1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor arsenokoite (homosexual) offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
Leviticus 18:22 - "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."
Leviticus 20:13 - "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."
Romans 1:26-27 - "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."
Whatever your conscious and faith tells you for your lifestyle, why do citizens let governments sanctify or not sanctify homosexuality? I haven't chosen this lifestyle for myself because my faith does not allow it. I do not tell homosexuals that they shouldn't be because they are not me. Words from over 2000 years ago addressed the subject, and time will not erase what the Bible says nor will people ever stop trying to interpret the Bible according to their wishes. The choices that one makes are between them and the Lord when they meet in heaven. Shalom.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Proverbs 13:10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
Proverbs 13:10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
Have you told your father or mother or someone else that you would always love them no matter what. Don't let your pride come between you and the ones you love…life will run out, and all you'll be left with is your pride and regret.
When you are older, and your children do not talk to you when you might expect them to, or want them to, please remember that your parents wanted you to talk to them too.
When you asked your father or mother for advice over the years, which was given to you in love, and then you turned against them suddenly, and said "no more are you my parents", what might you have felt if you had given advice to your children, and then they turned against you suddenly, and were angry with you for offering? Would you have been angry if your parents wouldn't give you advice all those years?
Will you stop giving advice to your children because they might turn against you? Would you expect your mother or father to be mute when their love for you is still faithful and strong?
Pray that one day after you've turned your face and heart away from your mother or father that your mother or father will be there for you.
Loving unconditionally means loving no matter what. I wish from time to time that I still had the chance to ask my father for advice who died 29 years ago.
Or that my mother would be my mother again. How could a daughter keep being a daughter when her mother kept disrespecting her husband because he's disabled? Finally, I said "no more". I pray every day that healing will begin. My mother chose to put her prejudice first instead of being a mother as she had always been. I forgave her long ago but she doesn't even know it.
The Lord said, "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice". When will the ones we love be wise?
Have you told your father or mother or someone else that you would always love them no matter what. Don't let your pride come between you and the ones you love…life will run out, and all you'll be left with is your pride and regret.
When you are older, and your children do not talk to you when you might expect them to, or want them to, please remember that your parents wanted you to talk to them too.
When you asked your father or mother for advice over the years, which was given to you in love, and then you turned against them suddenly, and said "no more are you my parents", what might you have felt if you had given advice to your children, and then they turned against you suddenly, and were angry with you for offering? Would you have been angry if your parents wouldn't give you advice all those years?
Will you stop giving advice to your children because they might turn against you? Would you expect your mother or father to be mute when their love for you is still faithful and strong?
Pray that one day after you've turned your face and heart away from your mother or father that your mother or father will be there for you.
Loving unconditionally means loving no matter what. I wish from time to time that I still had the chance to ask my father for advice who died 29 years ago.
Or that my mother would be my mother again. How could a daughter keep being a daughter when her mother kept disrespecting her husband because he's disabled? Finally, I said "no more". I pray every day that healing will begin. My mother chose to put her prejudice first instead of being a mother as she had always been. I forgave her long ago but she doesn't even know it.
The Lord said, "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice". When will the ones we love be wise?
Best Practices for Devising a Research Purpose Statement and Questions
Abstract
No more valuable opportunity exists for a doctoral student to increase skill in writing research papers than to review and critique completed dissertations. However, before value can be realized from such critiques, knowledge of the criteria required for a dissertation is essential for a reader. For example, Ellis and Levy (2008) recommended that a carefully developed Research Proposal Statement renders the possibility that a solution could be forthcoming. Inexorably intertwined with the Research Proposal are the Research Questions. "If one wants to solve a [research] problem, one must generally know what the problem is” (Ellis and Levy, 2008, p. 18). In fact, the Research Proposal “is the axis around which the whole research effort revolves" (Ellis and Levy, 2008, p. 19). Consequently, learning to precisely state Research Proposals and Research Questions "with unwavering clarity…is the first requirement in the research process” (Ellis and Levy, 2008, p. 19).
Best Practices for Devising a Research Purpose Statement and Questions
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Research Purpose Statements and Research Questions can be improved using suggestions provided by Creswell (2008), Aveyard (2007), and others. Synthesizing the many sections of a dissertation by novice researchers requires the ability to identify a research problem. Learning "how to properly construct and develop logical argumentation for a problem statement" (Ellis and Levy, 2008, p. 19) provides the doctoral student with additional skills over time.
Background of Nardone's Dissertation
Nardone (2009) submitted a dissertation entitled "Reputation in America’s graduate schools of education: A study of the perceptions and influences of graduate school of education deans and school superintendents regarding U.S. News & World Report’s Ranking of “Top Education Programs”. The purpose of the study was to "explore the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs). The respondents represented two unique stakeholder groups for Graduate Schools of Education: GSOE deans and school superintendents" (Nardone, 2009, p. 6).
Research Purpose Statement Revised
Appropriately critiquing a doctoral-level paper requires an understanding of what defines a Research Purpose Statement (RPS). Creswell (2008) provides such a definition by writing that the RPS "advances the overall direction or focus for the study" albeit quantitative and/or qualitative studies, and consists of one or two well formed sentences. The RPS quite often lies within the Statement of the Problem section, and is frequently placed at the Introduction's end. Nardone's (2009) dissertation stated that the RPS was to "explore the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)" (p. 6). Although Nardone's (2009) RPS was stated in two sentences, a more profound problem exists with the beginning of her RPS sentence because she had previously indicated that her paper would address qualitative and quantitative research.
To accommodate both types, Creswell (2008) pointed out that a quantitative study's RPS states that "the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship…" (p. 121) while a qualitative RPS states that "the purpose of the study is to explore…" (p. 121). As noted above, Nardone (2009) only used "explore" to signify her study's intention (quantitative) when she should have used words to reference both qualitative and quantitative. Not adjusting her RPS to accommodate both types is confusing to readers. An improved RPS would address that the purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between, and explore "the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)" (Nardone, 2009, p. 6).
Research Questions Revised
The research questions presented in a dissertation by Nardone (2009) included "three major research questions, and related sub-questions. One objective of the research is to identify, and quantify, the actual role that the reputational survey plays (based on respondents’ scores) in the USNWR GSOE rankings" (p. 8). Consequently, "prior research of the undergraduate rankings indicates that the reputational aspect significantly drives the overall ranking of the institutions" (Nardone, 2009, p. 8).
Q1. "What is the significance of the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 8).
Exploring the behaviors and perceptions of the survey respondents—the GSOE deans and school superintendents—is another objective of the research. Nardone (2009) explains that:
Research explores the respondents' perceptions about the GSOE
rankings themselves, in terms of what purpose the rankings might serve,
and their perceptions about the reputational survey component of
these rankings. More specifically, the study aims to understand
their level of awareness of the reputational survey, their understanding
of their impact on the rankings, their level of responsiveness to the
survey, and their methods and approach to responding to the survey.
Why do they, or do they not, respond to the survey? Do they personally
respond to the survey? Do they consult with other colleagues? An
important emphasis of the research will be on exploring the differences
in perceptions and behaviors between these two stakeho lder groups.
These objectives are captured in the second research question. (p. 8).
Q2. "How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ in their perceptions about, responsiveness to, approach to, and behavior regarding, the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of GSOEs?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9).
Nardone (2009) states:
Finally, this research will explore the concept of reputation with
these survey respondents. The literature indicates that reputation is
generally conceptualized as either prominence or as perceived quality.
This research asks the two stakeholder groups what forms the basis of
their rating of institutions when responding to the USNWR survey. Do
they consider the quality of the program graduates? Do they consider
the quality and production (output) of faculty research? Do they consider
the glossy promotional materials that cross their desk? Do they consider
the level of sponsored research? Do they consider student selectivity?
Do they consider the published rankings themselves? This will
explore whether this important ranking category captures reputation as
either prominence, or perceived quality. Again, an important emphasis is
the examination of the differences between the two stakeholder groups.
Thus, the third research question. (p. 9).
Q3. "How do these two unique stakeholder groups differ, when rating the GSOEs, in their conceptual definition of reputation—reputation as prominence, or reputation as perceived quality?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9).
This study does not join the active debate over the best indicators or
measures of quality, but instead accepts “reputation” as an asset of
value for the university and explores the perceptions and behaviors
of two stakeholder groups involved in the rating of academic
reputation. (p. 9).
After reviewing Nardone's (2009) research questions several times, and comparing the questions against Nardone's (2009) Research Problem Statement, which was to "explore the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)" (p. 6), my general impression is that the RPS is not broadly stated enough to encompass all of the research questions. Since one of the goals of the RPS is to be precise, and then suggesting that the RPS is not broad enough, my opinion is that Nardone (2009) is attempting to integrate too many research questions.
To reiterate, the three research questions are: Q1. "What is the significance of the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 8); Q2. "How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ in their perceptions about, responsiveness to, approach to, and behavior regarding, the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of GSOEs?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9); and, Q3. "How do these two unique stakeholder groups differ, when rating the GSOEs, in their conceptual definition of reputation—reputation as prominence, or reputation as perceived quality?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9).
As mentioned, my impression is that there is some duplication between Q2 and Q3, and this is because both questions ask, "How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ?". The list of topics Nardone (2009) has chosen to cover in the research questions is overwhelming. The Research Problem Statement revised as previously discussed is to examine the relationship between, and explore "the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)" (Nardone, 2009, p. 6).
The associated unrevised research questions are: Q1. "What is the significance of the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 8); Q2. "How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ in their perceptions about, responsiveness to, approach to, and behavior regarding, the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of GSOEs?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9); and, Q3. "How do these two unique stakeholder groups differ, when rating the GSOEs, in their conceptual definition of reputation—reputation as prominence, or reputation as perceived quality?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9).
After revising the above, the Problem Statement and Research Questions are:
Problem Statement: Explore the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs). Questions: 1. What is the significance of the reputational survey? 2. How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ in their perceptions about, responsiveness to, approach to, and behavior regarding, the reputational survey. 3. How do these two unique stakeholder groups differ, when rating the GSOEs, in their conceptual definition of reputation?
To provide a revision of the Research Questions so that consistencies and differences are identified (via meta-ethnography and meta-synthesis) (Aveyard, 2007, p. 108) with the Problem Statement, the final suggested revision is:
Q1. How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ in their
perceptions about, responsiveness to, approach to, and behavior regarding, the reputational survey?
Conclusion
The purpose of this paper was two-fold: revising the research purpose statement and revising research questions presented by Nardone's (2009) dissertation entitled, "Reputation in America’s graduate schools of education: A study of the perceptions and influences of graduate school of education deans and school superintendents regarding U.S. News & World Report’s Ranking of “Top Education Programs". Coincidentally, the subject of Nardone's (2009)dissertation mirrors one of the dissertation subjects chosen for my doctorate program, which is to research why the ranking of America's institutes of learning continues to fall when compared with global learning institutes. Working on assignments for EDU7002 serves two purposes: submitting the required work for EDU7002 (and other future courses), and assessing literature, which provides excellent opportunities to develop skills in preparing dissertation-level papers in the future.
References
Aveyard, H. (2007). Doing a literature review in health and social care: A practical guide. Great Britain, UK: Open University Press. Retrieved from Northcentral University E-brary.
Creswell, J.W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Ellis, T.J., & Levy, Y. (2008). Framework of problem-based research: A guide for novice researchers on the development of a research-worthy problem. Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, (11), p. 17. Retrieved from http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol11/ISJv11p017-033Ellis486.pdf
Nardone, M.S. (2009). Reputation in America’s graduate schools of education: A study of the perceptions and influences of graduate school of education deans and school superintendents regarding U.S. News & World Report’s Ranking of “Top Education Programs”. Dissertation retrieved from Northcentral University's Library's ProQuest.
No more valuable opportunity exists for a doctoral student to increase skill in writing research papers than to review and critique completed dissertations. However, before value can be realized from such critiques, knowledge of the criteria required for a dissertation is essential for a reader. For example, Ellis and Levy (2008) recommended that a carefully developed Research Proposal Statement renders the possibility that a solution could be forthcoming. Inexorably intertwined with the Research Proposal are the Research Questions. "If one wants to solve a [research] problem, one must generally know what the problem is” (Ellis and Levy, 2008, p. 18). In fact, the Research Proposal “is the axis around which the whole research effort revolves" (Ellis and Levy, 2008, p. 19). Consequently, learning to precisely state Research Proposals and Research Questions "with unwavering clarity…is the first requirement in the research process” (Ellis and Levy, 2008, p. 19).
Best Practices for Devising a Research Purpose Statement and Questions
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Research Purpose Statements and Research Questions can be improved using suggestions provided by Creswell (2008), Aveyard (2007), and others. Synthesizing the many sections of a dissertation by novice researchers requires the ability to identify a research problem. Learning "how to properly construct and develop logical argumentation for a problem statement" (Ellis and Levy, 2008, p. 19) provides the doctoral student with additional skills over time.
Background of Nardone's Dissertation
Nardone (2009) submitted a dissertation entitled "Reputation in America’s graduate schools of education: A study of the perceptions and influences of graduate school of education deans and school superintendents regarding U.S. News & World Report’s Ranking of “Top Education Programs”. The purpose of the study was to "explore the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs). The respondents represented two unique stakeholder groups for Graduate Schools of Education: GSOE deans and school superintendents" (Nardone, 2009, p. 6).
Research Purpose Statement Revised
Appropriately critiquing a doctoral-level paper requires an understanding of what defines a Research Purpose Statement (RPS). Creswell (2008) provides such a definition by writing that the RPS "advances the overall direction or focus for the study" albeit quantitative and/or qualitative studies, and consists of one or two well formed sentences. The RPS quite often lies within the Statement of the Problem section, and is frequently placed at the Introduction's end. Nardone's (2009) dissertation stated that the RPS was to "explore the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)" (p. 6). Although Nardone's (2009) RPS was stated in two sentences, a more profound problem exists with the beginning of her RPS sentence because she had previously indicated that her paper would address qualitative and quantitative research.
To accommodate both types, Creswell (2008) pointed out that a quantitative study's RPS states that "the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship…" (p. 121) while a qualitative RPS states that "the purpose of the study is to explore…" (p. 121). As noted above, Nardone (2009) only used "explore" to signify her study's intention (quantitative) when she should have used words to reference both qualitative and quantitative. Not adjusting her RPS to accommodate both types is confusing to readers. An improved RPS would address that the purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between, and explore "the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)" (Nardone, 2009, p. 6).
Research Questions Revised
The research questions presented in a dissertation by Nardone (2009) included "three major research questions, and related sub-questions. One objective of the research is to identify, and quantify, the actual role that the reputational survey plays (based on respondents’ scores) in the USNWR GSOE rankings" (p. 8). Consequently, "prior research of the undergraduate rankings indicates that the reputational aspect significantly drives the overall ranking of the institutions" (Nardone, 2009, p. 8).
Q1. "What is the significance of the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 8).
Exploring the behaviors and perceptions of the survey respondents—the GSOE deans and school superintendents—is another objective of the research. Nardone (2009) explains that:
Research explores the respondents' perceptions about the GSOE
rankings themselves, in terms of what purpose the rankings might serve,
and their perceptions about the reputational survey component of
these rankings. More specifically, the study aims to understand
their level of awareness of the reputational survey, their understanding
of their impact on the rankings, their level of responsiveness to the
survey, and their methods and approach to responding to the survey.
Why do they, or do they not, respond to the survey? Do they personally
respond to the survey? Do they consult with other colleagues? An
important emphasis of the research will be on exploring the differences
in perceptions and behaviors between these two stakeho lder groups.
These objectives are captured in the second research question. (p. 8).
Q2. "How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ in their perceptions about, responsiveness to, approach to, and behavior regarding, the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of GSOEs?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9).
Nardone (2009) states:
Finally, this research will explore the concept of reputation with
these survey respondents. The literature indicates that reputation is
generally conceptualized as either prominence or as perceived quality.
