IST Application Assignment 2

Blog Entry

Fernando Delgadillo

Module 10

Final Project: Learning Criteria

Fernando Delgadillo

Etec 501

Dr. Baek

March 22, 2015

Assuming I’m an e-learning instructor, my ideal class to teach would be Intro to Cyber Security. I believe it to be an exciting field and I would enjoy introducing college students to this field. I have experienced both quarter and semester systems and my preference is the quarter system. I enjoy the fast pace environment and the way it keeps students active rather than sitting through the same class for five months. It also keeps students’ levels of interest in the class fairly high. I would teach this course as a blended class considering that many college students work full time jobs and it becomes more convenient for them to only have to attend once a week rather than twice. My reason for not teaching fully online is that this field is really technical and it would involve some hands on experience with the guidance of an instructor. Testout and Blackboard along with Blackboard discussion would be implemented in this course as my technology tools. I will keep students updated on their grades along with feedback for their assignments through Blackboard. Testout will be used to deliver content to the students such as videos, online quizzes, and labs. This will make up the online portion of the course. In order to effectively deliver the course content to the students and ensure their success, key criteria need to be valued by the instructor. Criteria that I believe to me most in line with ensuring students’ success in this class will be discussed presently.

Criterion 1: Stating the goals of the course in a clear manner most in line with their interests.

Students’ first impression of the course is probably one of the most important moments in the course especially if enhancing their motivation is a goal of the instructor. The course objectives need to be clear and prevent any confusion to the students. They should have a clear understanding of what exactly is expected of them after the objectives are stated by the instructor.  Students will be required to complete one module per week. Each module will be broken down into sections and the sections will consist of labs, videos, and quizzes that will be due every Sunday night. By the end of the course, they will be required to obtain a security certificate which will take the place of the final. Not only will the objectives be stated clearly but they will also understand the importance of the class and how they will benefit from the successful completion of the course. Doing this will both reduce the chance of any confusion among students along with increasing their levels of motivation.

Undermining the importance of this criterion can lead to students’ loss of interest in the course which will subsequently lead to loss of motivation. Instructors can only do so much. Everything else relies on the effort put forth by students. I have experienced courses where the course objectives were not clear and it led to a disastrous end not only for me but most students enrolled in the course.  This led me to realize the importance of the delivery of clear objectives.   “Without learning objectives it is difficult for students to know what they are supposed to be learning. In a lecture, a teacher can talk extensively about a case, but unless she states explicitly, it can be difficult for the students to know where to direct their attention” (Nic, 2013). Students need to be aware of the significance of the material which will then lead them to put out more effort toward learning.

Criterion 2: Develop an effective strategy for communicating in the course.

As most already know, effective communication is vital in every setting. Instructors should implement learning tools that promote effective communication. As I already stated, Blackboard would be my preference for use in this course. Effective communication can consist of many things. It can be providing feedback to students, explaining material to student in a clear and interesting manner, asking and answering questions etc. “Effective communication includes transforming the boring into the interesting and having good presentation skills” (Silver).  Freddie Silver made an excellent point here. Effective communication can make the difference of teaching an interesting or boring class.

In a way, the first criterion I addressed ties into effective communication. There is a lot involved in effective communication including addressing the goals of the course in a clear manner. It is physically impossible to teach a course without communication. This idea alone shows the importance of using effective communication in a learning environment. Instructors cannot deliver information without communication. Effectively communicating leads to effective delivery of information. Keeping effective communication as a priority in the learning environment will lead to an overall successful class.

Criterion 3: Creating a Community of Inquiry.

Implementing a social environment where students can collaborate and exchange thoughts is an excellent way to enhance students’ learning experience. I would implement this in my Intro to Cyber Security through Blackboard Discussion where students will be presented with research questions on the latest cyber security trends and issues. They will then be required to research these questions individually and present their findings to the class. Students will be encouraged to participate in classroom discussion and comment on other students’ postings.

The idea of this is to enhance students’ learning through learning from other students’ postings. This is beneficial to students in the sense that they are presented with other point of views on the same topic. This encourages students to be more open minded. It is important for students to consider other views rather than being limited to their own. Students can learn so much from each other as I have experienced from ETEC 501. The implementation of a community of inquiry also makes the course far more interesting for students. Students are provided with the opportunity to learn about different backgrounds and how students’ views are shaped by their past experiences.

Criterion 4: Enhance students’ learning experience through course design.

The structure of the course plays a significant role in bettering the learning environment. This involves the implementation of different learning technology, providing a clear user interface for students, making vital information accessible to students and the list goes on. It is also important to keep in mind that having a larger variety of technology tools in the course causes confusion for students. Keeping the course content straight forward and creating ease of access is ideal for most students. Making the course content as interesting as possible is also important.

Course design is an important task due to the impact it has on students’ learning experience. This is why there are instructional designers that apply their entire focus on only this. It is difficult to concentrate on learning when the environment students are surrounded in consists of objects not in line with learning. Students need to be surrounded in an environment that promotes learning. This will encourage them in obtaining their goals and will help increase their levels of focus.

Criterion 5: Encourage constructive criticism in the learning environment.

Criticism is essential in developing students’ skills. The idea is to critique their work for the purpose of helping them improve. The more constructive criticism applied to students work the more beneficial it becomes for students. Using more sources for constructive criticism also increases effectiveness. Blackboard is an excellent technology to use for the delivery of constructive criticism. When students are involved in the critiquing process, students are more likely to apply more effort at the initial stage of the assignment.

Without the presence of constructive criticism, it will be likely for students to believe that there is no need for improvement in their work. This is not the idea we want to promote in a learning environment. There is always room to improve so students need to be constantly provided with methods to improve. Instructors need to value the importance of constructive criticism in order for the outcome of the course to result in the enhancement of students’ skills and overall knowledge.

