“There can be infinite uses of the computer and of new age technology, but if teachers themselves are not able to bring it into the classroom and make it work, then it fails.” - Nancy Kassebaum According to Horizon Report (2015), faculty resistance is considered as one of significant factors contributing to technology adoption in higher education. Although the number of enrolment in fully online courses has increased rapidly, faculty resistance remains strong in many institutions . An examination of past research studies indicated that several interrelated factors can affect e-learning practices in schools. An awareness of barriers that teachers face may lead to the development of solutions for overcoming these barriers. Technology integrating is considered as an important factor in enhancing teaching and learning at universities. Drent and Meelissen (2007) believed that technology can facilitate student centered learning and develop student’s skills for cooperation, communication, problem solving and lifelong learning. E-learning is one of the new learning trends that challenge the traditional model of learning. Jethro et al. (2012) stated that “e-learning is more efficient because learners gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes faster than through traditional instructor-led methods” (P.204). Similarly, Martines, Steil and Todesco (2004) found that online education can enhance student motivation for learning, increase student’s participation and engagement in the classroom, and improve students’ autonomy, self-regulated learning and problem solving skills. Due to the benefits of using e-learning in higher education institutions, many universities around the world are expanding their investment in information and communication technologies (Cheung & Huang, 2005). However, successful e-learning implementation is not limited to equipment and connectivity (Granger, 2002). In fact, “implementing technology in education is complex” (Granger, 2002, p.480) and various factors can contribute to the successful adoption of e-learning within higher education. One of the critical factors in successful implementation of eLearning is instructors’ attitudes towards the use of technology. According to Ajzen and Fishbein (2005), attitude is defined as a positive or a negative feeling associated with performing a specific behavior. Based on theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), if individuals have positive attitudes towards e-learning, they will have greater behavioral intention to use it. Moreover, Rogers (2003) stated that teachers’ personality traits are an indicator of their attitude to change. Those who are proactive in solving their own problems, independent, risk taker, confident and adventurous are more likely to be self-motivated, and respond quickly and positively to the e-learning innovation than those who are more cautious, conservative instructors (Mehlinger, 1995). According to Drent and Meelissen (2007), the most important reasons behind active resistance to computer integration into teaching practices are anxiety, incompetence in using technologies, and lack of knowledge of online pedagogy and pedagogical practices to improve online courses. Teachers who have not trained to teach in non-traditional classrooms, they are unfamiliar with interactive and individualized nature of e-learning; they will not have the required skills to confidently create an exciting and challenging online learning environment. It would seem that lack of competence and confidence in using new technologies and developing an online course will create a certain level of anxiety. Therefore, training programs should be provided for instructors to obtain technology knowledge and skills, and learn how to effectively apply technologies in learning environments, and learn how to design, develop and deliver an engaging and effective online courses.
