Summarizing my Learning from PIDP 4150

 Sedi Minachi Journal #3

Objective Questions: My Learning Experiences about Developing an Effective Online Course

In my experience, developing an effective online course depends on how the course provides a sense of leadership to the learners’ community so that they contribute to the learning experience and the development of course content. As stated by Boettcher and Conrad (2010), “Having learners lead activities also supports Vygotsky’s theory of the zone of proximal development” (226). In order for the learners to develop skills through an online course, I think it is important that the course instructor assumes the role of coach, shaping, supporting, clarifying and critiquing (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010) instead of directing and telling students what to do.  For example, the instructor needs to empower learners to be self-directed in working on a project whether individually or in a group. In this sense, as stated by Boettcher and Conrad, “Learners then can see themselves as knowledge generators and connectors”, not as those who follow the instructor’s direction. Although designing and implementing a learner-led online course can be challenging and complex, the instructor should clarify the outcomes of an activity such as developing expertise in being self-reliant and problem solvers in a cooperative and engaging process. The objective of this paper is to reflect on the development of an effective online course with respect to my learning experiences throughout the PIDP 4150 course.

Reflective Questions: Matching PIDP 4150 with Learner’s Experience

Through PDIP 4150, I gained knowledge about learning theories (e.g., experiential and transformative learning), teaching guideline/principles, online teaching best practices and teaching tools. As part of the course requirements, I developed my own professional blog and gained experience in working with a partner to complete a wiki project.

This course has become a template for me to use designing effective and meaningful online courses meeting the needs of communities of engaged learners. For instance, I now know to use various online tools to facilitate experiential and transformative learning theories among learners, and to provide an opportunity to them to actively reflect on their new skills. In addition, through this course, I learned about the importance of providing effective and constructive feedback to learners so that they develop writing skills and critical thinking.   

In addition to providing relevant course content, effective teaching, and being available to meet student needs as required, I will ensure learners have access to online support services. Like their counterparts taking on-campus courses, distance education students taking online courses should have access to online support services such as advising/counseling, financial aid, libraries, tech help desk, academic writing centers, etc. 

Interpretive Questions: Moving Forward

The first important fact I learned in this course is that as an online course instructor, my role is to be an accessible, responsive, transparent facilitator open to creative ideas. This is because when online learners do not receive the support they need from the course, they quickly become frustrated and discouraged from finishing the course. This will negatively impact the reputation of online courses, and in particular the course not meeting students’ needs. Therefore, it is important that the instructor provides a nurturing and encouraging environment empowering and supporting learners throughout the course which also implement experiential and transformative learning theories and reflect on skills learned throughout the course. 

Decisional Questions: Applying PIDP 4150 in Designing an Online Course

            As experience has shown, the elearning industry is rapidly attracting students from both the new and older generation of learners. Educational institutions are increasingly offering online courses to students who can access these courses from anywhere worldwide having electricity and internet access.

I think, online courses provide freedom and flexibility to both learners and instructors and teach them to become good time managers. Working as an online instructor is attractive to me and I am eager to pursue my career in this exciting field because it gives me the opportunity to teach from almost anywhere while enabling me to engage diverse students from different cultural backgrounds worldwide from the convenience of my own home.

 All the useful learning theories, teaching guidelines and tips I learned throughout this course have increased my motivation to facilitate effective and meaningful online courses following proven teaching and course design guideline, with transparency being the foundation of my teaching ethics. Nevertheless, my primary goal in designing and delivering online courses is to create an atmosphere fostering mutual learning between the instructor and students and between peers. For me to be a creative and open minded instructor, I will keep abreast of new technologies and online tools and adopt those enabling me to more effectively interact with my communities of learners.

Word Cited

Boettcher, J. V. & Conrad, R. M. (2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and Practical

Pedagogical Tips. Jossey-Bass: Wiley.

Journal # 2: Using Quality Guidelines in eLearning

Sedi Minachi Journal # 2: Using Quality Guidelines in eLearning

Objective: Quality Guidelines

The objective of this journal is to explore what goes into creating and conducting a quality course following guidelines for online course development. Many people know how convenient online or distance education is in terms of the flexibility it provides learners to choose their hours of study and location. Online courses have become increasingly popular since the first online courses following the introduction of the internet in the 1990s, and many learners, especially adults, prefer to take online courses instead of taking in physical classrooms. The goal of educators is to develop knowledge and build skills, and learners are increasingly choosing distance education when given this opportunity. It’s for this reason that educators must provide relevant, quality, effective distance learning courses enabling learners to meet their educational goals.

