Distance Learning Workshop Advanced Session

I am assuming that everyone in this session has some solid background on the technical aspects of Blackboard and the Control Panel so I want to discuss more advanced, creative and innovative (proactive) strategies for engaging your online students. For the most part this is going to be a hands on session. Please keep in mind that I don’t have all the answers when it comes to online teaching because there are so many variables and diverse teaching styles, however I have been teaching online consistently for over 10 years and I know what WORKS and what doesn’t work when it comes to teaching both totally online courses and hybrids. We also want to keep in mind that true online distance learning has only been used as a viable instructional delivery method for less than ten years. Just think about what the possibilites for sharing knowledge and education will be in the next ten years with the rapid development (evolution) of technology and methodology in this global (post-information) age we live and work in.

Communication and Instructor Feedback are Key!

Effective communication (and timely and constructive feedback) are keys to quality online learning. This is GOSPEL! It separates online courses from correspondence courses, turning passive learning into active learning. Let’s face it…we can’t take what works in the traditional classroom environment and use that same methodology into an online course. This will NOT work.

Teaching online demands a completely different approach (pedagogy) and the first step is to realize that we are no longer talking heads in a room filled with neat rows of students sitting at desks waiting for the teacher to fill them with KNOWLEDGE. Those days are over and the sooner we as educators come to grips with this reality the better. We are facilitators – guides so to speak, on this journey through our course material. Students can (and should be empowered) to play an intergral (active) role in the learning process.

Digital media and global communication networks are providing educational opportunities for “other” ways of thinking about teaching and learning to evolve. Never before, in the history of education, were such powerful tools available to change the relationships between learners, teachers, knowledge, and evaluation (assessment). Digital systems (technologies) now provide exciting opportunity for the development of learning environments over instructional environments, to change the concept of time and space in education, and to view and challenge traditional environments found in higher education.

Instructors can no longer rely on the archaic industrial age educational model to teach students skills they’ll need to succeed and thrive in a highly technological, creative and entrepreneurial (global) work environment.

This can no longer be accomplished with yesterday’s teaching methods.

The didactic talking head standing in front of neat rows of students imparting knowledge on a given subject is no longer effective or viable when compared to the way global businesses and industries conduct business over and through complex and secure digital networks.

Business and industry have embraced and continue to harness a variety of sophisticated communications and educational technologies such as video conferencing, Podcasting, streaming video, interactive online forums, blogs and digital informational / educational media (content) exchanges like Curriculum Pathways and Itunes U.

The web provides a vast amount of information for instructors who truly understand how to apply, channel and integrate this vast (constantly growing) web content into their courses. Distance learning provides the best (and most flexible) instructional environment for connecting and exposing students to the resources (and information) being generated exponentially around the world.

This is a very exciting yet intimidating and challenging time for educators. If we don’t aggressively retool mentally and technologically we are going to eventually become obsolete and other forward thinking educational venues will fill the void we leave, due to being left in the dust by the rapid growth and evolution of technology and web culture.

The sense of urgency is high and now it’s a matter of breaking out of the outmoded industrial model, in and beyond the information age and into the creative, conceptual age where we can educate and train our students in the technologies being used in the global marketplace. Educators no longer have a strong hold on the knowledge anymore. We have to accept this reality. Students can go anywhere in the world to obtain the information (education / instruction) they need to succeed in the fluid global marketplace.

Recognizing (and adapting to) these changes in society (and education) is an absolute MUST if we are going to remain a viable and competitive force in higher education.

Wheew! So………..

If you spend some time researching Online Teaching Best Practices from a variety of college you will realize they are ALL saying basically the same things.

17 Tips of Successful Online Teaching

Mercy College Best Practices

Journal Article on Online Best Practices

More Good Online Teaching Tips

More Best Practices

Online Course Design

Now for some Technical Stuff

Why Should I Use Podcasts in my Online Courses? What is a Podcast? What is an Enhanced Podcast?

How do I produce a Podcast?

How do I edit my audio once I record my lecture?

How do I get my podcast on the Blackboard?

How do I put images and video in my Podcast?

What is Itunes U and how can use this technology and content delivery system in my online courses?

How to Produce a Podcast

Hands On Time!!

Let’s Produce one. Let’s Edit one. Let’s upload and link it to your course.

You all NEED to DOWNLOAD this FREE Software to edit your Podcasts.

Audacity Free Download

Check out CCC’s Itunes Site! Click ITunes and do a Podcast search – check out some podcasts!

