Cathy VanHeirseele Instructor, Department of English Kennesaw State University
Education Model ↓ Business Model ↓ Consumer Learner The older I get, the younger they seem…
Educational Model is now a Business Model Peter Katopes worries about power in the classroom shifting from the instructor to the student, turning faculty into “supplicants for student approval” and students into “customers” Marilyn Lombardi agrees, noting that Millennials expect to pay their tuition and receive a degree as if it were simply a product
Marilyn Lombardi - Director of CONCEPT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Duke University Lombardi, in discussing the profile of current students, notes they now view themselves as “consumer learners” and as such, expect clear directives, transparency and a plan as to how they can proceed in achieving their educational goals. + =
Coined by Beth Hewett as relates primarily to online learning They will not only have to be fluent in the digital world; they will be expected to create it Students are “born to digital technology… many learned to read and follow directions by playing computer games” Many will have “issues of self -motivation and determination” Hewett, Beth. Reading to Learn and Writing to Teach: Literacy Strategies for Online Writing Instruction. ” Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2015. Print.
1. Weekly Assignment Sheets (aligning expectations with objectives and creating continuity) 2. Rubrics 3. F2F Workshopping
Incorporated Redundancy Outlined target learning objectives Organized chronologically Provided clear assessment guidelines Included a checklist Listed my email address
A concept encouraged in research (i.e. Scott Warnock, Francine S. Glazer, Ambrose et al) about online and hybrid learning “Redundancy and repetition will help students stay on track so we can focus on the more challenging and complex task of helping them improve their writing.” - Scott Warnock Incorporated as related to due dates, assignment guidelines, helpful links, and rubrics Should you focus on …or the trees? the forest…
Students are motivated by clear expectancies and objectives (Ambrose et al) Students must hold “positive outcome expectancies” where they believe effort will result in achieving a desired goal (76-77) Set goals that are in line with objectives and are achievable, generating “product satisfaction”
Principle founded in cognitive science “Our organizational methods should have redundancy built in and should provide students with instructions that create useful categories or chunking” (Warnock 56) Research suggests “organizing knowledge in a sophisticated, interconnected structure…can radically increase one’s ability to access that information when one needs it” (Ambrose et al 52)
2. Utilizing rubrics where you incorporate keywords in feedback
3. Face-to-face workshopping
1. Hybrid FAQ 2. Use of online discussions 3. Auditory feedback
Retention FAQ format familiar to technologically proficient student Preparedness and managing expectations Redundancy My sanity
Tracey Gau Scott Warnock Director of Freshman Writing at University of North Texas Drexel University Redesigned a World Lit class to Author of Teaching Writing implement an online Online: How and Why component Designed and implemented 71% first semester, 84% second hybrid courses but also found semester retention rates disappointing
2015-2016 my retention rates ranged from 96% to 69%. In ENGL 1102, I had two hybrid sections back to back. 25 out of 26 students stayed in one section, while in another, only 18 out of 26 remained. Both classes received the same syllabus, same introductory email, same first day lecture.
Clearly my students are internet savvy since their mantra is “Just Google it!” Most websites have FAQ pages Syllabus includes fourteen pages Solution = Hybrid FAQ Concept from Scott Warnock’s Teaching Writing Online: How & Why Clear expectations essential
ENGL 1102 composed mainly of freshmen May be their first college class May be first generation college student Various education backgrounds Probably first hybrid class Ideally, setting clear and realistic expectations will mitigate concerns for first time hybrid students Appeal to consumer learners
Establish realistic expectations “…can help students avoid unproductive and often inaccurate attributions about themselves…or the environment…and instead focus on aspects of learning over which they have control: their effort, concentration, study habits, level of engagement, and so on” (213).
“When teaching writing online, simply put, we should provide information to our students through multiple means. Redundancy and repetition will help students stay on track so we can focus on the more challenging and complex task of helping them improve their writing” (Warnock 56).
Improve learner-content, learner-learner, and learner-instructor interactions Provide low-stakes assignments to achieve learning objectives More fully utilize the opportunity for instructor and peer feedback
“…[a] positive Researchers found interactive learning that effective environment result incorporation of will have an these three enormous impact interactions led to Learner- on the quality of a high level of content teaching and student learning.” satisfaction with the learning process. Learner- Learner- learner instructor “Technology Supported Cities and Effective Online Interaction for Learning” - Noorriati Dina, Shireen Haron, Hashim Ahmad, Rahmah Mohd Rashid (2015)
• Redesign of prompt to enhance clarity and expectations • Include a content link to the Grading Rubric for Discussion Board Posting • Clarity in naming of files / threads / groups, setting a positive tone and eliminating Learner- frustration (Warnock 51-53) content • Redesign of prompt to generate insightful discussion that exceeds the minimum requirements • Monitor and interject as necessary to facilitate discussion allowing for practice of Learner- effective writing techniques learner • Build scaffolding, particularly in the beginning of the semester, that models responses (Ambrose et al 146-147; Warnock 81) • Interject in such a way that encourages meaningful communication between instructor Learner- and student instructor
V. Greg Miller at Iowa State University studied the impact of online interaction in his 2015 Research Methods class and examined relevant data as it related to final grade assessment. Students that earned an “A” in the course read 40% more of the twenty-two assigned discussion posts than those that earned a “B” or lower. “Associations between Learner Interaction and Achievement in an Online Course: A Longitudinal Study”
Generate more communication between instructor and student Improve learner-instructor interaction Increase sense of community Create satisfaction in student’s online learning experience (“product satisfaction”)
Instructors from Texas Women’s University and Northwestern State surveyed 156 students upon completion of online classes Ooman- Early et al determined that “human relationships can be mediated by technology, and that physical presence is not necessary to provide presence, awareness and ‘ interpersonalization .’” Advocates for a blend of text and voice comments Ooman-Early, Jody, Mary Bold, Kristin L. Wiginton, Tara L. Gallien and Nancy Anderson. “Using Asynchronous Audio Communication(AAC) in the Online Classroom: A Comparative Study.” Journal of Online Teaching and Learning. 4.3 (2008). Web.
82% of students either 80% of the students felt “agreed” or “strongly that “audio agreed” that “the communication created instructor’s use of audio by the instructor led [us] communication can help to be more engaged in create a better instructor- the course.” student relationship.” Further student commentary revealed the students found the auditory comments helpful, time-saving, and allowed for better comprehension and retention of feedback.
Professors from UNC-Charlotte, WVU and Virginia Tech studied replacement of textual commentary with auditory commentary Students appreciated ability to detect nuance and inflection When surveyed, students had no negative comments pertaining to auditory feedback
“I understood that you really liked what I was doing but were trying to tell me to add a little more, but in a good way [sic].” Another student who took online classes previously felt there was a “cold wall type thing” but with the incorporation of auditory commentary, she “felt like you were reaching in there and touching me […]. Your voice alone made me feel like it was a real class and not this big technology construct that was locking us into its parts.” Ice, P., Curtis, R., Wells, J., & Phillips, P. “Using asynchronous audio feedback to enhance teaching presence and student sense of community.” Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks . 11.2 (2007) 3-25. Web.
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