Thank you Susan, Laverne, Patrick, and Joshua to your comments on the first discussion point. But - I'm not liking the long string of comments and my inability to respond underneath yours, etc. So I start anew!
I'm working through a current 'education dilemma' and am diplomatically asking for what I need. I was talking to my daughter about the situation and she states, "It's distance learning, what did you expect - something like face-2-face?"
So ... does Vella's principles work in a distance learning setting? Can you really do an adequate needs assessment? Create safety? and accountability?
I'm really curious about this - because no matter your very best intentions, it really doesn't matter if your learners aren't checked in and engaged with the process. And if they're not tuned-in and engaged - then what? You are on-line and without the body language, tone, etc. - how do you know they are checked out?
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Phone calls work wonders. I love talking on the phone for the most part. As a distance instructor, my plan is to be available and solicit that participation either via email or phone. I think the propensity to be distant can be in either a distance or a face to face class.
ReplyDeleteJoshua - I appreciate your thoughts. Do you think a distance environment requires more upfront design to assist with setting the 'tone' for the learning community? I'm wondering if there is a 'standard' distance learning class format. I'm very comfortable with Vella's approach, as well as Dick, Carey & Carey's ID model(EDAE 629). But does it come down to feeling 'safe' in the learning environment to ask for what you want as a learner?
ReplyDeleteIn our first Adult Education and Training class our professor, Tobin Lopes, provided us with a reading about positive communication and how comments can be prepared in such a way that they build on each other's comments. I cannot remember all of it and it would take too long to dig it out of my stacks of stuff but I think it helped our group begin to form a style of communicating with each other that felt safe. I wasn't too good at it - too many personality flaws but it helped me to think about it. so I think with good ground rules technology education can engage students and make them feel safe. To engage students, the discussions need to be big idea type questions (Understanding by Design) or essential questions. That is easier said than done, also. I think technology education does require more careful planning, instructional design and preset-up to be really, really excellent!
ReplyDeleteLorrie
Hey Linda,
ReplyDeleteLorrie, you beat me to it. That little bit of setup on class expectations and “how to” really helped to set the tone in our very first class with Dr. Lopes. For your purposes Linda, rather than use someone else’s you might want to gather some readings and create a document for your students that reflects your style and expectations.
I think what you’ve asked about can be done, just differently than you would do in a live class. This class we’re in now is a great model.
Our learner journal assignment was a form of needs assessment. The community we’ve created feels safe for learning due to the upfront work Dr. Kaiser did in sharing expectations and ground rules in the syllabus. There’s all kinds of accountability for us—it’s just based on outcomes: sharing experiences, doing the assignments, contributing in discussion. Nonverbals are great, but they’re no measure of accountability.
--Patrick
If you click on only one more link today...
http://edae692.blogspot.com/
Lorri and Patrick - I appreciate your input. I'm thinking Dr. Lopes was a very good professor who made a favorable impact :-).
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if my sequential, lay-it-out type of personality causes my unease with a more laid back presentation. How would the following go over:
"Live and learn, I guess. Anyway, I know it's because other professors and anally retentive bosses (I didn't say that) have made you this way, but some of you people worry too much. Just jump in and discuss. Do your best."
Yeah, we got eased into the online experience. It was a nice way to start. I like the spirit of "just jump in and get started".
ReplyDeleteSounds like people are asking you for more detailed instructions/ground rules than your wanting to provide. Maybe you could have the group come up with some shared expectations for each other as online classmates as an activity?
--Patrick
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Patrick - "Maybe you could have the group come up with some shared expectations for each other as online classmates as an activity?"
ReplyDeleteI like that - it could be part of the entry journal and then statements shared anonymously and consensus sought.
I'm thinking Vella makes an excellent point with the 'participation of the learners in naming what is to be learned' (p. 4). "'Listening to learners' wants and needs helps shape a program that has immediate usefulness to adults" (p. 5).
Good food for thought and revisiting Vella's Principle #1 :-). Since I'm currently unemployed, I can't put Vella's dialogue education into immediate practice. I'm only able to use current and prior experiences (as a student and an educator) as a reference point.