This research asks the two stakeholder groups what forms the basis of
their rating of institutions when responding to the USNWR survey. Do
they consider the quality of the program graduates? Do they consider
the quality and production (output) of faculty research? Do they consider
the glossy promotional materials that cross their desk? Do they consider
the level of sponsored research? Do they consider student selectivity?
Do they consider the published rankings themselves? This will
explore whether this important ranking category captures reputation as
either prominence, or perceived quality. Again, an important emphasis is
the examination of the differences between the two stakeholder groups.
Thus, the third research question. (p. 9).
Q3. "How do these two unique stakeholder groups differ, when rating the GSOEs, in their conceptual definition of reputation—reputation as prominence, or reputation as perceived quality?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9).
This study does not join the active debate over the best indicators or
measures of quality, but instead accepts “reputation” as an asset of
value for the university and explores the perceptions and behaviors
of two stakeholder groups involved in the rating of academic
reputation. (p. 9).
After reviewing Nardone's (2009) research questions several times, and comparing the questions against Nardone's (2009) Research Problem Statement, which was to "explore the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)" (p. 6), my general impression is that the RPS is not broadly stated enough to encompass all of the research questions. Since one of the goals of the RPS is to be precise, and then suggesting that the RPS is not broad enough, my opinion is that Nardone (2009) is attempting to integrate too many research questions.
To reiterate, the three research questions are: Q1. "What is the significance of the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 8); Q2. "How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ in their perceptions about, responsiveness to, approach to, and behavior regarding, the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of GSOEs?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9); and, Q3. "How do these two unique stakeholder groups differ, when rating the GSOEs, in their conceptual definition of reputation—reputation as prominence, or reputation as perceived quality?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9).
As mentioned, my impression is that there is some duplication between Q2 and Q3, and this is because both questions ask, "How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ?". The list of topics Nardone (2009) has chosen to cover in the research questions is overwhelming. The Research Problem Statement revised as previously discussed is to examine the relationship between, and explore "the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)" (Nardone, 2009, p. 6).
The associated unrevised research questions are: Q1. "What is the significance of the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs)?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 8); Q2. "How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ in their perceptions about, responsiveness to, approach to, and behavior regarding, the reputational survey in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of GSOEs?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9); and, Q3. "How do these two unique stakeholder groups differ, when rating the GSOEs, in their conceptual definition of reputation—reputation as prominence, or reputation as perceived quality?" (Nardone, 2009, p. 9).
After revising the above, the Problem Statement and Research Questions are:
Problem Statement: Explore the perceptions and influences of the respondents to the U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) annual reputational survey for Graduate Schools of Education (GSOEs). Questions: 1. What is the significance of the reputational survey? 2. How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ in their perceptions about, responsiveness to, approach to, and behavior regarding, the reputational survey. 3. How do these two unique stakeholder groups differ, when rating the GSOEs, in their conceptual definition of reputation?
To provide a revision of the Research Questions so that consistencies and differences are identified (via meta-ethnography and meta-synthesis) (Aveyard, 2007, p. 108) with the Problem Statement, the final suggested revision is:
Q1. How do GSOE deans and school superintendents differ in their
perceptions about, responsiveness to, approach to, and behavior regarding, the reputational survey?
Conclusion
The purpose of this paper was two-fold: revising the research purpose statement and revising research questions presented by Nardone's (2009) dissertation entitled, "Reputation in America’s graduate schools of education: A study of the perceptions and influences of graduate school of education deans and school superintendents regarding U.S. News & World Report’s Ranking of “Top Education Programs". Coincidentally, the subject of Nardone's (2009)dissertation mirrors one of the dissertation subjects chosen for my doctorate program, which is to research why the ranking of America's institutes of learning continues to fall when compared with global learning institutes. Working on assignments for EDU7002 serves two purposes: submitting the required work for EDU7002 (and other future courses), and assessing literature, which provides excellent opportunities to develop skills in preparing dissertation-level papers in the future.
References
Aveyard, H. (2007). Doing a literature review in health and social care: A practical guide. Great Britain, UK: Open University Press. Retrieved from Northcentral University E-brary.
Creswell, J.W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Ellis, T.J., & Levy, Y. (2008). Framework of problem-based research: A guide for novice researchers on the development of a research-worthy problem. Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, (11), p. 17. Retrieved from http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol11/ISJv11p017-033Ellis486.pdf
Nardone, M.S. (2009). Reputation in America’s graduate schools of education: A study of the perceptions and influences of graduate school of education deans and school superintendents regarding U.S. News & World Report’s Ranking of “Top Education Programs”. Dissertation retrieved from Northcentral University's Library's ProQuest.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Online Course-Related Collaborative Activities for Pre-Service Teachers
Abstract
The e-learning asynchronous class entitled, "Transformative Learning Theory for Global Academic Excellence", is designed to aid teachers in improving academic performance of students in the 5th through 9th grades. Developing a successful e-learning course relies on consideration of several factors not the least of which is participation by the instructor and learners. When students ask themselves if they want to pursue a course, what convinces them of its value? The attributes connected to the "who, what, when, where, and why" of the class emerge. The idea for this class originated by considering "why not instruct teachers"? America's declining academic performance of the 5th through 9th grade students continues if the U.S. ranking is compared internationally: 14th in reading performance, 25th in mathematics, and 17th in science. Considering dozens of learning theories, which might enable teachers to turn the tide, resulted in a selection of the Transformative Learning Theory. To design the course, use of COURSEsites by Blackboard was chosen, and is located at https://www.coursesites.com/
webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_24042_1. This paper includes two sections: Section One discusses three content activities for the teacher students. Section Two includes an overview of the projected reactions by the teacher students who would be completing the two activities as well as a disclosure of why these activities were selected.
Online Course-Related Collaborative Activities for Preservice Teachers
Activities that support how learners try to understand what is being learned (rather than how instruction is delivered) is discussed by Karaman & Celik (2008) who refer to this change as educational reform. Specifically, literature constructivism refers to reform in how learners actively work on knowledge construction by undertaking authentic tasks, which requires application and representation of learners' ideas, and instructors who provide guidance and advice (Karaman, et. al, 2008). Project-Based Learning (PBL) enables learners to accomplish such tasks; therefore, PBL is integrated into the activities below.
A review by Helsing, Howell, Kegan, & Lahey (2008) presented evidence that the
Transformative Learning Theory is important for professional development, which is relevant to the teacher learners identified for this e-learning course. Undergoing transformation also initiates reformation in education, which warrants activities using this learning theory. Today's teachers must know how to completely understand complex problems as well as share and investigate with peers in finding solutions (Helsing, et. al, 2008). Activities are described that enable teachers to gain the skills necessary to find common ground with other stakeholders.
Background for Activity One
Mezirow's work explained that engaging in portfolio development engenders transformational learning due to its support of critical reflection as well as the changes occuring in learners' assumptions and beliefs (Conrad, 2008). The portfolio demonstrates new and previously obtained knowledge by the student's careful selection, reflection, connection, and projection, which includes the depth and a leeway supporting freedom of choice, action, or thinking about prior knowledge (Conrad, 2008).
Activity Description. Because my class is meant to instruct teacher students who are practicing or in post-secondary teaching programs, the activity was chosen for an opportunity to create an electronic portfolio to aid learners in devising materials, and recording demonstrations of past learning, and learning during my class, which is entitled, the "Transformational Learning Theory for Global Excellence". The portfolio activity is also recommended as a Transformational Learning Theory content activity by Watkins, and includes the essential reflection element recommended by Mezirow and Watkins.
Goals. To provide learners with an opportunity for reflection, selection, connection, and projection (Conrad, 2008) by creating an online portfolio. In addition, the portfolio activity will ideally result in Transformational Learning outcomes using and constructing accurate documents, using text to appropriately communicate, provide realization of the learning style of the learner, and using the learning style to complete assigned tasks required for the portfolio (Conrad, 2008).
Objectives. As a result of this learning experience, students should be able to engage cognitively with their learning histories resulting in new knowledge "of self, of self situated within the trajectory of growth, and of self situated within the profession" (Conrad, 2008, p. 142). The online portfolio should also provide a life-long learning and recording tool.
Procedures. Students receive instructions from the instructor on the parameters of the portfolio assignment. Students are instructed to select the "portfolio" link within the class' portal on the course's web site. Each learner has already received instruction on the use of WinZip. The students first complete the portfolio's profile seen within the provided template, and save it with a new unique filename, which includes the learner's name and student's identification number. (During the course of the student's program and post-graduation, the created portfolio remains available to the student for updates and revisions as desired. Graduation requirements include the submission of the completed portfolio.)
Conrad's (2008) stages noted above (reflection, selection, connection, and projection) are each included in the activity. This activity requires eight weeks to complete. Therefore, during the three-month course, the activity will start at the beginning of the second month, and each stage will be finalized and assessed weekly by the mentor. Other activities and assignments require completion every week until the end of the course, and the rubric reflects such assignments.
The reflection stage requires the learner to contemplate activities from life events, and relate them in writing to according to the academically influenced learning outcomes (e.g., organizing a household creates good organizational abilities). The selection stage requires learners to choose past activities, which can be transposed into curriculum requirements. Critical thinking skills are developed more acutely as learners record past histories and current life events strategically, which emulates those skills needed to develop an essay (Conrad, 2008). The connection stage evolves into uncovering understanding derived from the first and second stage (Conrad, 2008). The presentation stage simply involves a decision on how to best display that learning resulting from the completed portfolio.
The learner will create content for the portfolio's segments including a "table of contents, a resume, narrative autobiography or personal narrative, a chronological learning history, educational and career goals, demonstration of learning through learning statements, and documentation of learning" (Conrad, 2008, p. 145). The learner includes additional documents including "letters of attestation written by externals to validate their learning claims, and copies of credentials, awards, certificates, and other artifacts" (Conrad, 2008, p. 145). The completed portfolio will be submitted by the course's end date.
Evaluation. This activity additionally provides an assessment tool for the instructor to evaluate learning, which the instructor completes by reviewing "the connections that learners have created between their past experiential learning and its application to current learning, and looking for the insights revealed in the learners’ narrative writing that speak to the learners’ thoughtful awareness of the importance of their learning in their personal and professional lives" (Conrad, 2008, p. 147). The instructor evaluates the portfolio by looking for missing information, a display of strengths and weaknesses, and determining how the learner might complete knowledge gaps so that the learner's course can be finished. Each learner will also submit a reflective self-assessment (Conrad & Donaldson,2004) to the instructor. The portfolio activity is worth 20 per cent of the course's grade.
The instructor reviews each student's portfolio weekly using WinZip, provides suggestions to the learners via the class' e-mail system, and grades at the end of the three-month course. Each learner will also post their portfolio to the class' discussion forum, and learners will be evaluated on their feedback (Watkins, 2005).
Background for Activity Two
Structured Virtual Tours improve learners' abilities to use electronic resources to investigate academic issues, and enable learner's to provide recommendations based upon critical thinking skills. Two Virtual Tours assignments are recommended as an individualized and team activity. Mezirow (Cooper, n.d.) explains that learning the Transformative Learning Theory is reflected in students who use literature to "stimulate critical consciousness" (para 17) thereby facilitating a critical reflection of assumptions as activities progress. In order for the learners to identify potential solutions to declining academic performance, the Virtual Tours provide learners with the opportunity to examine "the depth and meaning of their world-views" (Cooper, n.d., para 8). Cooper (n.d.) and Ryman and Richardson (2009) explained that Mezirow identified rational and critical discourse as a mechanism for transformation. Critical discourse in particular transforms into constructive results as learners participate in "explaining, exploring, questioning, defending and testing ideas, in tandem with individual reflection" (Ryman & Richardson, 2009, p. 48). Therefore, the Transformational Learning Theory can successfully result in finding pathways to unexplored thinking, creation of knowledge, increased strength and trust from social relationships, potent leadership, and personal revolution, which could focus the learners on identifying solutions to falling academic performance.
Activity Description. The second content activity, Virtual Tours, provides students with exploration of web sites that enable students to become more familiar with the course's topic: Mezirow's Transformational Learning Theory, the Programme for Student Assessment (PISA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Education World, which provides information on America's testing standards, scholarly articles regarding the Transformational Learning Theory, and international learning institutes. The primary Virtual Tour web site was designed by the instructor, and includes a tour of the web sites noted above. The activity also requires in depth review of all elements within the web sites explored. Searching skills will be reviewed to aid learners in finding other relevant web sites. The review of search techniques has links in the primary Virtual Tour website, originates from YouTube.com, and are entitled, "Evaluating Sources on the World Wide Web" (heglandgm, 2009), and "Searching the Internet Effectively" (cmduke1972, 2011).
Goals. Learners will gain more expertise specifically addressing the Transformational Learning Theory, and use valid and reliable web sites to address improving academic performance in America and around the world.
Objective. As a result of this learning experience, students should be able to engage in investigating web sites that guide the learner toward finding solutions to improve academic excellence, and provide well-rounded and well-written reports of those web sites.
Procedure. The first Virtual Tour will be scheduled the third week of the course, and
the team Virtual Tour will follow four weeks later. Each Virtual Tour requires the student and the team to complete the required elements within one week. The Virtual Tour reports will be posted in the class' discussion forum. To begin the Virtual Tours, the learner accesses the instructor's guide in the class forum, which will include instructions and examples for completing and reporting on web visits. The guide includes the specific criteria for conducting and reporting upon the Virtual Tour as well as links to required web sites. The guide also provides directions as to how the Virtual Tour will occur. For example, a sequential list in the guide explains the web site's pages to be viewed, the order of viewing, time to be spent on each page, the links and functions to be selected, Web-sharing details, and other important web site information (Watkins, 2005).
Although the class is asynchronous, this activity is synchronous, and the two Virtual Tours require the individual and the team members to meet online with the instructor at the web site to be examined. The instructor will guide the learners through the web site, and provide a report to the learners of the details of the completed tour. The team will consist of 15 learners, and the team designates one learner as the lead who will be responsible for scheduling synchronous or asynchronous meetings, and posting the team's report. Each learner will select the desired activity's component to complete. The individual and team learners will use e-mail or telephone to contact the instructor as questions or problems arise. The instructor will respond to e-mails within 24 hours, and respond to telephone calls the day of the call. This activity prepares the learner to conduct web site
investigations independently. The Virtual Tours will be recorded to provide learners
to revisit the activity, and enable learners who missed the activity to complete the tour as possible.
Evaluation. Code (2010) commented that since the data captured is explicitly linked to the learning outcomes and research questions, extraneous data such as key clicks that do not provide information about the learning objectives become irrelevant. This data is keyed in establishing the validity of the in-world interactions for the purposes of assessing student inquiry learning. These data can then be used to model students’ thought processes and knowledge providing a base for understanding the cognitive implications of those actions. As serious games and virtual worlds provide a medium in which to situate students to exercise inquiry practices, there are far reaching implications for serious games and virtual worlds as an assessment tool" (para 3). The assessment instrument for this activity posted on the class' forum page requires each student to access a list of questions regarding web
site validity. Each student will choose and identify a web site page, and answer each question developed by the Regents of the University of California (2011). The
student will post the completed list to the "assignment" forum.
Background for Activity Three
Taylor (et. al, 2008) stated that "Mezirow’s transformational learning theory seeks to be a comprehensive theory of adult learning based on the fundamental principle that adults make meaning and learn from their life experiences" (p. 20). The content activity entitled, "Varied Reactions", facilitates learning by requiring learners to investigate the topic, which is the Transformative Learning Theory for Global Excellence". Investigation of the topic is required because the student teachers must perform in depth research about the teaching infrastructures around the world with special emphasis on the top 20 academically performing countries.
Activity Description. This activity will be completed by the student teams weekly
throughout the course, and completed reports will be posted in the class forum for
review and discussion by all learners. Reports will consist of three pages or less using a double-spaced format in the Times New Roman size 12 font with references shown in the American Psychological Association's (APA) format. Each team member will contribute a perspective to the team's forum regarding the chosen new's topic or undertake a role of a person that people would typically associate with the new's topic. For example, team members could represent the article's writer, a person-of-interest, a person who challenges everything, an informed advocate, and so forth (Watkins, 2005). The news item, roles, and perspectives will be discussed in the team's forum, and address world news updates on academic performance. References will be no older than five years (60 months).
