Learning Module 4: Blog Reflection

Blog Reflection

            I found this week’s discussion on Web 2.0 tools extremely worthwhile. Learning something new is the best part of learning, so this week’s blogging on Web 2.0 and useful tools was extremely exciting. Perhaps my excitement came from my non -technology background and the yearning to know more about how I can use technology to facilitate learning in my future classrooms. Even though I am counselor I know and see the value of technology and how it can be utilized to help students (as well as stakeholders in a student’s life) achieve their level of success. However, I think I should have elaborated a bit more on my blog about my future project because I received several clarifying questions and comments like, “if students have any concerns or problem can counselors solve it or just for share abilities and expression,” and “if the only purpose is to share I would of chosen a blog.” And my response was “counselors can go to one source to add, edit and change information with a lot more ease than a blog,” making Wikis a more manageable tool for the organizer.

Overall, I learned a great deal of new tools and how they can be use in an e-learning environment in this week’s blogging; more importantly, the work I created will be added to my list of resources and documents I can refer to when I am designing my e-learning classes. By and large my classmates listed and described tools I have never heard of, and with like this exposure I am positive I am sure to create something engaging and thought provoking at the same time. Nothing is more disheartening and unmotivating than working on an assignment that is not interesting and has no value to me as a student. More importantly, I hope we have more of these exploration discussions because it is assignments like these that make learning fun and worthwhile.

Learning Module 4

 

Choose three Web 2.0 social media tools/websites and discuss opportunities and challenges of using those tools/websites in support of e-learning. Incorporate your own experience of using those tools if you have experienced using any of them. 

Wikis—The opportunities include: collaboration on coursework and/or project for the course, creating a collection of Web pages that can be edited by anyone, at any time, from anywhere, which is an ideal framework for groupwork and creating a sense of belonging and cohesion in a community like e-learning. The challenges are creating training and support for students that might not be familiar with the content or how use the technology.

Blogs—The opportunities are students can post all their responses to prompts/questions about content and curriculum presented in class, as well as post responses to reflections about reading assignments, discussions/forums and synchronous meetings in the course. Again, the challenges are creating training and support for individuals that might not be familiar with the deadlines of lesson and how the technology works.  

Twitter—The opportunity here is creating a space for students to facilitate their own learning content and follow that content anywhere, time and using any device. This tool gives students the sense of immediacy that people of today’s society look for; plus it incorporates the flexibility of time and space. Again, the difficulty here is the training and support for individuals that are not familiar with the technology, and the following and using of hash tags. I have to admit it was a challenge for me to use to the hash tags, and perhaps to some extent I am still a learning when it comes to Twitter.

Select of one Web 2.0 tool with which you will develop a learning material/resource for e-learning. Create an account if necessary. Most of the tools are free.  

I would like to develop a Wiki as a learning material/resource for e-learning.

Describe what you will develop using the tool. This will guide your Writing assignment. 

I wanted to develop a Wiki into a resource for counselors to network or share their abilities and/or expertise in a specific area so other counselors in the area can use when they are faced with dilemmas that require a consultant.

Learning Module 3

Select one or two important research topics in e-learning that most interest(s) you based on the readings. Share what topic(s) you chose for your literature review and Explain why you think the topic(s) you chose are important to you.

Topic

• How the design of online/blended course can affect students’ motivation/satisfaction and whether it can increase the likelihood of students taking another online/blended course? 

Explanation

• The topic I chose is not only important to my myself but it is also important to my profession as an academic counselor, because gaining insight into student motivation and satisfaction will give educational institutions (as well as course designers) a better understanding of how courses can be strategically created to increase student enrollment and retention in online/blended courses. From my own experience working at a Community College, I have seen first-hand how poorly designed online/blended courses can decrease students’ success rates, which correlates to their fulfillment in the course and influences their future decisions about whether or not to enroll in another online course. Although there has been much debate about whether or not distance learning is effective and cost-effective, I believe a true understanding of student motivation/ satisfaction of an online/blended course can alleviate all those concerns, especially at the community college level because of the demographics of students its’ serves, as well as understand the implications of design on student motivation.

Peer-reviewed articles

• Ausburn, L. J. (2004). Course Design Elements Most Valued by Adult Learners in Blended Online Education Environments: An American Perspective. Educational Media International, 41(4), 327-337.
• Braun, T. (2008). Making a Choice: The Perceptions and Attitudes of Online Graduate Students. Journal Of Technology And Teacher Education, 16(1), 63-92.
• Koszalka, T. A., & Ganesan, R. (2004). Designing online courses: a taxonomy to guide strategic use of features available in course management systems (CMS) in distance education. Distance Education, 25(2), 243-256.
• McFarland, D., & Hamilton, D. (2005). Factors affecting student performance and satisfaction: Online versus traditional course delivery. The Journal of Computer Information Systems, 46(2), 25-32. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/232574331?accountid=10359