When instructing a course, it is vital to realize the importance of different learning criteria. As I already went over, Intro to Cyber Security would be my ideal course to teach. In order to effectively teach this course I presented several criteria I valued as most important to apply in my teaching strategy. Identifying these key criteria is the first step to being a successful instructor. These criteria should be in line with both the instructor’s and students’ goals. I would describe these criteria as strategies that assist instructors and students with meeting their goals.

References

Nick. (2013). Why learning objectives are so important. https://learnandteachstatistics.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/objectives/

Silver, F. Why is it important for teachers to have good communication skills? http://work.chron.com/important-teachers-good-communication-skills-10512.html

Summarize this week’s discussions. Use this template to structure your production:

Did you fulfill the requirement to make your first post no later than Wednesday in the discussion? yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to post at least three times in each discussion topic between Monday and Friday? no

Did you fulfill the requirement to post the answers to the prompts in your blog no later than Sunday? yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to reply at least two classmates’ blogs on Saturday/Sunday? I haven’t yet

Quote your best post(s) from the week and explain why you feel these are the best.

“It is important to make students in an e-learning  environment a part of a community of inquiry where they can exchange their ideas and work on assignments as a team. Students learn a lot while collaborating with classmates. Everyone is unique with their own ideas and it becomes beneficial to students when they get the opportunity to see other perspectives.”

Here i explained the importance of a community of inquiry and how it enhances students’ learning experience.

Quote several of the best posts from other students. Explain why you chose the ones you present.

“Your comment about social presence is a crucial element to successful eLearning programs. I do have a question: how do you measure it? And are there any best practices that are in use?”

Victor Barocas

Although I didn’t have the chance to respond to his questions on time, I would like to point out that his questions encouraged me to think more deeply about the idea of social presence. I believe social presence can only be measure through the implementation of a standard benchmark that will be used universally. Social presence can then be compared to the benchmark and help both instructors and instructor designers decide on whether or not they are doing a good job implementing and presenting it. I would have to say popular practices today are creating a sense of belonging through a community of inquiry along with encouraging collaboration.

What did you learn in the discussion this week that will be useful to you or that changes the way you view something?

This week i was encouraged to think critically about what criteria I value in an e-learning environment. I went back a reviewed the information I was presented earlier in the quarter and used it to shape my thoughts on how to successfully instruct a class.

Module 9

Did you fulfill the requirement to make your first post no later than Wednesday in the discussion? Yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to post at least three times in each discussion topic between Monday and Friday? Yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to post the answers to the prompts in your blog no later than Sunday? yes

Quote your best post(s) from the week and explain why you feel these are the best.

• “Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university in Information Technology, Instructional Design, or Education Technology related field (Master’s preferred)”

I believe this to be the most important qualification of them all. Obtaining a bachelor’s degree in this field proves that the candidate is devoted to the field and has a lot of knowledge in the field. “In view of this lack of precision, before progressing into teacher training, it seems necessary to delineate the competencies a university teacher should have in order to be able to teach in virtual learning environments, and also to set out the methodological criteria cited in the literature for the design of training activities”(Guasch, Alvarez, & Espasa, 2010).

I feel strongly towards the importance of obtaining a Bachelor’s degree to be qualified for this Instructional Designer position. I believe college degrees are the most important qualifications for professional careers.

Quote several of the best posts from other students. Explain why you chose the ones you present.

“I definitely agree that having hands on experience is important when applying for any job, however not everyone who obtains a degree has that many years of hands on experience if they’re just coming out of school and into the workforce. In this case, do you think employers should take more chances on giving someone fresh out of school an opportunity to obtain hands on experience or should they automatically be disqualified or not considered for the position?”

Melissa Gomez

I couldn’t agree more with Melissa’s post. It is difficult for new grads to land careers due to their lack of experience. Employers should not automatically disqualify candidates who lack experience. They should be given an opportunity to prove themselves to be sufficient for the position.

“As the world is changing and becoming more of a village through the internet connectivity or the World Wide Web, it is important for people to be well equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to adjust accordingly to the ever-changing world of technology. According to Guasch, Alvarez, and Espasa(2010), “knowledge of teacher support technological services, basic computer knowledge to be able to use the necessary technology and come specific knowledge about multimedia and useful educational software” (p.201)”

Aeman Alabuod

I really like the job Aeman posted. From reading the qualifications it seems like a very interesting job. Who wouldn’t want to work for Apple?

What did you learn in the discussion this week that will be useful to you or that changes the way you view something?

From this week’s assignment, I became familiar with many e-learning jobs particularly instructional designing. I was also presented with the qualifications for most of these jobs. My goal is to the get into the IT field and work as a Cyber Security Analyst or Engineer. While conducting research for open positions in the e-learning field, I came across several Cyber Security jobs that interested me. It was nice to not only learn about jobs in the e-learning field but also in Cyber Security.

Module 8

Accessibility and Universal Design

After doing some research on accessibility and universal design, I really caught an interest in the topic. I learned the importance of incorporating universal design and accessibility when developing anything from an operating system to an online discussion board. Designers need to be sure to design things a way that helps the majority of users operate the technology at ease. By doing this, designers will be able to provide flexibility, simplicity, minimal errors, redundancy, and avoidance of side effects. This will enhance the user experience for most users. We have to keep in mind, however, that it is impossible to adhere to every individual’s needs. John shared an interesting experience regarding universal design’s lack of compliance with people that have special needs. Some of the content provided by new forms of technology are not accessible to certain people. As a result, various technology tools have to be implemented to make up for this lack of accessibility. It was interesting to read John’s post about some of the new technology tools being used today such as JAWS. It is intriguing to see what technology has come to.