Negative Reputations in the Absence of Quality Guidelines

While online course instructors may not set quality guidelines, any lack of attention to course quality on their part can lead to chaos and confusion among learners who become less impressed with distance education. In addition, learners have the potential to become discouraged and may not continue enrolling in other online courses, possibly creating negative reputations for online programs.  For example, I took an online ‘mediation and conflict resolution’ course a few years ago through a European institution. I enrolled in it because the course description promised its instructor was a well-known scholar in the field of conflict resolution. However, when the course started, we, the learners were disappointed to learn that an unknown instructor living in a country with poor internet connectivity was assigned to teach it.  The course was a disaster for many reasons I describe below. Firstly, the instructor was absent most of the time and rarely responded to our emails, and tried to justify his unavailability/lack of support by saying to his class that he travelled frequently to participate in various conferences. Secondly, the course objective was vague and did not have clear instructions or guidelines, and the learners did not know what the course expectations were. We found this both disappointing and frustrating. While the students including myself were confused about what to do, a few of us decided to inform the course administrator.

We were further frustrated when we also found her unresponsive and seemingly uncaring. Almost half of the class participants dropped out of the course and those who finished it felt that we did not gain skills or knowledge in the field of mediation and conflict resolution. My final disappointment came when the course finished and I expected to receive a certificate as promised in the course description. Several months passed and I did not receive the certificate or any response from the course administrator. I felt that my time and money was wasted and contacted a scholar who originally told me about this course. To make a long story short, I finally - after one year of ongoing communication with the director of the institution - received my certificate, and the only other good news is that my prodding enabled other students to receive theirs as well.

Quality Checklist for Online Courses

For an instructor to design and deliver an effective online course, it is essential they follow certain criteria and guidelines.  According to Barker (2002), both instructors and learners are interested in acquiring education and training that are effective and efficient. In reading Barker’s “Canadian Recommended E-learning Guidelines”, I gained a better understanding of the importance of the elearning course guidelines and would adopt the following general checklist based on her paper:

Organized: The course should be facilitated in an organized way to minimize confusion and frustration. For example, the instructor should be easily accessible to the learners’ community and have regular office hours. The course syllabus should clearly include course description, learning objectives, completion requirements, course material, additional learning resources, course activities and required assignments. 

Quality Content: The course must have good quality content addressing learners’ needs and identifies course material relevant to the course’s goals and objectives. In my opinion, good quality content not only helps the instructor to ensure the course is learner-centered and meaningful, it also provides learners with relevant skills and knowledge.

Presentation: The material must be presented clearly, professionally and be user friendly.

Technology: The technology needs to be reliable and easily accessible to the learning community wherever they are. Furthermore, it should enable learners to actively engage with each other in the construction of knowledge and should provide assistance, guidance and communication to the learners’ community. It also needs to be easily updatable, reliable and navigable.  

Supports Learners’ self-directed learning:  The course should be designed to respect learners’ flexibility, and allow them to progress at their own pace with respect to interacting with the learning community.  

Admission information: The course should state any admission/degree requirement and prerequisites, the curriculum overview, specific delivery format, and grading methods. In addition, it should state learning assessment procedures and evaluation criteria, tuition fees, books/materials, equipment, institutional regulations, policies on plagiarism, entry-level technical skills, and course evaluations.

Reflective: Personal Experiences

I have taken four online courses including this one. Aside from the negative experience I had during the ‘mediation and conflict resolution’ course described earlier in this paper, my VCC elearning experiences have been great. Like most elearning students, I expect to receive a high quality education, and my goal is to design and deliver an efficient and effective online course so that learners can smoothly complete it successfully. 

Interpretive: Meaning of the Guidelines

            As technology continues to develop and more learners take advantage of online programs, the need for designers capable of creating effective, high quality online courses increases. To create courses of this caliber, I must incorporate guidelines reflective of my learners’ needs and perceptions. The negative experience I had in the ‘mediation and conflict resolution’ online course did not discourage me from taking more online courses. However, it motivated me to become involved in this profession to do this right and design an elearning course based on ethical guidelines maximizing opportunities for the learners’ community to acquire knowledge and meaningful skills.

Decisional: Concluding Remarks

As a growing method of education, elearning courses must be designed and delivered with care within the framework of standard guidelines so that the learners are able to successfully complete their courses and fulfill their educational goals. From my own experiences, and by reading elearning guidelines for creating and delivering effective courses, I learned about the importance of ensuring high quality design in all online courses and am determined to deepen my knowledge of how to do this. Finally, with respect to recommendations offered by Barker (2002), I will incorporate all the standard guidelines when structuring, designing and developing learner-centered online courses. 