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I worked several years at University of Malaya in Malaysia and contributed with e-learning committee to motivate lecturers to use e-learning effectively in their teaching. Ministry of Education in Malaysia had invested much more fund to facilitate integration of ICT in schools and to incorporate e-learning in public universities in Malaysia. Yet, despite this large expenditure of funds, many professors did not have confidence in using technology effectively in their classroom, and did not interested in teaching online courses (Raja Hussain and Sulaiman, 2011). In 2013, I and a group of researchers conducted a research to solve solutions for the existing problem at a public university in Malaysia . The results indicated that e-learning culture was not strong at this university. Most professors did not have a clear understanding of e-learning policy. Dean of faculties did not have a detailed development plan and strategy to train and motivate professors to utilize e-learning in their teaching and learning process. Moreover, majority of professors and dean of faculties did not believe that e-learning can improve teaching and learning quality, and provide more flexibility in student learning. This finding is supported by Asemi (2006) who found that implementation of a new technology is not finished with installation of the technology and explanation of how to use it. In fact, the new technology should be accepted by the receiving society. During these years of working at educational institutions, I also found that managers have a major responsibility for initiating and implementing changes in their organizations. Managers should understand the capacities of the new technologies, have a personal proficiency in their use, and be able to promote an organizational culture which encourages exploration of new techniques in teaching, learning and management. Therefore, it can be concluded that creating changes in an organization is complex and takes time. In fact, change is a process and effective leadership is crucial for the success of any change initiated. After reading and searching about successful e-learning implementation in education, I realized that educational leaders who have a personal proficiency in technology use and understand the importance of the new technologies and online learning in education are able to transmit a vision for comprehensive integration of technology and create an eLearning strategic plan. Moreover, they are able to provide professional development opportunities for faculty to understand the potential benefits of e-learning, enhance their attitudes towards e-learning, and learn instructional design principles for developing and delivering engaging online courses to the students they teach. Effects of Social Networking Sites on Students' Performance According to Bowen (2012), “social networks are a chance to create communities, connect with students, integrate ideas, apply knowledge, influence student culture and improve student learning” (P.30). Thisstatement indicates that social-networking sites (such as Facebook or Twitter) that provide platforms for users to communicate and to connect with each other can play a major role in enhancing students’ motivation for learning. In my mind, online social networks have created a new world of collaboration and communication. Nowadays, most students have accounts at more than one social networking websites. They use, for example, Facebook in order to get instant communication and connection with their friends. They can share their personal stories, in words, pictures, and videos with their friends. They can interact with others and extend their learning. It would seem that social media can be used as an effective tool for teaching and learning. Innovative use of these sites can cultivate students’ motivation for learning. According to Dron and Anderson (2009), online social networks can be used as educational platforms to help learners share their ideas, create products, construct identities, and receive timely feedback. It is clear that these interactions can extend students’ learning. As we know, students need to be master in 21st Century skills in order to be successful in a global economy. Students should have the ability to use knowledge to communicate, collaborate, analyze, create, innovate, and solve problems. The Internet and Social Media have the potential to enhance learners’ communication, social connection, and even technical skills. References Bowen,J. A. ( 2012). Teaching naked: How moving technology out of your college classroom will improve student learning. John Wiley & Sons. Dron, J., & Anderson, T. (2009). Lost in social space: Information retrieval issues in Web. Journal of Digital Information, 10(2), 1–12. When designing for e-learning environments, it is important to identify and select appropriate e-learning tools to fulfill learning objectives. Voice-Thread, Facebook, and Mind-Mapping are useful tools which can enhance students' learning and help them to create, collaborate, share, network, and present their work.