Copyright

The Copyright Act is something that we should all be familiar with. We all run into copyrighted work on a day to day basis making it important to be aware of the laws protecting copyright. Copyrighted work needs to be handled in such a way that laws are not violated. Having ownership of an item doesn’t give you full rights as a user. There are certain rights we have as a user of copyrighted work. Knowing our rights as users will give us the ability to utilize the work to its full extent without crossing any boundaries. Melissa provided an interesting example of user’s rights. She mentioned that teachers and librarians have the right to reproduce copyrighted work as long as it is used only for educational purposes. This is very interesting to me because I thought that reproducing copyrighted work was illegal under all circumstances. Becoming familiar with the Copyright Act is also beneficial from an author’s point of view. As an author, you want to know what steps to take to protect your work from being claimed by someone else and from being reproduced and sold to others causing the original author to lose profit.

Learning Objects

I learned many fascinating things from conducting research on learning objects and from reading classmates’ posts. The goal in implementing learning objects into curriculum is to enhance the learning experience. One thing that interested me specifically was the uniting of instructional design and game design. This is a very successful learning technique as I have witnessed myself. Myself and I’m sure many others have noticed how quickly many kids today are learning. Students are becoming technologically inclined at a young age and due to this, they have the ability to take full advantage of educational games. This provides excitement in most children and makes learning fun. This is also a way to motivate children to want to increase their knowledge. Aside from this, I also caught a deep interest in a learning model provided by Laurie that stressed the importance of learning objects and consisted of “presentation, practice, feedback.” I believe this to be a very effective model as I have experienced myself.

References

McGrath, J. [digitec interactive]. (2010, November 22) Using virtual learning objects in your curriculum. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6jf71MYDII

Principles of Accessible and Universal Design. Retrieved from http://www.usabilityfirst.com/about-usability/accessibility/principles-of-accessible-and-universal-design/

United States Copyright Office. (2012). Copyright basics. Retrieved from http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf

Cornell University Law School. Copyright: an overview. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/copyright

Did you fulfill the requirement to make your first post no later than Wednesday in the discussion? No I posted on Thursday

 

Did you fulfill the requirement to post at least three times in each discussion topic between Monday and Friday? yes

 

Did you fulfill the requirement to post the answers to the prompts in your blog no later than Sunday? yes

 

Did you fulfill the requirement to reply at least two classmates’ blogs on Saturday/Sunday? Not yet, but it is my goal to do so.

 

Quote your best post(s) from the week and explain why you feel these are the best.

“This incorporation of instructional design in game design really brings excitement to learning for children. I have a 3 year old boy and it is amazing to see how much he has learned through educational games. I bought him an ipad for Christmas and I have to say that it was a great investment. He learned the alphabet, how to count, and his colors all through these games and he has had a blast while doing it. These instructional designers do an excellent job breaking down information in a way that makes it easy for kids to learn and have fun. The uniting of instructional design and game design has also create a sense of independency among children.”

In this post I was able to provide an experience of mine that helped prove the success of uniting instructional and game design and also show the importance of learning objects.

 

Quote several of the best posts from other students. Explain why you chose the ones you present.

 

“Another factor of learning objects is on its strength as “presentation, practice, feedback” model (Mayer, 1999). The student is provided with the learning object, an unlimited amount of time to practice and then a computer driven test with immediate scores.  This is a great way for students to learn as they can listen to the information over and over until they grasp the full objective of what they are learning. With all the technology available to teachers and students there is more opportunity for students and teachers to learn and teach by.  When these learning objects are used correctly the students learn how to learn better and as a result will be more employable.”

Laurie Hanna

 

Laurie provided an excellent learning model that promotes the use of a learning object. She also provided reasoning as to why this learning model is successful

“ I found from my interview that this is very much a problem for CSUSB. Much of the information that is created for courses and web material is not created in the right format and so many of these documents cannot be accessed with the various machines that are available to help students with disabilities. The Assistive Technology Coordinator for our school is working to get everyone compliant as is mandated by the state, but there is limited resources and money to ensure for complete compliance.”

John Penn

 

John’s post was very informative and he shared with us his personal experience with the problems in Universal Design at CSUSB.

What did you learn in the discussion this week that will be useful to you or that changes the way you view something?

 

This week I learned about copyright, learning objects, accessibility, and universal design along with the important role they play in the learning environment. This information will definitely change my views on many things such as how to handle copyrighted material as a user, the benefits of using learning objects to deliver information to students, and the importance of implementing technological tools to compensate for the lack of the accessibility to people with special needs.

Module 7

Shaping Students’ Attitudes in the Classroom

Fernando Delgadillo

Etec 501

Dr. Baek

February 28, 2015

What impact does the learning environment have on students’ attitudes and motivation? It is clear that there is a correlation between the learning environment and students’ motivation.  Motivation is broken down into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is motivation that arises internally while extrinsic motivation usually involves some type of external reward.  The learning environment plays a significant role in the variance of students’ levels of motivation. Some examples include providing a certificate upon completion of an e-learning course (extrinsic motivation), and closely relating the material to students’ interests (intrinsic motivation). We will explore different examples and study the correlation in more depth.

According to Hartnett, George, and Dron (2011), lack of motivation has been the leading factor of students’ withdrawal from online courses. Online courses rely heavily on students’ motivation. In an online environment, students do not have their instructor’s physical presence which can be difficult for many students considering that they spent most of their lives learning in a face to face environment. In a face to face environment motivation isn’t as crucial as it is online. Students are required to attend class, listen to lectures, and complete assignments. This is also true in an online environment with the exception of physically attending class sessions. The difference is that students are not pushed to read material and complete assignments by their instructor. Instead, they are driven to complete their work through their motivation to succeed.  Harnett et al. define self-determination theory as a contemporary theory of situated motivation that is built on the fundamental premise of learner autonomy. The goal here is to lead students to developing intrinsic motivation. This type of motivation is vital in an e-learning environment. If e-learning courses are designed correctly, they will lead to students developing intrinsic motivation which will help them not only succeed in the class but will also be an excellent attribute to have that may lead to a rewarding career.

