IU IST P540

The linked article, Discovering the Meaning of Community in an Online Master's Degree Program, examines an online learning community from the perspective of adult learners in an online master's degree program in instructional design and technology (sound familiar?) at California State University - Fullerton. The paper was prepared by several instructors in the program and summarizes a survey of students conducted by the university. The purpose of the survey was to evaluate online learning community development within the program.

The authors conclude that an online learning community creates "foundations for transformative learning." Further, they cite prior findings that, "strong feelings of community increase the flow of information among all learners, the availability of support, commitment to group goals, cooperation among members and satisfaction with group efforts". The authors report that the following program characteristics assist in online learning community development:

Online Collaboration and Knowledge Construction

The linked paper is authored by members of the Florida State University Instructional Systems Program and published in Educational Technology & Society. It is an excellent evaluation of the effectiveness of computers in an online learning environment to "function as cognitive tools . . . that extend student's capacity to learn and create knowledge." Their observation is that current course management systems largely fall short of this goal. They propose improved design to address (1) social structure (shared context) and (2) collaboration (knowledge construction) in an online learning environment.

Teaching and Learning: Media Accumulation and Review

The linked article (Web 2.0: A new wave of innovation for teaching and learning) by Bryan Alexander, Director of Research at the National Institute for Technology, was published in the March / April 2006 Educause Review. It is a comprehensive media accumulation and review of "Web 2.0" technologies for use in teaching and learning settings -- see also my prior media accumulation post regarding Feedback and Collaboration tools.

Knowledge Transfer: Boomer Brain Drain?

The linked article appeared in T + D Magazine and addresses the issue of transferring the knowledge and skills of one generation of workers to the next as the Baby Boomer generation nears retirement. The article highlights the demographic issues that are causing what the author views as a Baby Boom Brain Drain. By 2010, the number of 55 to 64 year olds (those retiring out of senior level positions) is expected to grow by 52 percent, while the number of 35 to 44 year olds (those moving into senior level positions) is expected to decline by 10 percent. Companies are reacting to this anticipated dramatic loss of experienced workers (and the corporate knowledge they posses) by finding ways to facilitate "intergenerational learning". Suggested practices to transfer the knowledge and expertise of senior employees to the next generation of workers include:

Utilizing retirees (or soon to be retirees) as trainers and coaches,
Embracing communities of practice and other informal networks to generate ideas, to accelerate communication and to solve problems,

Adult Learning Strategies

Jackie Dobrovolny presents a model for adult learning in Learning Strategies, an October 2003 article in Learning Circuits. Dobrovolny highlights how adult learners use 5 key learning strategies (outlined below) and how instructional design can support these key adult learning strategies.

Learning Strategies:

Communities of Practice

Choi, M. Communities of practice: an alternative learning model for knowledge creation. British Journal of Educational Technology v. 37 no. 1 (January 2006) p. 143-6

The highlighted article (available via this link with an IU network ID and password) discusses the use of "communities of practice" (CoP) as a learning model for corporate training. The author refers to a CoP as a group connected by "shared competence" and "mutual interest" where experience and knowledge is shared (and created) among team members versus conveyed by an instructor. The author asserts that a CoP is an effective way to not only convey knowledge, but to also produce creative and valuable knowledge that is relevant to the employees and the company.

Motivating Adult Learners

I came across an interesting article about motivating adult learners. It highlights some key characteristics of adult learners and how course design should contemplate their learning styles. While much of what is presented could be considered "common sense", it does do a good job of providing an overview of the unique characteristics of an adult learner, along with strategies to accommodate their learning and motivational needs.

Job Aid for Online Learning

In a 2004 Sloan-C report created by Karen Swan, Kent State University and the Sloan-C Editor for Effective Practices in Learning Effectiveness, Relationships Between Interactions and Learning In Online Environments provides an overview of research "about interaction online and its implications for practitioners". The report (effectively a job aid for those who teach or design in an online learning environment), highlights research findings regarding learner interaction in an online learning environment and the corresponding implications for those responsible for creating and managing it. Some examples include:

Interaction with Content:

Be a good girl, have a good time and learn a lot

Linked here is an Educause article entitled "Engage Me or Enrage Me". Lately, I have been drawn to reading articles like this about educating the so-called "Net Generation". Like others, this article makes a case that we need to edu-tain these students. The main premise of these articles is that education (in this era of the Xbox and the iPod) needs a complete overhaul in order to engage students so that they are no longer "bored" with school. In this article, the author states that there is a group of student who are "...convinced that school is totally devoid of interest and totally irrelevant to their life. In fact, they find school much less interesting than the myriad of devices they carry in their pockets’ and backpacks. These kids are used to having anyone who asks for their attention . . . work really hard to earn it. When what is being offered isn't engaging, these students truly resent their time being wasted . . . The motto for this group? 'Engage me or enrage me'."

Educating the Net Generation

There has been a lot of press lately about the Net Generation. Educause published a series of articles on Educating the Net Generation. I began reading the series with an article from a student's perspective.

Unfortunately, after reading the article, I do not have a clear understanding of the problem nor the author's suggestions for a solution. While I do believe that teachers have a responsibility to find every way possible to reach and engage students, I feel this article puts to much emphasis on how education needs to change in order to accommodate a student’s short attention span (a problem that is in no way the sole domain of the Net Generation).

Feedback and Collaboration Tools

For the past several months, I have accumulated links and trial software relating to various types of collaboration tools (some desktop applications, some Web based). This week, I had the opportunity to gather my thoughts on these wonderful new technologies. I documented my observations in a media accumulation and review "reflection paper" that assesses how a teacher in an online or distance education setting could use some of these collaboration technologies as a means of providing teacher feedback.