Why don’t they stick around?
March 24th, 2010 · No Comments · Jonathan
Adult learners have consistently been heavy users of distance education because of other demands on their time. While adult student retention has always been a concern, some community colleges (home for many adult learners), have reported substantially higher drop-out rates for online adult learners than for comparable in-class students.
Steven Aragon and Elaine Johnson surveyed 305 distance education students at a Midwestern rural community college. Roughly 1/3 (116) of the students did not complete the courses successfully, having withdrawn, dropped, or failed the course. The remaining 189 completed the courses with at least a grade of ‘D’. They had two questions as the focus for the study, a comparison of various demographic characteristics as well as the students’ own reasons for non-completion.
Only three demographic characteristics were found to have reliable correlations with success. Female students had a higher success rate as did those with a higher GPA. Interestingly enough, students enrolled in more online courses also had higher completion rates. Student age, ethnicity, and financial aid eligibility had no correlation. One-third of the students contacted for follow-up studies said they failed to complete the courses for personal reasons, while almost half blamed the course design, technology, or communications issues.
Although performed on a small group of students in a unique environment, I think this study may have relevance to some of the work I am doing and I am going to attempt to track down information on drop-out rates for the courses with which I am involved. I have been tracking student persistence within distanced education programs, but have not reviewed withdrawal or grade information.
Aragon, S. R., & Johnson, E. S. (2008). Factors Influencing Completion and Noncompletion of Community College Online Courses. American Journal of Distance Education, 22(3), 146. doi: 10.1080/08923640802239962.
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In Real Estate it is Location, Location, Location; in Digitized Primary Source Documents it is Context, Context, Context! (Journal Article Four)
March 24th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Bob
http://mcel.pacificu.edu/jahc/2008/issue1/vajcner.php
This week I have delved into an earlier issue of the Journal of the Association for History and Computing, that of April 2008. In the article I have chosen; “The Importance of Context for Digitized Archival Collections,” the author, Mark Vajcner, discusses the dilemma for archivists related to the widespread use of digitized records. As I mention in my title above, the key is trying to maintain context for documents.
While I am not an archivist, I can understand Vajcner’s concerns, because they seem to relate to a wider problem in today’s digital world. That problem is that original documents and records, once digitized and available to anyone on the worldwide web, can be pulled out of context and published or be relied upon separate from the general source from which they came. This is a real problem for archivists whose entire field has historically been built around publishing huge volumes of data, mainly for use by researchers and historians. Traditionally the researchers and historians have access to a vast bundle of archived data and can study and analyze it and reach conclusions based on the context of the documents cited.
Now what happens is that these documents once digitized can be pulled out of archived collections and used for any number of reasons by researchers, historians, or anyone else (I would think this might include website creators, politicians, people with agendas, etc). This affects the validity of the document when looked at in isolation and raises questions about its veracity and authenticity.
Vajcner cites two situations reported on in another article as examples of some of the concerns. One of the situations was the movie "Forrest Gump" in which the lead character is inserted into film clips and portrayed as meeting with three American presidents. This is something that obviously did not happen but was engineered from some primary source clips. While this might appear to be a harmless entertainment usage, it does show the concern about the usage of primary document when taken out of context. The second situation raised a bit more concern when the Oliver Stone movie, Natural Born Killers in 1994 used archival footage of a native Indian canoe with a shaman in a bird costume. Unfortunately the context in the movie had no relation to particular circumstance of the archived footage.
In his conclusion, Vajcner states: “the ease by which digital documents may be altered and then re-published focuses a new importance on authenticity and originals … Archivists will need to be more active in ensuring that contextual information is linked to digitized materials. ” Unfortunately this will not prevent anyone with an agenda, including researchers and historians from pulling documents out of context to make a point. It does underline the concern raised by Jenkins in our earlier class readings of the need for teachers to take our tech savvy, young students and provide to them a series of skills including the ability to judge the authenticity and validity of a document or source. The issues of authenticity and veracity of a document is not just of concern to archivists, but should be one which all of us, especially teachers can appreciate.
