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Collaborating Online: Effective Tactics to Motivate Students

Louisa Fordyce, PhDWestmoreland County Community College

Presented in Conjunction with the Department of Public Services/Humanities/Social Sciences/English

ELT 7008-4

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This presentation will be posted in two locations:

https://lrfordyce.wikispaces.com/ WCCC >Blackboard > Resources for Faculty

◦ https://wccc.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp

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Necessary life skills Necessary job skills (Borges, Dias, & Cunha, 2009)

Improve college experience

Why Collaborate?

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Collaborative learning◦ Learning is active◦ Constructing rather than acquiring knowledge (Piaget, 1969, cited by

Palloff and Pratt, 2005)

Social/Constructivist Context◦ Constructing meaning from life experiences (Berge and Muilenberg, 2002,

cited by Bender, 2003)

◦ Critical thinking, higher level thinking, distributive thinking (Berge and Muilenberg, 2002, cited by Bender, 2003)

Reflective/Transformative Learning◦ theory ◦ Learning experiences ◦ Revisions ◦ Previously held views and beliefs (Hokyung, 2011)

Definitions

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Establish and create a community of collaboration and learning

Teaching Online

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Interactive Communications

Presence

TechnologySocial/Constructivist Context

Reflective/Transformative

Learning

Community

Collaboration (Palloff & Pratt, 2005, pp. 8-9)

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Step 1: Instructor◦ Involvement◦ Responsiveness◦ Collaboration

Step 2: Student◦ Involvement◦ Responsiveness◦ Collaboration

Student Collaboration

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Ice Breakers◦ Students get to know each other◦ Non-graded if possible◦ Allow them to have some fun

Watkins, R.  (2005). 75 e-Learning activities: Making online learning interactive.  John Wiley & Sons.   ISBN: 0787975850  

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and

resources for creative instruction.   Jossey-Bass.   ISBN: 0787966673  

Warm Up the Class

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Stuttard, E. (2011). Distance learning site. BellaOnline: The Voice of Women.

Retrieved from http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49953.asp

Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Teaching Excellence. (2009). Online

teaching and learning resource guide. Retrieved from http://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/OTLRG/04_05_Icebreakers.html

Additional Resources

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Choose ice breakers carefully Some used too often Students become resistant (Doherty & Ketchner, 2009)

Caution!

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Collaborative Tools in Blackboard

CollaborationCreate and manage Virtual Classroom and Chat sessions.

Groups Create and manage formal groups of students to collaborate on work.

Wikis Create and manage wikis for Courses and Course Groups

Blogs Create and manage blogs for Courses and Course Groups.

Wimba Pronto Connect with your classmates and teachers on the Pronto instant messaging system.

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Reflect class concepts Cover necessary components Cover the uncommon Dig beneath the surface Social constructiveness Transformative learning

◦ Student resistance◦ Slackers (Myers, Smith, Eidsness, Bogdan, Zackery, Thompson& Johnson, 2009).

Design Effective Topics

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Reflect course content Students must collaborate Provide additional resources

◦ Group Project Tips for College Students:http://www.suite101.com/content/group-

project-tips-for-college-students-a96944◦ Gale Cengage Learning:

http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/glossary/

Group Projects

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Discussion questions◦ Students design◦ Must establish teams

Group Chats Meet an Expert Worth a Thousand Words Interview an Author

Suggested Collaborative Assignments

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Why collaborate◦ Necessary life skills◦ Necessary job skills (Borges, Dias, & Cunha, 2009)

◦ Improve college experience Goals

◦ Create community◦ Transformative learning

Methods◦ Tools in Blackboard◦ Well-designed activities

Wrap Up

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Louisa Fordyce, PhD E-mail: fordlr@wccc.edu Office: 724-555-1212 Cell: 724-666-1313

Thank you!!

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Bender, T. (2003). Discussion-based online teaching to enhance student learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Borges, J., Dias, T., & Cunha, J. E. (2009). A new group-formation method for student projects. European Journal of Engineering Education, 34(6), 573-585. doi:10.1080/0304379090320296

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass, LLC.

References

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Doherty, J. J., & Ketchner, K. (2009). Making connections: Technology and interaction in an honors classroom. Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council, 10(2), 65-68. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=19&sid=05e89f68-a2d8-47fd-8988-

1b9059ea60d6%40sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ehh&AN=45566363

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Hokyung Paul, K. (2011). Understanding and promoting transformative learning: A guide for educators of adults. Christian Education Journal, 8(1), 202-206. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/ehost/detail?vid=20&hid=8&sid=091da1b5-f31d-4911-aec9-a9905b603e54%40sessionmgr14&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ehh&AN=60256422

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Myers, S. A., Smith, N. A., Eidsness, M. A., Bogdan, L. M., Zackery, B. A., Thompson, M. R., & Johnson, A. N. (2009). Dealing with slackers in college classroom work groups. College Student Journal, 43(2), 592-598. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/ehost/detail?sid=f686760b-d6e2-487b-99df08e0a11dedd5%40sessionmgr111&vid=17&hid=110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Qt

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Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass.

Stuttard, E. (2011). Distance learning site. BellaOnline: The Voice of Women. Retrieved from http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49 953.asp

Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Teaching Excellence. (2009). Online teaching and learning resource guide. Retrieved from http://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/OTLRG/04_05_Icebreakers.html

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Watkins, R.  (2005). 75 e-Learning activities: Making online learning interactive.

New York, NY:  John Wiley & Sons.