ONL 192 - Topic 4: Focus on design and support online or blended learning

Our PBL group focused on the framework Community of Inquiry. We had some really inspiring collaborative meetings in which we shared ideas and discussed about this collaborative constructivist approach to design learning scenarios.

This blog post will be used to summarize my key take aways from topic 4 which will influence my future course planning activities. This reflection is sorted by the presences, having in mind that those presences overlap 😊

1. Social Presence - Create a safe, constructive and productive learning environment!

State clear Expectations

Being open about expectations might be extremely helpful. Instructors on one hand should state what they expect concerning assignments, presence, participation, etc. On the other hand, engagement and participation could be enhanced, when students/participants have the opportunity to communicate openly about expectations, interests and also resources/time which can be invested into course activities.

Include formative Feedback

Including formative feedback is particularly effective in creating and sustaining social presence. The feeling that contributions/opinions are important and useful definitely supports engagement and participation!

2. Cognitive Presence - Responsibility to Construct and Confirm Meaning

Make prior knowledge visible!

One great idea which I got from the Tweetchat on Nov 20th and perfectly fits for our professional part-time students: Let the students demonstrate and share prior knowledge (which they definitely have!) to the group/instructor before any reading, watching or activities. On this basis they get engaged in the topic and are prepared to learn (connecting prior knowledge to new).

Use Meaningful and Formative Assessment

Results of student work can be increase by using the opportunities of self-, peer-, and instructor assessment. Ongoing and meaningful assessment helps students to develop and give possibilities to take responsibility for own learning!
For some techniques for formative assessments look here (German)
(Side benefit for instructors: submitted work which has gone through peer-reviews might be much nicer to read and assess 😊)

3. Teaching presence - Teaching not Teacher presence

Shared Responsibility

In coming courses, I will try to emphasize and openly communicate the shared responsibility for learning experiences. Letting students co-lead a topic is a good starting point to hand over responsibility!

Important Role of Facilitation

Good collection of essential roles of online facilitators, strategies and techniques can be found here.
It is really important that facilitators have sufficient time resources and commitment!  

4. Emotional presence - Acknowledging that emotions are there…

… and should be integrated in the learning experience.

“Being together”

While social presence is about “being there”, emotional presence is about “being together”. Real collaborative work needs emotional presence – social presence is not enough!

Those ideas are definitely worth discussing with colleagues and decision makers!

_____________________

Resource:

Vaughan, N. D., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Garrison, D. R. (2013). Teaching in blended learning environments: Creating and sustaining communities of inquiry. Edmonton: AU Press.