So, the value of knowing the context of digitized documents is at least as important as the importance of location in determining the value of real estate. Otherwise, you might have Forrest Gump turn up in a painting of the surrender of Lee to Grant at Appomattox as an interested party!
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Distance Learning, Computerized Testing and Oral Proficiency in Language Learning Classes
March 23rd, 2010 · No Comments · Susan
Blog 5
Distance learning as a means of language teaching is not a concept that has been widely embraced by language teachers. However, as reported in Blake et al’s article, Measuring oral proficiency in distance, face-to-face, and blended classrooms, there are situations where distance learning or a hybrid course that blends both distance and face-to-face learning can provide educational opportunities that would not exist otherwise. For example, distance learning makes it possible for students to study less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) such as those cited in this article, Farsi, Arabic and Punjabi. The question becomes: how well do distance and hybrid classes serve students in comparison to face-to-face offerings? According to a study of a “first year language course offered at the University of California – Davis in both hybrid and distance-learning formats” p. 114, second “language learners reach comparable levels of oral proficiency during their first year of study”.
To assist students, in computer delivered classes, they participated in synchronous live chat sessions and worked with materials from CD-ROMS, DVDs and the course website. The authors discussed the likelihood that some of the distance and hybrid learning environments success is due to the students self selecting a learning environment that is conducive to a particular learning style and that this individualistic, self-paced style is not necessarily one that could be applied, as successfully, to all students.
The researchers assessed the level of oral proficiency students achieved in the various venues via a 20 minute test called Versant for Spanish that was administered over the phone and “scored automatically by means of speech recognition and parser software” p. 116. The software measures a student’s, “sentence mastery, pronunciation, and fluency” p. 118.
It is illuminating that distance learning can provide comparable results for first year students as this type of delivery system opens up educational possibilities to learners of LCTLs and possibly others. Although, as the researchers noted, these results may not apply beyond students who self selected a computer delivered learning environment. The issue of computer delivered learning to achieve parity on a broader scale has yet to be determined. However, an area that, I believe, has immediate broad scale possibilities is the use of computerized based assessment systems like the one offered by Versant for Spanish.
Because much of teaching is tied to what can be measured in an assessment, computerized testing that can assess a student’s speaking abilities hold tremendous promise for language learners and teachers. Practice speaking a language is a crucial part to learning a language and yet this essential skill can be underserved by teachers because it is difficult and time consuming for teachers to assess. The implications of software that can assess oral proficiency according to the standards established by the language teaching community are profound. The Fairfax County Public Schools system is unusual because it conducts assessments of high school students’ speaking abilities and therefore teaching these skills is an essential part of their language curriculum. This is not the case for many school systems which still emphasis rote and grammar based curriculums that can quickly and easily assess student learning with multiple choice, reading, and written language tests.
If speech can be accurately assessed by various software packages, the likelihood that more schools will use this quick and easy method of assessment increases and with it the probability that curriculums on a broader scale will increase their focus on language speaking , an essential and up until now often underutilized area of language learning.
Blake, R., et al, (October 2008). Measuring oral proficiency in distance, face-to-face, and blended classrooms, Language Learning & Technology, (12) 3, 114-127. Retrieved from http://llt.msu.edu/vol12num3/blakeetal.pdf
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Learning Music Online Vs Face2Face (KBA #4)
March 23rd, 2010 · 1 Comment · Gil
This article compares learning outcomes and student perceptions of learning for the same introductory music course, including a performance component, taught in both face-to-face (F2F) and online (OL) modalities. Both courses included F2F performance exams.
The learning objectives for this course included learning to read music, use musical terminology, identify the structure of music, play chords in accompaniment, and compose music. The F2F course included mandatory weekly performance labs whereas the OL course provided two optional labs provided during the latter half of the course. Both groups of students received feedback on their performance, yet “FtF students received more feedback that highlighted both their accomplishments and areas for improvement, so students could identify errors and make corrections. For online students, the electronic course management system provided only one response, praise for a job well done.” Other differences in the courses noted by the authors include FtF students having opportunities to write music in notation and more opportunities to practice sight reading skills including group exercises tapping out notation, for example. The most frequently noted reasons for students taking the course online reported by students included scheduling issues, reducing the commute to campus and to accommodate work.