Goals. Students and teams will successfully provide reviews of scholarly and peer-reviewed news items regarding the class' topic, display differing perspectives and roles used during the news' investigations, and illustrate enhanced acuity in communication skills.
Objectives. As a result of this learning experience, students should display clarity when thinking outside of the box, seek answers for improved academic performance that may not readily be clear, review current events, and discuss findings with classmates.
Procedures. The instructor will provide students with a list of roles and
perspectives aligned with the class' topic. The activity is a collaborative event, and the previously identified teams of five will identify each person's role and perspective. Each team will select an appropriate news item, choose selective references, contact news' sources as needed, discuss findings and decide the perspectives to be used as a group. Any issues will be discussed with the instructor and one lead team member. The news report will be posted by the due date, and depth of discussion by all learners will be half of the assignment's value. Each subsequent "Varied Reactions" activity requires team members to select new roles and perspectives.
Evaluation. Each team member will complete and submit to the instructor a template requiring feedback on each team member's contribution. The template's questions include an inquiry into how the team members interacted, how the selected communication and meeting tools were chosen and used, identification of conflicts and resolutions, inquiry into each member's level of freedom to select role and perspective, a summary of positive and negative emotions tied to student's role, and a synopsis of plans for the next news topic including a recommendation for research ideas that would gain more understanding of the topic. The 12 "Varied Reactions" activities are valued at 30 per cent of the total grade (two and one-half points each). The template for each of the 12 activities is to be submitted within 24 hours after the teams' reports are posted according to the due dates provided by the instructor.
Reflection
Students' Reactions to Activity One, Two, and Three. The Portfolio, Virtual
Tour, and Varied Reactions activities provide learners with a superb organizational tool usable for a life-long online recording tool, a synchronous collaborative exercise guided by the instructor, which provides discovery of web page content, a
team-building activity aiding learners as they participate in different roles, and
builds critical thinking skills as research affects participants' perspectives related to identifying reasons for the declining academic performance around the world. Each activity promotes growth in social discourse, new knowledge related to internet technologies, and skill-building due to working in teams. Varying learning tools aid in building student interest, and challenges students to create answers independently and in teams. To train America's educators how to elevate collaboration with higher achieving global educators, and elicit improved academic performance by American students will be a positive and valuable experience for the learner and instructor.
Purpose of Activities' Selections. The rationale for selecting the specific content e-learning activities for high school teachers regarding the "Transformative Learning Theory for Global Academic Excellence" is important because the ranking of America's institutes of learning continues to fall if compared with global learning institutes. Cooper (n.d.) wrote that transformative changes in learning methodologies will not occur if new knowledge fits within one's frame of reference. As the students' fundamental beliefs and assumptions are challenged, the tools that Transformative Learning provides enables a smoother transformation for improving instructional effectiveness. Beldarrain (2006)wrote that newer models of teaching as described above in the activities provides for students to adopt the instructor's role, share expertise, present course content, and use the school's file-sharing capabilities to transfer documents to the instructor or peers. Furthermore, the activities improve problem-solving skills because tasks are attached to situations or problems. The activities above aid students in solving problems by fostering content and peer interaction. An additional purpose in choosing the three activities above is that the act of reflection should infiltrate as many activities as possible. Actually, Grossman (2009) indicates that thoughts and feelings cannot be discerned easily during reflection. However, transformation in how thoughts are organized does relate to the course's main topic, and continues to assure this writer that activities targeting the Transformational Learning Theory will fulfill the purpose for this class: transforming thinking to find solutions to declining academic performance.
Conclusion
Developing a successful e-learning course, and its activities relies on consideration of several elements. Assessing dozens of learning theories to determine the closest fit for enabling teachers to turn the tide of falling performance resulted in a selection of the Transformative Learning Theory. Transformative learning instruments provide educators with an ability to support integration of knowledge and comprehension, and promises a stronger route toward improving academic performance.
References
Beldarrain, Y. (2006, August). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2), 139. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
cmduke1972 (2011). Searching the internet effectively. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cejWkh4DRaU
Code, J. (2010, October 3). Virtual performance assessment in immersive virtual environments. Retrieved from http://www.jillcode.com/2010/10/03/virtual-performance-assessment-in-immersive-virtual-environments/
Conrad, D. (2008). Building knowledge through portfolio learning in prior learning assessment and recognition. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 9(2), 139-150. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J.A. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. SanFrancisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cooper, S. (n.d.). Theories of Learning in Educational Psychology. Retrieved from
http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/humanist/mezirow.html
Grossman, R. (2009, Winter). Structures for facilitating student reflection. College Teaching, 57(1), 15-22. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
heglandgm ( 2009). Evaluating sources on the world wide web. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELclOOxzt3U&feature=related
Helsing, D., Howell, A., Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. (2008, Fall). Putting the "development" in professional development: Understanding and overturning educational leaders' immunities to change. Harvard Educational Review, 78(3), 437-465. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Karaman, S., & Celik, S. (2008, March). An exploratory study on the perspectives of prospective computer teachers following project-based learning. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 18(2), 203-215. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Regents of the University of California. (2011). Evaluating web pages: Techniques to apply & questions to ask. Retrieved from http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/
TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
Ryman, S., Burrell, L., & Richardson, B. (2010, March). Creating and sustaining online learning communities: Designing environments for transformative learning: Part II: Sustaining a learning community through constructive controversy. International Journal of Pedagogies & Learning, 5(3), 46-58. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journal.
Taylor, M.A., Taylor, L., & Fischer, J.M. (2009). Factors relevant to the affective content in literature survey: Implications for designing an adult transformational learning curriculum. Journal of Adult Education, (38)2, 19-31. Retrieved from
ProQuest Education Journals.
Watkins, R. (2005). 75 e-learning activities: Making online learning interactive. SanFrancisco:John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The e-learning asynchronous class entitled, "Transformative Learning Theory for Global Academic Excellence", is designed to aid teachers in improving academic performance of students in the 5th through 9th grades. Developing a successful e-learning course relies on consideration of several factors not the least of which is participation by the instructor and learners. When students ask themselves if they want to pursue a course, what convinces them of its value? The attributes connected to the "who, what, when, where, and why" of the class emerge. The idea for this class originated by considering "why not instruct teachers"? America's declining academic performance of the 5th through 9th grade students continues if the U.S. ranking is compared internationally: 14th in reading performance, 25th in mathematics, and 17th in science. Considering dozens of learning theories, which might enable teachers to turn the tide, resulted in a selection of the Transformative Learning Theory. To design the course, use of COURSEsites by Blackboard was chosen, and is located at https://www.coursesites.com/
webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_24042_1. This paper includes two sections: Section One discusses three content activities for the teacher students. Section Two includes an overview of the projected reactions by the teacher students who would be completing the two activities as well as a disclosure of why these activities were selected.
Online Course-Related Collaborative Activities for Preservice Teachers
Activities that support how learners try to understand what is being learned (rather than how instruction is delivered) is discussed by Karaman & Celik (2008) who refer to this change as educational reform. Specifically, literature constructivism refers to reform in how learners actively work on knowledge construction by undertaking authentic tasks, which requires application and representation of learners' ideas, and instructors who provide guidance and advice (Karaman, et. al, 2008). Project-Based Learning (PBL) enables learners to accomplish such tasks; therefore, PBL is integrated into the activities below.
A review by Helsing, Howell, Kegan, & Lahey (2008) presented evidence that the
Transformative Learning Theory is important for professional development, which is relevant to the teacher learners identified for this e-learning course. Undergoing transformation also initiates reformation in education, which warrants activities using this learning theory. Today's teachers must know how to completely understand complex problems as well as share and investigate with peers in finding solutions (Helsing, et. al, 2008). Activities are described that enable teachers to gain the skills necessary to find common ground with other stakeholders.
Background for Activity One
Mezirow's work explained that engaging in portfolio development engenders transformational learning due to its support of critical reflection as well as the changes occuring in learners' assumptions and beliefs (Conrad, 2008). The portfolio demonstrates new and previously obtained knowledge by the student's careful selection, reflection, connection, and projection, which includes the depth and a leeway supporting freedom of choice, action, or thinking about prior knowledge (Conrad, 2008).
Activity Description. Because my class is meant to instruct teacher students who are practicing or in post-secondary teaching programs, the activity was chosen for an opportunity to create an electronic portfolio to aid learners in devising materials, and recording demonstrations of past learning, and learning during my class, which is entitled, the "Transformational Learning Theory for Global Excellence". The portfolio activity is also recommended as a Transformational Learning Theory content activity by Watkins, and includes the essential reflection element recommended by Mezirow and Watkins.
Goals. To provide learners with an opportunity for reflection, selection, connection, and projection (Conrad, 2008) by creating an online portfolio. In addition, the portfolio activity will ideally result in Transformational Learning outcomes using and constructing accurate documents, using text to appropriately communicate, provide realization of the learning style of the learner, and using the learning style to complete assigned tasks required for the portfolio (Conrad, 2008).
Objectives. As a result of this learning experience, students should be able to engage cognitively with their learning histories resulting in new knowledge "of self, of self situated within the trajectory of growth, and of self situated within the profession" (Conrad, 2008, p. 142). The online portfolio should also provide a life-long learning and recording tool.
Procedures. Students receive instructions from the instructor on the parameters of the portfolio assignment. Students are instructed to select the "portfolio" link within the class' portal on the course's web site. Each learner has already received instruction on the use of WinZip. The students first complete the portfolio's profile seen within the provided template, and save it with a new unique filename, which includes the learner's name and student's identification number. (During the course of the student's program and post-graduation, the created portfolio remains available to the student for updates and revisions as desired. Graduation requirements include the submission of the completed portfolio.)
Conrad's (2008) stages noted above (reflection, selection, connection, and projection) are each included in the activity. This activity requires eight weeks to complete. Therefore, during the three-month course, the activity will start at the beginning of the second month, and each stage will be finalized and assessed weekly by the mentor. Other activities and assignments require completion every week until the end of the course, and the rubric reflects such assignments.
The reflection stage requires the learner to contemplate activities from life events, and relate them in writing to according to the academically influenced learning outcomes (e.g., organizing a household creates good organizational abilities). The selection stage requires learners to choose past activities, which can be transposed into curriculum requirements. Critical thinking skills are developed more acutely as learners record past histories and current life events strategically, which emulates those skills needed to develop an essay (Conrad, 2008). The connection stage evolves into uncovering understanding derived from the first and second stage (Conrad, 2008). The presentation stage simply involves a decision on how to best display that learning resulting from the completed portfolio.
The learner will create content for the portfolio's segments including a "table of contents, a resume, narrative autobiography or personal narrative, a chronological learning history, educational and career goals, demonstration of learning through learning statements, and documentation of learning" (Conrad, 2008, p. 145). The learner includes additional documents including "letters of attestation written by externals to validate their learning claims, and copies of credentials, awards, certificates, and other artifacts" (Conrad, 2008, p. 145). The completed portfolio will be submitted by the course's end date.
Evaluation. This activity additionally provides an assessment tool for the instructor to evaluate learning, which the instructor completes by reviewing "the connections that learners have created between their past experiential learning and its application to current learning, and looking for the insights revealed in the learners’ narrative writing that speak to the learners’ thoughtful awareness of the importance of their learning in their personal and professional lives" (Conrad, 2008, p. 147). The instructor evaluates the portfolio by looking for missing information, a display of strengths and weaknesses, and determining how the learner might complete knowledge gaps so that the learner's course can be finished. Each learner will also submit a reflective self-assessment (Conrad & Donaldson,2004) to the instructor. The portfolio activity is worth 20 per cent of the course's grade.
The instructor reviews each student's portfolio weekly using WinZip, provides suggestions to the learners via the class' e-mail system, and grades at the end of the three-month course. Each learner will also post their portfolio to the class' discussion forum, and learners will be evaluated on their feedback (Watkins, 2005).
Background for Activity Two
Structured Virtual Tours improve learners' abilities to use electronic resources to investigate academic issues, and enable learner's to provide recommendations based upon critical thinking skills. Two Virtual Tours assignments are recommended as an individualized and team activity. Mezirow (Cooper, n.d.) explains that learning the Transformative Learning Theory is reflected in students who use literature to "stimulate critical consciousness" (para 17) thereby facilitating a critical reflection of assumptions as activities progress. In order for the learners to identify potential solutions to declining academic performance, the Virtual Tours provide learners with the opportunity to examine "the depth and meaning of their world-views" (Cooper, n.d., para 8). Cooper (n.d.) and Ryman and Richardson (2009) explained that Mezirow identified rational and critical discourse as a mechanism for transformation. Critical discourse in particular transforms into constructive results as learners participate in "explaining, exploring, questioning, defending and testing ideas, in tandem with individual reflection" (Ryman & Richardson, 2009, p. 48). Therefore, the Transformational Learning Theory can successfully result in finding pathways to unexplored thinking, creation of knowledge, increased strength and trust from social relationships, potent leadership, and personal revolution, which could focus the learners on identifying solutions to falling academic performance.
Activity Description. The second content activity, Virtual Tours, provides students with exploration of web sites that enable students to become more familiar with the course's topic: Mezirow's Transformational Learning Theory, the Programme for Student Assessment (PISA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Education World, which provides information on America's testing standards, scholarly articles regarding the Transformational Learning Theory, and international learning institutes. The primary Virtual Tour web site was designed by the instructor, and includes a tour of the web sites noted above. The activity also requires in depth review of all elements within the web sites explored. Searching skills will be reviewed to aid learners in finding other relevant web sites. The review of search techniques has links in the primary Virtual Tour website, originates from YouTube.com, and are entitled, "Evaluating Sources on the World Wide Web" (heglandgm, 2009), and "Searching the Internet Effectively" (cmduke1972, 2011).
Goals. Learners will gain more expertise specifically addressing the Transformational Learning Theory, and use valid and reliable web sites to address improving academic performance in America and around the world.
Objective. As a result of this learning experience, students should be able to engage in investigating web sites that guide the learner toward finding solutions to improve academic excellence, and provide well-rounded and well-written reports of those web sites.
Procedure. The first Virtual Tour will be scheduled the third week of the course, and
the team Virtual Tour will follow four weeks later. Each Virtual Tour requires the student and the team to complete the required elements within one week. The Virtual Tour reports will be posted in the class' discussion forum. To begin the Virtual Tours, the learner accesses the instructor's guide in the class forum, which will include instructions and examples for completing and reporting on web visits. The guide includes the specific criteria for conducting and reporting upon the Virtual Tour as well as links to required web sites. The guide also provides directions as to how the Virtual Tour will occur. For example, a sequential list in the guide explains the web site's pages to be viewed, the order of viewing, time to be spent on each page, the links and functions to be selected, Web-sharing details, and other important web site information (Watkins, 2005).
Although the class is asynchronous, this activity is synchronous, and the two Virtual Tours require the individual and the team members to meet online with the instructor at the web site to be examined. The instructor will guide the learners through the web site, and provide a report to the learners of the details of the completed tour. The team will consist of 15 learners, and the team designates one learner as the lead who will be responsible for scheduling synchronous or asynchronous meetings, and posting the team's report. Each learner will select the desired activity's component to complete. The individual and team learners will use e-mail or telephone to contact the instructor as questions or problems arise. The instructor will respond to e-mails within 24 hours, and respond to telephone calls the day of the call. This activity prepares the learner to conduct web site
investigations independently. The Virtual Tours will be recorded to provide learners
to revisit the activity, and enable learners who missed the activity to complete the tour as possible.