Work Cited

Barker, K. (2002) Canadian Recommended E-learning Guidelines (CanREGs). Published by Future Ed

and Canadian Association for Community Education. Retrieved on Dec 18, 2013 from

http://www.futured.com/pdf/CanREGs%20Eng.pdf

The Value of an Eportfolio in Online Learning

The Value of an Eportfolio in Online Learning

Eportfolio or an electronic portfolio is a primary tool for online instructors to assess learning outcome of the students. Baker (2005) defines eportfolio as “…an electronic portfolio of acquired learning – knowledge, skills and abilities acquired through formal, non-formal, informal, accidental and incidental learning.” Eportfolio approach to assessment provides the online instructors to document what the learners’ accomplish and how they are engaged in critical reflection of knowledge gained through variety of activities such as class presentation, writing reports/journals and engaging in collaborative activities. This approach not only benefits online instructors to assess and record students’ acquired learning, it also benefits students by empowering them to have control over their learning development and strategies as well as allows them to self assess and develop critical thinking skills. In this regard, Pelliccion & Dixon (2008) state:

This approach provides students with the opportunity to become stakeholders in their own progress and also provides an environment for deep learning to occur. An ePortfolio approach that spans a course of study and beyond to a professional setting allows participants to originate and maintain ‘conversations’ about their learning and by doing so they become active in formative assessment rather than passive receivers of graded results. Formative learning activities such as ePortfolios shift the focus of the traditional higher education paradigm as students are encouraged to take responsibility for what and how they learn.(p. 752)

In my experience, instructors who adopt eportfolio in their teaching assessment, create an environment for their students in a way that course content is meaningful and leads to high level of understanding while opens up possibilities for personal growth such as confidence building, team work and active-positive thinking.

Baker (2005) argues that eportfolio approach of assessment advanced from portfolio learning assessment. I was first exposed to this approach in late 1990s when I took my first Women Studies course at Langara College with an inspiring mentor, Patricia Moore. Throughout the course, the instructor used a collection of ways to assess students learning outcome. For example, instead of only relying on a mid- term or a final exam, they were engaged in different activities such as presenting on a topic of interest, engaging in group discussions throughout the course, writing summary of certain readings as well as writing a research paper. Students also were empowered to critically reflect on their learning achievements leading someone like me to be in charge of my own development. The feedback from the instructor and peers was another source of my empowerment allowing me to be aware of my strengths and weaknesses resulting in my interest to progress my higher education in Women’s Studies at UBC and achieve my BA and MA in this interesting discipline.  

According to Baker (2005), some of the advantages of a portfolio based assessment include the following:     

•       It provides a wealth of information for instructional decisions;
•      It allows for effective means of communicating students’ developmental status and progress;
•       It can serve to motivate students and promote student self-assessment and self-understanding
•      It contextualizes assessment and provides a basis for challenging formal test results that is not authentic or reliable, e.g., a single test score.

In the past few days, I learned more details about eportfolios through PIDP 4150 online course. Without any doubt I argue that the approach of eportfolio assessment is a great fit for online teaching and find this method of assessment very effective particularly for instructors who adopt experiential learning in the design and delivery of an online course. This is because similar to portfolio assessment, eportfolio approach makes learners to be more creative and more motivated to successfully finish the online course as well as it provides an opportunity to learners to self assess their learning outcomes and develop skills in critical reflection.

My goal is to teach online courses in the near future and to engage in facilitation of learning strategies which incorporate eportfolio style of assessment. I would like to finish this blog by quoting the following statement by Barker, “Future Ed is deeply concerned that there be collaboration between and among ePortfolio developments in order that this learning innovation achieves its potential for improving learning systems and promoting lifelong learning. (p. 10)

References

Barker K.C. (2005). Eportfolio for the assessment of learning. Retrieved from http://www.futured.com/documents/FuturEdePortfolioforAssessmentWhitePaper_000.pdf

Pelliccione l., Dixone, K. (2008) Portfolios: Beyond assessment to empowerment in the learning landscape. Conference proceedings Ascilite 2008. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/pelliccione.pdf