Kiymet Selvi (2009) conducted a study directed towards PhD students involved in e-learning courses. The goal here was to get their opinion on what they believe motivated them the most in e-learning courses. Two questions were asked in this study. “What are the motivating factors for the online course being conducted? Please explain briefly.” “According to you, what should be done to increase the motivation in an online course?” In this study it shows that deliverability is the most important factor in motivation.  This indicates that the instructor plays a significant role in enhancing students’ motivation.  Instructors have to be sure to deliver course material in a concise manner. Students need to be provided with clear instruction as to what is expected from them. If students have a clear understanding of what is expected of them, they are more likely to develop a sense of independency. Independency then leads to intrinsic motivation. Presenting students with complicated instruction is likely to deter them from developing intrinsic motivation and encourage student to rely more heavily on extrinsic motivation. According to this study, student involvement is an important technique to imbed in the learning environment. The more involved students are, the more likely they are to feel a sense of motivation. Collaboration is a great way to get students involved in the class. Collaboration also gives students a sense of responsibility. They feel that their role is vital to the overall success of the class. This encourages students to be more involved because they feel that their classmates are relying on their participation. It definitely is difficult to promote student success in an e-learning course since motivation has to be developed among students beforehand. Because of this, I believe that e-learning courses have a lot more to offer than traditional face to face courses. E-learning courses enhance students’ ability to be self-driven.

Many people have different beliefs as to where motivation comes from.  Christina Fisher mentioned in her report Asynchronous Learning and Adult Motivation that the perceived origins of motivation are unconscious forces, future goals, feelings of anxiety, instincts, environmental stimuli, drives, and emergent dominant needs. I can see how all of these play a role in creating motivation within students. There are subconscious factors that motivate students that we are obviously unaware about. Future goals are a form of extrinsic motivation. Students are motivated to work hard to reach certain goals. This is common and I’m sure most students have experienced this source of motivation at one point or another. Feelings of anxiety are something that I can definitely relate to myself. Students are encouraged to learn the material for the sake of passing the class due to their anxiety of wanting to reach their graduation date as soon as possible or landing their ideal job. It may also be ones instinct to want to learn something therefore creating motivation but I feel that this factor plays a limited role. Environmental stimuli in my opinion, plays the most significant role in the overall picture. If a student is interested in information technology and because of this decides to take a class in information technology, this does not mean that they are going to have high motivation to succeed in the class. It comes down to the learning environment and content delivery techniques of the instructor. If instructors provide a clear path to follow and do an excellent job delivering the material, they are more than likely to create intrinsic motivation within students. The same can be said about a student taking a course that they have no interest in. If the instructor of the course does an excellent job constructing their course and delivering the material in a concise manner, they can create motivation regardless of their initial level of interest in the course. This can be a complete game changer for students.

As e-learning progresses, there has been an emergence of many technology tools that are implemented in e-learning environments. These technology tools are excellent for increasing students’ levels of motivation. Some examples include Blackboard Discussion, Google Forms, Slide Share and many more. These technology tools increase student involvement. Without the implementation of these tools, it would be near impossible to create motivation within students. Student collaboration leads to the development of a community of inquiry where students can collaborate and exchange opinions on different material. It is important to encourage student collaboration where students learn from one another. By doing this, students are then encouraged to give it their all to show their classmates what they are capable of. Students don’t only want to learn from their classmates, they also want their classmates to learn from them. Collaboration tools are also useful in eliminating some of the pressure from the professor. With the implementation of collaboration tools, students can motivate each other. The first student to post might set the bar fairly high encouraging other students to work as hard as they can to keep up with the initial students’ post.  Technology tools are definitely something to consider when developing an e-learning course especially if motivation is the primary goal of the instructor.

As we already went over, motivation is broken down into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. It is important to keep in mind that intrinsic motivation should be more heavily focused on if creating autonomy among students is the goal. There are many sources of motivation but environmental stimuli play the largest role. With this in mind, professors need to focus on the delivery of instruction and layout of the course. If professors devote their attention to this aspect of the course, students will be far more likely to succeed.

Fisher, C. (2006). Asynchronous Learning and Adult Motivation: Catching Fog in a Gauze Bag. Retrieved February 28, 2015, from http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/233/asynchronous-learning-and-adult-motivation-catching-fog-in-a-gauze-bag

Hartnett, M., St. George, A., & Dron, J. (2011). Examining Motivation in Online Distance Learning Environments: Complex, Multifaceted, and Situation-Dependent. Retrieved February 28, 2015, from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1030/1954

Selvi, K. (2009). Motivating factors in online courses. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 819-824. Retrieved February 28, 2015, from http://www.anitacrawley.net/Articles/SelviMotivating Factors.pdf

Did you fulfill the requirement to make your first post no later than Wednesday in the discussion?

yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to post at least three times in each discussion topic between Monday and Friday? 

yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to post the answers to the prompts in your blog no later than Sunday?

yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to reply at least three classmates’ blogs on Saturday/Sunday?

I haven’t yet

Quote your best post(s) from the week and explain why you feel these are the best.

“It is not the information that you are presented that is important, but how you apply that information you learned outside of the classroom.”

I didn’t learn the importance of this until a few days ago. I believe there is a lot of meaning in this quote.

Quote several of the best posts from other students. Explain why you chose the ones you present.