Evaluation. Code (2010) commented that since the data captured is explicitly linked to the learning outcomes and research questions, extraneous data such as key clicks that do not provide information about the learning objectives become irrelevant. This data is keyed in establishing the validity of the in-world interactions for the purposes of assessing student inquiry learning. These data can then be used to model students’ thought processes and knowledge providing a base for understanding the cognitive implications of those actions. As serious games and virtual worlds provide a medium in which to situate students to exercise inquiry practices, there are far reaching implications for serious games and virtual worlds as an assessment tool" (para 3). The assessment instrument for this activity posted on the class' forum page requires each student to access a list of questions regarding web
site validity. Each student will choose and identify a web site page, and answer each question developed by the Regents of the University of California (2011). The
student will post the completed list to the "assignment" forum.
Background for Activity Three
Taylor (et. al, 2008) stated that "Mezirow’s transformational learning theory seeks to be a comprehensive theory of adult learning based on the fundamental principle that adults make meaning and learn from their life experiences" (p. 20). The content activity entitled, "Varied Reactions", facilitates learning by requiring learners to investigate the topic, which is the Transformative Learning Theory for Global Excellence". Investigation of the topic is required because the student teachers must perform in depth research about the teaching infrastructures around the world with special emphasis on the top 20 academically performing countries.
Activity Description. This activity will be completed by the student teams weekly
throughout the course, and completed reports will be posted in the class forum for
review and discussion by all learners. Reports will consist of three pages or less using a double-spaced format in the Times New Roman size 12 font with references shown in the American Psychological Association's (APA) format. Each team member will contribute a perspective to the team's forum regarding the chosen new's topic or undertake a role of a person that people would typically associate with the new's topic. For example, team members could represent the article's writer, a person-of-interest, a person who challenges everything, an informed advocate, and so forth (Watkins, 2005). The news item, roles, and perspectives will be discussed in the team's forum, and address world news updates on academic performance. References will be no older than five years (60 months).
Goals. Students and teams will successfully provide reviews of scholarly and peer-reviewed news items regarding the class' topic, display differing perspectives and roles used during the news' investigations, and illustrate enhanced acuity in communication skills.
Objectives. As a result of this learning experience, students should display clarity when thinking outside of the box, seek answers for improved academic performance that may not readily be clear, review current events, and discuss findings with classmates.
Procedures. The instructor will provide students with a list of roles and
perspectives aligned with the class' topic. The activity is a collaborative event, and the previously identified teams of five will identify each person's role and perspective. Each team will select an appropriate news item, choose selective references, contact news' sources as needed, discuss findings and decide the perspectives to be used as a group. Any issues will be discussed with the instructor and one lead team member. The news report will be posted by the due date, and depth of discussion by all learners will be half of the assignment's value. Each subsequent "Varied Reactions" activity requires team members to select new roles and perspectives.
Evaluation. Each team member will complete and submit to the instructor a template requiring feedback on each team member's contribution. The template's questions include an inquiry into how the team members interacted, how the selected communication and meeting tools were chosen and used, identification of conflicts and resolutions, inquiry into each member's level of freedom to select role and perspective, a summary of positive and negative emotions tied to student's role, and a synopsis of plans for the next news topic including a recommendation for research ideas that would gain more understanding of the topic. The 12 "Varied Reactions" activities are valued at 30 per cent of the total grade (two and one-half points each). The template for each of the 12 activities is to be submitted within 24 hours after the teams' reports are posted according to the due dates provided by the instructor.
Reflection
Students' Reactions to Activity One, Two, and Three. The Portfolio, Virtual
Tour, and Varied Reactions activities provide learners with a superb organizational tool usable for a life-long online recording tool, a synchronous collaborative exercise guided by the instructor, which provides discovery of web page content, a
team-building activity aiding learners as they participate in different roles, and
builds critical thinking skills as research affects participants' perspectives related to identifying reasons for the declining academic performance around the world. Each activity promotes growth in social discourse, new knowledge related to internet technologies, and skill-building due to working in teams. Varying learning tools aid in building student interest, and challenges students to create answers independently and in teams. To train America's educators how to elevate collaboration with higher achieving global educators, and elicit improved academic performance by American students will be a positive and valuable experience for the learner and instructor.
Purpose of Activities' Selections. The rationale for selecting the specific content e-learning activities for high school teachers regarding the "Transformative Learning Theory for Global Academic Excellence" is important because the ranking of America's institutes of learning continues to fall if compared with global learning institutes. Cooper (n.d.) wrote that transformative changes in learning methodologies will not occur if new knowledge fits within one's frame of reference. As the students' fundamental beliefs and assumptions are challenged, the tools that Transformative Learning provides enables a smoother transformation for improving instructional effectiveness. Beldarrain (2006)wrote that newer models of teaching as described above in the activities provides for students to adopt the instructor's role, share expertise, present course content, and use the school's file-sharing capabilities to transfer documents to the instructor or peers. Furthermore, the activities improve problem-solving skills because tasks are attached to situations or problems. The activities above aid students in solving problems by fostering content and peer interaction. An additional purpose in choosing the three activities above is that the act of reflection should infiltrate as many activities as possible. Actually, Grossman (2009) indicates that thoughts and feelings cannot be discerned easily during reflection. However, transformation in how thoughts are organized does relate to the course's main topic, and continues to assure this writer that activities targeting the Transformational Learning Theory will fulfill the purpose for this class: transforming thinking to find solutions to declining academic performance.
Conclusion
Developing a successful e-learning course, and its activities relies on consideration of several elements. Assessing dozens of learning theories to determine the closest fit for enabling teachers to turn the tide of falling performance resulted in a selection of the Transformative Learning Theory. Transformative learning instruments provide educators with an ability to support integration of knowledge and comprehension, and promises a stronger route toward improving academic performance.
References
Beldarrain, Y. (2006, August). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2), 139. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
cmduke1972 (2011). Searching the internet effectively. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cejWkh4DRaU
Code, J. (2010, October 3). Virtual performance assessment in immersive virtual environments. Retrieved from http://www.jillcode.com/2010/10/03/virtual-performance-assessment-in-immersive-virtual-environments/
Conrad, D. (2008). Building knowledge through portfolio learning in prior learning assessment and recognition. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 9(2), 139-150. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J.A. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. SanFrancisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cooper, S. (n.d.). Theories of Learning in Educational Psychology. Retrieved from
http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/humanist/mezirow.html
Grossman, R. (2009, Winter). Structures for facilitating student reflection. College Teaching, 57(1), 15-22. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
heglandgm ( 2009). Evaluating sources on the world wide web. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELclOOxzt3U&feature=related
Helsing, D., Howell, A., Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. (2008, Fall). Putting the "development" in professional development: Understanding and overturning educational leaders' immunities to change. Harvard Educational Review, 78(3), 437-465. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Karaman, S., & Celik, S. (2008, March). An exploratory study on the perspectives of prospective computer teachers following project-based learning. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 18(2), 203-215. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Regents of the University of California. (2011). Evaluating web pages: Techniques to apply & questions to ask. Retrieved from http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/
TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
Ryman, S., Burrell, L., & Richardson, B. (2010, March). Creating and sustaining online learning communities: Designing environments for transformative learning: Part II: Sustaining a learning community through constructive controversy. International Journal of Pedagogies & Learning, 5(3), 46-58. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journal.
Taylor, M.A., Taylor, L., & Fischer, J.M. (2009). Factors relevant to the affective content in literature survey: Implications for designing an adult transformational learning curriculum. Journal of Adult Education, (38)2, 19-31. Retrieved from
ProQuest Education Journals.
Watkins, R. (2005). 75 e-learning activities: Making online learning interactive. SanFrancisco:John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Power in a Sample
Since my last assignment, which included the development of a sampling plan, determination of a sample size, and using power to estimate a sample size, I became interested in learning more about power (or a capacity to detect a difference) theories, and its best practices. The researcher's "real goal is to design a high-quality study" (Lenth, 2001, p. 1), and an ethical high quality study does not include using "shortcuts related to power and sample size" (Lenth, 2001, p. 1). Finding the right variances according to Lenth (2001), requires an understanding that "power functions usually involve parameters unrelated to the hypotheses…they often involve one or more variances" (p. 5). Lenth (2001) reported that "sample size is but one of several quality characteristics of a statistical study" (p. 6). "If the sample size is too large, then the study is under-powered" (Lenth, 2001, p. 6). "Sample size may be smaller than necessary so the planned study is over-powered" (Lenth, 2001, p. 6).
Lenth (2001) wrote that "eliciting meaningful effect sizes and estimating error variances constitute two potentially difficult obstacles in addressing sample-size problems" (p. 8). The choice of "instrumentation has a huge effect on the results, and so it should affect your sample-size calculations" (Lenth, 2001, p. 8) standardized-effect-size goals are misused in many situations" (Lenth, 2001, p. 8). However, using a "standardized effect-size measure (such as represented by) simple linear regression of a variable y on another variable x, the correlation (or squared correlation) between x and y can serve as a standardized effect-size measure" (Lenth, 2001, p. 8).
This measurement combines three quantities that must be considered separately rather than being lumped together into a single R2 measure: "the slope of the line, the error variance, and the variance of the x values, which are, respectively, absolute effect size, variance, and experimental design" (Lenth, 2001, p. 8). According to Lenth (2001), there is strong statistical evidence supporting the belief that H0 is true when the test is non-significant but the observed power is high. However, since the "observed power increases as the P value decreases, high observed power constitutes evidence against the null hypothesis" (p. 9).
"Sample-size problems are context-dependent" (Lenth, 2001, p. 10). Increasing the sample size to explain for uncertainty depends upon practical and ethical criteria. Sample size represents a study design's quality (Lenth, 2001). Lenth (2001) reported that in addition to the "power approach discussed here, there are other respectable approaches to sample-size planning, including Bayesian ones and frequentist methods that focus on estimation rather than testing" (p. 10). "While technically different, those approaches also require care in considering scientific goals, incorporating pilot data, ethics, and study design" (Lenth, 2001, p. 10).
Luh and Guo (2010) reported that literature was minimal regarding the subject of "allocating participants into different treatment groups to achieve the desired power when one group is fixed" (p. 14). Focusing on determining the sample size "for the second group for the two-sample k" (p. 14) was the key subject for Luh and Guo (2010) who determined that "the sample size needed is less than that of the traditional B.L. Welch test especially for nonnormal distributions. " (p. 14). Simulation results also demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed formula in terms of Type I error and statistical power.
Research designs used for data analysis include the trimmed mean method, which for non-normal distributions provides a robust estimate (Luh and Guo, 2010). Regarding heterogeneous variance, many researchers reported that the trimmed mean method was frequently used for analyzing real data (Luh and Guo, 2010). After devising and integrating new formulations during simulated tests, Luh and Guo (2010) wrote that sample size determination is one of the key features approached by researchers during the investigative planning phase since "underestimation will reduce the power to detect an experiment effect" (p. 22). Knowing that "power is a function of the significance level, the true alternative hypothesis, the sample size, and the particular test used" (Luh and Guo, 2010, p. 22).
When test's assumptions are unmet, the trimmed mean method and the calculation of its corresponding sample size provide robust statistical results. Luh and Guo's (2010) study used "the trimmed mean method for variance heterogeneity, had a fixed number of subjects for one group at the time of planning, and derived the sample size determination for another group" (p. 22). Simulation using the proposed method resulted in a "consistent pattern" (Luh and Guo, 2010, p. 22), and eliminated the potential for a Type I error because the desired power was controlled (Luh and Guo, 2010). Advice for researchers includes a consideration of "a range of population parameters because the adequacy of the sample size depends on the accuracy of the initial specifications of the assumed parameters in the population" (Luh and Guo, 2010, p. 22). Unfortunately, current statistical software packages are not able to analyze some unique situations but Luh and Guo's (2010) recommendations fill that gap as well as provides a good approximation.
Houser (2007) discusses the relationship between power and sample size. The sample size must allow the detection of the effects of one or more items on other items in a study, and give the researcher confidence in the analytical results. Inadequate power that does not detect outcomes can result in a researcher's assessment that the effects of one or more items on other items in a study were not successful (a Type II error).
Unsuccessful results that later determine that the treatment was effective (successful) indicate that the "sample size was inadequate" (Houser, 2007, p. 1). As samples get larger, and the test's results more precise, it becomes easier to detect inconsequential clinically. Guidelines for determing power include: (1) planning the statistical test, (2) determining a detectable effect size, (3) an acceptable power level, and (4) the sample's particular attributes (Houser, 2007). Understanding and applying the information above gains an important place of note in the development of my first dissertation.
References:
Houser, J. (2007). How many are enough? Statistical power analysis and sample size estimation in clinical research. Journal of Clinical Research Best Practices, 3(3), 1-4. Retrieved from http://firstclinical.com/journal/2007/0703_Power.pdf
Lenth, R.V. (2001, March). Some practical guidelines for effective sample-size determination. Retrieved from http://www.stat.uiowa.edu/techrep/tr303.pdf
Luh, W., & Guo, J. (2009, Fall). The sample size needed for the trimmed t test when one group size is fixed. Journal of Experimental Education, 78(1), 14-25. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
Lenth (2001) wrote that "eliciting meaningful effect sizes and estimating error variances constitute two potentially difficult obstacles in addressing sample-size problems" (p. 8). The choice of "instrumentation has a huge effect on the results, and so it should affect your sample-size calculations" (Lenth, 2001, p. 8) standardized-effect-size goals are misused in many situations" (Lenth, 2001, p. 8). However, using a "standardized effect-size measure (such as represented by) simple linear regression of a variable y on another variable x, the correlation (or squared correlation) between x and y can serve as a standardized effect-size measure" (Lenth, 2001, p. 8).
This measurement combines three quantities that must be considered separately rather than being lumped together into a single R2 measure: "the slope of the line, the error variance, and the variance of the x values, which are, respectively, absolute effect size, variance, and experimental design" (Lenth, 2001, p. 8). According to Lenth (2001), there is strong statistical evidence supporting the belief that H0 is true when the test is non-significant but the observed power is high. However, since the "observed power increases as the P value decreases, high observed power constitutes evidence against the null hypothesis" (p. 9).
"Sample-size problems are context-dependent" (Lenth, 2001, p. 10). Increasing the sample size to explain for uncertainty depends upon practical and ethical criteria. Sample size represents a study design's quality (Lenth, 2001). Lenth (2001) reported that in addition to the "power approach discussed here, there are other respectable approaches to sample-size planning, including Bayesian ones and frequentist methods that focus on estimation rather than testing" (p. 10). "While technically different, those approaches also require care in considering scientific goals, incorporating pilot data, ethics, and study design" (Lenth, 2001, p. 10).
Luh and Guo (2010) reported that literature was minimal regarding the subject of "allocating participants into different treatment groups to achieve the desired power when one group is fixed" (p. 14). Focusing on determining the sample size "for the second group for the two-sample k" (p. 14) was the key subject for Luh and Guo (2010) who determined that "the sample size needed is less than that of the traditional B.L. Welch test especially for nonnormal distributions. " (p. 14). Simulation results also demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed formula in terms of Type I error and statistical power.
Research designs used for data analysis include the trimmed mean method, which for non-normal distributions provides a robust estimate (Luh and Guo, 2010). Regarding heterogeneous variance, many researchers reported that the trimmed mean method was frequently used for analyzing real data (Luh and Guo, 2010). After devising and integrating new formulations during simulated tests, Luh and Guo (2010) wrote that sample size determination is one of the key features approached by researchers during the investigative planning phase since "underestimation will reduce the power to detect an experiment effect" (p. 22). Knowing that "power is a function of the significance level, the true alternative hypothesis, the sample size, and the particular test used" (Luh and Guo, 2010, p. 22).
When test's assumptions are unmet, the trimmed mean method and the calculation of its corresponding sample size provide robust statistical results. Luh and Guo's (2010) study used "the trimmed mean method for variance heterogeneity, had a fixed number of subjects for one group at the time of planning, and derived the sample size determination for another group" (p. 22). Simulation using the proposed method resulted in a "consistent pattern" (Luh and Guo, 2010, p. 22), and eliminated the potential for a Type I error because the desired power was controlled (Luh and Guo, 2010). Advice for researchers includes a consideration of "a range of population parameters because the adequacy of the sample size depends on the accuracy of the initial specifications of the assumed parameters in the population" (Luh and Guo, 2010, p. 22). Unfortunately, current statistical software packages are not able to analyze some unique situations but Luh and Guo's (2010) recommendations fill that gap as well as provides a good approximation.
