developing online communities: new roles for instructors, new roles for students

Developing Online Communities: New Roles for Instructors, New

Roles for Students

Dr. Curtis J. Bonk Indiana University

CourseShare.comhttp://php.indiana.edu/~cjbonk

cjbonk@indiana.edu

Are You Ready???

Administrators and faculty members at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are debating what could become a $100-million effort to create extensive World Wide Web pages for nearly every course the university offers.

Jeffrey R. Young, March 1, 2001, The Chronicle of Higher Ed

Douglas Rowlett has turned his English-department office into a virtual radio station that broadcasts continuously on the Internet, offering a mix of poetry readings, lectures, and popular music. He plans to deliver entire courses over the Internet radio station.

Jeffrey R. Young (Jan 8., 2001). Chronicle of Higher Ed.

Faculty Entrepreneurship

What if you are on too much?

When unable to access the Internet or forbidden to go online, do you feel:

A. AnxietyB. DepressionC. Mood swingsD. IrritabilityE. InsomniaF. Panic attacksG. Restlessness

How many hours per week do you currently spend online

(for nonessential purposes)?

1. Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet?

2. Have you ever used the Internet to escape situational difficulties?

3. Does Internet use disrupt your work or job-related performance?

Contact the Center for On-Line Addictions

Netaddiction.comDr. Kimberly Young, Univ of Pittsburgh

Caught in the Net (1998), John Wiley and Sons

What Other Supports Do You Need?

David Greenfield, Founder of the Center for Internet Studies (www.virtual-addiction.com)

To Cope with the Explosion, We Need Instructor E-Learning

Support!!!

Problems FacedAdministrative:• “Lack of admin vision.”• “Lack of incentive from

admin and the fact that they do not understand the time needed.”

• “Lack of system support.”

• “Little recognition that this is valuable.”

• “Rapacious U intellectual property policy.”

• “Unclear univ. policies concerning int property.”

Pedagogical:• “Difficulty in performing

lab experiments online.”• “Lack of appropriate

models for pedagogy.”

Time-related:• “More ideas than time to

implement.” • “Not enough time to

correct online assign.”• “People need sleep; Web

spins forever.”

TrainingOutside Support

• Training (FacultyTraining.net)• Courses & Certificates (JIU, e-education)• Reports, Newsletters, & Pubs• Aggregators of Info (CourseShare, Merlot)

• Global Forums (FacultyOnline.com; GEN)• Resources, Guides/Tips, Link Collections,

Online Journals, Library Resources

Certified Online Instructor Program

• Walden Institute—12 Week Online Certification (Cost = $995)

• 2 tracks: one for higher ed and one for online corporate trainer– Online tools and purpose– Instructional design theory

& techniques– Distance ed evaluation– Quality assurance– Collab learning communities

Inside Support…

• Instructional Consulting• Mentoring (strategic planning $)• Small Pots of Funding• Help desks, institutes, 1:1, tutorials• Summer and Year Round Workshops• Office of Distributed Learning• Colloquiums, Tech Showcases, Guest Speakers

– Newsletters, guides, active learning grants, annual reports, faculty development, brown bags, other professional development

Technology Professional Development workshop participants practice their new skills.

Four Key Hats of Instructors:

– Technical—do students have basics? Does their equipment work? Passwords work?

– Managerial—Do students understand the assignments and course structure?

– Pedagogical—How are students interacting, summarizing, debating, thinking?

– Social—What is the general tone? Is there a human side to this course? Joking allowed?

Study of Four Classes(Bonk, Kirkley, Hara, & Dennen, 2001)

• Technical—Train, early tasks, be flexible, orientation task

• Managerial—Initial meeting, FAQs, detailed syllabus, calendar, post administrivia, assign e-mail pals, gradebooks, email updates

• Pedagogical—Peer feedback, debates, PBL, cases, structured controversy, field reflections, portfolios, teams, inquiry, portfolios

• Social—Café, humor, interactivity, profiles, foreign guests, digital pics, conversations, guests

How to Combine these Roles?

E-Moderator• Refers to online teaching and facilitation role.

Moderating used to mean to preside over a meeting or a discussion, but in the electronic world, it means more than that. It is all roles combined—to hold meetings, to encourage, to provide information, to question, to summarize, etc. (Collins & Berge, 1997; Gilly Salmon, 2000); see http://www.emoderators.com/moderators.shtml.

Other Hats

Online Concierge• To provide support and information

on request (perhaps a map of the area…) (Gilly Salmon, 2000).

