Month: September 2010

I had no idea synchronous communication tools were so . . . synchronous!

While I was typing a response to a comment, three other comments would pop up.  And those comments are in response to . . . what?  For my brain, it was a bit like listening to four radios playing different stations.  Less like a conversation, and more like everyone talking at once.  My first chat!

When I first started teaching online, I had some concerns about communicating using text in asynchronous discussion boards.  I was afraid that conversation would be diminished because it would lack the non-verbal cues that we rely on so much.  I thought that the time-delay would mean that a discussion would lose the energy it gets from immediate responses.   Since I’ve had more experience – both as teacher and student – I’ve come to appreciate threaded asynchronous discussions for promoting thoughtful exchange within the class.

I’m aware, though, that my students are more accustomed to synchronous communication (chat).  My experience has been very limited – I’ve had chat rooms in my courses that students could use for group work, and I’ve chatted with one student at a time to clear up questions about the course.  I have found that my students have not made a lot of use of the chat room – they seem to have even more problems than we do, trying to be online at the same time! 

Thank you to our group!  Last night’s chat session, besides being very productive and helping to propel our work, was my first real experience with synchronous communication.  It gave me so much to think about.  Chat really isn’t about thoughtful exchange – it’s more about making decisions as a group.

There is a skill to using these communication tools – both as a teacher and as a student.  As a teacher, or course designer, we have to be aware of the strengths of each form of communication.  We have to know what we want to accomplish, and choose the appropriate tool.  Students need to know how to use the tools – the type of response that works in a chat doesn’t work on an asynchronous discussion board.  As a secondary teacher, I need to teach my students how to use each of the communication tools appropriately, so they make the best use of them.  I’m going to revisit The Tools for Successful Online Teaching [1] for ideas about using synchronous and asynchronous communication in my courses.  In the past, I have found this an excellent source of ideas for using course tools effectively.

[1] Dawley, L. (2007).  The Tools for Successful Online Teaching.  Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing.

During my drive home from work, NPR’s “All Things Considered” had a story titled The E-Textbook Experiment Turns A Page, comparing traditional textbooks, and various digitals forms. While I was listening, I found myself thinking about the different formats for textbooks in terms of the SECTIONS model, and the 7 principles.

The CEO of a company that designs e-textbooks for the iPad emphasized how e-textbooks incorporate features that promote active learning.

A professor who has used e-textboooks praised the iPad for ease of use and interactivity compared to the Kindle, saying “The problem is that the Kindle is less interactive than a piece of paper . . .” The professor went on to praise the interactivity of paper, which allows quick notes and highlighting.

Students were concerned about cost, questioning whether the iPad could be used for enough purposes to justify its purchase, noting that “there are programs I could use for a laptop that would also allow me to annotate.”

Some students expressed individual preferences for different formats. Contrast these reactions to the iPad: “It still is a fun toy, but it also … makes it really easy to read articles for class.” versus “It’s ridiculously hard. I don’t like the keyboard at all.”

This program reminded me of the discussion in our science department, before our recent purchase of e-textbooks.  We made our decision based on cost factors, ease of use, availability of interactive features, and because we felt that e-textbooks could help us provide for the diverse learning styles of our students – all factors that were emphasized in the broadcast.

This is an interesting time of year to be reviewing these standards; it’s the start of the school year, with my new Physics class completing their online orientation, and the Principal of our alternative high school stating that curriculum development will be a priority this year.  I can see opportunities for enriching the learning environment, and supporting students learning as I read the ISTE standards.  This is also the time of year that I set my own goals, in my Annual Learning Plan.  Reflecting on the standards helps me to articulate my plan for growth and leadership.

I recognize the first standard, Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity, as a central challenge for me, in teaching online.  In this course, I hope to learn ways to model creative thinking for students.  I encourage students to use discussion boards to increase their engagement with real world applications, and model problem-solving for them using screencaptures (with smartboard).  I would like to learn more about facilitating discussions in order to increase student interaction, and want to explore blogs.  For example, I could have a blog about how the concepts of our Physics course apply in the world around us. 

The second standard, Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, is particularly relevant to my face-to-face work with my alternative students.  The curriculum we use is print-based, and students use computers mainly for research, and as word-processors.  I am working with a team of teachers to enrich our learning materials using digital tools, and to provide for students’ diverse learning preferences.  Our school consists of many, small campuses, so our students generally work in isolation on their courses, interacting mostly with their teacher.  In this course, I want to learn ways to provide for interaction among students at different campuses.

The fifth standard encourages me to think about my professional growth and how I develop my leadership skills.  I promote the use of digital tools within our school, and act, on an informal basis, as a mentor for less experienced online teachers.  Through this course, I want to improve my teaching, and I’m looking forward to learning together with everyone in this class.