Houser (2007) discusses the relationship between power and sample size. The sample size must allow the detection of the effects of one or more items on other items in a study, and give the researcher confidence in the analytical results. Inadequate power that does not detect outcomes can result in a researcher's assessment that the effects of one or more items on other items in a study were not successful (a Type II error).
Unsuccessful results that later determine that the treatment was effective (successful) indicate that the "sample size was inadequate" (Houser, 2007, p. 1). As samples get larger, and the test's results more precise, it becomes easier to detect inconsequential clinically. Guidelines for determing power include: (1) planning the statistical test, (2) determining a detectable effect size, (3) an acceptable power level, and (4) the sample's particular attributes (Houser, 2007). Understanding and applying the information above gains an important place of note in the development of my first dissertation.
References:
Houser, J. (2007). How many are enough? Statistical power analysis and sample size estimation in clinical research. Journal of Clinical Research Best Practices, 3(3), 1-4. Retrieved from http://firstclinical.com/journal/2007/0703_Power.pdf
Lenth, R.V. (2001, March). Some practical guidelines for effective sample-size determination. Retrieved from http://www.stat.uiowa.edu/techrep/tr303.pdf
Luh, W., & Guo, J. (2009, Fall). The sample size needed for the trimmed t test when one group size is fixed. Journal of Experimental Education, 78(1), 14-25. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Designing a Virtual World Course
Abstract
Preparing designs for online collaborative learning involves careful consideration of applicable and recent reliable resources. Published research inadequately paces the evolvement of newer teaching technologies. Regardless of the delays involved in conducting and reporting statistical testing of the new technologies, tentative progress has created new paradigms for teaching and learning online. Activities designed, and currently being used for online learner collaborations provide the substance for future research to determine whether universities are selecting the most appropriate technologies.
Course Project
The course project presents a synopsis for an online course entitled "ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies", and includes its description, background, security, instructional approaches, goals, objectives, and learners' descriptions. Additionally, the synopsis incorporates four online collaborative activities' designs, which provide elements such as the activities' directions, objectives, timelines, processes for students' submissions, and assessments. Recently published substantive research was reviewed from scholarly, peer-reviewed articles and relevant textbooks.
Course Description
The activities described below were configured for a Northcentral University course entitled "ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies". Reflecting upon the basis of Northcentral University's mission, goals, and objectives is appropriate for designing a course for Northcentral University. Therefore, the mission statement and goals are provided below as presented by Northcentral University's president, Dr. Gardner, and by Northcentral University's School of Education. Dr. Gardner ( 2012) remarked that:
Northcentral University's mission statement includes a commitment to provide people throughout the world with quality educational opportunities by offering accredited Graduate and Undergraduate programs through a proven, fully online, distinctive faculty mentored approach to learning. With highly credentialed and passionate staff, utilizing progressive methodologies, Northcentral University prepares graduates to be distinguished contributors to societies around the globe. (para 1) The mission statement and goals provided by Northcentral University's School of Education (2012) are:
To prepare professional educators at all levels to become effective leaders, reflective practitioners, and successful communicators within the diverse field of education. The School of Education's mission is centered on improving teaching, learning, research and leadership contributions throughout all levels of education. The School of Education at Northcentral University will produce professional educators who can apply concepts of the disciplines; effectively communicate; conduct sound, open-minded research by addressing issues critically and reflectively; create solutions to problems, respect diverse cultures and backgrounds; demonstrate a commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards; foster effective discussion of theoretical problems within the education profession; and nurture a commitment to life-long learning. (para 1)
The principles mentioned by Dr. Gardner and the Northcentral University's School of Education are assimilated into the following course's design. Furthermore, integrating these principles avails the learners to participate within collaboratively based activities. A learning platform based upon collaboration provides learners with a "sense of community…(as well as) membership and feelings of friendship, cohesion, and satisfaction among learners" (Desai, Hart & Richards, 2008, p. 333). Other key topics pertinent to the design of online collaborative activities are noted below such as issues related to online security.
Background: Second Life and Computer-Assisted Collaborative Instruction
A series of four activities based upon using a virtual world, Second Life, were presented to Northcentral University's Department of Education for this course. The method used to gain approval involved the innovation-decision process, which involved five steps: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation (Du, 2011). This method is a process employed when an attitudinal change toward an innovation such as Second Life is under consideration.
A component of the knowledge element provided to the Education Department included that research by experts in the field had confirmed that the Multiple-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) "create authentic, situated, and distributed 3D learning experiences" (Du, 2011), and add positive learning outcomes to "distance education courses for graduate students, collaboration, online teacher development, and scientific literacy" (Du, 2011, p. 43). Once a favorable attitude was gained by the presentation, persuading those who could approve the use of Second Life enabled a favorable decision (Du, 2011).
Ion and Vespan (2011) discussed that computer-assisted collaborative instruction is extremely valuable for learners who already use a variety of multimedia systems as do Northcentral learners because "deploying collaborative activities inside an assisted instruction platform facilitates extending the scope of knowledge for each student" (p. 125). If learners form teams based upon similar interests, a knowledge base is developed as a result of collaborative activities, and that knowledge base creates a unique identifier for the team (Ion & Vespan, 2011). By combining collaboration with assisted instruction systems, a "consciousness society" (Ion & Vespan, 2011, p. 125) develops.
The activities described below support expansion of collaborative skills by prompting learners to communicate with each other, and incorporate each other's ideas into new knowledge (Zhang, Venkatesh, & Brown, 2011). As collaborative skills expand, knowledge contextualization provides the framework needed for learners to evaluate the value of shared information. As a team's learners contribute relevant information, other team members experience reduced time and effort on retrieving and processing information. The team members' various perspectives enables the group to assess problems, and reach a decision with optimal results (Zhang et al., 2011).
Zhang, Venkatesh, & Brown (2011) identified other factors relevant to building collaborative skills such as (1) "indeterminacy" (p. 566), which is when learners post comments in the team forum that usually initiates feedback from peers, and knowledge sharing; and, (2) "emergence" (p. 566), which enables team members to stay up-to-date on information shared in the team forum, and lessens the effects of "knowledge asymmetry" (p. 566) that is known to adversely affect knowledge-building. These two factors, which were included in the forthcoming activities' design, enable team members to assimilate new information or ideas with others' ideas (Zhang et al., 2011).
Platform Security
"Every software system, especially web-based, can be attacked by hackers with the objective of data retrieval, gaining unauthorized access or simply (cause) data loss" (Butucea & Cervinschi, 2011, p. 115). Northcentral University's Information Technology and Education Departments will assess its technological robustness to verify that learners and the instructor can use Second Life with minimal disruptions after logging into the learner platform. One reason that Second Life was chosen for the activities includes that its developer, Linden Research (2011) reported that the technology platform used for Second Life shows a history of being very stable, and that significant work has resulted in improved web site reliability.
Furthermore, Linden Research (2011) secures account information. In addition, user login provides password-only authentication on an encrypted HTTP connection, and Second Life administrators do not have password access of users. Also, a user's connection to the Second Life Viewer does not compromise a computer’s security. However, encryption is not used for text and voice chatting. Second Life's chat logs are retained for only two weeks, and voice chat is not retained at all. The servers used by Second Life reside in a secure hosted facility. Impersonating other users is impossible, and multiple concurrent logins are restricted. Although Linden Lab virtual employees can travel without restraint in Second Life, the employees enter within a user's or group's region mostly with pre-approval by the user or group. The virtual employee's avatar name displays in the attendee list after entrance (Linden Research, 2011).
Linden Research (2011) noted that non-educational content in Second Life does not effect a virtual campus or classroom. Linden Research (2011) established administrative controls provided to the private regions within which classrooms are established. In addition, universities can implement adult search filters to eliminate the possibility that learners will access adult content, which was moved to another of Second Life's continents.
Instructional Approaches
Desai, Hart & Richards (2008) reported that current best teaching practices indicate that e-tools and curriculums contained within an instructional design are most critical for achieving successful results in online teaching and learning. Although historically "instructional de-signers know little about game de¬velopment, and video game devel¬opers may know little about training, education and instructional design" (Downey, 2011, p. 33), Downey's (2011) research about the "i-MMOLE framework, (which) draws from several independent, yet related, instructional approaches" (p. 35) (Constructivist Learning Environ¬ment Design, Problem-Based Learning, and Experiential Learning), provides a reliable groundwork for this course's design. Consequently, the course's activities will represent a blend of these approaches by using the i-MMOLE framework to create learning opportunities using a virtual world setting:
Constructivist Learning Environments Design. This approach aids in designing learning activities that present problem contextualization, representation, and manipulation. Authentic problems or cases given to students requires solutions. To scaffold learning by motivating learners to apply previously related materials to new learning opportunities can be synchronized so that learners receive new parts of a problem just-in-time. Cognitive processes are supported by using knowledge construction tools. A critical feature of constructivism provides learners with collaborative tools to strengthen communications (Downey, 2011).
Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Requiring that learners take the responsibility for self-learning and learning with others, once acquired, new learning is applied to a problem for re-analysis and a solution. By integrating PBL with a variety of disciplines and subjects, learners can approach ill-structured problems with more acuity gained from free inquiry. As in the constructivist design, collaboration is critical as is discussing new knowledge that is valuable at a societal level (Downey, 2011).
Experiential Learning. The four stages of experiential learning include doing (performing an action or experiencing an event), observing (documenting the results from the first stage), thinking (reflecting on the first stage includes consideration of varying effects), and planning (devising strategies for conceptual application for other situations), which involves restarting at stage one to use the newly developed plan to extend learning (Downey, 2011).
Course Goals
The goals for the course, ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies, include (1) providing people globally with a quality educational opportunity by offering an accredited undergraduate course using a Blackboard-based online platform, and a mentored approach to learning, (2) using a progressive methodology to prepare graduates to be contributing global citizens, (3) preparing professional educators to be more effective leaders and communicators, (4) enabling graduates to improve teaching, learning, research, and leadership within education, (5) fostering graduates with a strong commitment to use current technologies effectively, and
(6) nurturing graduates in the acceptable practices for respecting diverse cultures and backgrounds while using the highest ethical standards.
Junk, Deringer, and Junk (2011) recommended that the "goal of an online program should be to provide an environment which actively engages students in the learning process and promotes independent learning where students take ownership of their work" (p. 2). As the goal to shift the role of instructors toward facilitator to support self-directed learning, the instructor provides the structure around which the student learns. The instructor also empowers learners to use their innate strengths to engage others in learning (Junk et al., 2011).
"Virtual classrooms modeled as learning communities or communities of practice try to inculcate self-directed learning in students as they interact with others. The goal is to advance the collective knowledge and in that way to support the growth of individual knowledge" (Maurino, 2007, p. 48). Consequently, by sustaining a sense of a learning community in the following activities, respect between learners should occur due to learners' contributions as collaborative mechanisms synthesize the learners' diverse views and communications (Maurino, 2007).
One goal of the course will be to dispense with assessing learners based upon the "amount of time students spend on the course" (Shieh, Gummer, & Niess, 2008, p. 67). Instead, learners should be assessed based upon their "level of student engagement, learning objectives, and student achievement" (p. 67). The assessment tools itemized in each activity are designed to accomplish this transition.
Course Objectives
In the course, ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies, objectives will include that (1) a social presence (Shieh, 2011) within a virtual world is established by each learner, and the facilitator by the end of the first activity; (2) learners will engage in at least four in-world conferencing sessions using different tools; (3) learners will create a project with a team in-world for each of the four activities; and (4) learners will engage other class members in conversation in-world after an instructor's segment is completed. The objectives noted above support Northcentral University's mission to provide learners with "futuristic educationalists (who) see that education through a technology role" (Musawi, 2011, p. 131) supports learning opportunities that are "highly interactive, individualized, flexible, and accessible" (p. 131). A learning model combining technology and pedagogy, known as technogogy, is the "transformative use of technology to foster learning where the power of multimedia and Internet makes it possible for technology to cater to the needs of pedagogical and andragogical elements that can be viewed from the standpoint of technology" (Musawi, 2011, p. 132).
Description of the Learners in the Course
Learners are members of an online undergraduate educational program for teachers who are "self-motivated, well organized, and capable of being independent learners who are reflective and critical thinkers" (Junk, Deringer, & Junk, 2011, p. 3). The maximum number of students for this freshman course is 55 due to the support structure of Second Life; the expected class size is 25, and each team will consist of five members. Other learner features include a cooperative aptitude toward other students as well as literacy for managing computers, the internet, and e-tools for the course's learning platform and elsewhere (Junk et al., 2011). These features were assessed during the educational program's admission process, which also required the learners to be "open-minded and willing to share information regarding their lives, work, and educational experiences as well as be willing to contact the instructor if encountering a problem" (Junk et al., 2011, p. 3).
Grade, Age, and Learning Level
"Research also indicated that there is no relevance to age, gender, previous online experience, academic field of study, or persistence in taking online classes in relation to the creation of an online sense of community" (Desai, Hart & Richards, 2008, p. 333). There are no restrictions placed on learners' ages as long as they have finished the university's admission process, which would filter out students who do not pass English language requirements. The online learners are in the Department of Education (undergraduate) freshman class who can elect this class during the last semester of the first year, and can be enrolled in this class as long as they have passed all previous classes.
Background Information About the Learners
The course is offered during the last (fourth) semester to provide adequate time for learners to become proficient at working online in the course platform. Online classes required during the first three semesters of the program all require online and internet-based collaborative learning. Additionally, by the fourth semester, learners will have been exposed to activities requiring proficiency in interacting and collaborating with peers, and gain a high level of maturity and discipline (Desai, Hart & Richards, 2008).
Activities
The course's platform provides among other things links to assignments, to the class and team forums, the university's e-mail system, the Second Life website, and other instructor-supplied resources. Prior to the first activity described below, team and individual assignments as noted above required learning to use Second Life. The course is twelve weeks in duration: the two-week review of Second Life begins during the third week of the course, and the four activities using Second Life begin during the sixth week. Each of the activities will be accomplished in seven days, and during the tenth to twelfth weeks, teams will begin work on the course's signature assignment using Second Life.
Pre-Activity Learner Preparation (Week Three)
Learners are already registered as Second Life users. The instructor posts the third week assignment, which requires that learners select the link shown in the course platform for going to Second Life, and after logging in, selecting the link to the region set-up for this course's classroom in Second Life. Learners are required to attend a synchronous meeting presented by the instructor, and then will be instructed to talk to other classmates while in the virtual classroom for forty-five minutes. Afterward, the instructor will obtain the transcript from the learners' discussion, and the instructor will remind students to read Second Life's Quickstart Guide (Exhibit B and C) prior to completing and submitting an assessment in the course platform by the end of the week.
Technological Elements
The University's network and learners' computers are tested for meeting the minimum requirements (Exhibit D) to run Second Life successfully (Second Life, 2012). The instructor and learners will use Adobe Flash in the learner platform to access materials related to Second Life. Butucea and Cervinschi (2011) recommended "Flash technology to allow manipulation of media files (audio and video)" (p. 109). Flash software runs on users' computers through a plug-in, the Adobe Flash Player, which employs scripting language known as ActionScript that is similar to JavaScript (Butucea & Cervinschi, 2011).
Northcentral University referred to Qunhua and Nordenskiold (2011) for information that is designed to assist and inspire educators who may want to use a virtual world such as Second Life for teaching. Particular reference was made regarding intercultural Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (iCSCL) achievable using Second Life, which supports Northcentral's mission and teaching objectives. "iCSCL is based on the theory that knowledge is a social construction, and that learning is facilitated by collaboration" (Qunhua & Nordenskiold, 2011, para 3).
