Chris O'Neal LinoIt module

Setting the Stage (UC Davis hybrid workshop series)

Need windows open:
JOLT: Journal of Online Learning and Teaching
SmartSite: (I created a site for the workshop series in our LMS just as I would for a regular course, not because i love SmartSite above all else but because the faculty would be familiar with it)
CETL Workshop series
UW Milwaukee Hybrid Courses
D2L sites: Follow the steps on the UWM site to see their examples. Not perfect examples (the faculty in my workshop tore them apart) but they are working in current classes! Lots of steps to go through to get access to them, though.
Martyn article about good practice in hybrid courses (not the best because it is old, but it is what I had at the time)

Agenda*

Introductions**

Introduce self, project, and greatest triumph or failure in an online learning environment (as a learner or instructor)

Thanks for doing the survey. Results show that we collectively are a group of very experienced instructors, but mostly in the f2f environment. ** We have one or two who have taught fully online, a few who have taught blended, and one or two who have taught hybrid.** We have quite a range of experience with technologies, so please be patient if we are reviewing what for you are basics, and please ask if we are talking about tools and it sounds like wizards casting spells.

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  • What you want to accomplish: tools, transitions, assessment, student engagement, pedagogy, “so that students do learn what they are supposed to be learning.” That’s my focus! That, and smoothing the path for faculty.
  • What your concerns?

• Myths, realities, and definitions** Many thanks to my colleague Chris O’Neal at UC Irvine for creating the original version of this ppt.** 
• Examples of hybrid courses (UW Milwaukee http://www4.uwm.edu/ltc/hybrid/) (Fears: possibility that technology might not be working on a particular day)** Is it most helpful to think of blended learning as an online enhancement to a face-to-face learning environment, a face-to-face enhancement to an online learning environment, or as something else entirely?** In what ways can blended learning courses be considered the “best of both worlds” (i.e., face-to-face and online)? What could make blended learning the “worst of both worlds?”** What content or type of content is best delivered face-to-face?** What content or type of content can be delivered in a non -face-to-face setting or online?
  • Describe what the integration, relationship, and accountability mechanism might be for these. Considering these items as a group will help people think about how they can make decisions about which content to move online; have participants share ideas for doing so.
  • Finish the ppt.
  • Write/pair/share: What works well in my f2f teaching? What leaves me dissatisfied?
• “Faculty Learning Communities”** Mikaela summarize** 
• A continuous process of learning and reflection, supported by colleagues, with an intention of getting things done** Learning community students generally fare better academically, socially, and personally than those in comparison groups** More intensive and structured than book clubs or brown bag series** Will focus on building community, being active and supportive members** (not comfortable for everyone)
  • Brainstorm what they need to feel as though they are members of a successful community** What do they expect from each other?** What do they expect from me as the facilitator?** Safety, trust, openness, responsibility, collaboration, relevance, challenge, enjoyment, esprit de corps, empowerment** Norms of practice and communication*** Do you want to use SmartSite (mailtool is particularly useful to reach all)? How to share materials? Use your own SmartSites and share with your peer mentors?** Managing the workload during this series of workshops (retention)
  • Goals from the CETL page** 
  • Each week, we’ll introduce a new tool or learning environment** I will give you a short piece to read that prepares for the following week** I expect that you’ll come, that you’ll discuss, that you’ll work on things, and that you’ll peer review. Expect 2-4 hours of work, and for those of you who are planning to actually design a course, it might be more, because at the end you are going to have something to submit to ICMS. If you are not planning to work through ICMS, that’s fine, you can still participate. But it’s set up to walk you through the experience, a workshop, not a lecture.** Their own goals? Specifics to add to the course schedule?

My own bias for course design: Blended learning brings together the best of online and face-to-face teaching, especially when the course is designed in its entirety before it is taught, rather than on an incremental basis. As a result of the substantial time commitment involved in designing a course, instructors may have a tendency to want to do so incrementally (one week at a time) and, sometimes, even as they are teaching the course. While being sensitive to time considerations, it is useful to point out that designing in this manner is likely to produce an undesirable and confusing experience for both the instructor and students.* Encourage participants to consider the following design strategies:

• Take the time to design the entire course, as opposed to one piece at a time while the course is in progress.
• Remember to build in plenty of activities and engagement opportunities.
• As much as possible, provide students with a learning experience that includes individual contact and assistance via assessment, prompt feedback, and communication.

Holistic Course Design: After this week, we’ll spend most of the time working on your courses rather than discussing principles.

• As you consider designing a blended learning course, what course components are you open to implementing differently than you have in the past? How will you decide which components will occur online and which will take place face-to-face? How will you manage the relationship between these two modalities?
• How often will you meet with students face-to-face? How many hours per week will students be engaged online, and how many hours per week will students meet face-to-face? Is the total amount of student time commitment consistent with the total time commitment of comparable courses taught in other modalities (e.g., face-to-face)?

Their questions from the survey:

Tools that are intriguing:

* Creating coursework for 'non-traditional' students as well. Meaning, folks out of school.

• calibrated peer review
• using clickers, secure online examination, live online lectures with audience participation

What they want to accomplish:

* Getting a sense of the latest technologies for hybrid course development and delivery

• Learn all about how to do it all.
• I would like to understand how a high quality course can effectively be transitioned to a hybrid course (previously taught in a large lecture format.)
• learning how to develop an effective and interesting course in hybrid format; exposure to tools and technical aspects of hybrid course development
• learning how to deliver online resources that students find useful in enhancing their understanding of course material as well as methods of assessing student understanding that compliment in-class written examinations
• Exposure to new pedagogical approaches.
• learning about hybrid course development and execution what makes a hybrid course successful student assessment in the hybrid course environment student success in the hybrid course environment---do they learn what they should be learning
• learning as much as possible about the possibilities of hybrid courses
• Learning the tools to be able to design and teach a hybrid course.

Concerns:

* The possibility that technology might not be working on a particular day, the danger of "information overload" and the negative consequences of forced multi-tasking

• 'up front learning curve' issues to be negotiated
• implementation
• My major concern is not fully engaging students from the start, which may lead to spotty understanding of the material and an inability to build on the course's learning objectives.
• losing the value that comes from in person interaction among students and between student and teacher
• the security of examinations completed online (for example, knowing that a student is submitting their own work rather than that of another person, or that someone else is completing an examination in this student's place)
• Not being able to assess and triage student learning progress.
• student's focusing on and learning the subjects, no dilution of course materials, student assessment
• workload
• That I won't handle the workload well.

Choose a platform: SmartSite or other website, where they will post content, reflections, where peers can review their work. Get it set up to start posting. (we didn't really do this as I had hoped)

Readings or homework:
Martyn
Find one in JOLT or another source http://jolt.merlot.org/pastissues.html