Posted 7:59 PM by George Siemens
I had an experience this week that reminds me of the need to constantly reflect on (and be sensitive to) the needs of students who are new to the online environment. I met with a class that is taking the theory portion of a course online, but supervised testing (online, but in a classroom). When I solicited feedback...and the response was very familiar: 50% of the students loved the online format, 30% couldn't care less, and 20% didn't like it. Why didn't the 20% like it?...because "we like having an instructor tell us what we should know and what we should be doing".

At the beginning of an online course, I always emphasize that learning online requires self-motivation...and the linear aspect of learning (first concept 1, then concept 2, then...you know) is replaced with exploratory learning. Learning is still driven by objectives, but the process is less structured. For some reason, however, a small percentage of students each term doesn't understand that message, and they crave for the secure (familiar) instructor dominated environment...sometime I wonder if they don't want to be independent learners...or if they don't know how to make the transition.

With that said, here are a few suggestions for what instructors/designers can do to make the process more "new elearner" friendly:

• Explain how the environment works - the instructor does not provide all the answers...learners explore and discover
  
• Provide transitional assistance - this is relative to each student - some need more assistance than others. Encourage students to try new technology tools, to have their voice heard, to ask for help, etc.
  
• Provide access to remedial resources. Some students may be weak in computer skills, and it's important to link them to tutorials that help fill the knowledge gap. Technology shouldn't limit access to learning - it should enable learning.
  
• Introduce new tools slowly. Scaffold instructional tools (discussion boards, white boards, chat, polling, etc.) - build on tools used the week before...revisit them...incorporate them into group work - but do so at a pace that is reflective of the needs of the group as a whole.
  
• Ensure help desk resources are highlighted, and that students know where to go for help.
  
• Don't forget the person. With technology, the tool often becomes the focus. It shouldn't be. Great communication tools are useless if not used. Encourage communication - students perceive asking questions as interupting an instructor...not good. Questions and answers are the heart of learning.
  
• Let students know how to contact you...and give a variety of options - email, chat, phone...
  
• An instructor should seek to foster an environment that embraces (and accepts) experimentation (and failure) as part of learning. Students need to try new things...and the instructor can play an important role in providing encouragement.
  
  

Posted 7:37 AM by George Siemens
The Missing Link in Educational Technology: TRAINED TEACHERS
Quote: "Far too many of us have witnessed computers in classrooms collecting dust; computer labs locked because there is no one trained to run them; students playing non-educational games on computers for hours on end. Literally millions of dollars are being spent this year on providing computers to schools in developing countries, much of which will be wasted because teachers are not trained to use technology effectively...Teachers remain the gatekeepers for students’ access to educational opportunities afforded by technology: they cannot and should not be ignored. Providing technical skills training to teachers in the use of technology is not enough. Teachers also need professional development in the pedagogical application of those skills to improve teaching and learning."
Comment: Note: Free registration is required to view the article.
This is a good article...and I've yipped about this point before - elearning lives and dies at the user level. If little thought is put into how teachers/students use elearning - the project will likely fail (or at minimum, cause lots of stress!). The author offers many practical suggestions (most notably - allow flexible entry points so that teachers can begin at their comfort level) and presents technology integration as part of an overall strategy, not just an isolated activity.

Posted 7:25 AM by George Siemens
Students and Faculty Members Turn to Online Library Materials Before Printed Ones
Quote: "An expansive study of the information-gathering habits of students and faculty members has found that they first turn to online materials, although most view print as a more reliable source of information."
Comment: Some interesting observations on the use of (and trust in) Internet vs. print materials. Personally, almost all of my learning happens online first...I only use print sources to supplement/enhance online information. About trusting the sources - any student who has spent some time online should know the basics of validating and assessing the reliability of the information. There's a lot of goofy stuff in books too. When it comes to trust, the issue is student's ability to think critically about new information (see Validating Web-based Information).