Northcentral University also referred to Downey (2011) who reported that "Instruction for Massively Multiplayer Online Learning Environment (i-MMOLE) is a research-based instructional design framework created specifically for designing instruction that incorporates virtual world environments" (p. 33). Downey (2011) remarked that "today, virtual world and game-based educa¬tion stands at the same crossroads where Web-based education stood in 1993" (p. 33). To address overcoming these crossroads, Downey (2011) presents findings based upon a virtual-world instructional i-MMOLE framework, which was conceived "to guide the design of instruc¬tion to be created and set within a virtual world" (p. 34). The Worlds of Education (2012) website provided lesson plans based upon the i-MMOLE, which were adapted for the following activities' design.
Activity One
Nguyen's (2011) lesson plan for undergraduates entitled, Virtual Schools for the Future, was chosen to design this activity's framework. Although Nguyen's (2011) plan was not developed for an entirely online class, this paper redesigns Nguyen's (2011) lesson plan to accommodate an asynchronous and synchronous collaborative online undergraduate course's activity for the previously identified "EDU101 Future Collaborative Online Learning Technologies" course. Exhibit A is presented as an important tool for the instructor and learners to use to gain internet access while in Second Life. Such access by learning teams promotes in-world practice, an instant use and visualization of internet-based information, and enables the team to stay within Second Life to investigate problems rather than exiting the Second Life meeting place, retrieving information, and reconvening the team in Second Life.
Description of Activity. The first activity for ED4010 Designing Collaborative Online Learning Using Technology is to visit Second Life and other virtual worlds used for education. Learning teams will obtain knowledge about virtual worlds by finding and reviewing related online articles and web sites. The teams will visit International Schools Island, a virtual school in Second Life, and integrate new knowledge about their virtual world experiences to compile a team paper exploring the possibility of building an educational establishment in Second Life or in another virtual world.
Why Considered a Collaborative Activity. Due to this computer-based collaborative learning activity using computers, learners interact with each other by communicating, and exchanging information. New knowledge is acquired more efficiently, and with improved understanding. "Students learn one from each other and clarify notions that they did not understand very well about the instructor’s course…through group activity, using different forms of real time communications like chat, audio and video, provided by the assisted instruction collaborative platform" (Ion & Vespan, 2011, p. 121), which is better known as vicarious learning that allows learning by observing and working with others.
Directions for the Activity. Learners will transport to their classroom in Second Life, and synchronously listen to the instructor's lecture. Afterward, learners will review the required readings assigned by the instructor, which are posted in the course platform, and within the Second Life classroom. Learners will then discuss the information as teams, and combine the information from the readings with additional research, which includes a visit to one or more some virtual schools in Second Life to explore the possibility of using virtual worlds to create an educational class of the future (Nguyen, 2011).
Lecture. Learning institutions are discussing virtual worlds as a solution or at least a tool for online education in the future to promote a higher level of quality learning for online classes and schools. Virtual worlds can enable learners to keep abreast of the newest learning technologies, and as educators, gaining knowledge about new internet tools helps to decide whether these tools can be appropriately and effectively applied to teaching.
Resources and Materials. During the lecture, the instructor projects the image of the course forum in Second Life's classroom, and explains that the links posted are recommended for the team assignment due at the end of the week. The links provided are:
Active Worlds and Education - 3D Virtual Worlds
Virtual Worlds – Best Practices in Education
Shared Virtual Worlds for Education: The ExploreNet Experiment
Education in virtual worlds - Wikiversity
In addition to the links above, the instructor indicates that learners should search for more websites related to virtual worlds used for education. During the discussion time after the lecture, the instructor asks learners to reflect upon and discuss whether virtual worlds will help students learn better, and if virtual worlds could replace traditional schools in the future. The instructor prompts learners to print out the discussion log prior to exiting Second Life in order to use peer responses for developing a post for the class forum, which is due at the end of the week. The team assignment includes the following:
By the end of the week, learning teams will teleport to the International School Island within Second Life, and explore various areas on the virtual campus. The island's URL is http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/International%20Schools/70/84/24. Items of interest include the International School's towers known as the information, technology, and curriculum towers. Each tower contains seven floors, and the team collectively will investigate and compile notes about each floor. Specific attention should be given to the floor with information from educators about developing a virtual school. Once completing this tour, learners should (1) revisit their answers developed above for a class forum posting, and decide if there answers should be revised based upon their new knowledge, and (2) as a team, develop and submit a report that explores and discusses their findings within Second Life, which can include the team visiting other virtual schools after inputting "schools" as a search word in a search engine such as Google.
Activity's Objectives. The activity's objectives are to (1) motivate learners individually and as a team to investigate virtual worlds as a teaching format, (2) provide more time for learners to acclimate and become comfortable using avatars within a virtual world, (3) open up learners' minds to the possibility of using a virtual world in their future classes, (4) provide an activity that uses collaborative synergies to develop learners' teams.
Activity's Timeline. The above activity by the individual and team learners is started at the beginning of the course's sixth week, and completed by the seventh day of week six.
Activity's Process for Submission. The individual assignment will be posted to
the class forum by day three of the sixth week, and each learner will respond to at least six peers with a reflective post by day five. The team assignment will be developed during their presence in Second Life, worked on during the week in the team's forum, and one elected team member will compose and submit the final team paper by the end of day seven to the instructor.
Assessment Tools for Activity. "Instructors have found that it is more difficult to assess learner achievement in e-learning…due to the lack of resources to help instructors assess and improve online courses" (Desai, Hart & Richards, 2008, p. 131). Nguyen (2011) wrote that assessment of new knowledge gained by the learners can be acquired by the instructor's review of the individual and team submissions, which is based upon the course's rubric, and the class forum responses.
Activity Two
Activity Two for the course, ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies, is designed by modifying an activity by Dickson (2011). Dickson (2011) introduced "the basics of interactive design concepts relating to exhibitions and museums within virtual worlds" (para 1). The concepts which will then be applied and integrated into creating interactive learning objects.
Activity's Description. Current teaching trends point to a more interactive based learning platform. Addressing this trend requires that preservice learners find more innovative and interactive ways to present course content to future students by motivating students to be more attentive, and encourage collaborative learning by using new technologies.
Providing Experiences. In the course platform, required readings include: design concepts, design principles, and usability. The assignment includes directions for learners to complete and submit the usability activity. Since all learners have created a Second Life profile, the next direction includes downloading and installing the Second Life viewer, reviewing the Second Life Tutorial, and transporting to: http://secondlife.com/destination/usf-health. After reviewing, teleport to www.thetech.org, and navigate through the virtual worlds while being attentive to the manner in which lessons, and lectures and information are provided in the virtual environment. Download and install the Google Earth application. Visit the website http://gelessons.com/lessons/ and browse lessons on topics which are interesting.
Grade Level(s). Undergraduate.
Assessing Learning. Learners will make several class postings in the discussion section in Blackboard. Postings will provide insights and evaluations about their experiences in Second Life, and while in Google Earth. Learning teams will create a map lesson using Google Maps using information at: http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/index.html
After completing the learning activities, learning teams will design and create an interactive lesson to be used in the online classroom. Citations will be constructed according to APA standards.
Why Considered a Collaborative Activity. Learning teams collectively create a map, and design and create an interactive lesson. Due to this computer-based collaborative learning activity, learners interact with each other, communicate, and exchange information. New knowledge is acquired more efficiently, and with improved understanding. "Students learn one from each other and clarify notions that they did not understand very well about the instructor’s course…through group activity, using different forms of real time communications like chat, audio and video, provided by the assisted instruction collaborative platform" (Ion & Vespan, 2011, p. 121).
Directions for the Activity. Learning teams will design an interactive learning platform using Google Earth. The same virtual classroom used in activity one will be used for activity two. The instructor will present an interactive media lecture while learners are synchronously attending the lecture in the Second Life classroom. After the lecture, the instructor indicates that the notes will be posted in the course platform. The lecture addresses virtual world design principles and concepts, usability and usability testing. Since the learners were previously introduced to the concepts of Second Life in activity one, updating their profile is required. The following virtual worlds' links are to be posted after the lecture in the Second Life class for learners to use:
http://www.thetech.org/
http://secondlife.com/destination/usf-health
During exploration of the virtual worlds, learners will be told via the posted assignment that paying attention to the methods used in presenting information in a virtual world is important. Learners are informed during the lecture to download and install Google Earth on their computers, and review the information at the following link:
http://gelessons.com/lessons/
Activity's Objectives. To extend learners' virtual world skills by using the Second Life software to attend a synchronous class, and provide information about Google Earth so that learners as teams can create an interactive lessen plan using Google Earth.
Activity's Timeline. The above activity will start and end during week eight of the course. Activity's Process for Submission. The individual assignment will be posted to the class forum by day three of the eighth week, and each learner will respond to at least six peers with a reflective post by day five. The team assignment will be developed during their presence in Second Life, and using Google Earth, worked on during the week in the team's forum, and one elected team member will compose and submit the final team paper by the end of day seven of week eight to the instructor.
Assessment Tools for Activity. The instructor will apply the rubric's guidelines for learners' postings to the class forum. In addition, each team will post their Google Earth tool in their Second Life classroom, and present it to the rest of the class in a synchronous setting. Based upon comments received after each presentation, and review of team members notes in the team forums, grades will be assigned.
Activity Three
Flemban's (2011) learning goal described that learners will combine the reading from the class' text, lecture notes (presented as in activity one and two), and from internet sources to explain the proper method to capture photos. In the same team as established by activity one and two, learners will use Second Life to upload Photoshop-edited photos as an exhibit into the Second Life classroom.
Description of Activity. Learning teams will generate electronic photographs, and use free Photoshop Software to edit the photographs. Teams will devise a collective plan representing clarification of each member's responsibilities. After the team has created an online exhibit of their photographs, the exhibit will be presented by each team at a synchronous session in the established Second Life classroom.
Grade Level(s). Undergraduate education students.
Assessing Learning. Using the rubric, the comments received from class members about the teams' projects, and the quality of the individual class forum's postings will be used by the instructor to post grades.
Why Considered a Collaborative Activity. Collaborative activity is achieved by the teams' work in learning Photoshop, creating and editing photos, assembling an exhibit, posting it in the Second Life classroom, and presenting the exhibit to the class. The teams also create a plan to carry out the exhibit's development, and each member has a specific responsibility in the process.
Directions for the Activity. After each team creates a plan to assign responsibilities, posts the final plan in the team forum, and discusses using Photoshop software to edit photographs, the team will progress through the week using a predetermined timeline to keep the project on track. The instructor provides assignment details in the course platform. After the team reaches each milestone, and the exhibit is finalized, the team leader will post the exhibit in the Second Life classroom one day before the team presents its exhibit during a synchronous presentation. The class members will make written or oral comments in the virtual classroom about the presentation. Individual assignments will include discussing in the course platform's class forum the efficacy of using photograph software to create an online tool within Second Life.
Activity's Objectives. To extend learners' virtual world skills by using the Second Life software to attend a synchronous class, to further expand collaborative skills by requiring teams to investigate and use Photoshop, and editing photographs in order to create an online exhibit within the Second Life classroom.
Activity's Timeline. The activity described above will be started and completed during week nine of the course.
Activity's Process for Submission. Each learner will submit quality postings in the class forum by day three of the ninth week, and each learner will respond to at least six peers with a reflective post by day five. The team assignment will be developed during the ninth week, and submitted as an exhibit in the Second Life classroom. The team will also discuss their exhibit during a synchronous presentation.
Assessment Tools for Activity. Using the rubric, the comments received from class members about the teams' exhibits and presentations, and the quality of the individual class forum's postings will be used by the instructor to create grades.
Activity Four
Activity Four is designed from an activity presented by Goossens (2011). This activity is the fourth in the series of activities that serves to scaffold collaborative learning using the Second Life virtual world. After the completion of this activity in week ten, the two remaining weeks of the course are designed to challenge the five teams of five to design an educational product for their final project using the virtual world software of their choosing.
Description of Activity. This activity exposes the learners to another educational location in Second Life, which was designed and named after the Instructional Society for Technology and Education (ISTE) standards. The educational location is a Second Life island. The ISTE educational forum serves as a teaching tool for online learners to discover the use of podcasts, blogs, and other emerging technologies for educational purposes. Although the ISTE forum was built by non-Northcentral University staff, the forum is open to anyone who wishes to enter and learn, and those managing the forum can serve as mentors to this course's learners as they strive to learn about other e-tools for education, and design a Second Life classroom.
Grade Level(s). Undergraduate Freshman.
Why Considered a Collaborative Activity. At the end of the activity, the learning teams collaboratively discuss the features in Second World that stood out, was fun, could be improved, and was the least enjoyable. Each team submits a summary, which also includes ideas for a podcast, a blog and an emerging technology usable for educational means. Once each team's summary is in the appropriate forum, all students should respond to each team's summary.
Directions for the Activity. Since the instructor has arranged for the class to use the information and tools at ISTE Island, students will print out the handout provided in the course's platform entitled "ISTE Island Blueprint", and teleport to ISTE on the first day of week ten. Upon arrival, students will follow numbered directions in the virtual classroom: (1) read the ISTE NETS Standards for teachers, (2) explore the entry area as a team, (3) attend an ISTE meeting with your class, (4) network with your classmates within Second Life to discuss the meeting, (5) perform the series of activities on ISTE Island per the handout, which includes visiting certain parts of the island as described in the blueprint to learn about podcasts, blogs, and other emerging technologies, and (6) after completing the activities, each team will compose a six page reflection paper describing the experience at ISTE, what was learned about podcasts, blogs, and other technologies, address how the information about podcasts, blogs, and other technologies has affected the team's opinion about using technologies in online courses, and present two to three ideas about integrating blogs, podcasts, and other new technologies into an educational setting. The final activity is a social event within ISTE. All learners will attend, socialize with others, and take snapshots at the event for inclusion in the activity's team paper.
Activity's Objectives. Once the learning teams have progressed through the first three activities, their level of expertise using Second Life's software should enable them to ascertain more quickly the processes needed to use the new tools under investigation for this activity. Additionally, the depth of collaborative learning should enable each team to gain positive results at a higher cognitive level due to an improved ability to transform learning.
Activity's Timeline. This activity is started and completed in the tenth week of the course.
Activity's Process for Submission. For each step of this activity, the Second Life ISTE Island program will record each learner's entry and exit. Each team will compile relevant snapshots of each step for inclusion in the reflective paper, and provide a description of each. Each team will present a summary during a synchronous class in ISTE.
Assessment Tool for Activity. The instructor receives the four-page reflection paper, and scores each team's paper, and presentation to the class according to the rubric. Each learner is appraised by the degree of contribution to the team, and understanding related to the podcast, blog, and other technologies. Each team will also be able to indicate the manner in which each technology can be integrated and applied for promotion of new knowledge.
Conclusion
The course project presented a synopsis for an online course entitled "ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies", and included its description, goals, objectives, and learners' descriptions. Additionally, the synopsis incorporated four online collaborative activities' designs, which provided elements such as the activities' directions, objectives, timelines, processes for students' submissions, and assessments. Although not required, the additional sections provided in this project such as Northcentral University's mission statements were relevant to the course's development because every segment of a program's curriculum must mirror a business' mission statement. Furthermore, the progression of the course's activities designed to scaffold learning for collaborative team-building follows current best practices.
