Guest Contributor: Sue Faust, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
shares ways to forge relationships in distance learning
Contents:
- Welcome! - Nancy Franklin
- $1.15 LAAP Grant Awarded to ISU, VU, and Ivy Tech
- The Virtual Instructional Designer (VID) -- Paula Vincini
- DegreeLink - An Update
- Chat's Room: News from the FCRC
- Information Technology Offers Computer Training Opportunities
for Faculty, Staff, and Students! - Teresa Crafton
- CTA Workshops & Faculty Support Services for 1999-2000
- What's New with ISU Faculty?
- Etcetera, Etcetera, Etcetera
- Thought for September
Welcome to Interaction, ISU's monthly electronic newsletter for people
interested in developing and teaching distance education courses. The
purpose of Interaction is to provide you with information on course
development and design, new technologies, and teaching distance
courses. As the name implies, we hope to make this electronic
newsletter "interactive," its contents reflecting current issues,
challenges, and innovations in teaching. Your part is simple-just tell
us what you want. Send us your questions, frustrations, and topics of
interest, and we will include information on that topic in a future
issue. In addition, we invite you to share your experiences and tips
on teaching distance courses, and to send us announcements of upcoming
events. Please submit your comments and requests to interact@web.indstate.edu
, a secured access e-mail account. Your contributions will not be posted as a
"global" message to subscribers of Interaction. The staffs of Continuing
Education/Instructional Services, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Library, ACNS, and other
ISU offices are eager to answer your questions and offer you assistance
as you develop and teach your distance education courses.
Getting To Know You - Broadening the Social Element in Distance Education
by Sue Faust, Distance Education Specialist
University of Wisconsin-Madison
In this paper, I'd like to address the concept of 'forging' relationships in
distance education settings as a tool for developing a sense of community
and reducing the sense of isolation experienced by some learners.
By way of introduction, my opinions on this concept are drawn from my
experiences as an instructional designer at Instructional Communications
Systems (ICS), and also from nine years of developing and delivering
face-to-face training programs. ICS is an academic support unit providing
electronic communication and distance education services to University of
Wisconsin institutions, state governmental agencies, and other educational,
governmental and nonprofit organizations.
This unit provides a variety of technologies for distance education program
delivery including audio teleconferencing, audiographics, interactive
videoconferencing, and satellite videoconference support. We are also home
to the Distance Education Clearinghouse, previously named the International
Teleconference Association's "Publication of the Year." Throughout the
entire University of Wisconsin System in 98-99 year, 439 courses were
offered using distance education technologies, with a total enrollment of
7,437. (You may receive additional statistical information by contacting
the Office of Policy Analysis and Research at the University of Wisconsin
System Administration office.)
Enough introduction- let's get to the good stuff! Distance education
research and texts often advocate the use of personalization techniques to
reduce the sensation of isolation and 'transactional' distance from
instructor and fellow learners. Dillon and Walsh (1992) refer to these
personalization techniques as "immediacy behaviors" and include in this
category teaching techniques such as the use of first names, relating
content to personal and professional experiences of students, vocal variety,
praise, smiling, and encouraging discussion.
My use of the phrase 'forging relationships' broadens the concept of
personalization to include concerted, focused efforts to allow learners and
teacher alike to get to know one another in a way that goes beyond the
traditional learner-teacher roles. It requires a focus on the dialogue
variable that Moore lists as one of the basic elements in the distance
education process. (1996) The kind of learner information usually gathered
as part of a classroom experience is predictable: past education and
professional experience, perhaps degree being sought, or commonly shared
information such as marital status and number of children. Let's broaden
that in a way that is fun, caring, and draws upon the personal nature of
each learner.
Research tells us the nature of the distance education learner is very rich.
Generally speaking, Thompson (1998) describes this learner as
being older than the typical undergraduate student, female, often employed
full time, and married. Moore also alludes to the richness of the distance
education learner, describing them as students who "know a lot about life,
the world, themselves, interpersonal relations." (154, 1992) Thus they
bring to the process of learning at a distance a wealth of personal and
professional experiences that stem from the many life roles they play in
addition to the student role.