“While the overall situation may appear daunting, e-learning programs may provide partial salutations. This might include the design and implementation of professional development initiatives to 1) teach managers problem solving strategies, 2) motivate managers to continue to use the techniques following the training program and 3) encourage managers to refine their problem solving capabilities.”

Victor Barocas

Victor did an excellent job showing how e-learning can be applied to professional development.

“Motivating students is one of the greatest challenges instructors face. The topics I choose are important to me because as an instructional designer, I want to make sure that I maximize students’ potential and successful performance in the course by doing everything. I can to make sure the learning environment is at an optimal level for learning.”

Jingyu Yang

I couldn’t agree more with this post. Motivating students is a challenge and it is important to focus on this area as an instructional designer.

What did you learn in the discussion this week that will be useful to you or that changes the way you view something?

This week I learned the correlation between students’ motivation and the learning environment. There are many technology tools that both instructors and students need to take full advantage of to increase motivation.

Module 6

Course Title: Intro to Cyber Security

Content/Topics: Access Control, Encryption, Securing Networks

Target Audience: Undergrad students

Delivery Format: Hybrid

Technology Tools:

• Google Docs (Students are able to work on assignments as a group)       http://docs.google.com
• Blackboard Discussion (Where students can collaborate)
• Slideshare  (Create powerpoint presentations and share with the class)        http://www.slideshare.net/
• Testout (Take exams, watch videos, complete labs)           http://www.testout.com

• Name: Google Docs
• Web address (URL): http://www.google.com/docs/about/
• Description of key features: access files anywhere, work on files with group members simultaneously, share documents with friends, add graphs, images, etc. to document
• Advantages & disadvantages in support of e-learning
• Advantages: Students are able to prepare documents with their groups simultaneously, people can access their documents anywhere eliminating the need for flash drives, professors can see the contribution from students.
• Disadvantages: Need internet access to access documents.

Cryptography Quiz using Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/a/coyote.csusb.edu/forms/d/1khm30ulQiNcogJR1tS-p_fBEH6Zl7NV0qOANDTth6s0/viewform?c=0&w=1

Did you fulfill the requirement to make your first post no later than Wednesday in the discussion? Yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to post at least three times in each discussion topic between Monday and Friday? No, I didn’t respond until Saturday.

Did you fulfill the requirement to post the answers to the prompts in your blog no later than Sunday? Yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to reply at least three classmates’ blogs on Saturday/Sunday? I will do so before the deadline.

Quote your best post(s) from the week and explain why you feel these are the best.

• Web 2.0 tool 2:
  • Name: Google Docs
  • Web address (URL): http://www.google.com/docs/about/
  • Description of key features: access files anywhere, work on files with group members simultaneously, share documents with friends, add graphs, images, etc. to document
  • Advantages & disadvantages in support of e-learning
  • Advantages: Students are able to prepare documents with their groups simultaneously, people can access their documents anywhere eliminating the need for flash drives, professors can see the contribution from students.
  • Disadvantages: Need internet access to access documents.

I feel that this is my best post this week it was a great choice for a learning tool in the course I designed. I was able to utilize this learning tool by creating an online quiz. I had a positive experience when doing so. Everything was very straight forward and I had no difficulty whatsoever. I would recommend this tool for instructors.

Quote several of the best posts from other students. Explain why you chose the ones you present.

• Course      Title: Independent Physical Activity
• Content/Topics:      Health and Fitness
• Target      Audience: Undergraduate Students
• Delivery      Format: Hybrid
• Technology      Tools: Podcast, Youtube, Cell Phones and Instagram
• Design      (discuss course design leveraging various current e-learning technology      tools)

1. Students would be encouraged to start a podcast to share workout tips and also share healthy meal options.
2. Youtube videos of at-home workouts would be posted for students to follow in addition to easy to do outdoor workouts.
3. Cell phones would be used to record their workout times and to keep track of students’ progress. Students could also take pictures of themselves working out or fixing a healthy meal to share.
4. A class Instagram page would be set up for student’s to post pictures and short videos of themselves.

Melissa Gomez

Did a phenomenal job designing this course. The technology tools she used for this course were excellent choices. She chose to use tools that most students are familiar with. I believe this increases the probability of students succeeding to the ease of operating these technology tools.

• 2-3 minute video overview by instructor using Screencast-o-matic combined with Youtube.  Here’s an example of what I mean-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHnV5_stUYw&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
• Reading links posted on BB.
• Brief Multiple choice reading quiz using BB
• Discussion Board post that ask a project based our problem based question that relates the reading to students’ lives/professions
• Presentations would utilize Slideshare or Youtube
• Research would utilize LibGuides
• Writing would utilize Worpress and/or BB file exchange and Group Blog or Journal.
• Questions from students could be asked via Twitter in order to get fast responses from classmates and instructor.

Christen Smith

She did an excellent job giving examples of how she would utilize these different forms of technology tools. Her initial post was very detailed and informative. She set a great example for the rest of the class!

What did you learn in the discussion this week that will be useful to you or that changes the way you view something? 

I enjoyed this weeks blog activity the most because I was able to get hands-on experience creating and implementing technology tools. I discovered many new technology tools and I learned how to operate many of these tools. After completing this week’s activity, I can see how each module relates. I am beginning to feel more and more confident with my abilities to successfully design and e-learning course.

Module 5

Review of the Guest Speaker session: write a summary of the key topics that were included in the discussion along with a summary of the process. You are to analyze the content presented including the Q &A period. Also discuss advantages and constraints of synchronous online discussion based on your experience of the session. The meeting will be audio recorded for your review.