References:
Butucea, D., & Cervinschi, C. (2011). Building robust e-learning software systems using web technologies. Informatica Economica, 15(2), 107-118. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Desai, M.S., Hart, J., & Richards, T.C. (2008, Winter). E-learning: Paradigm shift in education. Education, 129(2), 327-334. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
Dickson, A. (2011). Introduction to Interactive Exhibit Design. Retrieved from http://www.coedu.usf.edu/we/lessonplans/view-lesson-plan.cfm?LessonPlan=438
Downey, S. (2011, November). i-MMOLE: Instructional framework for creating virtual world lessons. TechTrends, 55(6), 33-41. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Du, Y. (2011, Winter). A measurement model of students' behavioral intentions to use second life virtual environments. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 52(1), 41-53. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Flemban, F. (2011). Organize your exhibit. Retrieved from http://www.coedu.usf.edu/we/lessonplans/view-lesson-plan.cfm?LessonPlan=431
Gardner, C. (2012). Northcentral University (NCU) mission. Retrieved from http://learners.ncu.edu/downloadable_documents.asp
Goossens, M. (2011). Technology in Education. Retrieved from http://www.coedu.usf.edu/we/lessonplans/view-lesson-plan.cfm?LessonPlan=414
Ion, A., & Vespan, D. (2011). Collaborative learning and knowledge transfer in consciousness society. Informatica Economica, 15(3), 115-127. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Junk, V., Deringer, N., & Junk, W. (2011, March). Techniques to engage the online learner. Research in Higher Education Journal, 10, 1-15. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Linden Research. (2011). Second Life quick start. Retrieved from http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Second-Life-Quickstart/ta-p/1087919?lang=en-US
Linden Research. (2011). Second Life Education/FAQS. Retrieved from the Linden Research Wiki: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Second_Life_Education/FAQs#Where_can_
I_find_educational_best_practices_for_using_Second_Life.3F
Maurino, P. (2007, March). Online asynchronous threaded discussions: Good enough to advance students through the proximal zone of Activity Theory? TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 51(2), 46-49. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
Musawi, A.S.A. (2011). Redefining technology role in education. Creative Education, 2(2), 130-135. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Nguyen, D. (2011). Virtual schools for the future. Retrieved from http://www.coedu.usf.edu/we/lessonplans/view-lesson-plan.cfm?LessonPlan=455
Northcentral University School of Education. (2012). Mission and goals. Retrieved from http://www.ncu.edu/public_images/Northcentral%20University%20Catalog/Northcentral_University_Catalog.htm
Qunhua, I., & Nordenskiold, S. (2011). Educators' first guide to Second Life. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://icscl.wordpress.com/Second Life. (2012). System requirements. Retrieved from https://secondlife.com/my/support/system-requirements/index.php?
Shieh, R.S., Gummer, E., & Niess, M. (2008, November). The quality of a web-based course: Perspectives of the instructor and the students. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 52(6), 61-68. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
Worlds of Education (2012). Lesson plan database. Retrieved from http://www.coedu.usf.edu/we/lessonplans/
Zhang, X., Venkatesh, V., & Brown, S. (2011, August). Designing collaborative systems to enhance team performance. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 12(8), 556-584. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.
Preparing designs for online collaborative learning involves careful consideration of applicable and recent reliable resources. Published research inadequately paces the evolvement of newer teaching technologies. Regardless of the delays involved in conducting and reporting statistical testing of the new technologies, tentative progress has created new paradigms for teaching and learning online. Activities designed, and currently being used for online learner collaborations provide the substance for future research to determine whether universities are selecting the most appropriate technologies.
Course Project
The course project presents a synopsis for an online course entitled "ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies", and includes its description, background, security, instructional approaches, goals, objectives, and learners' descriptions. Additionally, the synopsis incorporates four online collaborative activities' designs, which provide elements such as the activities' directions, objectives, timelines, processes for students' submissions, and assessments. Recently published substantive research was reviewed from scholarly, peer-reviewed articles and relevant textbooks.
Course Description
The activities described below were configured for a Northcentral University course entitled "ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies". Reflecting upon the basis of Northcentral University's mission, goals, and objectives is appropriate for designing a course for Northcentral University. Therefore, the mission statement and goals are provided below as presented by Northcentral University's president, Dr. Gardner, and by Northcentral University's School of Education. Dr. Gardner ( 2012) remarked that:
Northcentral University's mission statement includes a commitment to provide people throughout the world with quality educational opportunities by offering accredited Graduate and Undergraduate programs through a proven, fully online, distinctive faculty mentored approach to learning. With highly credentialed and passionate staff, utilizing progressive methodologies, Northcentral University prepares graduates to be distinguished contributors to societies around the globe. (para 1) The mission statement and goals provided by Northcentral University's School of Education (2012) are:
To prepare professional educators at all levels to become effective leaders, reflective practitioners, and successful communicators within the diverse field of education. The School of Education's mission is centered on improving teaching, learning, research and leadership contributions throughout all levels of education. The School of Education at Northcentral University will produce professional educators who can apply concepts of the disciplines; effectively communicate; conduct sound, open-minded research by addressing issues critically and reflectively; create solutions to problems, respect diverse cultures and backgrounds; demonstrate a commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards; foster effective discussion of theoretical problems within the education profession; and nurture a commitment to life-long learning. (para 1)
The principles mentioned by Dr. Gardner and the Northcentral University's School of Education are assimilated into the following course's design. Furthermore, integrating these principles avails the learners to participate within collaboratively based activities. A learning platform based upon collaboration provides learners with a "sense of community…(as well as) membership and feelings of friendship, cohesion, and satisfaction among learners" (Desai, Hart & Richards, 2008, p. 333). Other key topics pertinent to the design of online collaborative activities are noted below such as issues related to online security.
Background: Second Life and Computer-Assisted Collaborative Instruction
A series of four activities based upon using a virtual world, Second Life, were presented to Northcentral University's Department of Education for this course. The method used to gain approval involved the innovation-decision process, which involved five steps: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation (Du, 2011). This method is a process employed when an attitudinal change toward an innovation such as Second Life is under consideration.
A component of the knowledge element provided to the Education Department included that research by experts in the field had confirmed that the Multiple-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) "create authentic, situated, and distributed 3D learning experiences" (Du, 2011), and add positive learning outcomes to "distance education courses for graduate students, collaboration, online teacher development, and scientific literacy" (Du, 2011, p. 43). Once a favorable attitude was gained by the presentation, persuading those who could approve the use of Second Life enabled a favorable decision (Du, 2011).
Ion and Vespan (2011) discussed that computer-assisted collaborative instruction is extremely valuable for learners who already use a variety of multimedia systems as do Northcentral learners because "deploying collaborative activities inside an assisted instruction platform facilitates extending the scope of knowledge for each student" (p. 125). If learners form teams based upon similar interests, a knowledge base is developed as a result of collaborative activities, and that knowledge base creates a unique identifier for the team (Ion & Vespan, 2011). By combining collaboration with assisted instruction systems, a "consciousness society" (Ion & Vespan, 2011, p. 125) develops.
The activities described below support expansion of collaborative skills by prompting learners to communicate with each other, and incorporate each other's ideas into new knowledge (Zhang, Venkatesh, & Brown, 2011). As collaborative skills expand, knowledge contextualization provides the framework needed for learners to evaluate the value of shared information. As a team's learners contribute relevant information, other team members experience reduced time and effort on retrieving and processing information. The team members' various perspectives enables the group to assess problems, and reach a decision with optimal results (Zhang et al., 2011).
Zhang, Venkatesh, & Brown (2011) identified other factors relevant to building collaborative skills such as (1) "indeterminacy" (p. 566), which is when learners post comments in the team forum that usually initiates feedback from peers, and knowledge sharing; and, (2) "emergence" (p. 566), which enables team members to stay up-to-date on information shared in the team forum, and lessens the effects of "knowledge asymmetry" (p. 566) that is known to adversely affect knowledge-building. These two factors, which were included in the forthcoming activities' design, enable team members to assimilate new information or ideas with others' ideas (Zhang et al., 2011).
Platform Security
"Every software system, especially web-based, can be attacked by hackers with the objective of data retrieval, gaining unauthorized access or simply (cause) data loss" (Butucea & Cervinschi, 2011, p. 115). Northcentral University's Information Technology and Education Departments will assess its technological robustness to verify that learners and the instructor can use Second Life with minimal disruptions after logging into the learner platform. One reason that Second Life was chosen for the activities includes that its developer, Linden Research (2011) reported that the technology platform used for Second Life shows a history of being very stable, and that significant work has resulted in improved web site reliability.
Furthermore, Linden Research (2011) secures account information. In addition, user login provides password-only authentication on an encrypted HTTP connection, and Second Life administrators do not have password access of users. Also, a user's connection to the Second Life Viewer does not compromise a computer’s security. However, encryption is not used for text and voice chatting. Second Life's chat logs are retained for only two weeks, and voice chat is not retained at all. The servers used by Second Life reside in a secure hosted facility. Impersonating other users is impossible, and multiple concurrent logins are restricted. Although Linden Lab virtual employees can travel without restraint in Second Life, the employees enter within a user's or group's region mostly with pre-approval by the user or group. The virtual employee's avatar name displays in the attendee list after entrance (Linden Research, 2011).
Linden Research (2011) noted that non-educational content in Second Life does not effect a virtual campus or classroom. Linden Research (2011) established administrative controls provided to the private regions within which classrooms are established. In addition, universities can implement adult search filters to eliminate the possibility that learners will access adult content, which was moved to another of Second Life's continents.
Instructional Approaches
Desai, Hart & Richards (2008) reported that current best teaching practices indicate that e-tools and curriculums contained within an instructional design are most critical for achieving successful results in online teaching and learning. Although historically "instructional de-signers know little about game de¬velopment, and video game devel¬opers may know little about training, education and instructional design" (Downey, 2011, p. 33), Downey's (2011) research about the "i-MMOLE framework, (which) draws from several independent, yet related, instructional approaches" (p. 35) (Constructivist Learning Environ¬ment Design, Problem-Based Learning, and Experiential Learning), provides a reliable groundwork for this course's design. Consequently, the course's activities will represent a blend of these approaches by using the i-MMOLE framework to create learning opportunities using a virtual world setting:
Constructivist Learning Environments Design. This approach aids in designing learning activities that present problem contextualization, representation, and manipulation. Authentic problems or cases given to students requires solutions. To scaffold learning by motivating learners to apply previously related materials to new learning opportunities can be synchronized so that learners receive new parts of a problem just-in-time. Cognitive processes are supported by using knowledge construction tools. A critical feature of constructivism provides learners with collaborative tools to strengthen communications (Downey, 2011).
Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Requiring that learners take the responsibility for self-learning and learning with others, once acquired, new learning is applied to a problem for re-analysis and a solution. By integrating PBL with a variety of disciplines and subjects, learners can approach ill-structured problems with more acuity gained from free inquiry. As in the constructivist design, collaboration is critical as is discussing new knowledge that is valuable at a societal level (Downey, 2011).
Experiential Learning. The four stages of experiential learning include doing (performing an action or experiencing an event), observing (documenting the results from the first stage), thinking (reflecting on the first stage includes consideration of varying effects), and planning (devising strategies for conceptual application for other situations), which involves restarting at stage one to use the newly developed plan to extend learning (Downey, 2011).
Course Goals
The goals for the course, ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies, include (1) providing people globally with a quality educational opportunity by offering an accredited undergraduate course using a Blackboard-based online platform, and a mentored approach to learning, (2) using a progressive methodology to prepare graduates to be contributing global citizens, (3) preparing professional educators to be more effective leaders and communicators, (4) enabling graduates to improve teaching, learning, research, and leadership within education, (5) fostering graduates with a strong commitment to use current technologies effectively, and
(6) nurturing graduates in the acceptable practices for respecting diverse cultures and backgrounds while using the highest ethical standards.
Junk, Deringer, and Junk (2011) recommended that the "goal of an online program should be to provide an environment which actively engages students in the learning process and promotes independent learning where students take ownership of their work" (p. 2). As the goal to shift the role of instructors toward facilitator to support self-directed learning, the instructor provides the structure around which the student learns. The instructor also empowers learners to use their innate strengths to engage others in learning (Junk et al., 2011).
"Virtual classrooms modeled as learning communities or communities of practice try to inculcate self-directed learning in students as they interact with others. The goal is to advance the collective knowledge and in that way to support the growth of individual knowledge" (Maurino, 2007, p. 48). Consequently, by sustaining a sense of a learning community in the following activities, respect between learners should occur due to learners' contributions as collaborative mechanisms synthesize the learners' diverse views and communications (Maurino, 2007).
One goal of the course will be to dispense with assessing learners based upon the "amount of time students spend on the course" (Shieh, Gummer, & Niess, 2008, p. 67). Instead, learners should be assessed based upon their "level of student engagement, learning objectives, and student achievement" (p. 67). The assessment tools itemized in each activity are designed to accomplish this transition.
Course Objectives
In the course, ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies, objectives will include that (1) a social presence (Shieh, 2011) within a virtual world is established by each learner, and the facilitator by the end of the first activity; (2) learners will engage in at least four in-world conferencing sessions using different tools; (3) learners will create a project with a team in-world for each of the four activities; and (4) learners will engage other class members in conversation in-world after an instructor's segment is completed. The objectives noted above support Northcentral University's mission to provide learners with "futuristic educationalists (who) see that education through a technology role" (Musawi, 2011, p. 131) supports learning opportunities that are "highly interactive, individualized, flexible, and accessible" (p. 131). A learning model combining technology and pedagogy, known as technogogy, is the "transformative use of technology to foster learning where the power of multimedia and Internet makes it possible for technology to cater to the needs of pedagogical and andragogical elements that can be viewed from the standpoint of technology" (Musawi, 2011, p. 132).
Description of the Learners in the Course
Learners are members of an online undergraduate educational program for teachers who are "self-motivated, well organized, and capable of being independent learners who are reflective and critical thinkers" (Junk, Deringer, & Junk, 2011, p. 3). The maximum number of students for this freshman course is 55 due to the support structure of Second Life; the expected class size is 25, and each team will consist of five members. Other learner features include a cooperative aptitude toward other students as well as literacy for managing computers, the internet, and e-tools for the course's learning platform and elsewhere (Junk et al., 2011). These features were assessed during the educational program's admission process, which also required the learners to be "open-minded and willing to share information regarding their lives, work, and educational experiences as well as be willing to contact the instructor if encountering a problem" (Junk et al., 2011, p. 3).
Grade, Age, and Learning Level
"Research also indicated that there is no relevance to age, gender, previous online experience, academic field of study, or persistence in taking online classes in relation to the creation of an online sense of community" (Desai, Hart & Richards, 2008, p. 333). There are no restrictions placed on learners' ages as long as they have finished the university's admission process, which would filter out students who do not pass English language requirements. The online learners are in the Department of Education (undergraduate) freshman class who can elect this class during the last semester of the first year, and can be enrolled in this class as long as they have passed all previous classes.
Background Information About the Learners
The course is offered during the last (fourth) semester to provide adequate time for learners to become proficient at working online in the course platform. Online classes required during the first three semesters of the program all require online and internet-based collaborative learning. Additionally, by the fourth semester, learners will have been exposed to activities requiring proficiency in interacting and collaborating with peers, and gain a high level of maturity and discipline (Desai, Hart & Richards, 2008).
Activities
The course's platform provides among other things links to assignments, to the class and team forums, the university's e-mail system, the Second Life website, and other instructor-supplied resources. Prior to the first activity described below, team and individual assignments as noted above required learning to use Second Life. The course is twelve weeks in duration: the two-week review of Second Life begins during the third week of the course, and the four activities using Second Life begin during the sixth week. Each of the activities will be accomplished in seven days, and during the tenth to twelfth weeks, teams will begin work on the course's signature assignment using Second Life.
Pre-Activity Learner Preparation (Week Three)
Learners are already registered as Second Life users. The instructor posts the third week assignment, which requires that learners select the link shown in the course platform for going to Second Life, and after logging in, selecting the link to the region set-up for this course's classroom in Second Life. Learners are required to attend a synchronous meeting presented by the instructor, and then will be instructed to talk to other classmates while in the virtual classroom for forty-five minutes. Afterward, the instructor will obtain the transcript from the learners' discussion, and the instructor will remind students to read Second Life's Quickstart Guide (Exhibit B and C) prior to completing and submitting an assessment in the course platform by the end of the week.
Technological Elements
The University's network and learners' computers are tested for meeting the minimum requirements (Exhibit D) to run Second Life successfully (Second Life, 2012). The instructor and learners will use Adobe Flash in the learner platform to access materials related to Second Life. Butucea and Cervinschi (2011) recommended "Flash technology to allow manipulation of media files (audio and video)" (p. 109). Flash software runs on users' computers through a plug-in, the Adobe Flash Player, which employs scripting language known as ActionScript that is similar to JavaScript (Butucea & Cervinschi, 2011).