Personal Learning Trainer

• Learners need a personal trainer to lead them through materials and networks, identify relevant materials and advisors and ways to move forward (Mason, 1998; Salmon, 2000).

E-Police• While one hopes you will not call

yourself this nor find the need to make laws and enforce them, you will need some Code of Practice or set procedures, and protocols for e-moderators (Gilly Salmon, 2000).

Other Hats• Weaver—linking comments/threads

• Tutor—individualized attention

• Participant—joint learner

• Provocateur—stir the pot (& calm flames)

• Observer—watch ideas and events unfold

• Mentor—personally apprentice students• Community Organizer—keep system going

Still More HatsAssistantDevil’s advocateEditorExpertFilterFirefighterFacilitator

GardenerHelperLecturerMarketerMediatorPriestPromoter

Sure…but Cat Herder???

Activity: Pick a Online Instruction Metaphor from 40 Options

Reality: ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Ideal World: ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

So You want to Be A Flexible Learning Consultant or an

E-Moderator???

– Berge Collins Associates

– Mauri Collins and Zane L. Berge

http://www.emoderators.com/moderators.shtml#mod

You Must Understand How to Build Online

Communities

Survey Finds Concern on Administrative ComputingChronicle of Higher Ed, June 22, 2001, A33, Jeffrey R. Young

“Campus-technology leaders say they worry more about administrative-computing systems than about anything else related to their jobs.”

(survey by Educause—an academic-technology consortium)

Who else am I Mad At???• Administrators

• Colleagues

• The Registrar’s Office

• Students

• Textbook Companies

• Bookstores

=============================• Courseware Companies• The Media

“Colleges and universities ought to be concerned not with how fast they can ‘put their courses up on the Web,’ but with finding out how this technology can be used to build and sustain learning communities” Hiltz (1998, p. 7)

How form a community…???

A learning community is a group of individuals interested in a common topic or area, who engage in knowledge related transactions as well as transformations within it. They take advantage of the opportunity to

exchange ideas and learn collectively. (Bonk & Wisher, 2000;

Fulton & Riel, 1999)

A learning community as defined by Kowch & Schwier (1997 pp.1) ‘is a group of individuals engaged intentionally and collectively in the transaction, or transformation of knowledge’. Communities are not built they grow through personalisation, member participation, contribution and most importantly ownership (van der Kuyl, 2001).

(Stuckey, Hedberg, & Lockyer, in press)

Factors in Creating any Community (Stuckey, Hedberg, & Lockyer, in press)

A community of practice is a refinement of the concept of community defined by Amy Jo Kim as ‘a group of people with shared interest, purpose, or goal, who get to know each other better over time.’ (Kim, 2000 p.28).

Building Community in Schools(Thomas J. Sergiovanni, 1994)

“Communities are socially organized around relationships and the felt interdependence that nurture them…In communities we create our social lives with others who have intentions similar to ours.” (p. 4)

Building Community in Schools(Thomas J. Sergiovanni, 1994)

“But instead of relying on external control measures, communities rely more on norms, purposes, values, professional socialization collegiality, and natural interdependence.” (p. 4)

Building Community in Schools(Thomas J. Sergiovanni, 1994)

“There is no recipe for community building—no correlates, no workshop agenda, no training package. Community cannot be borrowed or bought.” (p. 5)

Rena Palloff of The Fielding Institute

and Keith Pratt of Ottawa University

in KansasPalloff, Rena M., & Pratt, Keith (1999). Building Learning Communities in Cyberpsace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.

Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace (Palloff & Pratt, 1999)

“In some respects these educational communities may be more stimulating and interesting for those involved with education because they bring together people with similar interests and objectives, not just people who casually connect, as we find in other areas of cyberspace.” (p. 23)

Steps in Building an Electronic Community (Palloff & Pratt, 1999)

• Clearly define the purpose of the group.• Create a distinctive gathering place for the

group.• Promote effective leadership from within.• Define norms and a clear code of conduct.• Allow for a range of member roles.• Allow for and facilitate subgroups.• Allow members to resolve their own disputes.

Indicators Online Community is Forming(Palloff & Pratt, 1999)

• Active interaction involving both course content and personal communication.

• Collaborative learning evidenced by comments directed primarily student to student rather than student to instructor.

• Socially constructed meaning evidenced by agreement or questioning, with the intent to achieve agreement on issues of meaning.

• Sharing of resources among students.• Expressions of support and encouragement exchanged

between students, as well as willingness to critically evaluate the work of others.

Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace (Palloff & Pratt, 1999)

“In the online learning community, conflict not only contributes to group cohesion but to the quality of the learning outcome. Therefore, instructors in the online environment need to feel comfortable with conflict...” (p. 28)

Factors in Creating a Community• Goals and Milestones for the Group

– (Kulp, 1999)

• Synchronous provides conversational space– (Colomb & Simutis (1996)

• Collab tasks/sharing build camaraderie & empathy– Rice-Lively (1994)

• Groups need shared frustrations and celebrations, implicit rules for communication, courteous and helpful behaviors, self-disclosures, openness, less isolation, simple tasks, general collab spirit.

Interaction Research Findings

• High level of mutual support– including acknowledgments, encouragement,– personal information and feelings, – metainteraction. In effect, these online conferences

blended both cognitive and interactive acts,

• Avoid peer controversy & critical attitudes• Need intersubjectivity online wherein

participants agree, disagree, challenge, & negotiate. Bakardjieva and Harasim (1999)

Interactivity Defined

“The extent to which messages in a sequence relate to each other, and especially the extent to which later messages recount the relatedness of earlier messages.”

Rafaeli and Sudweeks (1997)

(Herring, 1997)

Collaborative Behaviors(Curtis and Lawson, 1999)

• Most common were: (1) Planning, (2) Contributing, and (3) Seeking Input.

• Other common events were:

(4) Initiating activities,(5) Providing feedback,(6) Sharing knowledge

• Few students challenge others or attempt to explain or elaborate

• Recommend: using debates and modeling appropriate ways to challenge others

Linda Harasim(June 4, 2002, Global Educators’ Network)

“Findings indicate that collaboration facilitates higher developmental levels in learners than accomplished by the same individuals working alone (Stodolski; Webb, 1986; Johnson, Maryuma, 1983). Conversation, argument, and multiple perspectives that arise in groups contribute to such cognitive processes as verbalization, cognitive restructuring, and conflict resolution.”

Linda Harasim(June 4, 2002, Global Educators’ Network)

“There are also critical social or motivational factors involved in  collaborative learning, such as the reduction of uncertainty as learners find their way through complex activities (Webb, 1983, 1986) and increased engagement with the learning process as a result of peer interaction (Cohen, 1984).”

Linda Harasim(June 4, 2002, Global Educators’ Network)

“Bruffee (1999) argues that knowledge is a construct of the community’s form of discourse, maintained by local consensus and subject to endless conversation. Learning is a social, negotiated, consensual process.  Discourse is key…students collaborate in small groups, then in larger or plenary groups to  increasingly come to intellectual convergence.”

Linda Harasim’s Model of Online Collaborative Learning

1. Idea Generating: implies divergent thinking, brainstorming, verbalization and thus sharing of ideas and positions.

2. Idea Linking: involves evidence of conceptual change, intellectual progress and the beginning of convergence as new or different ideas become clarified and identified and clustered into various positions.

3. Intellectual Convergence: is typically reflected in shared understanding (including agreeing to disagree) and is especially evident in co-production, whether a theory, a publication, an assignment, a work of art, or some similar output.

Linda Harasim’s Model of Online Collaborative Learning1. Idea Generating: Both quantity and quality of messages should

be considered indicators of success; i.e., participants who post at least three messages and log in at least five times a week.

Introducing ideas and understandings: new ideas, beginnings of threads, new topics;

Personal examples are used to illustrate their position, a particular point, start a debate.

Linda Harasim’s Model of Online Collaborative Learning2. Idea Linking: Increased number of reply messages Increased number of references to previous messages Increased number of name referencing Our research is demonstrating that name referencing

is an excellent strategy for identifying dialogue. Qualitative changes in the nature of the discourse: For

example, Agree/Disagreements: often accompanied by the use of a name, example: "Michelle, I have to respectfully disagree with such and such".

Harasim’s Model Continued

2. Idea Linking continued: Enhanced individual understanding: Exemplified by such

comments as  "now I understand",…an elaboration of an existing idea, with an example.

Shared understandings: Exemplified by comments such as "the main themes addressed so far….."?

Elaboration on the ideas of others or own ideas (see Enhanced individual understanding)

Quoting, then commenting: Provide a small short quote, then elaborate. I.e. "Bill, you said that "such and such"? "but I think that such and such"?

Directed questioning: "James, what did you mean when you said…..?"