Experiential Learning Theory and E-Learning

Sedi Minachi PIDP 4150 Dec 11, 2013

Constructivist Learning Theory: John Dewey’s Experiential Learning

Introduction: Highlights of John Dewey’s Experiential Learning

In reading about learning theories and theorists in the Online Teaching Survival Guide (2010), I
easily find myself in agreement with Lev Vygotsky’s theory of social development, John Dewey’s
experiential learning theory, Jean Piaget’s genetic epistemology, Jerome Bruner’s constructivist
theory and John Seely Brown’s cognitive apprenticeship theory. All of these theories are grounded in
the constructivist’s viewpoint and share the idea that “… learners actively construct and build
knowledge structure from the interaction of what they already know with what they pay attention to
in their environment, including language, people, and images” ( Boettcher and Conrad, 2010, p. 12).
Lewis and Williams (1994) define experiential learning theory as:
“In its simplest form, experiential learning means learning from experience or learning by
doing. Experiential education first immerses learners in an experience and then encourages
reflection about the experience to develop new skills, new attitudes, or new ways of thinking.
(p. 5)”

Although the original experiential learning theorists lived before social media and the formal
education system in their countries of origin followed traditional ways of teaching and instruction,
these theorists were far ahead of their time and challenged their educational systems by demanding
reform to the roles of learners and instructors while also calling for changes to the delivery of
instruction. The model of experiential learning or “learning by doing” (Lewis and Williams, 1994) they
advocated, was slowly introduced into the formal education system in the advanced industrial
countries where they had influence. As a result, the majority of humanity and social science faculties
adopted experiential learning model in their curriculums since late twentieth century. It is beyond
the scope of this paper to explore the strong resistance to – and backlash against ‐ adopting the new
approach to teaching promoted by experiential learning theorists in the 19th and 20th century. This
paper does, however, explore John Dewey’s experiential learning theory by highlighting the key
concepts of his theory and relating them to e‐learning model of education.

E‐learning and Experiential Learning

In applying experiential learning to e‐learning, I argue that this model makes formal education
accessible to learners globally and that learners can use it to reach their own potentials more often by
learning how to apply instruction to real life, and by engaging in a variety of exercises to build
knowledge and develop all kinds of skills. Also, in adopting experiential learning, e‐learners can apply
their academic understanding to real word situations and develop critical thinking and reflective skills
as well as strengthen their confidence to overcome difficulties and obstacles in life.
We are the first generation to use new technology which facilitates creating and connecting a
global community. Those of us aiming to develop skills to advance our careers in the global market
have great opportunities to become global educators by taking advantage of e‐learning based on the
experiential learning model. Constructivist theorist Driscoll (2000) states that learners actively process
knowledge through practical experiences and that knowledge creation is a lengthy process. Stephen
Downes, who wrote (2007) on ‘Connectivism’ as a learning theory for the digital age, argues that
“knowledge is distributed across a network of connections which makes the learner gain knowledge
through a diverse network of ideas. Wikipedia describes ‘connectivism’ as a theory of learning which
brings forward the role of social and cultural experiences in our lives. Downes (2013) further argues
that the distribution of knowledge across connected networks and learning consists of the ability to
construct those networks.

Reform in the Education System

American educator and philosopher John Dewey (1859‐1952) played a major role in reforming
the education system wherever he worked, advocating for social and education reforms in his
writings, and making him one of the influential educators of the 20th century. To me his experiential
learning theory created a silent revolution in his era. The themes of Dewey’s experiential learning are
based on education and learning as social and interactive processes, and he understood the
important role played by schools in socializing learners and creating social reform.
He believed that students should interact with the curriculum and that all students should
have the opportunity to take part in their own learning (Wikipedia). He argued that in order for
education to be effective, content must be presented in a way that allows students to relate the
knowledge to their life experiences and make connections with the new knowledge (Boettcher and
Conrad, 2010). In other words, he advocated for students to be at the center of their education by
playing an active role in gaining knowledge. According to Dewey (1897), the teacher should not stand
at the front of the classroom lecturing as students observe passively. Instead, he believed the
teacher's role should be that of facilitator and guide in the learning process. As Dewey (1897) explains
it:
The teacher’s role is not to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is
there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child and
to assist him in properly responding to them. Thus the teacher becomes a partner in the
learning process, guiding students to independently discover meaning within the subject area.
This philosophy has become an increasingly popular idea within present‐day teacher
preparatory programs. (p. 4)

Non‐hierarchical approach to education

Dewey’s experiential learning theory resonates for me because I believe in non‐hierarchical
relationships between learners and the instructor, where both are active learners as the instructor
acts as a facilitator by actively involving the learners in solving problems, presenting subjects of
interest to their peers, and finding answers to their questions. When learners interact with each other
in a non‐rigid classroom setting, when learners observe information with a critical lens, when learners
are challenged by real tasks, and when learners cooperate with each other instead of competing, the
process of learning is more pleasant, rewarding and transformative – important indicators of a more
effective learning environment conducive to knowledge generation and transfer.