Northcentral University referred to Qunhua and Nordenskiold (2011) for information that is designed to assist and inspire educators who may want to use a virtual world such as Second Life for teaching. Particular reference was made regarding intercultural Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (iCSCL) achievable using Second Life, which supports Northcentral's mission and teaching objectives. "iCSCL is based on the theory that knowledge is a social construction, and that learning is facilitated by collaboration" (Qunhua & Nordenskiold, 2011, para 3).
Northcentral University also referred to Downey (2011) who reported that "Instruction for Massively Multiplayer Online Learning Environment (i-MMOLE) is a research-based instructional design framework created specifically for designing instruction that incorporates virtual world environments" (p. 33). Downey (2011) remarked that "today, virtual world and game-based educa¬tion stands at the same crossroads where Web-based education stood in 1993" (p. 33). To address overcoming these crossroads, Downey (2011) presents findings based upon a virtual-world instructional i-MMOLE framework, which was conceived "to guide the design of instruc¬tion to be created and set within a virtual world" (p. 34). The Worlds of Education (2012) website provided lesson plans based upon the i-MMOLE, which were adapted for the following activities' design.
Activity One
Nguyen's (2011) lesson plan for undergraduates entitled, Virtual Schools for the Future, was chosen to design this activity's framework. Although Nguyen's (2011) plan was not developed for an entirely online class, this paper redesigns Nguyen's (2011) lesson plan to accommodate an asynchronous and synchronous collaborative online undergraduate course's activity for the previously identified "EDU101 Future Collaborative Online Learning Technologies" course. Exhibit A is presented as an important tool for the instructor and learners to use to gain internet access while in Second Life. Such access by learning teams promotes in-world practice, an instant use and visualization of internet-based information, and enables the team to stay within Second Life to investigate problems rather than exiting the Second Life meeting place, retrieving information, and reconvening the team in Second Life.
Description of Activity. The first activity for ED4010 Designing Collaborative Online Learning Using Technology is to visit Second Life and other virtual worlds used for education. Learning teams will obtain knowledge about virtual worlds by finding and reviewing related online articles and web sites. The teams will visit International Schools Island, a virtual school in Second Life, and integrate new knowledge about their virtual world experiences to compile a team paper exploring the possibility of building an educational establishment in Second Life or in another virtual world.
Why Considered a Collaborative Activity. Due to this computer-based collaborative learning activity using computers, learners interact with each other by communicating, and exchanging information. New knowledge is acquired more efficiently, and with improved understanding. "Students learn one from each other and clarify notions that they did not understand very well about the instructor’s course…through group activity, using different forms of real time communications like chat, audio and video, provided by the assisted instruction collaborative platform" (Ion & Vespan, 2011, p. 121), which is better known as vicarious learning that allows learning by observing and working with others.
Directions for the Activity. Learners will transport to their classroom in Second Life, and synchronously listen to the instructor's lecture. Afterward, learners will review the required readings assigned by the instructor, which are posted in the course platform, and within the Second Life classroom. Learners will then discuss the information as teams, and combine the information from the readings with additional research, which includes a visit to one or more some virtual schools in Second Life to explore the possibility of using virtual worlds to create an educational class of the future (Nguyen, 2011).
Lecture. Learning institutions are discussing virtual worlds as a solution or at least a tool for online education in the future to promote a higher level of quality learning for online classes and schools. Virtual worlds can enable learners to keep abreast of the newest learning technologies, and as educators, gaining knowledge about new internet tools helps to decide whether these tools can be appropriately and effectively applied to teaching.
Resources and Materials. During the lecture, the instructor projects the image of the course forum in Second Life's classroom, and explains that the links posted are recommended for the team assignment due at the end of the week. The links provided are:
Active Worlds and Education - 3D Virtual Worlds
Virtual Worlds – Best Practices in Education
Shared Virtual Worlds for Education: The ExploreNet Experiment
Education in virtual worlds - Wikiversity
In addition to the links above, the instructor indicates that learners should search for more websites related to virtual worlds used for education. During the discussion time after the lecture, the instructor asks learners to reflect upon and discuss whether virtual worlds will help students learn better, and if virtual worlds could replace traditional schools in the future. The instructor prompts learners to print out the discussion log prior to exiting Second Life in order to use peer responses for developing a post for the class forum, which is due at the end of the week. The team assignment includes the following:
By the end of the week, learning teams will teleport to the International School Island within Second Life, and explore various areas on the virtual campus. The island's URL is http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/International%20Schools/70/84/24. Items of interest include the International School's towers known as the information, technology, and curriculum towers. Each tower contains seven floors, and the team collectively will investigate and compile notes about each floor. Specific attention should be given to the floor with information from educators about developing a virtual school. Once completing this tour, learners should (1) revisit their answers developed above for a class forum posting, and decide if there answers should be revised based upon their new knowledge, and (2) as a team, develop and submit a report that explores and discusses their findings within Second Life, which can include the team visiting other virtual schools after inputting "schools" as a search word in a search engine such as Google.
Activity's Objectives. The activity's objectives are to (1) motivate learners individually and as a team to investigate virtual worlds as a teaching format, (2) provide more time for learners to acclimate and become comfortable using avatars within a virtual world, (3) open up learners' minds to the possibility of using a virtual world in their future classes, (4) provide an activity that uses collaborative synergies to develop learners' teams.
Activity's Timeline. The above activity by the individual and team learners is started at the beginning of the course's sixth week, and completed by the seventh day of week six.
Activity's Process for Submission. The individual assignment will be posted to
the class forum by day three of the sixth week, and each learner will respond to at least six peers with a reflective post by day five. The team assignment will be developed during their presence in Second Life, worked on during the week in the team's forum, and one elected team member will compose and submit the final team paper by the end of day seven to the instructor.
Assessment Tools for Activity. "Instructors have found that it is more difficult to assess learner achievement in e-learning…due to the lack of resources to help instructors assess and improve online courses" (Desai, Hart & Richards, 2008, p. 131). Nguyen (2011) wrote that assessment of new knowledge gained by the learners can be acquired by the instructor's review of the individual and team submissions, which is based upon the course's rubric, and the class forum responses.
Activity Two
Activity Two for the course, ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies, is designed by modifying an activity by Dickson (2011). Dickson (2011) introduced "the basics of interactive design concepts relating to exhibitions and museums within virtual worlds" (para 1). The concepts which will then be applied and integrated into creating interactive learning objects.
Activity's Description. Current teaching trends point to a more interactive based learning platform. Addressing this trend requires that preservice learners find more innovative and interactive ways to present course content to future students by motivating students to be more attentive, and encourage collaborative learning by using new technologies.
Providing Experiences. In the course platform, required readings include: design concepts, design principles, and usability. The assignment includes directions for learners to complete and submit the usability activity. Since all learners have created a Second Life profile, the next direction includes downloading and installing the Second Life viewer, reviewing the Second Life Tutorial, and transporting to: http://secondlife.com/destination/usf-health. After reviewing, teleport to www.thetech.org, and navigate through the virtual worlds while being attentive to the manner in which lessons, and lectures and information are provided in the virtual environment. Download and install the Google Earth application. Visit the website http://gelessons.com/lessons/ and browse lessons on topics which are interesting.
Grade Level(s). Undergraduate.
Assessing Learning. Learners will make several class postings in the discussion section in Blackboard. Postings will provide insights and evaluations about their experiences in Second Life, and while in Google Earth. Learning teams will create a map lesson using Google Maps using information at: http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/index.html
After completing the learning activities, learning teams will design and create an interactive lesson to be used in the online classroom. Citations will be constructed according to APA standards.
Why Considered a Collaborative Activity. Learning teams collectively create a map, and design and create an interactive lesson. Due to this computer-based collaborative learning activity, learners interact with each other, communicate, and exchange information. New knowledge is acquired more efficiently, and with improved understanding. "Students learn one from each other and clarify notions that they did not understand very well about the instructor’s course…through group activity, using different forms of real time communications like chat, audio and video, provided by the assisted instruction collaborative platform" (Ion & Vespan, 2011, p. 121).
Directions for the Activity. Learning teams will design an interactive learning platform using Google Earth. The same virtual classroom used in activity one will be used for activity two. The instructor will present an interactive media lecture while learners are synchronously attending the lecture in the Second Life classroom. After the lecture, the instructor indicates that the notes will be posted in the course platform. The lecture addresses virtual world design principles and concepts, usability and usability testing. Since the learners were previously introduced to the concepts of Second Life in activity one, updating their profile is required. The following virtual worlds' links are to be posted after the lecture in the Second Life class for learners to use:
http://www.thetech.org/
http://secondlife.com/destination/usf-health
During exploration of the virtual worlds, learners will be told via the posted assignment that paying attention to the methods used in presenting information in a virtual world is important. Learners are informed during the lecture to download and install Google Earth on their computers, and review the information at the following link:
http://gelessons.com/lessons/
Activity's Objectives. To extend learners' virtual world skills by using the Second Life software to attend a synchronous class, and provide information about Google Earth so that learners as teams can create an interactive lessen plan using Google Earth.
Activity's Timeline. The above activity will start and end during week eight of the course. Activity's Process for Submission. The individual assignment will be posted to the class forum by day three of the eighth week, and each learner will respond to at least six peers with a reflective post by day five. The team assignment will be developed during their presence in Second Life, and using Google Earth, worked on during the week in the team's forum, and one elected team member will compose and submit the final team paper by the end of day seven of week eight to the instructor.
Assessment Tools for Activity. The instructor will apply the rubric's guidelines for learners' postings to the class forum. In addition, each team will post their Google Earth tool in their Second Life classroom, and present it to the rest of the class in a synchronous setting. Based upon comments received after each presentation, and review of team members notes in the team forums, grades will be assigned.
Activity Three
Flemban's (2011) learning goal described that learners will combine the reading from the class' text, lecture notes (presented as in activity one and two), and from internet sources to explain the proper method to capture photos. In the same team as established by activity one and two, learners will use Second Life to upload Photoshop-edited photos as an exhibit into the Second Life classroom.
Description of Activity. Learning teams will generate electronic photographs, and use free Photoshop Software to edit the photographs. Teams will devise a collective plan representing clarification of each member's responsibilities. After the team has created an online exhibit of their photographs, the exhibit will be presented by each team at a synchronous session in the established Second Life classroom.
Grade Level(s). Undergraduate education students.
Assessing Learning. Using the rubric, the comments received from class members about the teams' projects, and the quality of the individual class forum's postings will be used by the instructor to post grades.
Why Considered a Collaborative Activity. Collaborative activity is achieved by the teams' work in learning Photoshop, creating and editing photos, assembling an exhibit, posting it in the Second Life classroom, and presenting the exhibit to the class. The teams also create a plan to carry out the exhibit's development, and each member has a specific responsibility in the process.
Directions for the Activity. After each team creates a plan to assign responsibilities, posts the final plan in the team forum, and discusses using Photoshop software to edit photographs, the team will progress through the week using a predetermined timeline to keep the project on track. The instructor provides assignment details in the course platform. After the team reaches each milestone, and the exhibit is finalized, the team leader will post the exhibit in the Second Life classroom one day before the team presents its exhibit during a synchronous presentation. The class members will make written or oral comments in the virtual classroom about the presentation. Individual assignments will include discussing in the course platform's class forum the efficacy of using photograph software to create an online tool within Second Life.
Activity's Objectives. To extend learners' virtual world skills by using the Second Life software to attend a synchronous class, to further expand collaborative skills by requiring teams to investigate and use Photoshop, and editing photographs in order to create an online exhibit within the Second Life classroom.
Activity's Timeline. The activity described above will be started and completed during week nine of the course.
Activity's Process for Submission. Each learner will submit quality postings in the class forum by day three of the ninth week, and each learner will respond to at least six peers with a reflective post by day five. The team assignment will be developed during the ninth week, and submitted as an exhibit in the Second Life classroom. The team will also discuss their exhibit during a synchronous presentation.
Assessment Tools for Activity. Using the rubric, the comments received from class members about the teams' exhibits and presentations, and the quality of the individual class forum's postings will be used by the instructor to create grades.
Activity Four
Activity Four is designed from an activity presented by Goossens (2011). This activity is the fourth in the series of activities that serves to scaffold collaborative learning using the Second Life virtual world. After the completion of this activity in week ten, the two remaining weeks of the course are designed to challenge the five teams of five to design an educational product for their final project using the virtual world software of their choosing.
Description of Activity. This activity exposes the learners to another educational location in Second Life, which was designed and named after the Instructional Society for Technology and Education (ISTE) standards. The educational location is a Second Life island. The ISTE educational forum serves as a teaching tool for online learners to discover the use of podcasts, blogs, and other emerging technologies for educational purposes. Although the ISTE forum was built by non-Northcentral University staff, the forum is open to anyone who wishes to enter and learn, and those managing the forum can serve as mentors to this course's learners as they strive to learn about other e-tools for education, and design a Second Life classroom.
Grade Level(s). Undergraduate Freshman.
Why Considered a Collaborative Activity. At the end of the activity, the learning teams collaboratively discuss the features in Second World that stood out, was fun, could be improved, and was the least enjoyable. Each team submits a summary, which also includes ideas for a podcast, a blog and an emerging technology usable for educational means. Once each team's summary is in the appropriate forum, all students should respond to each team's summary.
Directions for the Activity. Since the instructor has arranged for the class to use the information and tools at ISTE Island, students will print out the handout provided in the course's platform entitled "ISTE Island Blueprint", and teleport to ISTE on the first day of week ten. Upon arrival, students will follow numbered directions in the virtual classroom: (1) read the ISTE NETS Standards for teachers, (2) explore the entry area as a team, (3) attend an ISTE meeting with your class, (4) network with your classmates within Second Life to discuss the meeting, (5) perform the series of activities on ISTE Island per the handout, which includes visiting certain parts of the island as described in the blueprint to learn about podcasts, blogs, and other emerging technologies, and (6) after completing the activities, each team will compose a six page reflection paper describing the experience at ISTE, what was learned about podcasts, blogs, and other technologies, address how the information about podcasts, blogs, and other technologies has affected the team's opinion about using technologies in online courses, and present two to three ideas about integrating blogs, podcasts, and other new technologies into an educational setting. The final activity is a social event within ISTE. All learners will attend, socialize with others, and take snapshots at the event for inclusion in the activity's team paper.
Activity's Objectives. Once the learning teams have progressed through the first three activities, their level of expertise using Second Life's software should enable them to ascertain more quickly the processes needed to use the new tools under investigation for this activity. Additionally, the depth of collaborative learning should enable each team to gain positive results at a higher cognitive level due to an improved ability to transform learning.
Activity's Timeline. This activity is started and completed in the tenth week of the course.
Activity's Process for Submission. For each step of this activity, the Second Life ISTE Island program will record each learner's entry and exit. Each team will compile relevant snapshots of each step for inclusion in the reflective paper, and provide a description of each. Each team will present a summary during a synchronous class in ISTE.
Assessment Tool for Activity. The instructor receives the four-page reflection paper, and scores each team's paper, and presentation to the class according to the rubric. Each learner is appraised by the degree of contribution to the team, and understanding related to the podcast, blog, and other technologies. Each team will also be able to indicate the manner in which each technology can be integrated and applied for promotion of new knowledge.
Conclusion
The course project presented a synopsis for an online course entitled "ED4010 Exploring Virtual World Technologies", and included its description, goals, objectives, and learners' descriptions. Additionally, the synopsis incorporated four online collaborative activities' designs, which provided elements such as the activities' directions, objectives, timelines, processes for students' submissions, and assessments. Although not required, the additional sections provided in this project such as Northcentral University's mission statements were relevant to the course's development because every segment of a program's curriculum must mirror a business' mission statement. Furthermore, the progression of the course's activities designed to scaffold learning for collaborative team-building follows current best practices.
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