Learning innovation and the individual-community

nexus: Intercultural applicability of social

networking tools in open and distance education

CNIEReaching new heights: Learning

innovationBanff, April 27-30 2008

Previously …Community formation …

Across semestersAcross culturesFrom novice to expertFrom receiver to reflectorFrom learner to practitioner to mentor

Experiences of pedagogy

Experiential learningTask/project-based learningCollaborative learning

Community of mutually-supportive reflective inquirers

Extended community of experts-novicesCommunity of learner-practitioners

Social constructivism & teacher change

Self-reflection on beliefs & values Exposure to choice Experience of affordances Consciousness of conflict/dysjuncture

• Exposure to modelling of effective uses of technology• Experience & practice in a range of applications facilitating change in attitudes/beliefs

(Richardson & Placier, 2001; King, 2002; Bird & Rosaen, 2005; Brook & Oliver, 2005; Hughes, 2005)

Attitudes towards technology & effective use

of it entwined with teacher learning, comprising:

subject matter knowledge pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge

In other words … teachers will only embrace change and innovation

when they can see positive benefits in terms of: direct relevance to their content area usefulness from a practical task perspective, and increased effectiveness for their day to day classroom

teaching.(Hughes, 2005)

Tools used Webquests using SDSU portal

<http://www.webquest.org/>Dreamweaver + online media & resources

Hot Potatoes + various other online templating tools + media

Social communication/networking:Wiki – MediaWiki hosted on university server

(www-viewable)Individual blogs – Blogger (www-viewable)IMDiscussion forumChate-Portfolios

Expectations vs Use of SN Tools 1 .../2 Expectations

Wiki for internal-remote

collaborationownershipeasily accessible from

everywhere (where my students were located)

Blogsownershipreflective spaceflexible (& re-

purpose-able) spaceextensible outside

timelines of course

UsesWiki

Experimenting with the interface Group organization: sharing &

collaboration Hints & tips (Q & A, quick fixes) Interesting articles/sites Posting projects

Blogs Reflection

self-reflection peer evaluation

Communication mutual support & feedback

Community formation & maintenance Interaction

Among members of single cohort

Across continents & oceans Across semesters Across cultural & social

dysjunctures

Expectations vs Use of SN Tools 2 .../2 Expectations

IM for quick changes of plan to check if online

Discussion forum formal course-related

theoretical Qs & responses

Chat synchronous local &

international coordinatione-Portfolios

formal annotated electronic record of program documents, artefacts, achievements

UsesIM

• Notification of: • Lateness• chat entry• new posts

Discussion Forum Formal course evaluation Formal comments on the course

& projects… in response to instructor’s

postingsChat

• synchronous remote/ internal communication on:

• Discussion• catch-up• Socializing• course-related transactions

E-Portfolios– Created but hardly (yet)

used– Possibly because of formal

nature cf digital stories

Course outcomes:

Processes Self-reflection Self-evaluation Self-efficacy Independent

inquiry Self-initiation Self-motivation Peer evaluation Realization of

usefulness of formation of community network

Products Webquests Online media-

supported teaching module

Wiki sites Blogs

Course-relatedPersonalTravelPost-course/

practitioner

Social presence: effective interaction & learning community formation

No. & frequency of interactions initiated No. & frequency of responses to others Cultural effects on interactions ** Types of communication actions **

Classification of postings

Postings by category

Supp

Refl

Trans

Org

Supportive

Supporting

Compliment

Empathy

Advice

Information

Thanks

Reflective

Musing

Complaint

Photo

Transactional

Help Request

Help giving

Query

Organizational

Announcement

Features emerging from classification

High incidence of supportive comments (1/3):Complimenting, supporting, giving advice, thanking,

empathizingHigh incidence of reflective comments:

Musing, photographs, complaintsMuch less transactional:

Asking & answering Qs, requesting & receiving helpSmallest category: organizational

Persistence of post-course blog use

All but 1 posted on their blogs post-course >50% maintained & expanded theirs, creating

others, & using with own classes >30% maintained blog contact & mentored

subsequent cohorts Similar patterns across subsequent semesters have

shown Experience of being mentored seems to engender

willingness to mentor Experience of becoming reflective, independent &

interdependent members of a community promotes willingness to support emerging independence

And now the story continues …

In fully online mode … - or is it a different story??

New context, similar approach

In transition fromf2f CALL Teacher Ed to …Blended/hybrid CALL Teacher

Ed to …Fully online mix of CALL &

general DE to …Fully online DE Teacher

Education

Online constraints & considerations

Intercultural aspectsGeography & accessTimezonesAppropriate technology

Tools made available 1 … /2

Synchronous & asynchronous CMC:Moodle:

Discussion forumsIM near-synchronous chatWikisBlogs (not used)

EmailVoIP (Skype)Elluminate LiveElluminate vRooms

Tools made available 2 … /2

Instructional technologies Discovery/exploratory

technologies Community-facilitating

technologies (Facebook, Me2U, Flickr, tagging applications, RSS etc)

Beginning with a tale of 2 wikis

… & 2 Moodles …Exploratory learning - using the

available tools for purposes that seem appropriate …

Learning together …

Choices & constraints 1 …/2

Individual vs community “traditional” personality of DE

students Role of academic dialogue at

Masters levelFacilitation in DE environment?

Choices & constraints 2 …/2 Mismatch between:

Requirements Expectations (teacher & learners) Teaching & learning approaches

(including intercultural aspects) Assessment criteria Assessment process (in transition)

What constitutes PARTICIPATION??

Collaborative Moodle wiki sites

CDE Moodle & wikiInternal to coursePassword protectedLocked down by university adminUnable to add guests or students

CDE Moodle wiki site

CDE Moodle wiki site

Collaborative Moodle & wiki sites

Education University of IcelandOpen MoodlePassword protectedGuests & students added manuallyhttp://moodle.khi.is/course/category.php?id=8 Wikispaces sites for student-student, student-

teacher & teacher-teacher collaborationhttp://athabascakhi.wikispaces.com/Athabasca

Communications Technologies

Elluminate Livehttp://www.elluminate.com/Elluminate vRoomshttp://www.elluminate.com/vroom/

Skype

Changing rolesReflective practiceOpennessCollaborationNegotiationChanging assessment practices: e-

Portfolios

Some advice from my students

Critical differences in DE 1 …/2

a necessity for lifelong learning “green”-er (x4) Accessibility & openness (x5) centrality of CMC Flexibility

importance for lifestyle & commitments freedom to design your own program & courses

according to interest Accessibility, breaking down barriers & reaching

remote locations autonomy in experience & direction (x4)

Of both experience of learner & direction of studies i.e.Self-motivationSelf-designed courses & program

Keeping up with advancements in technology (x3)

Critical differences in DE 2 …/2

multi-modal techniques to cultivate engagement (x2) Move from “compensation model” to “celebration

model” (x3) DRAGONS:

Diverse (many and different; distinct and unalike) Requisites (anything indispensable) Accessing (obtain or retrieve from a storage device

like information on a computer Global (not limited or provincial in scope Opportunities (a possibility due to a favourable

combination of circumstances) Non-traditionally (not conforming or in accord with

the considered norm) Sustained (supply with necessities and support)

Questions?Comments?Suggestions?Advice?

Debra HovenCentre for Distance Education,

Athabasca University

http://cde.athabascau.ca/faculty/debrah.php http://deincanada.blogspot.com/

http://lifentheuniverse.blogspot.comdebrah@athabascau.ca