The role of the instructor

E‐learning instructors have the option of playing a facilitating/leading role when adopting
experiential learning. As experiential learning instructors, their role is not to transfer knowledge to
learners through lectures and expecting students to passively listen or observe. New technology
provides great opportunities for learners to connect to a variety of sources via the internet and social
media to gain knowledge and information. We can easily access the learners’ community and experts
from every corner of the globe.

The benefits of applying experiential learning theory to e‐learning curriculum design and
instruction empower the instructor to more effectively facilitate a multi‐dimensional learning
experience capable of effectively engaging diverse groups of learners by directing learners to search
for answers and apply knowledge within their own experiences. In my perspective, the role of the
instructor is to provide both course content and effective feedback to learners which strengthens
their ability to assimilate knowledge by helping them better understand their strengths and
weaknesses. Another role e‐learning instructors play is as an online community guide encouraging,
empowering and engaging learners to take greater responsibility for their own education.
Instructors adopting experiential learning theory provide increased opportunities to learners
to develop their own ideas by exploring subjects applied to real‐life situations and by interacting with
peers for collaborative group work. Engaged learners make the classroom environment dynamic and
create opportunities for them to explore their own potentials and strengths while learning new
knowledge. In this environment, e‐learners can develop critical thinking skills, and reflect critically on
different experiences while learning skills such as how to create an open dialogue with those in
disagreement, problem solving, decision making, and how to share their findings with others in a safe
environment.

The role of the learner

Great learning can happen when the focus of e‐learners is on reflecting on their own
experiences and transforming their experiences into new, useful knowledge based on their
understanding of and engagement with course content. As argued earlier in this paper, John Dewey’s
experiential theory has direct relevancy to an e‐learning/online model of learning because it increases
students’ motivation to learn and actively engage with the learners’ community. This empowers
learners to take part in discussion and play a role in solving problems. In my experience, the
experiential learning model makes e‐learners more creative and provides them with an opportunity to
achieve higher grades while advancing their expertise on the subject. In this regard, Schwartz (2007),
states: “In experiential learning, the student manages their own learning, rather than being told what
to do and when to do it. (p. 1)”

Conclusion

The new reality of the digital age and the advancement of new technology such as computers
and the internet changed our lives over the past two decades and revolutionized people’s
communication style worldwide. The availability of the internet provides a significant global
opportunity for e‐learners applying e‐learning to experiential learning.
John Dewey’s experiential learning theory is relevant to the e‐learning model of learning
because it gives learners the flexibility of gaining knowledge from a variety of sources. In fact, as
argued by all constructivist theorists, learning is a process and we gain knowledge from institutions,
family members, friends, media, through technological interactions, as well as through social and
cultural interactions. In applying the experiential learning theory to teaching, instructors today use elearning
to create direct dialogue between learners and their peers, as well between the instructor
and the learners, making the instructor an active facilitator guiding learners to achieve their learning
objectives in a collaborative and supportive environment.

References

Boettcher, J. & Conrad, Ri. M. (2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and Practical
Pedagogical Tools. Jessey‐Bass: Sanfrancisco

Connectivism, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connectivism last retrieved Dec 5, 2013

Dawnes, S. (2007). What Connectivism is. http://halfanhour.blogspot.ca/2007/02/whatconnectivism‐
is.html last retrieved Dec 5, 2013

Dewey, J. (1897). My Pedagogic Creed. Retrieved from:
http://playpen.meraka.csir.co.za/~acdc/education/Dr_Anvind_Gupa/Learners_Library_7_March_200
7/Resources/books/readings/17.pdf last visited on Dec 10, 2013

Driscoll, S. (2000). Psychology of Learning for Instruction. Needham Heights, MA, Allyn & Bacon.

Lewis, L.H. & Williams, C.J. (1994). In Jackson, L. & Caffarella, R.S. (Eds.). Experiential Learning: A New Approach (pp. 5‐16). San Francisco: Jossey‐Bass

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey last visited Dec 9, 2013

Schwartz, M. Best Practices in Experiential Learning. The Learning and Teaching Office. Retrieved from
http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/lt/resources/handouts/ExperientialLearningReport.pdf last
visited on Dec 10, 2013