Harasim’s Model Continued

3. Intellectual Convergence: Phase 3 communication is indicated by an increased

level of density of the first two.  For example, this includes an increased number of substantive contributions, e.g., messages that compare, structure, extend, and synthesize ideas. 

There are also an increased number of conclusive supported position statements.

Most typically, Phase 3 communication is characterized by some joint initiatives: team projects, joint writing, panel presentations, co-production of an active or artifact.

Social Construction of Knowledge (Gunawardena, Lowe, & Anderson, 1997)

• Five Stage Model1. Share ideas,2. Discovery of Idea Inconsistencies, 3. Negotiate Meaning/Areas Agree, 4. Test and Modify,5. Phrase Agreements

• In global debate, students very task driven.• Dialogue remained at Phase I with the sharing of info, not negotiating,

constructing, of knowledge• Replicated in follow-up study of 25 managers

– (Kanuka & Anderson, 1998).

Social Constructivism and Learning

Communities Online (SCALCO) Scale. (Bonk & Wisher, 2000)

___ 1. The topics discussed online had real world relevance.

___ 2. The online environment encouraged me to question ideas and perspectives.

___ 3. I received useful feedback and mentoring from others.

___ 4. There was a sense of membership in the learning here.

___ 5. Instructors provided useful advice and feedback online.

___ 6. I had some personal control over course activities and discussion.

Portal/Hub(Stuckey, Hedberg, & Lockyer, in press)

1. Users are passive consumers2. Varied membership3. May not need to register4. No ties between members5. No access to other members6. Links to resources and indexed sites7. Database driven8. Users as consumers.9. Success = # of hits

Community(Stuckey, Hedberg, & Lockyer, in press)1. Users are producers, consumers, and builders2. Multi-dimensional communication3. Strong reciprocal ties – real names used 4. Shared or team projects/activities; Develop joint

artefacts5. Access to experts and mentoring6. Level of sustained commitment from developers and

members 7. Varied roles for members8. Moderation from members (Facilitators, mentors, etc.)9. Success = engagement, ideas, development, trends10. Members seek or establish f2f contact

How Facilitate Online Community?• Safety: Establish safe environment

• Tone: Flexible, inviting, positive, respect

• Personal: Self-disclosures, open, stories telling

• Sharing: Share frustrations, celebrations, etc

• Collaboration: Camaraderie/empathy

• Common language: conversational chat space

• Task completion: set milestones & grp goals

• Other: Meaningful, choice, simple, purpose...

Factors in Creating any Community

(1) membership/identity(2) influence(3) fulfill of indiv needs/rewards(4) shared events & emotional

connections(McMillan & Chavis, 1986). (History, stories, expression, identity, participation, respect,

autonomy, celebration, team building, shape group, Schwier, 1999)

Why “Community”? (Chin-chi Chao, 2002)

“the forging of social bonds has important socio-affective and cognitive benefits for the learning activities.”

(Harasim, et al., 1995, p. 137)

Social Hat• Create community, set tone, motivate

• Welcome, thank, invite, reinforce positives

• Foster shared knowledge

• Support humor and conversational tone

• Use tools such as cafes, profiles, pictures

• Invite to be candid

Factors in Creating any Community (Stuckey, Hedberg, & Lockyer, in press)

“Communities require member participation and contribution, ownership, quality support and facilitation, shared direction, goals and projects (Wellman & Gulia, 1997; Palloff & Pratt, 1999; Kim, 2000).”

“I know it may sound weird, but in the online class, I felt like I knew the people better than I did in a real class. We felt like we knew everyone just because we had to interact so often. It was very cool. I still feel like when I see these people in the hall, I know who they are. I feel like I know them ten times better than anyone else I had classes with.”

Student Social Interaction Comment

The Problem (Chin-chi Chao, 2002)

The prevailing assumption that • A sense of community would have been

helpful to those who dropped out of online courses (Wegerif, 1998; Eastmond, 1995)

• An online course is more desirable with a community atmosphere (McDonald, 1998; Harasim, et al., 1995)

Some Reasons to Question (Chin-chi Chao, 2002)

• Teachers were found de-emphasize learning when community building was the focus (Schaps, 1998; Shouse, 1996)

• Value conflicts in the community could cause counter effects on learning (Fingeret, 1982; 1983)

Community-Level Analysis (Chin-chi Chao, 2002)

• Frequency of interaction: Number of postings

• Patterns of interaction: Message maps and Clustered conversations

• Content Analysis: “Giving” and “Taking” ratio (Inter-rater agreement .85)

• Interpreting community episodes

Keiko (Chin-chi Chao, 2002)

• Most active member

• Experienced cold responses at first

• Adjusted personal goals for the community

• Missed personal goals

• Theme: Adjusting to the community

How are Sense of Community (SoC) &

Meaningful Learning (ML) related? (Chin-chi Chao, 2002)

• Learning community involvement can expand and deepen meaningful learning

• Some limited meaningful learning can occur without learning community involvement at all

• Community bonding events are not necessarily a reliable indicator for learning

Ten Sample Communities?

