Neat to Note

Today, while searching for information about this year's Manitoba Libraries Conferenece (MLC), I came across an upcoming session entitled, "A Blended Learning Approach to Information Literacy: A Case of the Collaborative Work of the Library, Learning Assistance Centre, and the Faculty of Human Ecology at the University of Manitoba." How appropriate, given that I just finished a series of blog entries focused on the concept of blended learning!  If curious, you can check out more info about this or other MLC sessions here.

OR...feel free to read below and get a bit of a preview about what this Blended Learning Session plans to do:

9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

A Blended Learning Approach to Information Literacy: A Case of the Collaborative Work of the Library, Learning Assistance Centre, and the Faculty of Human Ecology at the University of Manitoba. 

In this session, a new collaborative approach to supporting undergraduate students in the context of a specific undergraduate foundational course will be discussed. Specific examples will be drawn from the HMEC 2030W (“Communications & Perspective”) and HMEC 2000 (“Research Methods and Communication”) blended learning projects in which the Liaison Librarian for Human Ecology at Elizabeth Dafoe Library, a Writing Instructor from the Learning Assistance Centre, and the course instructor from the Faculty of Human Ecology developed a blended learning environment to better scaffold students’ learning. In particular, we focused on the development of their skills for researching and writing academic papers. The nature of collaboration, the planning processes, the online resources and classroom activities will be presented and discussed. 

Facilitators: Asako Yoshida and Kathy Block

Convenor: Jan Guise
Location: Strathcona

Blended Learning (entry 3 of 3): Blinding Technology of Online Learning

Article: Blinding Technology of Online Learning – Steve Kolowich http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/08/23/accessibility

For the third and final portion of my blended learning blog posts, I have focused on an article by Steve Kolowich, discussing the impact of newer, technology-based learning styles on students with vision impairments.  Although the general consensus about advancements in DE is usually positive, such progressions often overlook the needs of disabled users, therefore, putting them at an increasing disadvantage among their peers.  As Kelly Hermann, chair of the Online Education Special Interest Group at the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) explains, although faculty or course developers are always eager to test out new DE tools they, “fail to recognize…where that new tool might create barriers to accessibility”(as cited in Kolowich, 2010, para. 2).

Despite the fact that such concerns put diverse users at an obvious and critical disadvantage, given their learning needs, Kolowich asserts that, unfortunately, “the courts have made little progress toward defining and enforcing accessibility standards for online education in the last decade, even as online degree programs have proliferated and been adopted into mainstream high education” (2010, para. 2).  Overall, this article made me feel conflicted.  On one hand, I understand the importance of advancing DE, and the many benefits given to remote students (flexibility, ease of access, etc.) and feel that this is a process that should continue to flourish.  At the same time, however, I became incredibly angry. Hasn’t education created enough barriers against diverse users already, given the incredibly high cost of tuition?? And now, there are additional hurdles.  For even if a student with a visual impairment is able to afford the expenses associated with a higher education, their experience will still be inadequate when compared to that of their peers!  Kolowich himself draws on this inequality, admitting that, “advocates for the blind are worried that it is becoming harder for the assistive technology used by blind students to keep pace with advances in educational technology” (2010, para. 4). 

Luckily, there are online programs like Moodle, who, according to Kolowich, has, “[set] a new standard for accessibility with the latest version of its online learning portal…allow[ing] individual campuses to customize their portals such that they are accessible to blind students” (2010, para. 6).  At the same time, however, even Moodle has a long way to go.  Although the program itself is accessible, there are still some issues where imported content is concerned.  As most online students (and students in general) know, “[i]mported content is becoming as much a part of online course delivery as the discussion forums and other features governed by the accessibility practices of the learning-management system” (Kolowich, 2010, para. 7).  While this response leaves me feeling somewhat bleak, I am reminding myself that addressing the problem is the first step to rectifying it, leading to steps that will encourage positive change.

In retrospect, this article really made me realize how often I take the convenience of online tools for granted.  Given my status as a student possessing no special needs, and my very own functioning (well, usually functioning) laptop, I feel so incredibly fortunate.  How could I have spent so much time complaining about how long something takes to load? Or the fact that I could only access an article in full-text rather than pdf?  Reading this article has really encouraged me to think critically about my own experience as a user, and the privileges I’ve had as a learner.  Feeling pretty lucky right about now - and more importantly, hoping that more can be done to provide others with more adaptable tools for distance ed.  I know it’s a massive challenge, but learning really should be an equal opportunity.  I wish it was easier to make this a reality. 