The results of this study are interesting: based on the measurement of learning outcomes there were no significant differences between the two groups. However, the F2F students reported higher perceived levels of success reading music, playing chords and with musical notation. F2F students also reported chapter quizzes as being more useful to learning than did OL students. OL students reported higher levels of dissatisfaction with the amount of interaction they had with the instructor.
The course professor, a different individual than the researcher in this case, reported that “FtF students mastered performance skills more easily than online students. While the two groups did not show differences in outcomes as measured by final course grade, the process of reaching success may have been more difficult for online students.” In conclusion, “the authors propose that a blended, or hybrid approach to teaching musical performance skills may be more effective in providing students with essential feedback.”
Finally, the authors note that other studies have established that OL students have the benefit of accessing course materials “at their convenience” and echoing Fowler (2005) state “(r)ather than exploring whether online learning can be as effective as traditional formats, the burden of proof may soon shift to FtF courses.”
Compared to other articles in JOLT that I have read, this study appears to have been conducted with a relatively high level of methodological rigor. Nevertheless I am left with questions concerning how the data do or do not support some of the authors’ conclusions. The primary benefit of F2F course delivery, based on the data, seems only to be an elevated perception of ability compared to the OL group that in fact performs at a comparable level; that difference appears to lead to the authors’ suggestion of a hybrid course. Also in this study it is not clear how the OL course material was delivered in comparison to F2F settings. Both groups of students were provided web links to a video concerning playing scales, and numerous references are made to exercises only the F2F students engaged in, but the nature of the OL student experience – based on learning outcomes, a very successful experience – is not thoroughly addressed. Nevertheless this strikes me as an outstanding contribution to the still young body of literature comparing traditional and online learning.
Source: Agi Horspool and S.S. Yang, “A Comparison of University Student Perceptions and Success Learning Music Online and Face-to-face,” MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, Vol. 6, No. 1 (March 2010): 15-29.
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Integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into the Marketing Curriculum
March 23rd, 2010 · No Comments · Uncategorized
Fred l. Miller, Terence L. Holmes, W.Glynn Mangold
Marketing Education Review, Vol 17, No 3 (Fall 2007)
Blog: Lynn Barnsback
As of this writting (2007) Geographic Information System application is not an integral part of the Marketing Curriculum. As is often the case, new technologies are slow to be integrated into higher education’s curriculums. This study was a test really of a modular design for integrating GIS into marketing curriculums.
GIS “combines demographic, socioeconomic and business data with mapping and graphical display capabilities”. It is a very useful tool for market area analysis, site selection, sales territory analysis customer profiling, routing and real time logistic planning. There are a number of reasons that GIS, although becoming increasingly more important to business, is not taught in-depth in marketing classes. These include:
- high cost for hardware/software
- faculty learning curve
- lack of instructional resources
- Lack of enough time in an individual class.
In order to confront these barriers, the authors developed seven modules that can be incorporated individually into a series of marketing classes and tackled the barriers for inclusion.
First (1.), they found a software provider and established licensing agreements that can be accessed by hundreds of universities, thus eliminating the software costs. Students can even install the operating system on their personal computers. (2) By breaking it into modules Instructors only need to acquire the skills that are relevant to their class or specific modal. The Modules are: Retailing, e-commerce & Marketing Research, Sales Management, Integrated Marketing Communications, Consumer Behavior.) A Module Designer (3) is designated to customize datasets, basemaps and other project materials. By doing so, the burden on the rest of the faculty is lessened. By spreading the GIS instruction across several courses, the constraint of time is eliminated (4). While designed to be completed in a one week time frame students can work in a class or independently on the tasks, however an instructor chooses. Because the modules are stand alone, only the ones a department deems necessary need be included.
The materials were designed as a printed work book and CD. The same workbook is used for each module, thus building upon the knowledge. “Each of the seven modules uses the same format but requires a different analytical focus and the performance of different GIS tasks.”