Four Projects at the Center for Research on Learning and Technology, Indiana University

Quest Atlantis • Atlantis is facing impending disaster• Disaster is a result of lost values and corrupt

leadership • A Council of Elders opened a portal to find help• Children of the Earth can use this portal to save

Atlantis• Centers have been created to access the portal• Children must save Atlantis and avoid our

common fate

2. Inquiry Learning Forum

3. The TICKIT Project

TICKIT: Teacher Institute for Curriculum Knowledge about the Integration of Technology

(http://www.indiana.edu/~tickit)

TICKIT Training and Projects:• Web: Web quests, Web search, Web

editing/publishing.• Write: Electronic newsletters.• Tools: Photoshop, Inspiration, PPt.• Telecom: e-mail with Key pals.• Computer conferencing: Nicenet.• Web Course: HighWired, MyClass, Lightspan,

eBoard• Digitizing: using camera, scanning.

Technology Integration Ideas

• Collab with students in other countries• Make Web resources accessible• Experts via computer conferencing (or interview

using e-mail)• Reflect & Discuss on ideas on the Web.• Put lesson plans on Web.• Peer mentoring, role play, etc.• Scavenger hunts.

4. Learning to Teach with Technology Studio

Plus Six other Projects…Is this an online learning community?

5. BobWeb Videoconferencing Support Tool (optional use)

6. The TITLE Project: International Cases on Web

7. TAPPED IN (www.tappedin.sri.com; growing community of over 6,000 K-16 teachers, researchers, and staff)

• Hold real-time meetings and discussions• Conduct Inquiries• Meet colleagues• Browse Web sites together,• Explore professional development options,• Find useful materials and resources • Post items, share and create documents

http://merlot.orghttp://www.utexas.edu/world/lecture/

8. MERLOT.org and the World Lecture Hall

9. The Global Educators’ Network (GEN)

10. TrainingSuperSite

So, what should instructors and students do in these

communities???

Online Mentoring and Assistance Online

Twelve forms of electronic learning mentoring and assistance

(Bonk & Kim, 1998; Tharp, 1993; Bonk et al., 2001)

1. Social (and cognitive) Acknowledgement: "Hello...," "I agree with everything said so far...," "Wow, what a case," "This case certainly has provoked a lot of discussion...," "Glad you could join

us..."

2. Questioning: "What is the name of this concept...?," "Another reason for this might be...?," "An example of this is...," "In contrast to this might be...,""What else might be important here...?," "Who can tell me....?," "How might the teacher..?." "What is the real problem here...?," "How is this related to...?,“,

"Can you justify this?"

3. Direct Instruction: "I think in class we mentioned that...," Chapter ‘X’ talks about...," "Remember back to the first week of the semester when we went over ‘X’

which indicated that..."

4. Modeling/Examples: "I think I solved this sort of problem once when I...," "Remember that video we saw on ‘X’ wherein ‘Y’ decided to...," "Doesn't ‘X’ give insight into this problem in case

‘Z’ when he/she said..."

5. Feedback/Praise: "Wow, I'm impressed...," "That shows real insight into...," "Are you sure you have considered...," "Thanks for responding to ‘X’...," "I have yet to see you or

anyone mention..."

6. Cognitive Task Structuring: "You know, the task asks you to do...," "Ok, as was required, you should now summarize the peer responses that you have received...," "How might the

textbook authors have solved this case."

7. Cognitive Elaborations/Explanations: "Provide more information here that explains your rationale," "Please clarify what you mean by...," "I'm just not sure what you mean by...," "Please evaluate this solution a little

more carefully."

8. Push to Explore: "You might want to write to Dr. ‘XYZ’ for...," "You might want to do an ERIC search on this topic...," "Perhaps there is a URL on the Web that addresses this topic..."

9. Fostering Reflection/Self Awareness: "Restate again what the teacher did here," "How have you seen this before?," "When you took over this class, what was the first thing you did?," "Describe how your teaching philosophy will vary from this...," "How might an expert teacher handle this

situation?"