Let me share some examples of the kinds of information I encourage faculty
to explore in an effort to know learners in a broader manner. While these
examples may sound trite in nature, the very fact they are so can introduce
lightness and informality, thus creating a more relaxed atmosphere, thus
more conducive to participation. Find light-hearted characteristics about
your learners, and announce a new detail weekly. And keep in mind that
learners can initiate this initiative. You may wish to require two remote
sites to communicate with each other and discover interesting details
about one another.
Find out such tidbits as:
- Ice cream flavor preferred most by learners
- Children: Did anyone's son or daughter soccer team just win the local
championship? Win the spelling Bee? Again a courtesy to
acknowledge this.
- Children again: How do they feel about their parent taking classes?
- Any new grandchildren?
- Participant pets: Most unusual pet? Does someone have six cats?
- Where were learners born? Anyone born in the same city?
- How many people drive Ford automobiles? How about GM cars?
- Relate content to personal experience. What was the most challenging
nursing position learner held?
- What made the learner decide to participate in a distance
education class?
All of these informal details can be used to demonstrate what learners have
in common with one another, as well as highlight learner uniqueness. In
getting to know one another in a broader sense, fellow learners become real
people dealing with similar student and life issues - no longer just
faceless or voiceless participants from the electronic distance.
And there are often serious issues that learners must deal with in the
course of everyday life. For example:
* Life roles and work issues. Suggest that learners share via email to
the teacher their response to the following:
This week I am concerned about (fill in the blank), and this may
affect my ability to participate effectively this week."
Review these concerns with sensitivity, and where appropriate and with
permission, share concerns with the class as a whole.
Learners should share concerns about sick children, parents, work issues,
ill pets, or cars that break down. These issues cannot always be pushed
aside until course readings or papers are complete. Acknowledgement and
encouragement from teacher and fellow learners alike demonstrate concern.
I suggest that the greater understanding between teacher and learner can
contribute to the effectiveness of the distance learning experience in
several ways:
* Through enhanced personal knowledge of one another, increase the
sense of comfort a distance learner feels not only with the instructor
but also with fellow students. What is really being developed is a
"social presence" for learners and teacher alike; something Short,
Williams, and Christie (1976) describe as the degree to which an
individual is seen as a real person in a distance education class.
* Increase participation as result of being comfortable with and
knowledgeable about one's fellow class participants.
* Strengthen a sense of community and cohesion between learners and teacher
alike. Brookfield (p. 55, 1990) points out that when you ask students to
name the most critical factor in surviving an education experience, they
will point to the sense of community that existed within the class.
Let me share an example of this approach. In a recent videoconferencing-
training workshop conducted by our unit (Instructional Communications
Systems, University of Wisconsin-Extension), we showed several postcards
from the Madison area with the document camera. Not to be outdone, one
of the remote sites spontaneously began maneuvering the document camera
to show the New York City skyline from a window. We were excited with
this response; they effectively used equipment features such as creating
and focusing new camera shots with no prompting from us as workshop
facilitators.
It must be acknowledged that learners will have different abilities and
desires to relate to one another on a more personal nature. This preference
needs to be respected, of course. Obviously learners will vary in the degree
to which their learning is enhanced by a social dimension. But for those
learning at a distance who miss the sense of 'community' that may come with
a face-to-face classroom, perhaps my suggestions will enhance their learning
experience.
About the author: Sue Faust is a Distance Education Specialist at ICS. She
holds a master's degree in Continuing and Vocational Education from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her professional career began as a
computer programmer for a private business in Madison, Wisconsin.
After six years in this capacity, an interest in training and support led
Sue to return to graduate school to receive her master's degree, and
employment at ICS. While currently exploring the use of digital television
and webcasting products as new distance education platforms, her efforts
at ICS also support University of Wisconsin faculty in the use of
audiographics teleconferencing and videoconferencing for instructional
purposes. In this capacity she responds to technical questions as well
as offers instructional design assistance. Sue also keeps in touch with
the realities of face-to-face teaching by working as a part-time instructor
at Madison Area Technical College. You can contact Sue at faust@ics.uwex.edu
References:
Brookfield, Stephen. (1990). The Skillful Teacher. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Dillon, C.L., and S.M. Walsh, 1992. Faculty: The neglected resource in
distance education. The American Journal of Distance Education 6(3):5-21.