Blended Learning (entry 2 of 3): Next Generation Learning Challenges

Webinar: Technology’s Role in the College Completion Agenda: An Introduction to Next Generation Learning Challenges http://www.educause.edu/Resources/TechnologysRoleintheCollegeCom/219203

Continuing with the second of my three-part blog entry concerning blended learning, inspired by information provided through Educause (http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/HybridorBlendedLearning/33312), I engaged in a webinar in which Educause discussed the next generation of learning challenges, or NGLC.  According to the information provided, current employers are increasingly interested in hiring candidates who have completed a four-year post-secondary degree (which, quite honestly, should come as no surprise, given the steadily climbing significance placed on education in today’s society).  Surveyed employers also cited communication, as the most essential skill to bring to the workplace, adding that traits such as creativity, critical thinking, info literacy and teamwork were also highly applicable.  Based on this knowledge, the webinar went on to explain how current students and educational practices can be altered to meet these goals. 

Though many students are likely to start college nowadays, not all will graduate with a four-year degree; an increasingly prominent concern.  Although the webinar didn’t cover this issue in as much detail as I had hoped for, it did stress the importance of college preparedness, explaining that teachers of secondary schools need to do what they can to ensure students will be ready for the changes and challenges created by the college experience. One way this could be addressed, the webinar offered, is through the incorporation of online college prep classes, which, in my opinion, definitely has the potential to be a useful resource for prospective college students in future. 

Through its own efforts, Educause’s NGLC intends to focus their attention on the areas of college readiness & completion, which they hope they to improve through increased funding.  This funding will be distributed in “waves,” the first of which will be given to support technology-enabled solutions for post-secondary education.  Additionally, the webinar identified four key areas that are important when considering the future of learning:

1) Blended Learning allows students to have flexibility, and to complete work at the same pace as traditional students (or in some cases faster) through the online component

2) Learning Analytics is useful for risk assessment, allowing profs and planners to predict student successes or trouble areas and work to tailor learning to meet these factors

3) Deeper Learning & Engagement allows students to retain more of what is being taught and to teach practical skills (ie – technology-related initiatives such as interactive videos, etc. work well here & are becoming more advanced/popular)

4) Open Core Courseware makes it easy for the sharing of information to exist – convenient both for students (allowing them to have access to tutorials and study materials any time/place) and profs (allowing them to share information with students, or other schools or educators).   

Overall, I found this topic interesting, but wished that the webinar would’ve delved a bit deeper and provided specific examples and references to the goals that have been set out.  Have these initiatives been incorporated into schools? If so, where?  How?  What was the response of the students? The teachers?  Although I would’ve appreciated a bit more detail, I will have to remember that some of these projects are still in their early stages…on the bright side, all of this talk about new ways of learning did get me thinking…what will schools be like 10 years from now? Or 25 years from now?  Will we rely on physical school buildings the way we do today?  Guess I will have to wait and see. 

Blended Learning (entry 1 of 3): Teaching Shakespeare Online

After reviewing some resources on blended learning this week, I’ve decided to take a few moments to talk a bit about what I had found.  Through Educause, a non-profit group devoted to promoting information technology, I was able to discover a vast range of presentations, blogs, podcasts and publications – all of which can be found here:  http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/HybridorBlendedLearning/33312

To make this topic a bit more concise, however, I chose to focus in on three of these resources (which I will break down into 3 posts, so as not to overwhelm/frighten everybody with long strings of heavy text, as sometimes I do end up ranting a bit…).  Here is the first one:

Podcast: To Hybrid, or Not To Hybrid? Teaching Shakespeare Online (podcast)
http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/HybridorBlendedLearning/33312

Through this podcast, I learned about the hybrid (a mix of online and f2f teaching) and online options available for courses at the University of Colorado, one of which, was “Shakespeare 3000”.  Given that Shakespeare (at least for me) was always so difficult to comprehend, and rooted so deeply in speaking the Shakespearian dialect, I was curious to see how non-traditional class structures would affect the learning experience (both for the students and the profs).  The podcast talked about how these newer class structures often give shier students a chance to express themselves.  When participating through blogs and online discussions, they have time to think critically about what they would like to say, and provide a response (with blogging) that is contributed at a pace with which they feel comfortable.  In the hybrid courses, one of the profs asserted that he would first look at the students’ blogs, and based on their content, often call on students who were shier, but clearly familiar with the topic, based on their writing.  This process was described as drawing students out “in a safe way.”  

For example, if a shier student would not raise their hand on their own, the professor can still engage them in class by saying things such as, “you made an excellent comment on your blog this week, would you mind sharing that with us?”  Alternatively, the professor said that this allows him not to “pick on” those who do not seem as comfortable with the material, based on their posts.  Though I’m completely supportive of allowing shier students to have a stronger involvement in f2f classes, I wonder if avoiding asking those who have not blogged as deeply is really the best way to go.  Although a student truly may not have understood the material that week, is there also not a chance that they are simply trying to get out of speaking in class, or avoid work (ie- writing on the blog)?  However, this was just one example from one school, so it is difficult to identify how other professors would deal with these situations.  Overall, however, I was extremely impressed by what was said, and really enjoyed the podcast format.  I found this topic really engaging on a personal level, and of course, very pertinent to the changing structure of student learning and thus, teaching.