I would like to start off by saying how informative this meeting was. I wasn’t to make it synchronously due to my work schedule but thanks to the recording I was able to obtain all the information I missed out on. I think it is obvious that the main constraint of synchronous activities is that of time. It is extremely difficult to get the whole class together at one time due to external obligations. Having access to a recording of the meeting is a great way to resolve this issue as many of us have experienced here in ETEC 501. The main advantage of synchronous activities is being able to ask questions throughout the lecture and receive immediate responses. It is common for questions to arise as we listen to the lecture so being able to ask questions is an excellent advantage. In this synchronous session, Mr. Chabolla discussed many different trends, challenges, along with new developments in e-learning for higher education. One area that really caught my attention was some of the new developments. Gamification is a really interesting technique in e-learning that creates motivation toward learning and also enhances students’ critical thinking. It was also very interesting to find out that CSUSB has their own 3D printer. The concept of 3D printing has always interested me and it is something that I would like to look further into. This session with Mr. Chabolla introduced me to many new concepts, however, I feel that the last section where students asked questions was the most informative. Students asked many questions that helped Mr. Chobolla share his experience with the concepts related to our class material. His explanation of how CSUSB incorporates the concept of the Community of Inquiry was really informative. Overall, this synchronous meeting had a positive impact on my understanding of the structure and process of implementation of learning tools in e-learning. Prior to this meeting, I wasn’t aware that Instructional designer played a large role in the way professors design their courses. It is nice to see that there are many people involved in the design of the delivery of instruction because it is always more advantageous to have many different perspectives come together.

2. Summarize this week’s discussions. Use this template to structure your production:

Did you fulfill the requirement to make your first post no later than Wednesday in the discussion?

yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to post at least three times in each discussion topic between Monday and Friday?

yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to post the answers to the prompts in your blog no later than Sunday?

yes

Did you fulfill the requirement to reply at least three classmates’ blogs on Saturday/Sunday?

I will comment on classmates’ posts before the deadline

Quote your best post(s) from the week and explain why you feel these are the best.

“Group activites that consist of securing computers to the extent that keeps the professor from breaking into the systems. This will give students the hands on learning they need that will enhance their skills significantly. This will also motivate students to want to improve to prove themselves that they are capable of securing systems.”

I believe this activity is an excellent way to motivate students to want to learn more along with creating excitement in learning.

Quote several of the best posts from other students. Explain why you chose the ones you present.

“Hybrid classes allowed me to succeed and learn more about the material being taught because course materials were placed online, such as lectures, PowerPoints, etc., allowing me to review what would be taught before coming to class and have more time to get into deeper discussions and small group activities.”

Kimberly De Leon

I agree that reading the material before a face to face session helps students get a better understanding of the material being presented. It is a great idea for students to familiarize themselves with the material so that they have at least a slight understanding before they are presented the material a second time.

“The kinds of classroom based activities that would be difficult to apply in cyberspace would be projects or assignments that are very complex e.g., a teaching methods class where there is a great need for instruction, modeling and scaffolding to help the students to understand the assignment better.”

Laurie Hanna

I have the same issue with sometimes not being able to understand complex material through reading online text especially when it is very technical. I get a better understanding once the information is broken down by the professor and explained in a face to face setting.

What did you learn in the discussion this week that will be useful to you or that changes the way you view something?

I learned the importance of an Instructional Designer’s role in delivering instruction in an online environment. I also learned the importance of the instructor implementing learning tools in a correct manner. If the implementation isn’t done correctly, it can jeopardize students’ learning experience. I also became familiar with many of the new trends in e-learning along with many of the difficulties instructors and instructional designer face when attempting to implement learning techniques that are originally from face to face environments.

Module 4

Assume you are an e-learning instructor. How can you apply the CoI framework when you design and deliver/teach your course? Be specific.

• Course Title: Intro to Cyber Security
• Content/Topics:Access Control, Information Management, Encryption, Attacks
• Target Audience: College students
• Delivery Format: Online
• Laptop, Blackboard, Videos, Pearsononline, Simulated Labs

Design

Social Presence: Design a learning environment that involves the implementation of discussion tools such as Blackboard Discussion.

Cognitive Presence: Design class material in a way that encourages students to think critically about the material and to develop true knowledge rather than just memorizing facts. Providing a list of questions for students to think about before they begin reading information is a way of leading students to think critically about information.

Teaching Presence: Structure the course in a straight forward manner that eliminates confusion and provides guidelines to meeting the instructors expectations. Providing a syllabus with specific expectations is an excellent way of guiding students down the correct learning path.

Combination of Social, Cognitive, and Teaching Presences if any: Design learning tools and activities  that involve discussion among students, encourage students to think critically about information, and provide guidance to being successful in the course.

Delivery

Social Presence: Require students to actively participate in the discussion by posting answers to questions along with commenting on other students’ work.

Cognitive Presence: Assign exams that consist of questions that push students to think critically about the information they just processed. Assign these exams in a frequent manner.

Teaching Presence: Stay up to date with grading students work for the purpose of the instructor staying updated on students’ performance. Consistently provide feedback to students and assist them in areas where they are struggling.

Combination of Social, Cognitive, and Teaching Presences if any: Implement activities that require active collaboration among students, exams that require students to think critically about the information they just processed, and feedback to keep students updated on their progress along with assistance to help them improve.

Summarize this week’s discussions. Use this template to structure your production:

• Did you fulfill the requirement to make your first post in the discussion no later than Wednesday?

Yes, I submitted my initial post before the deadline.

• Did you fulfill the requirement to post at least three times in each discussion topic between Monday and Friday?

Yes, I was able to respond to three students before friday.

• Did you fulfill the requirement to post the answer to the prompts in your blog no later than Sunday (Jan 18)?

Yes, I posted my answers to my blog by Saturday.