10. Encouraging Articulation/Dialogue Prompting: "What was the problem solving process the teacher faced here?," "Does anyone have a counterpoint or alternative to this situation?," "Can someone give me three good reasons why...," "It still seems like something is missing here, I just can't put my

finger on it."

11. General Advice/Scaffolding/Suggestions: "If I were in her shoes, I would...," "Perhaps I would think twice about putting these people into...," "I know that I would first...," "How totally ridiculous this all is; certainly the “person” should be able to provide some..."

12. Management (via private e-mail or discussion): "Don't just criticize....please be sincere when you respond to your peers," "If you had put your case in on time, you would have gotten more feedback." "If you do this again, we will have to take away your

privileges."

What About Student Roles???

Participant Categories

• Web Resource Finder• Starter-Wrapper• Researcher• Online Journal Editor• Expert Resource Gatherer• Technology Reviewer• Mentor/Expert• Instructor• Seeker/Questioner

Role 1: Starter/MediatorReporter/Commentator

• Summarizes the key terms, ideas, and issues in the chapters, supplemental instructor notes, journal articles, and other assigned readings and asks thought provoking questions typically before one’s peers read or discuss the concepts and ideas. In effect, he/she points out what to expect in the upcoming readings or activities. Once the “start” is posted, this student acts as a mediator or facilitator of discussion for the week.

Role 2: Wrapper/SummarizerSynthesizer/Connector/Reviewer

• Connects ideas, synthesizes discussion, interrelates comments, and links both explicit and implicit ideas posed in online discussion or other activities. The learner looks for themes in online coursework while weaving information together. The wrapping or summarizing is done at least at the end of the week or unit, but preferably two or more times depending on the length of activity.

Role 3: Conqueror or Debater/Arguer/Bloodletter

• Takes ideas into action, debates with others, persists in arguments and never surrenders or compromises nomatter what the casualties are when addressing any problem or issue.

Role 4: Devil's Advocate or Critic/Censor/Confederate

• Takes opposite points of view for the sake of an argument and is an antagonist when addressing any problem posed. This might be a weekly role that is secretly assigned.

Role 5: Idea Squelcher/Biased/Preconceiver

• Squelches good and bad ideas of others and submits your own prejudiced or biased ideas during online discussions and other situations. Forces others to think. Is that person you really hate to work with.

Role 6: Optimist/Open-minded/Idealist

• In this role, the student notes what appears to be feasible, profitable, ideal, and "sunny" ideas when addressing this problem. Always sees the bright or positive side of the situation.

Role 7: Emotional/Sensitive/Intuitive

• Comments with the fire and warmth of emotions, feelings, hunches, and intuitions when interacting with others, posting comments, or addressing problems.

Role 8: Idea Generator Creative Energy/Inventor

• Brings endless energy to online conversations and generates lots of fresh ideas and new perspectives to the conference when addressing issues and problems.

Who do you think invented the Internet???

Alt Role: Connector/Relator/Linker/Synthesizer

Funny thing is that Al thinks he invented e-learning as well!!!

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY(June 26, 2002) *AL GORE IS TEACHING a distance-education course on the role of families in discussions about community development.    Videotapes of the two-semester course, made this past year, are available for other institutions to use.   SEE http://chronicle.com/free/2002/06/2002062601t.htm

Role 9: Questioner/Ponderer/Protester

• Role is to question, ponder, and protest the ideas of others and the problem presented itself. Might assume a radical or ultra-liberal tone.

Role 10: Coach Facilitator/Inspirer/Trainer

• Offers hints, clues, supports, and highly motivational speeches to get everyone fired-up or at least one lost individual back on track when addressing a problem or situation.

Role 11: Controller/Executive Director/CEO/Leader

• In this role, the student oversees the process, reports overall findings and opinions, and attempts to control the flow of information, findings, suggestions, and general problem solving.

Role 12: Slacker/Slough/Slug/Surfer Dude

• In this role, the student does little or nothing to help him/herself or his/her peers learn. Here, one can only sit back quietly and listen, make others do all the work for you, and generally have a laid back attitude (i.e., go to the beach) when addressing this problem.

Role 12: Slacker/Slough/Slug/Surfer Dude

• In this role, the student does little or nothing to help him/herself or his/her peers learn. Here, one can only sit back quietly and listen, make others do all the work for you, and generally have a laid back attitude (i.e., go to the beach) when addressing this problem.

How about political roles in Australia?

So,who is

the primeminister?