Moore, M., & Kearsley, G. (1996). Distance Education: A Systems View. New
York: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Short, J., E. Williams, and B. Christie. 1976. The Social Psychology of
Telecommunications. London: John Wiley & Sons.
Thompson, M. (1998). Distance Learners in Higher Education. In C.Gibson
(Ed.), Distance Learners in Higher Education, (pp.9-24), Atwood Publishing,
Madison, Wisconsin.
Distance Education and Training
by Gerald Cockrell, ISU Professor of Electronics/Computer Technology
Editor's Note: After reading Jerry Cockrell's article in the
September '99 issue of World Business Review with
Caspar Weinberger, I asked permission to reprint the
material and share his ideas on distance education and
innovative blending of technologies for distance learners.
There are many changes occurring today in education and training. More and
more institutions are applying technology to the teaching and learning
process. One of the fastest growing applications of technology to education
and training is in the distance education and training area. An increased
number of place-bound students are taking advantage of programs to earn
degrees and certificates at all levels. A student no longer has to live on
a college campus to complete requirements for degrees ranging from the
two-year to doctoral level. Employers no longer are required to pay for an
employee to travel great distances to attend workshops, seminars, and
training programs.
A search of programs offering distance education courses and programs
varies, from institutions offering individual courses to complete degree
programs. Indiana State University offers a variety of courses and programs
at a distance. The DegreeLink program allows students with two-year
associate degrees to complete all requirements for the bachelors degree
without ever stepping foot on campus. DegreeLink courses are offered
at remote sites throughout Indiana. Students may also opt to complete
courses at home on the Internet. A student may complete degrees in
technology, business, criminology, and nursing through the DegreeLink
program.
Indiana State also offers a Ph.D. in Technology Management using
distance education techniques. There are nine consortium universities
that combine to make up this doctoral level program. A student may
complete all requirements at his or her local consortium member campus.
For the working professional, this program has many advantages including
the fact that most requirements can be met without ever leaving home.
Distance Education is a concept that allows students to complete courses at
home or on the job. A number of approaches are being used to deliver these
courses including, the Internet, satellite television, videotape, telephone,
and e-mail. The Internet approach allows for asynchronous instruction.
Asynchronous courses have no set-time requirement. Students can complete
course requirements at their convenience. Course assignments can be
completed when it is convenient to them. This differs greatly from the
traditional synchronous method of instruction where students were required
to attend a lecture session at a set time. A student may employ one or more
of these approaches to complete a course at a distance.
One example of a course offered through the Internet is a senior-level
Project Management course offered at Indiana State University. Students
enrolled in this course are four-year-level degree seekers in a
technology degree program. The course is intended to provide these
technology students with the theory, knowledge, and experiences of project
management. There are five internet sections of the course that students
must complete including: textbook material, project assignments, chat room
and e-mail discussions, discussion boards, and exams.
When the student first begins the course, he or she will complete a
reading assignment from the textbook. Questions or concerns may be
directed to the instructor via e-mail or telephone. A number of assignments
are completed including major course projects. Students complete these
projects individually or in teams. Team members can communicate with each
other using e-mail, telephone, or chat room. Team web pages may be
developed to allow reporting of reports or project results.
The instructor will allocate a time period each week to allow students to
enter a chat room to discuss course items in a real-time mode. There is
also a discussion board where the instructor will post items for discussion
or debate. Students will respond via e-mail or directly on the discussion
board. Each student completes a number of examinations on-line.
Students are provided with immediate feedback as to their exam grades.
Evaluations from students that have completed the project management
course indicate a high level of satisfaction with their level of learning of
the material.
A second course that I have developed is presently being offered to students
at a distance. The course, ECT442 Electronic Control Systems, uses the
methods described above plus a laboratory component. My students receive
the lab-in-a-box to complete at home. In addition, the course uses lab
simulation techniques in order to present the concepts and practices of
contemporary control system technology. The course also offers students
a combination of videotapes and internet tools. This blending of
technologies is essential because of the detailed technical information
included in the course.