See my WIKI to learn more about Voice-Thread, Facebook, and Mind-Mapping. http://mandmelearningtools.wikispaces.com Best Practices for Teaching OnlineI read an interesting book entitled “__The Online Teaching Survival Guide”. Boettcher and Conrad (2010) introduced ten best practices for teaching online. They are as follows: Best Practice 1: Be Present at the Course Site Best Practice 2: Create a Supportive Online Course Community Best Practice 3: Develop a Set of Explicit Expectations for Your Learners and for Yourself Best Practice 4: Use a Variety of Large Group, Small Group, and Individual Work Experiences Best Practice 5: Use Synchronous and Asynchronous Activities Best Practice 6: Ask for Informal Feedback Early in the Term Best Practice 7: Prepare Discussion Posts That Invite Responses, Questions, Discussions, and Reflections Best Practice 8: Search Out and Use Content Resources That Are Available in Digital Format If Possible Best Practice 9: Combine Core Concept Learning with Customized and Personalized Learning Best Practice 10: Plan a Good Closing and Wrap Activity for the Course Best Practice 1: Be Present at the Course Site Presence is the most important best practice for an online course. The simplest description of presence is “being there.” Research links presence most closely to student satisfaction and a related belief that a course is effective. There are three types of presence: Social Presence, Teaching presence, and Cognitive presence. “Social presence in online learning environments refers to the degree to which a learner feels personally connected with other students and the instructor in an online learning community” (Sung & Mayer, 2012, P.1738). Many researchers found that social presence in online learning impacts online learners’ interaction and learning , learners’ achievement, learners’ satisfaction, and the development of a sense of community (Anderson et al.,2010; Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). On the other hand, a lack of social presence may lead to a high level of frustration, a negative attitude toward the teacher’s effectiveness and a lower level of affective learning (Hughes, Ventura, & Dando, 2007). Savery (2005) suggested several strategies for instructors to make a connection with their learners such as creating a web site with personal and professional information to help students know their instructors better; providing comments in a timely fashion to the shared discussion forums ; sending voice-mail and/or e-mail to a student to encourage participation ; updating banner notices on the Welcome page regularly ; providing an announcement about the due date of assignments; and creating weekly brief video clips and audio messages to show students that their instructor is attending to them. Not only do instructors’ social presences play a crucial role on the effectiveness of online courses but also their teaching and cognitive presence can be important elements in students’ success in an online environment (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). According to Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000), cognitive presence is defined as the “extent to which the professor and the students are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained discourse (discussion) in a community of inquiry”( p. 89). Hence, asking students to identify their learning goals for the course in the first week of the course can be a good strategy to help students think and discuss the course content and personal learning goals. This question about goals helps an instructor gain insights into the state of the learners’ knowledge, confidence, and experience with the content. In addition, Shea and Pickett (2006) , defined teaching presence as effective instructional design and organization, the facilitation of discourse, and direct instruction. In line with this idea, Boettcher and Conrad (2010) stated that teaching presence can be divided into two categories: “The first category consists of all the course materials that are prepared before the course begins: course learning outcomes, syllabus, learning activities, and assessment activities, and lists of required and recommended resources. The second category consists of all the monitoring, mentoring, questioning, and shaping of the growing knowledge of particular learners in a course” (54). In line with this idea, Savery (2005) introduced various strategies that can help instructors to be carefully and completely organized. They are as follows:
Best Practice 2: Create a Supportive Online Course Community
__Boettcher and Conrad (2010) stated that creating a supportive online course community is one of the best strategies that teachers can use to engage learners in collaborative and learner-centered activities. According to Rovai (2002), “the virtual classroom has the potential of building and sustaining sense of community at levels that are comparable to the traditional classroom”. Instructors who perceive the value of social bonds in the learning process can stimulate a sense of community in their online classroom. Savery (2005)_ suggested that giving students permission to communicate directly with the instructor; giving students opportunity to use discussion forums to introduce themselves and provide personal information; reminding students of the class rules ( e.g., due date for submitting assignment, participation, and the instructor‘s response to unanticipated problems) are helpful strategies to support learning process. Best Practice 3: Develop a Set of Explicit Expectations for Your Learners and for Yourself _Boettcher and Conrad (2010) stated that “developing a set of explicit expectations for our Learners and for ourselves as to how we will communicate and how much time students should be working on the course each week are good strategies to motivate and improve students learning” ( p.54). In fact, clarifying and specifying learning goals, assessment activities, success criteria, reading material, assignments, and teachers and student expectations are especially important since faculty members are usually unable to provide students with instantaneous explanations for potential misunderstandings online (Magnussen, 2008). Therefore, upfront planning, prior to the beginning of an online course, creating properly modules, providing well-written directions, setting up a meeting with students via Skype to clarify the learning goals, assignments, instructors' expectations, the method of communication are strategies that can help students remain on a required pace. Best Practice 4: Use a Variety of Large Group, Small Group, and Individual Work Experiences Using team assignments in an online course can be an excellent way to create community and improve learning. But just as in a face-to-face course, student