The final reported is completed in steps while going through each exercise.
The exercises were assessed favorably although all acknowledged deed that even broken out into modules, they took a lot of time to complete. Textbook knowledge both about GIS and other marketing principals was applied to the tasks. Analytical and problem solving skills were further developed and even computer skills enhanced. The final report provided them an opportunity to develop written communication skills and experiment with maps, graphs & PowerPoint.
CONCLUSION: There is an opportunity cost to integrating the GIS modules into a marketing curriculum-time taken to do the modal is time taken away from other projects or topics. Also achieving proficiency with design is time consuming and must be addressed as a department if one person is to be primarily responsible for the implementation. At the time of writing not all the modules had been tested, however it appears that the concept holds as successful. While I like the approach, especially exposing students to such a “real life” hands on project, I wonder about the need for such an in-depth project. It almost seems that to make the investment of faculty time worthwhile, the project must be done in multiple modules through several courses. I would be interested in learning the impact on teaching the GIS as just a stand alone modal in one class. Is the mutli class approach really necessary to understand its impact? Wouldn’t students be better served with several different projects over the course of their education rather than revisiting the same concept – just with different tasks??
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Music Education with Digital Technology (Teddy’s Log 03.22.2010)
March 23rd, 2010 · 3 Comments · Ted
Teddy’s CTCH 603 Reading Log 03.22.2010
For class CTCH 603 class session 03.24.2010
Music Education with Digital Technology by John Finney & Pamela Burnard
Each of us enjoys some form of encounter involving music on a daily basis. It is through this encounter that we learn, listen and become more enriched by the experience. In the article entitled “Music Education with Digital Technology, Finney and Burnard manages to well orchestrate and supply us with a wealth of challenges, changes and innovations that digital technology presents to the music curricula for teachers. The purpose of this article is to engage the musician and non-musician in dialogue and research that exposes how the use of the “Sonic Arts” integrated in to every discipline can be a most effect tool for teaching and learning.
In Chapter one, “Music Education As Identity Project In A World of Electronic Desires”, Finney provides input and criteria for classroom success that has been externally imposed on music teachers and highlights the differences between formal and informal learning practices in both. Chapter two, “Perspectives From A New Generation Secondary School Music Teacher”, presents a narrative of successful and distasteful experiences accounted by music teacher Hannah Quinn while in the GCSE music program. Chapter three, “The Gender Factor: Teaching Composition In Music Technology Lessons to Boys and Girls in Year Nine”, introduces the reader to the potential of using digital technology to produce music for still imagery while touching on the issue of gender among students using technology.
In Chapter four, “Finding Flow Through Music Technology”, Serena Croft combines the use of ICT in music with flow theory and motivation. The nine dimensions within the theory are linked to experiences of the students using the digital technology and a diagrammatic model of flow is proposed by Croft. Chapter five, “The Mobile Phone and Class Music: A Teacher’s Perspective”, provides insight into the use of mobile phones and the cultural significance these students place on ringtones as part of their social identity. Chapter six, “An Examination of the DJ Factor: Teaching Performance and Composition From Back To Front”, Mike Challis describes an alternative and innovative approach to composition for students from a Pupil Referral Unit. Students learn to cope and manage mainstream education using familiar music genres.
In Chapter seven, Kevin Jennings shows us how composing with the aid of graphical technologies can help us to better understand musical concepts. Two software packages are utilized here: “Hyperscore” and “Drumsteps”. Chapter eight explores the possibilities of collaboration via a computer network. Students learn through on-line collaborative music making. Chapter nine, reviews the current opportunities for using music e-learning environments as part of teaching practice. Students are encouraged to compose music for use on the internet. Chapter ten, “Current And Future Practices: Embedding Collaborative Music Technologies In Secondary Schools”, explains the use of ICT in schools music programs. Chapter eleven, “Strategies for Supporting Music Learning Through Online Collaboration Technologies”. Chapter twelve, “Pedagogical Strategies for Change: Based Upon Current Research and Classroom Experience”. Chapter thirteen provides an insightful account of new forms of composition. Chapter fourteen is on music education and training for ICT/curriculum reform. Chapter fifteen proposes strategies for that reform and Chapter sixteen closes with informative data about creativity and technology as critical agents of change.