The power of the computer and of computer networking is only going to
enhance the ability of educators and trainers to offer courses and programs
on the Internet. There may come a time in the next century where all
students will attend classes on a virtual campus. The traditional campus
will be a network server. The classroom will be a web page. The brick and
mortar campus of today will be a place of gathering for sporting and
cultural events. We are only at the very beginning of this revolution.
Like it or not, virtual education and training is going to have a profound
impact on all of us.
About the author: Dr. Gerald W. Cockrell is a Professor at Indiana State
University. He has developed a number of courses and training programs
using both traditional and virtual methods for the University and business
and industry. Dr. Cockrell is Past Vice President of ISA, the International
Society for Measurement and Control. He has recently been nominated to
be Vice President of the ISA Professional Development Department.
His term of office begins in 2001. Presently, he serves as Director of
Training Programs for ISA. Dr. Cockrell has over 25 years of experience
as an educator and trainer. Before his academic career, he was an
Electrical Engineer with Rockwell International. He has written a number
of articles on measurement and control topics. You can contact Jerry
at etcockr@ruby.indstate.edu
Back to Back at BSU - Sign Up Now!
Two separate events, a conference and a convocation for Indiana
faculty and administrators, will take place back to back October 25
and 26 at Ball State University. ISU faculty presenting at the
October 25 conference include: Chris Zirkle and Donna Ourand (ITE);
Gerald Cockrell (ECT); and Betsy Frank and Deb Bartnick (Nursing).
* On October 25, "Technology, Pedagogy, Community: Distributed Learning
for the New Millennium," a conference for those designing, planning, and
delivering courses via technology, will feature a keynote presentation by
Dr. Suellen Reed, Indiana's State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 15
breakout sessions led by faculty and administrative staff from nine Indiana
campuses, four demonstration/poster sessions, and an optional hands-on
workshop.
* On October 26, "Opening the Door Wider" will be a convocation of
enrollment directors, financial officers, and academic advisors on
simplifying distance education enrollments and practices, and providing
advising early in enrollment.
An electronic brochure with details on these events, available on the
Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System (IHETS) web site at
http://www.ihets.org/services/conference/bsu/index.html, includes an online
version of the registration form. Both events are sponsored by IHETS,
Indiana's higher education consortium for technology services, network
operations, and facilitation of distance education.
WinterFest 2000 - Call for Papers and Facilitators!
Teaching And Learning In Transition: Toward A Scholarship Of Teaching
A conference sponsored by the Center for Teaching and Learning
at Indiana State University
ISU's annual four-day conference on teaching and learning will be
held on January 26-29, 2000. Innovative ideas for special sessions,
workshops, panels, and tutorials are welcomed and encouraged.
Suggestions of topics include but are not limited to:
- Service learning
- Diversity
- The first year experience
- K-12 programs
- Learning communities
- Educational media technologies
- Pedagogical issues concerning graduate teaching assistants
- Faculty development initiatives
- General education
This conference provides an opportunity to share ideas with
educators in the region.
DEADLINE for submitting a proposal is November 6, 1999.
To be considered, the idea must be well formulated with specific
suggestions about content and targeted participants. One copy of
the proposed session should accompany the response form provided at
the bottom of the page.
Please send proposal to:
Sherry L. Beland
c/o Center for Teaching and Learning
127 Dreiser Hall
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN 47809
If you need additional information contact the CTL at (812) 237-3053
or visit our web site: http://web.indstate.eu:80/ctl/wf99call.html
Name:________________________________
Address:_____________________________
_____________________________________
Phone:_______________________________
email:_______________________________
Institution__________________________
_________I am submitting a proposal.
________ Send me a registration form.
Chat's Room: News from the FCRC
by Chat Chatterji
A homegrown, web-based gradebook program, WebGrades, is available
for free and unlimited use by ISU faculty. Instructors who have used
a gradebook program or spreadsheet for calculating and posting class
grades already know what a time-saver such a utility can be. Now with
WebGrades, instructors simply set up their rosters using Netscape's
(or any) web browser.