CCC Itunes U

Basic Distance Learning Workshop

This is a very exciting and somewhat intimidating time to be an educator or working in the academic field. There are so many more technological tools, techniques and instructional options than ever before. Much like the changes in our global society, education is not what it used to be. Thanks to technology, education also is undergoing a dramatic transformation in ‘how’ information and knowledge are transmitted and shared by students and users worldwide.

Today, students have other many more options options than the traditional classroom setting to learn their lessons and they are no longer locked into learning at a specific time or place. Students no longer have to attend their local college when they can get any course they want online from literally anywhere in the world. The internet and access to technology are changing everything and its happening very rapidly. We as educators and support staff to faculty MUST be aware of these issues and make informed decisions about marketing, professional development, course offerings and implementing new programs based on this heightened awareness.

Before we address issues and techniques relating to Distance Learning let’s just back-up a moment and remember we are all educators or support instructors in some way.. We teach! That’s what we do and to be successful we must know a little about our students. Many of our clients live on the edge. One thing (set-back) happens in their lives and it throws many of them completely off course. We are teaching single mothers, young men and women who barely made it through high school, military wives, retired military and in some cases individuals just looking for a second or third chance to succeed at something to better their lives. These are our students. Teaching at the Community College level can be frustrating at times; it is also a challenge to effectively teach this diverse group of people. We must also be aware that most students (17-24 demographic) process information much differently that we do and if we don’t take this into consideration in our teaching (especially online) we are going to have difficulty connecting with them and imparting our course content to them.

First off, I believe if we are going to be successful, we must know our students and communicate to them in a very clear, concise and creative way. It’s important that we convey our course expectations for them up front. Our online students must know and truly understand exactly what is expected of them. We as online educators should also be thinking of innovative ways to communicate our course expectations over and above text based online lectures and assignments.

Secondly, they have to be taught HOW YOUuse the Blackboard. The initial online Blackboard Orientation gives them a basic overview of how to use this teaching tool, but it is our job as online faculty to teach them specifically how to use it to succeed in our classes.

Portrait Photography Orientation

Art History Survey Orientation

We all have different teaching methods, techniques and strategies and for the most part that is ok, however our students must be aware of how you want them to use the course Blackboard and supplemental resources because another instructor may use it completely different than you do and have much different expectations for them.

The first two weeks of the semester are crucial to the success of your class and the attitude your students are going to have about it. First impressions are very difficult to change. Therefore you want to very PROACTIVE the first two week of the semester to insure ALL your students are on board with you, understand what your expectations are and that your course is easy to understand and navigate.

What does your online class look like?

Is it page after page of text? Is there any color? Creative course specific graphics, pictures, podcasts, video, external links and is it easy to navigate or busy and confusing? Do you use a Visual Hierarchy?

Are you consistent in your expectations throughout the Blackboard? Do the due dates match up from the assignments page, course outline and to the discussion board?

Do you use the announcements page effectively? Are you posting announcements that reinforce and clarify your expectations and the directions for doing the assigned work regularly?

Are you innovative and creative in the way you post announcements and respond back to students on the discussion board? Google Image Search pictures and graphics that may relate to and reinforce your course content for the week – don’t be afraid to be fun and innovative here.

For example….this is what I posted the other day when I was preparing student grades.

Art 111 Students,

I am in the process of reevaluating your work and posting your grades. I hope to have them all posted by Tuesday evening.

You can access your grades for this class by going to Student Tools and then My Grades. You have a grade (Grading Period #1) which is an average of your drop box homework and discussion board (class participation).

Do your students have a sense of who you are as a human being? It’s crucial that we as online educators figure out innovative ways to infuse our own personalities on the blackboard whether it be by using some humor, empathy, innovation or creativity in how you communicate and relate to your class.

Mr. K was there

Do you respond back to their questions and concerns in a timely fashion and are you consistently giving your students viable feedback on their course work? There are ways to do this regularly without spending hours writing and posting feedback. Do you save and recycle your Discussion Board and Announcement posts (and homework feedback) from the previous semester and modify them to relate to the topic you are discussing.

These are things we must all be thinking about if we are going to take online teaching seriously and if we are going to excel as online instructors.

The following is an overview of what we will be covering in our workshop

1. Blackboard Control Panel Overview – What Do You Need to Know to Run Your Class.

Blackboard Instructor Help
Blackboard Tips and Tutorials

2. Where course content is to be placed on the blackboard to insure continuity across curriculums. What content MUST you have in your various course links.

