I hope you had productive Lesson 1: Orientation week for ETC645. Our class instructional designs and structures are very different from other courses. This is because the course designs are the part of content and journey we need to experience and to learn.
We will use "Instructor's Notes" to provide general feedback and comments to support your learning. Typically, I will post 1 or 2 each week. They will be posted on course twitter feeds, BBLearn, and sometimes via emails. This Instructor's Notes contains THREE parts: Lesson discussions, Assignment 1 general feedback, and others. This is longer since I would like to us to obtain a clear course expectation.
Lesson Discussions
Lesson discussion, one third of the course grade, is one of key designs, and it is designed with different pedagogical concepts. Here is some additional information for you to support your lesson discussion activities.
Q: What are the two posting periods?
A: Two posting periods are to ensure we have more "interactive" discussion rather than Q&A. Particularly, it would facilitate more active learner-learner interaction.
1st Posting Period (Monday-Thursday): Respond to ALL KEY discussion questions thoroughly. We are engaged in "learner-content" interaction. More formal but not quite like a term paper.
2nd Posting Period: (Friday-Sunday): Read and respond to others' postings. Often, our classmates, moderators, and instructors ask us questions based on postings. In the 2nd period, we engage in more "learner-learner and/or learner-instructor" interactions. It is more like semi-formal discussions. More like conversations.
Q: Why finish the lesson readings before it starts?
A: Finishing lesson reading before the lesson would allow us to focus on discussion interaction. We need to read others' postings and respond to them, therefore, it could be very demanding. It is important to finish reading early. In addition, it depends on your personal knowledge and skills on certain discussion topics, you may need to conduct more readings other than the required ones.
Q: Can the posting in the 1st posting period be counted toward the 2nd period and vice versa?
A: No. Just meeting the total posting numbers does not completely fulfill the requirements. However, you could engage in learner-learner interaction in both posting periods. In fact, many previous students do so.
Q: How many should I post?
A: Total six postings for each lesson. Responding to all key discussion questions and 2 responding to others' is the minimum. Previous students' average postings person lesson was around 11-12 postings. Remember, quality is the most important critical element of our postings.
Q: What is the length requirement for the discussion posts? Bullet points acceptable?
A: There is no specific length requirement. Generally, to address each question and sub-questions thoroughly. It is not a research paper. One paragraph probably is hard to address the question and justify our arguments etc. Thorough arguments with clear justifications are the keys. I am sure we have many reflections, observations and examinations that we could share with the class. Bulletin points are fine but thorough and comprehensive are the keys.
Q: Can I follow up on my own responses to the key discussion questions?
A: Yes. If you feel your first attempt at the key discussion questions is not thorough, you are encouraged to post follow-up postings to demonstrate your understanding on the discussion topics.
Q: It sounds very intimidating. What should I do?
A: Do your best. Finish the readings before the lesson starts. Moderators and me will be assisting you. Lesson 2 discussion is very critical to set a good model for the upcoming lessons. Previous students indicated that they learned the most from our lesson discussions, particularly active and interactive learner-learner interaction in the 2nd posting period.
Assignment 1 Feedback
· How can I improve the assignment?
o When we provide our arguments/opinions, be sure to justify your arguments, perhaps provide relevant literature or examples to support your arguments.
o The Justifications could be made from instructional designers, different stakeholders or other perspectives etc. It is more than just personal opinions. Remember ETC600 level courses are to prepare us as technology leaders. We should have knowledge and skills to design and to teach other educational professionals.
o The analyses should be based on our own experiences and grounded in our professional knowledge. Just discussing our own experiences is not comprehensive enough.
o Spell check!!
o It was great to see some of you went beyond in providing thoughtful and professional analyses and reflections from multiple perspectives with many rich resources. Continue your great work.
· Access your PLE regularly
o I encourage you to apply Netvibes, Symbaloo, Google Chrome, or mobile apps to manage various Web 2.0 tools so you do not need to visit all Web 2.0 tools to learn what are happening in each tool.
· Self-regulated learning skills
o In PLE, the process of self-directed learning requires a degree of self-awareness and the skills of self-regulation. Many of us may have never taken the time to think about their meta-cognition or to reflect on how we learn best. We need to make sure we are ready for the responsibility that comes with building and managing a PLE. In ETC655, we will integrate PLE and ONLE (Open Network Learning Environment) in a broader sense.
· Multiple PLE Platforms
o Personally, I visit my Netvibes, Symbaloo, Google Chrome, RSS, and mobile apps when I start working on my teaching, learning, and other tasks. My PLE provides a good glance of my teaching and learning updates without visiting BBLearn. I keep my PLE accessible all the time when I am working on my computers. When I am not on my computer, my smartphone with apps provide me similar functions as well.
· Mobile PLE
o If you have smartphones or tablets, you can download mobile apps (like Netvibes, Symbaloo, Twitter, Facebook, Delicious etc.) onto your devices, so you can access your PLE on our mobile devices to integrate "Mobile Learning" to enhance your own learning.
· PLE Platform
o One of our classmates shared an outstanding reflection with us. PLE platforms can be categorized into 2-3 types: live-feed based, bookmark-based, and hybrid (mixed live-feed & bookmark). Do you agree? Which type of PLE platform is more effective for online learning? Some argued that PLE is just like bookmarks. Do you agree or disagree? I encourage you to challenge yourself.
· Be sure to follow the assignment naming system: ETC645-Tu-Chih-A1.
· Q: Can I submit/share my assignments via Google Docs earlier than the deadline?
o A: Yes, you can submit/share your assignments with me earlier and continue working on your assignment. Just be sure to complete it by the deadline.
· Q: Can I respond to your comments on Google Docs?
o A: Yes, in fact, it is highly encouraged to do so; therefore, the provided comments become another interactive learning opportunity. Many students have done so already. It is our intention to integrate Google Docs as an assignment submission tool to facilitate interactive learning.
· Q: Can I use my PLE on different platforms other than Symbaloo, Netvibes, Chrome, mobile apps etc.?
o A: YES! PLE is not limited to certain platforms. In fact, we have a few classmates using different PLE platforms, such as RSS aggregator etc. Remember, PLE is more than just a technical platform. It is a learning paradigm, a learning concept, and a learning environment. We can use different platforms, tools, and technologies but we can achieve the same or similar tasks. This is why we call it a "personal" learning environment.
· Integrate for all types of learning
o You can integrate your PLE for other ETC courses, if applicable. For those of you who will be taking ETC655 with me in the 2nd 8-week session this semester, you can apply the same PLE for both courses.
o Apply your PLE for your formal, informal, and lifelong learning.
Others
Q: In Lesson 1, I filled out a Digital Interaction Survey, how can I use it to enhance my learning experiences in our class?
A: You should receive a copy of your survey result in your e-mail. Based on the previous students' experiences:
To have positive learning experiences in general, you should score 5 or higher for all questions.
· Part A: Computer-Mediated Communication;
· Part B: Web 2.0;
· Part C: Digital mobile technology
· Part D: Network Self-Regulated Learning
· Part F: Community of Inquiry (CoI)
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