networking (pp. 185-206). Hershey, Pennsylvania: Information Science Reference.
Assignment 5: Drop.io
For Assignment 5, we had to create a Drop.io site, insert a file, and then leave a voicemail. Our recording needed to be related to any topic about the course and about 2-5 minutes long. We also were required to listen to two classmates' Drop.io voicemails and leave them audio messages.
My Drop.io site can be found by clicking HERE.
I was anxious about this assignment because a) I had never heard of Drop.io and b) it looked difficult. However, I was completely wrong on the difficulty level. My biggest problem was sounding professional while sitting on my bed making a recording I wanted to sound intellectual. I can talk for a while, and Drop.io allowed me to do so, but I was careful of making sure I didn't go over the five minute limit. I enjoyed browsing some sites with information about Second Life, too, which is what my Drop.io voicemail was about.
I had never heard of Drop.io before and really never considered this technology, but...it's so cool. Just downright cool. We use blackboard for teaching (and learning), and I got to thinking how much more interactive it would be if, instead of blackboard, we used Drop.io. It's not much different from blackboard other than it's more interactive. The voicemails left by other students are like the written threads students leave now. The only negative I see right now in using this for my journalism classes is that I enjoy having the students write. They need to write to be able to communicate better. HOWEVER, I do feel that some students need to learn how to communicate orally, too -- and I'm one of them. I have a lot of "ums" and stutters in my speech, but Drop.io helped me be aware to slow down my speech and consider what I was going to say next. It also helped that I had time beforehand to think about what to say and was highly interested in the subject. At any rate, I'm very excited to use Drop.io in future classes that I teach. I'm thinking this could be beneficial for online classes as well as traditional classes for extra involvement.
My Drop.io site can be found by clicking HERE.
I was anxious about this assignment because a) I had never heard of Drop.io and b) it looked difficult. However, I was completely wrong on the difficulty level. My biggest problem was sounding professional while sitting on my bed making a recording I wanted to sound intellectual. I can talk for a while, and Drop.io allowed me to do so, but I was careful of making sure I didn't go over the five minute limit. I enjoyed browsing some sites with information about Second Life, too, which is what my Drop.io voicemail was about.
I had never heard of Drop.io before and really never considered this technology, but...it's so cool. Just downright cool. We use blackboard for teaching (and learning), and I got to thinking how much more interactive it would be if, instead of blackboard, we used Drop.io. It's not much different from blackboard other than it's more interactive. The voicemails left by other students are like the written threads students leave now. The only negative I see right now in using this for my journalism classes is that I enjoy having the students write. They need to write to be able to communicate better. HOWEVER, I do feel that some students need to learn how to communicate orally, too -- and I'm one of them. I have a lot of "ums" and stutters in my speech, but Drop.io helped me be aware to slow down my speech and consider what I was going to say next. It also helped that I had time beforehand to think about what to say and was highly interested in the subject. At any rate, I'm very excited to use Drop.io in future classes that I teach. I'm thinking this could be beneficial for online classes as well as traditional classes for extra involvement.
Discussion 5
Discussion 5 was due July 5, and we received the following instructions:
1. Description/summary of main ideas in chapter 5. (* Required component)
2. Select two of the following for discussion:
A. Discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the chapter
B. How could teachers/educators use the material/information addressed in the chapter to help improve their instruction or professional development?
C. What future trends do you see coming from the topics dealt with in the chapter? In other words, do you think the material/information discussed in the chapter has any relevancy to the future or is it just a passing fad?
D. What you learned from reading this chapter? If the article did not reveal any new information, explain what you already know about the topic and how you gained that knowledge (e.g., experience, word-of-mouth, research).
E. Did you feel this chapter helped in your understanding of the use of technology in education? Explain why or why not. Did anything confuse you? Did the chapter leave more questions for you?
My answer
Summary
An online classroom environment is becoming more than a synchronous place; it’s growing into an area with multiple communication channels that can be used as primary communication modes or supporting communication modes. In the traditional positivist learning environment, the thought is that primary instruction takes place between teachers and students. However, with constructivist learning environments, primary learning may occur between students and other students. The potential benefits of learning online can occur with an exchange of information that occurs synchronously with but is still physically separate from a primary communication node, which is called ancillary communication.
