When reflecting upon the process of completing Assignment Two, I made connections back to Chickering’s article (1996) specifically the principles of reciprocity and cooperation among students and respecting diverse talents and ways of learning. Through the use of Google Hangouts and shared Google Documents, our team was able to learn face-to-face which allowed for the sharing of ideas and responding to others’ thinking. Generally, our conversations allowed us to build upon each other’s knowledge in order to produce a better product. As a team we agreed that a key criteria for an LMS to exceeded expectations was the inclusion of social media applications into the High Priority section of the rubric. This decision was based upon Spiro’s (2014) idea that the integration of social media tools into a LMS promotes stronger learning communities through faster communication and more engaging activities. Tools such as Twitter, blogs, wikis and social networking sites like Instagram when used effectively create strong student engagement.This assignment really brought to the forefront my understanding of how,” good practice respects diverse talents and ways of learning.” Chickering & Ehrmann (1996) While some of my group members were academically and technologically strong, others were better organizers and leaders. Our diverse talents allowed for deeper collaboration and learning. Finally as an educator who strives to provide active learning for my students, I appreciated the necessity of applying the reading material and additional research articles in order to create a valuable assessment tool that met the requirements of the case study, as it created a situation where my ability to synthesize became the focus rather than my recall. It is clear that the use of Chickering and Ehrmann’s Seven Principles as a framework for creating assignments using technology is not just theoretical, but rather a practical design tool for teachers online and in the classroom.
Chickering, A. W., & Ehrmann, S., C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49(2), 3-6. Retrieved from http://www.aahea.org/articles/sevenprinciples.htm
Spiro, K. (2014). 5 elearning trends leading to the end of the Learning Management Systems. Retrieved from http://elearningindustry.com/5-elearning-trends-leading-to-the-end-of-the-learning-management-system