• Did you fulfill the requirement to reply at least three classmates’ blogs on Saturday and/or Sunday?

I will be replying to three classmates’ blog before the deadline.

• Quote your best post(s) from the week and explain why you feel these are the best.

“It is essential to design courses in a way that makes them not only interesting but easy to operate and maneuver through material. It is also important to encourage students to think deeply about the information they encounter. Instructors need to ask themselves if their way of instruction is in line with the students best interests.”

I chose this post of mine because I strongly believe that instructors have an immense impact on students’ learning experience. Here I listed ways that an instructor can enhance students’ learning experiences.

• Quote several of the best posts from other students. Explain why you chose the ones you present.

“Brainstorm different questions that employers will ask during an interview for a job. Let the students control this discussion and try to interject as little as possible. After they have agreed on 10 questions to ask, lead a discussion on each question and why it should be asked in an interview. Have the students explain their reasons and give examples of a response that would be ideal. There are many websites that have ideas for interview questions and tips.”

Aeman Alabuod

Aeman provided an excellent way to implement cognitive presence in a course. It involves forecasting which encourages students to think critically.

“Giving students reading materials through D2Learn, and expected students read them before having skype meetings.”

Xiaoyan Yang

Having students share what they learned synchronously is an excellent way to ensure that they are thinking critically about the information. They are also more likely to approach the information in a critical manner due to them needing to present it to the rest of the class.

• What did you learn in the discussion this week that will be useful to you or that changes the way you view something?

I learned how to enhance the learning experience of students as an instructor through Social, Cognitive, and Teaching presence. I also realized the importance of the implementation of all three presences and the impact they make on students’ success. After learning this information, I am confident that I can successfully design a course in a manner that puts students’ success as top priority. I was also provided with a beneficial learning approach as a student. This approach is an excellent way to ensure I am getting the most out of my education.

Module

1. Which learning theory do you think leads to students’ best learning? Why do you think that?

I believe students learn best through collaboration with classmates and professors. When students are asked to collaborate with classmates, it is more likely for them to give more effort toward learning the material due to the fact that they have to present their ideas. Students want to be able to make sense of the information knowing that their classmates and professors will be reading over their work. Another reason why I feel this learning technique is very effective is because students are able to obtain many different perspectives on the material from their classmates and professors helping them to better analyze the material. Collaboration also helps students who are struggling to understand the material, by having it broken down in several ways from different people.

2. Assume you are an e-learning instructor. Create an e-learning instruction/activity (fully online or hybrid), applying your theory in a ‘real’ online education setting. In the description of the activity, include the following information:

• Course Title: Cyber Defense
• Content/Topics: Information Security, Access Control, Cryptography
• Target Audience: Cyber Security students
• Delivery Format: Hybrid
• Technology Tools: Laptops, Simulated Labs, Videos
• Activity: The purpose of this class is to introduce students to a few of the basic concepts of the Cyber Security profession such as Access Control and Cryptography. Students will meet face to face once a week for the purpose of being able to work with the professor on simulated labs and collaborate face to face with the professor and classmates. Laptops are required for this course. Students will be completing labs along with watching videos and reading text online outside of class meeting times. After successfully completing this course, students should be familiar with identifying, authenticating, and authorizing users access to systems. They should also be able to control access of users as an administrator of an organization.

• Course Title: Automotive Tuning
• Content/Topics: Automotive Troubleshooting, Dyno Tuning, Engine Design
• Target Audience: Students interested in the auto industry
• Delivery Format: Hybrid
• Technology Tools: Dynamometer, Laptop, Online Discussion Forums
• Activity: This class will provide students with the knowledge needed to perform diagnostics on vehicles to identify problems, tune ecus on vehicles to provide maximum performance, and the ability to talk among automotive tuning professionals. Students will be required to have their own laptop to store diagnostic reports from vehicles and use them as a study guide. The class will take place in an automotive tuning garages providing students with hands on experience. They will be shadowing the instructor as they become familiar with the field. Once they acquire the basic knowledge, they will be tuning vehicles from real customers while guided by their instructor. The class will meet three days a week face to face and are also required to participate in online discussion forums outside of class.

3. Summarize this week’s discussions. Use this template to structure your production:

Did you fulfill the requirement to make your first post no later than Wednesday in the discussion?

Yes, I was able to make my initial post to the discussion thread no later than Wednesday.

Did you fulfill the requirement to post at least three times in each discussion topic any time Monday through Friday?

Yes, I responded to two classmates comments in my discussion thread along with commenting on another classmate’s discussion thread before the deadline.

Did you fulfill the requirement to post the answer to the prompts in your blog no later than Sunday (Jan 18)? 

Yes, I was successful in completing my blog before the deadline.

Did you fulfill the requirement to reply at least three classmates’ blogs during Saturday and Sunday?

I have not yet commented on classmates blogs, but I will do so before the deadline.

Quote your best post(s) from the week and explain why you feel these are the best.

“I see how this can be an issue, but I feel that this issue is more related to the overall structure of the course. I don’t think it would be any different from assigning a research paper or exam on Thursday and expecting it done by Sunday. I agree that timing of assignments can be an issue since I am also very limited on time. I believe that online courses work best when assignments are assigned on Monday and are expected to be completed by Sunday. As long as collaborations are asynchrous, I don’t see them becoming a problem. There are students that like to get their work done as soon as possible and student that wait until the last minute. As long as everyone doesn’t wait until the last minute, I see collaboration being a success. Also, having a bigger class usually improves the flexibility of collaboration.”

I was able to support my reasoning as to why I feel collaboration is an important learning technique in a classroom.

Quote several of the best posts from other students. Explain why you chose the ones you present.