While we are in the first stages of Web 2.0 in education, we have already determined that the content needs to be centered on user generation. Students are no longer just consumers of information, but they are becoming producers of information as well. Another definition to note that goes hand in hand with this idea is constructionsim: the idea that students learn by building something in a public context. The teacher, in other words, has become more of a facilitator, and the students create the concepts discussed. Web 2.0 is also seeing changes in a desire for real-time interaction, shown by social media sites such as Twitter, AIM, Yahoo IM, and more.
The online class the researchers of this chapter studied showed that the tools they gave the students were not technically difficult to use, but the students had problems interpreting how to use them effectively and why they should use them in the first place. Another problem was that, while people understood the new technologies, making sense of multiple new technologies quickly became confusing.
The book's authors suggest that ancillary communication occurs frequently in classes. Through learner-instructor interactions, students work directly with the instructor. However, these interactions are less common in eLearning environments, and there is a greater prevalence of stand-alone instruction. In SOLEs (Synchronous Online Learning Environments), the authors noticed four sub-categories of learner-instructor interaction:
1. The instructor communicates with the whole class simultaneously through audio and visual channels.
2. The instructor communicates with the whole class through the chat window.
3. The instructor communicates with an individual student or a small group of students privately in the chat window.
4. The instructor communicates with the class as a whole via the chat window but does so as a private communication.
The key point is, however, that it is not the medium itself that affects learning outcomes: it is how it is used. Ancillary Communication, while difficult sometimes to implement, is a better way to harness new skills. The researchers also noted how ancillary communication can be used:
* through community building and shared experiences
* through shared work spaces
* through chat window summaries
* through chats which provide people the ability to comment, joke, and increase the collegiality of the class
* through the ability of students to manifest their cognitive processes instantly
There are many methods to employ ancillary communication, and the authors listed eight that they used in their own work: agree/disagree, elaboration, diverge, scaffolding, reiterate, emphasis, show relevance of, and social engineering. With rapid growth of thee new technologies, it is clear that Internet users and the face of Web 2.0 is moving toward instant communication.
What future trends do you see coming from the topics dealt with in the chapter? In other words, do you think the material/information discussed in the chapter has any relevancy to the future or is it just a passing fad?
This is definitely not just a passing fad. I see more classes that not only use instant messaging but also use something similar to skype. Yesterday, in fact, I had a student tell me he sent text messages to phones via Yahoo Text. How cool is that? I didn’t even know that existed!
Back to the point, though, while people are more prone to want instant chat, I do think that soon we’ll have classrooms where the teacher is seen via a webcam and perhaps students, too, will be seen with a webcam, and they all will be able to talk at the same time. Second Life isn’t really different from that, and I could see classes being held through Second Life.
Did you feel this chapter helped in your understanding of the use of technology in education? Explain why or why not. Did anything confuse you? Did the chapter leave more questions for you?
I’m still comprehending ancillary communication, honestly. I’m not sure why I’m having trouble understanding that; I’m sure it’s just something that needs to click in my brain. Other than that, I was really excited with this chapter with the potential future of eLearning.
Reference
Jones, M. & Harmon, S. (2010). Instructional Strategies for Teaching in Synchronous Online Learning Environments (SOLE). In Yang, H. H., & Yuen, S. C. (Eds.), Collective Intelligence and E-Learning 2.0: Implications of Web-Based Communities and Networking (pp. 78-93). Hershey, Pennsylvania: Information Science Reference.
1. Description/summary of main ideas in chapter 5. (* Required component)
2. Select two of the following for discussion:
A. Discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the chapter
B. How could teachers/educators use the material/information addressed in the chapter to help improve their instruction or professional development?
C. What future trends do you see coming from the topics dealt with in the chapter? In other words, do you think the material/information discussed in the chapter has any relevancy to the future or is it just a passing fad?
D. What you learned from reading this chapter? If the article did not reveal any new information, explain what you already know about the topic and how you gained that knowledge (e.g., experience, word-of-mouth, research).