References
King, A. (2008). Music Education with Digital Technology. Journal of Music, Technology & Education, 1(2/3), 167-172. doi:10.1386/jmte.1.2 and 3.167/4. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.mutex.gmu.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=104&sid=f7d9d94b-3932-4aaa-b33b-686c07e9c7d0%40sessionmgr110
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From Traditional Delivery to Distance Learning
March 22nd, 2010 · No Comments · Uncategorized
From Traditional Delivery to Distance Learning: Developing the Model by Marie F. Holbein August 2008 Index
This article further presents the argument that effective distant learning requires a shift in the mindset of teachers and learners on how to approach their respective roles.
The article represented some suggestions on elements of “course planning and delivery for the instructor and a shift in engagement for the students”
The theoretical underpinning of the article was based on the availability of so many learning resources through the internet and the need to allow the learners to embrace the fact that their individual abilities to learn from the internet is enhanced as their technological tools are improved to support their independent learning. This new constructive learning paradigm is supported with effective communication between the instructor and the learner to provide timely feedback that help the student understand the desired learning outcomes of the distant courses they are taking. Such consistent and frequent feedback secures the learners’ belonging to the class learning community and overcomes the possible feeling of isolation that sometimes accompanies distant learners.
The article presented that an effective design of a distant learning course should modify the content and activities of the traditional face-to face lectures to go with the new realities of the distant learning environment where students are expected to be more self reliant and less dependant on face-to face support. The suggested elements of the new distant learning courses were:
1. Blended approach with a limited face-to-face interactions to three occasions:
a. First occasion to provide an introduction to the course where the learning goals are specified by the instructor and communication technologies are explained. Furthermore, students are introduced to each other to support the learner-learner interaction that will help create the learning community and enhance peer assignment review and reflections
b. Second occasion is used to introduce the learners to the self assessment processes that helps instructor-learner interaction
c. Third occasion is used to present the result of the course projects that the students will develop.
2. Provide a modular structure of the course for the separate assignments that focus on the quality of the knowledge that the students are studying. The teacher is expected to provide “modular links to pertinent literature, university resources … and resources from the internet at-large” to help the student expand heir knowledge about the specific topic being covered and supports their independent learning efforts.
3. Instructor-learner as well as learner-learner interaction are an important form of feedback between the players in distant learning environment. This is supported by “immediate feedback such as group email messages, automated feedback such as system announcements and personal feedback such as personal emails”. All of these tools are used to facilitate communications that allows learners to engage in critical and reflective thinking, to read the contribution of their peers and to critique their work. Such effort is required to be posted in a common platform to further support the evolvement of a learning community. Chat rooms should be structured to enhance the interaction between the learners to further their learning experience.
Finally, the article introduced “Netiquette” which represented new set of “protocols” of interaction in distant such as the use of “thoughtful words” since there is no face to face nuances to complement communication, the need to be prompt in posting of interaction and assignments to make the interaction more meaningful and finally to restrict the interaction to course related topics.
Hanan
Holbein, M. (2008). From traditional delivery to distance learning: developing the model. International journal of instructional technolgy & distance learning, 5(8)(1550-6980), Retrieved from http://itdl.org/Journal/Aug_08/article05.htm
ICT Training of Lecturers in Nigeria. J-Article 5.
March 22nd, 2010 · 1 Comment · John
Citation
Tiemo, P. A., Emiri, O. T., and Tiemo, A. J. (2010). Information and communication technology (ICT) training among lecturers in the South-South zone in Nigeria by the Nigeria communication commission (NCC). International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 6 (1), 55-66. doi: 10.4018/jicte.2010091105
Main Points
– In order to bridge the digital gap and to facilitate the use of ICT in teaching and learning among lecturers and students in Nigeria universities, the NCC organized their first zonal workshop on advanced digital appreciation to train lecturers in the use of ICT skills and knowledge in order to facilitate research and teaching in their respective institutions.