3. How to incorporate graphics, pictures, audio lectures (podcasts) and video clips throughout your courses including embedding them into areas (under folders for example) that blackboard doesn’t let you upload them. There are lots of great materials already on the web that you can link to like video clips and graphics that reinforce and illustrate your course content.

Click Here for Podcast Audio Orientation

Click here -Visual Elements Audio Overview

Greek Sculpture Video Clip

Burial Chambers Video Clip
Mummification Video Clip

Britannica Online Media Search

4. Tips for keeping lines of communication open between teacher and student.

5. Tips for effective use of the discussion board. Ways to ENGAGE and MOTIVATE your students.

Each week I kick off the discussion with a post that gives my students an idea of the direction I want the discussion to take. This may include web links, video clips or audio Clips as well.

For example…This is my kick-off for my Egyptian Art Discussion

Check out this web site for some insight into how they really built those Pyramids.

Who Built the Pyramids

I did some searching and found this web site at the MET in New York – it is a great resource on Egyptian art .

Egyptian Beliefs

Specifically look at the link looking at Egyptian art. check it out!

When a student posts a well research and thorough response to a question I make it a point to let them know they did a good job. I don’t do this all the time, however they are aware that I reward and acknowledge hard work and effort.

6. Creating and using a Web Directory for your class.

A web directory enables you to keep all your course images, powerpoints, audio and video files in one place instead of relying on linking from various places on the web. These are external links and when uyour course is copied over the links should remain viable.

7. Creating and placing a creative course banner

Find 10-15 pictures that relate to your course content and make a simple banner in Photoshop or some imaging software.

Psychology Banner

Arguement Based Research

8. Did you know about course options and assessments in BB Control Panel? The difference between the Drop Box and the Assignments Manager and the difference between an internal and external link?

9. Online Teaching Tips that Work

9. Q&A

New Year Unfolds….

New Years Celebration in Times Square
It’s hard for me to believe another year is unfolding and the Christmas holidays are over. It was good to get a little break from the demands of my distance learning position and my various teaching duties, even though I spent almost a week recuperating from surgery for a bad hernia in my abdomen.

It was also great to visit the folks in New York, even though it was a long drive through lots of holiday traffic. My son Adam was a trooper though and didn’t complain about not having anything to do on Long Island. He is growing up to be a terrific young man.
Andei in Sicily
I missed my daughter terribly over the Christmas holidays, although we did call her from my folks house and everyone got to say hello to her. I look forward to my trip to Sicily in May. I’ll be able to spend some time with my daughter Andei, in addition to participating in a landscape painting workshop taught by my artist friend Michael Ome Untiedt who I met in Ireland a few years back.

I moved out of my office in the Photo Lab at Carteret Community College and relocated to the Distance Learning lab on the fourth floor of CMAST. It was time for me to detach a little from teaching photography and focus more on my distance learning duties and the Title III grant we were awarded a few months ago. I’m excited about the opportunities this grant is going to afford the faculty at CCC as far as online teaching goes. We are poised (thanks to this grant) to take our online teaching to a higher and more technically sophisticated level. I’m learning a great deal about Podcasing, blogging and new and innovative ways for teaching a variety of courses online. This is a very exciting time to be an educator with all the new technologies at our disposal. The challenge is harnessing these new communication tools and applying them in a viable and dynamic way to our teaching.

The Spring semester kicks off tomorrow morning and I am well aware the first few days are going to be extremely hectic and stressful, especially working through all the problems and issues associated with Blackboard and distance learning. I’ve been there before so I’m not going to let it get me flustered – I just need to deal with each problem that arises and work through it in a calm, unemotional way. Most issues that do arise are due to user error and/or students not following (reading) directions for accessing courses in their specific online classes. I feel much better this semester about the quality of our distance learning offerings – many of our faculty have attended my professional development training and upgraded their courses to meet my minimum design and content placement requirements.

Atlantic Beach Sunset January 1st 2007

Looks like another gorgeous (unseasonably) warm winters day here on the coast. Since I can’t play golf, work out or do anything very strenuous I have been walking on the beach at sunset every evening. I enjoyed a great walk with Regina and her daughter last night. The sunsets have been fabulous to say the least.

I’m going to rest up today…maybe watch some of the NFL Playoffs and prepare myself for the demands and challenges of this first week of school.

All my online courses (including freelance) are ready to go and it’s just a matter of keeping on top of them all as the semester unfolds.