E. Did you feel this chapter helped in your understanding of the use of technology in education? Explain why or why not. Did anything confuse you? Did the chapter leave more questions for you?
My answer
Summary
An online classroom environment is becoming more than a synchronous place; it’s growing into an area with multiple communication channels that can be used as primary communication modes or supporting communication modes. In the traditional positivist learning environment, the thought is that primary instruction takes place between teachers and students. However, with constructivist learning environments, primary learning may occur between students and other students. The potential benefits of learning online can occur with an exchange of information that occurs synchronously with but is still physically separate from a primary communication node, which is called ancillary communication.
While we are in the first stages of Web 2.0 in education, we have already determined that the content needs to be centered on user generation. Students are no longer just consumers of information, but they are becoming producers of information as well. Another definition to note that goes hand in hand with this idea is constructionsim: the idea that students learn by building something in a public context. The teacher, in other words, has become more of a facilitator, and the students create the concepts discussed. Web 2.0 is also seeing changes in a desire for real-time interaction, shown by social media sites such as Twitter, AIM, Yahoo IM, and more.
The online class the researchers of this chapter studied showed that the tools they gave the students were not technically difficult to use, but the students had problems interpreting how to use them effectively and why they should use them in the first place. Another problem was that, while people understood the new technologies, making sense of multiple new technologies quickly became confusing.
The book's authors suggest that ancillary communication occurs frequently in classes. Through learner-instructor interactions, students work directly with the instructor. However, these interactions are less common in eLearning environments, and there is a greater prevalence of stand-alone instruction. In SOLEs (Synchronous Online Learning Environments), the authors noticed four sub-categories of learner-instructor interaction:
1. The instructor communicates with the whole class simultaneously through audio and visual channels.
2. The instructor communicates with the whole class through the chat window.
3. The instructor communicates with an individual student or a small group of students privately in the chat window.
4. The instructor communicates with the class as a whole via the chat window but does so as a private communication.
The key point is, however, that it is not the medium itself that affects learning outcomes: it is how it is used. Ancillary Communication, while difficult sometimes to implement, is a better way to harness new skills. The researchers also noted how ancillary communication can be used:
* through community building and shared experiences
* through shared work spaces
* through chat window summaries
* through chats which provide people the ability to comment, joke, and increase the collegiality of the class
* through the ability of students to manifest their cognitive processes instantly
There are many methods to employ ancillary communication, and the authors listed eight that they used in their own work: agree/disagree, elaboration, diverge, scaffolding, reiterate, emphasis, show relevance of, and social engineering. With rapid growth of thee new technologies, it is clear that Internet users and the face of Web 2.0 is moving toward instant communication.
What future trends do you see coming from the topics dealt with in the chapter? In other words, do you think the material/information discussed in the chapter has any relevancy to the future or is it just a passing fad?
This is definitely not just a passing fad. I see more classes that not only use instant messaging but also use something similar to skype. Yesterday, in fact, I had a student tell me he sent text messages to phones via Yahoo Text. How cool is that? I didn’t even know that existed!
Back to the point, though, while people are more prone to want instant chat, I do think that soon we’ll have classrooms where the teacher is seen via a webcam and perhaps students, too, will be seen with a webcam, and they all will be able to talk at the same time. Second Life isn’t really different from that, and I could see classes being held through Second Life.
Did you feel this chapter helped in your understanding of the use of technology in education? Explain why or why not. Did anything confuse you? Did the chapter leave more questions for you?
I’m still comprehending ancillary communication, honestly. I’m not sure why I’m having trouble understanding that; I’m sure it’s just something that needs to click in my brain. Other than that, I was really excited with this chapter with the potential future of eLearning.
Reference
Jones, M. & Harmon, S. (2010). Instructional Strategies for Teaching in Synchronous Online Learning Environments (SOLE). In Yang, H. H., & Yuen, S. C. (Eds.), Collective Intelligence and E-Learning 2.0: Implications of Web-Based Communities and Networking (pp. 78-93). Hershey, Pennsylvania: Information Science Reference.
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