– The study sought to find out the success achieved among participants, level of ICT skills before and after the program, and their perceptions toward the program.
– The study was conducted as a descriptive survey. The population of the study consisted of 70 lecturers from 10 selected institutions.
Analysis
– They discovered that the lecturers overwhelming thought that this idea was of value. They especially welcomed it since most of the lecturers found it difficult to integrate ICT in their academic work.
– The majority of respondents, 69%, had no knowledge of ICT before the program and another 23% had only a fair knowledge of ICT.
– The program exposed the lecturers to the standard Microsoft suite of products; word, powerpoint, and excel as well as use of the internet. All of the participants found the training valuable and recommended that it be expanded to all Nigerian universities.
– The study confirmed earlier assertions made to the level of knowledge and training of lecturers in Nigerian universities. The small sampling reinforced this earlier premise and should be valuable to support expanded training to all of the universities. This would bring as many as 12,000 lecturers up to a minimum acceptable ICT level.
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Social media as an opportunity for pedagogical change in music education
March 22nd, 2010 · No Comments · Uncategorized
Social media as an opportunity for pedagogical change in music education
Social networking platforms (SNPs) and online communities can be an integral part of music students’ lives. They tap into students’ needs to communicate and contribute to a community of practice that is unique to musicians. Online music communities provide a platform upon which music students change share a wide range of expertise ranging from performance to composition. Online members of music communities …“seem to be motivated by the need to get their music heard by others and to get feedback, and even more by the possibility of hearing what kind of music others are making.…they participate in order to establish connections…” (Salavuo, 2008) p. 126).
According to Salavuo (2008), activities in online music communities include:
- Uploading one’s own music, expecting feedback
- Listening to music contributed by peers, providing feedback
- Discussing, asking questions, providing answers, engaging in arguments
- Recommending music
- Connecting together to engage in joint projects (p. 126)
Several of these activities speak to the role of feedback and how it plays an integral role in the collaborative process. Musicians are in a constant state of creating and thrive on the real-time feedback that can inform their progress in completing a composition or performance component. Aside from the textual communications of online discussions, musicians have the added option of showcasing their actual musical selections for everyone to hear and critique. In this way, they are keeping with the impressions and thoughts of their audience and working from a creative platform that thrives on the responses from those whom these artists wish to move or inspire. The collaborative support system works to help those in the creative process and motivate those preparing for or contemplating the start of a creative project.
Several online music communities were listed in the article: A brief description of each is below:
iCompositions.com – Great site for showcasing the works of different composers. Descriptions of instrumentation and the various types of digital effects are listed for each composition. They also feature a section for comments and feedback. They also have a “Forum” sections that discusses various music software and tips for using them.
Restation.net – Reason station was set up to offer a home where members could exchange tips, questions, music, and sounds. The site features a “Tutorial” and “Forum” sections with information on how to create ReasonMusic.
Ccmixter.org – One interesting feature on this site is the “Mixer.” It allows you to remix and interact with previously downloaded music on the site to create your own unique composition. This section has an entire space dedicated to samples and tutorials for remixing your music.
These types of communities provide an outlet for musicians to create music beyond the walls of the practice room or the Finale computer software to a place that is filled with creative ideas and immediate feedback. What these communities bring to the creative world of music is an opportunity for its users to start interacting with music in ways that are more organic and spontaneous. Their members thrive on the constancy of input from which to build their ideas and through this process they come to understand the audience for whom they are creating these musical products. The interpretative process becomes more dependent upon the reactions and impressions of the listener and pulls musicians from the often isolated “chambers” of musical manufacturing that are limited to the creative outlets of the four walls in which they are surrounded. The implications for this type of collaborative learning and creative nourishment for the “classroom” and other disciplines are the most compelling with regard to the motivational components related to learning. These learning environments breed ongoing and interactive learning that motivates and cultivates further learning inquiries and goals.
Salavuo, M. (2008). Social media as an opportunity for pedagogical change in music education.
The Journal of Music, Technology and Education. 1(2), 121-136. doi: 10.1386/jmte.1.2
and 3.121/1
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