collaboration in the online classroom requires careful course design, student preparation, and team management. “A community works well when there are a variety of activities and experiences. Online courses can be more enjoyable and effective when students have the opportunity to brainstorm and work through concepts and assignments with either one or two or more fellow students. At the same time some students work and learn best on their own. So, building in options and opportunities for students to work together and individually is highly recommended.” (Boettcher & Conrad ,2010, P.41) Example of Collaborative activities:
Best Practice 5: Use Synchronous and Asynchronous Activities Asynchronous learning technologies (e.g., e-folios, online team, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Email,and whole group discussions) have been defined as personalized learning tools (Vonderwell, 2003). Participants can log in and communicate at different times depending on what is most convenient to them. Asynchronous technologies support learning and allow more time for student reflection, collaboration, and student-to-student interactions (Vonderwell, 2003). Armitt et al. (2002) found that the reflection is stimulated in asynchronous discussions while synchronous discussions support the elaboration by “immediate clarification and development of thoughts” ( e.g.,video conferencing, webcasts, interactive learning models, and telephone conferences, Skype). Regarding the advantages of synchronous communication, Lee (2002) stated that synchronous communication occurs in real time, learners can receive immediate response and feedback. It is most useful for 1 to 1 communication. It increases learners’ motivation and engagement with course concepts. On the other hand, many scholars believe that asynchronous communication can be helpful for encouraging in-depth, more thoughtful discussion; communicating with temporally diverse students; holding ongoing discussions where archiving is required; and allowing all students to respond to a topic (Vonderwell, 2003). Based on these findings, it would seem that online instructors can use both types of communication to engage students in learning. Best Practice 6: Ask for Informal Feedback Early in the Term According to Savery (2005), “everything an instructor does in the online environment should model best practices in teaching” (p.148). One strategy that teachers can use to know their strengths and those aspects of their practice which could be further developed is asking for informal feedback early in the term (_Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Many scholars found that student ratings are the primary measure of teaching effectiveness. Various techniques/tools can be used to obtain feedback on teaching and instruction. Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ), feedback surveys or informal discussions are effective techniques for getting students’ feedback on what is working well in a course and solicit suggestions and ideas on what might help them have a better course experience (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). This early feedback is done in about week 3 of a fifteen-week course so time is available to make corrections and modifications while the course is ongoing (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Best Practice 7: Prepare Discussion Posts That Invite Responses, Questions, Discussions, and Reflections Discussions in an online course are the equivalent of class discussions in a face-to-face class. A key difference, of course, is that these discussions are asynchronous, providing time for thought and reflection and requiring written /and or audio responses that become part of a course archive. Discussions might be designed for one of the following purposes (Grogan, 2005):
Best Practice 8: Search Out and Use Content Resources That Are Available in Digital Format If Possible
According to Boettcher & Conrad (2010), most students like to read content and applications that are available from their computers. Students want to learn anywhere and anytime. Carrying large, heavy textbooks and even laptops sometimes are difficult. Many students prefer to access content that is mobile and can be accessed via smartphones, ipads, ipods, and mp3 players. For many courses and disciplines, however, textbooks are not yet available in digital form, so this best practice applies mostly to supplementary resources and to library resources. A reference document with detailed instructions on accessing library resources is included in most courses. There are many valuable resources available online like Video clips ( Youtube), Articles, tutorials, simulations, and supplementary materials . Best Practice 9: Combine Core Concept Learning
with Customized and Personalized Learning
This best practice means that faculty identify the core concepts to be learned in a course - the performance goals - and then mentor learners through a set of increasingly complex and even customized projects applying these core concepts. Discussion forums, blogging, journals and small group work are all excellent strategies for engaging learners in clarifying and enlarging their mental models or concepts and building links and identifying relationships. Best Practice 10: Plan a Good Closing and Wrap Activity for the Course As courses come to a close, it is easy to forget the value of a good closing experience. In the last weeks of a course, students are likely to be stressed and not take the time to do the lists and the planning that can help reduce stress and provide a calming atmosphere (Boettcher & Conrad ,2010). Creating a check list for students , creating a video to summarize what they have learned during the course or sharing on discussion forum, or acknowledgeing students' contribution to the success of the learning community can be good strategies for ending the course. |
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