The obvious advantages: 1) you don't have to set up a spreadsheet or
do any programming; and 2) your students can look up their own grades
and progress using their favorite web browser.
Students must enter their SSN/ID and class password to gain access. Of
course, students only get to see their OWN grades! No more collecting
release forms from students who wish their grades to be posted!
Instructors log into a separate address, using their own ID and
password, to modify grades/scores. You can even use the ISU Registrar's
class roster data to generate your gradebook initially.
To see WebGrades in action go to the following test location:
To enter as an instructor, go to the fictitious AAA256 course at:
http://homeroom.indstate.edu/gradebook/instructor.html Use the
instructor ID "test" and the password "testpass."
As a student, go to http://homeroom.indstate.edu/gradebook then click
on the fictitious AAA256 course and enter "123456789" as the student
ID (There is no class password since this is a demo.)
You can begin using WebGrades immediately. Set up your own instructor's
account by using the link at the bottom of the instructor's page at the
above address. A help guide for WebGrades is coming very shortly; the
written instructions are currently being proofed. Questions can be
answered by Steve Baker at ext. 8361 (root@mama.indstate.edu), Dr. Mulkey at ext. 2418
(mulkey@biology.indstate.edu), or by calling the FCRC at ext. 2603.
Etcetera, Etcetera, Etcetera
Interesting links and so forth:
* www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/rbeard/buweb.html
This new Bucknell site showcases over 150 on-line courses
developed by Bucknell faculty. You can browse through courses in
Engineering, the Humanities, the Natural Sciences, and the Social
Sciences. The site also offers On-Line General Resources, with
information and articles on a variety of topics including: studying
abroad, the International Association for Feminist Economics,
x-ray crystallography, and the Bucknell robotics lab. The visit is worth
your effort - if only to view the rich array of links available in each
discipline, and to sample a foreign language course -- on-line!
* www.unext.com
Visit this site for information on Unext.com (pronounced you next), a
start-up company that will be delivering executive training and
eventually an MBA program over the Internet via its new school -
Cardean University. The most fascinating aspect of Cardean is the
consortium of institutions involved: the University of Chicago,
Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University,
and the London School of Economics and Political Science.
* www.thebrain.com
Interested in the latest software developments? For $49.99 you can
purchase the Brain, an "easy to use" system for organizing information.
According to the creators, "The brain links information in a content
centric way that gives meaning to information. By presenting the flow
of information through a series of simple visual relationships, the Brain
provides a context for documents, and a framework for collaboration."
And, for just a little more money, you can link your "Brain" to other
"Brains."
* www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn
Blue Web'n is a searchable database of about 1000 of the best Internet
learning sites. Although many of the sites listed are geared toward
K-12 teachers and students, there are hundreds of useful sites
for faculty and college students, and some excellent sites that you
will enjoy browsing just for fun, including Robert Pinsky's Favorite
Poem Project and even a site that offers virtual piano lessons!
This site is sponsored by Pacific Bell.
* The Legal Scholarship Network (LSN) offers electronically published
abstracting journals which are sent to subscribers via e-mail. Several
new and expanded journals are currently free of charge. *Free* journals
include: Administrative Law, Cyberspace Law, Environment Law and Policy,
General Law, Intellectual Property, International and Trade Law, Law and
Humanities/Legal History, and Tax Law and Policy. For information,
contact Sandy_Barnes@SSRN.com
* www.yorku.ca/dept/psych/classics/
Classics in the History of Psychology
"Full texts of a large number of historically significant public domain
documents from the scholarly literature of psychology and allied
disciplines available on the web. There are now 13 books and over
65 articles and chapters on-line. The site also contains links to over
120 relevant works posted at other sites."
Thought for October:
"A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something."
-- Frank Capra
Interaction is an electronic newsletter delivered on the first day of
the month via electronic mail. Each issue offers information on
teaching, learning, course design and educational technologies, and
events pertaining to distance education at Indiana State University.
We invite your comments, articles, and suggestions. Please contact
Interaction at interact@web.indstate.edu
Interaction is published by the Office of Continuing
Education/Instructional Services.