“You advocate for collaboration in online classes.  Given that online students typically take online classes because of the flexibility for being able to work around jobs, family, etc., it seems like collaboration presents a real challenge.  For example, I have a class that requires weekly group collaboration.  We all have to post a piece of the work by Thursday nights and then we must respond to each other’s work by Sunday (imagine more substantial than Discussion).  Ideally I want to get all of my work done Mon-Wed, but now because of this collaboration, I can’t do most of my work until Friday.  Honestly, its a real frustration.  I think in order for collaboration to work, students either need to be grouped according to the days of the week they do the most classwork or there need to be very firm timelines that someone allow students to complete the class at any point in the week.  I’m not sure how to make collaboration work for all parties.”

Christen Smith

Christen’s post helped me to look back and re-evaluate my initial post on the discussion board and make a decision if I still feel that collaboration has the same significance in a classroom.

“When I design and teach an e-learning course, I would first want to know the time frame and a little about the students needs and want in learning expectations for the class.”

Laurie Hanna

I really admire how Laurie would take students needs and use this information to structure her class.

“Everyone has different learning style, and no one theory can fit all. If I am designing a course, I will do a survey before class started, and find out the percentage of students who are more comfortable with any of the teaching methods. Then choosing the majority of the students’ choice to be my teaching method, and assist more help to the students that are not comfortable with this teaching method, and try to work out well. ”

Xiaoyan Yang

Xiaoyan provided an excellent technique for structuring his course. I believe it is best to due some research on the students before structuring the course. It was also good to see that he would provide further assistance to students who are not comfortable with his teaching methods.

What did you learn in the discussion this week that will be useful to you or that changes the way you view something?

I learned many different learning techniques and the importance of each of them. Every student is unique so they don’t all learn in the same manner. It is vital to take this into consideration in order to be a successful professor. I also learned how Learning Community, Social Presence, Teaching Presence, and Cognitive Presence play an important role in structuring an online course. They all enhance learning in distinct ways. I also benefited from reading different perspectives and preferences of learning techniques from classmates.

Module 2 (ETEC 501)

Choose one sector that most interests you – K-12, Higher Education, Business/Industry, etc. (as discussed previously). Discuss key trends in e-learning in the sector of your choice. You may explain the kinds of e-learning courses offered and the technology tools most commonly used for course delivery in this sector.

One area that interests me is e-learning in the Military. I’m sure we all are aware of the difficulties military personnel and their families have to face when it comes to education. They are never really settled anywhere due to the constant expectation of having to move when duty calls. My sister is married to a marine and it has been difficult for them to achieve a higher education through physically attending a university. One thing she told me is that they are encouraged to attend school online and are even offered funding from the military. E-learning has a made a significant impact on the military due to the convenience it has added to them. It takes several years to receive a college degree but at least with e-learning they are able to move at their own pace and complete the work on their own time.

E-learning is not only used for higher education in the miltary, but also for mandatory training. PulseDefense is a program by PulseLearning created for the military to enhance their skills and receive the training they need. The main areas of focus in this program are maintenance and operating training, secure training delivery systems, encrypted mobile data management, and simulated communication training.

http://www.pulselearning.com/sectors/pulsedefencetm/

Another interesting program I found is The Army Training Requirements and Resources System which was created soley for the military. The interesting thing about this program is that it is entirely free. They have over 5,000 courses in areas such as information technology, business skills, and interpersonal skills.

https://www.atrrs.army.mil/selfdevctr/eLearningWelcome.aspx

Summarize this week’s discussions. 

This course has been going well so far. The deeper I get into the course, the more of an understanding I have of what I am expected to do and how I am expected to do it. This week was a success as far as completing the assignment before the deadline and collaborating with my fellow students. I have been able to effectively manage my time, which helps me to be more thorough with my work. I feel that my work will only improve from here on out as I learn from my professor and classmates.

Quote your best post(s) from the week and explain why you feel these are the best.

“I believe e-learning is great for higher education, but I don’t think it has a positive impact on grade schools. Most younger aged students need to be pushed to get their assignments in on time, read course content, etc. so being on their own in an online environment might not be ideal for their success.”

Before reading the article Aeman posted regarding the implementation of e-learning in elementary schools, I never really thought about e-learning in this way. I didn’t experience e-learning up until college. When I posted this comment, it was something new to me that just came to my mind after evaluating the scenario and comparing it to past experiences.

Quote several of the best posts from other students. Explain why you chose the ones you present.

“Many of my f2f students–who have served in the military and are tech savvy–frequently take elearning classes; they are quite disciplined, see the value and very engaged. In fact, one of them commented that they prefer online because it eliminates distractions caused by younger students who have had fewer real world experiences.”

Victor Barocas

This post was very relevant to the topic I discussed on e-learning in the military. It was also very informative and I was able to relate to the thoughts on e-learning.

“Preparation for the new technology is the key for their successful use across all academic areas. Language, Math, Science, and Social Studies are all being taught in relatively new ways with all the new technology.”

Michael Verhasselt

I strongly agree with this statement. Everything is becoming reliant on technology making it exceedingly important for students to be taught this technology. In other words, you either learn the technology or get left behind.

“Fun e-learning programs help boost staff morale while reducing the time it takes for team members to integrate new skills and ideas.”

Jingyu Yang

It would definitely be delightful to have more of these fun e-learning programs integrated into our training programs. I work for a school district and most of our mandatory training has transformed into e-learning. It does cut down training time significantly but it isn’t as enjoyable as I would hope. Adding the “fun” to e-learning might be very beneficial to organizations in the sense that employees will be more likely to pay attention to the videos and really grasp the information.

What did you learn in the discussion this week that will be useful to you or that changes the way you view something?

There were many things I learned this week that were both interesting and changed my perspective on things. After researching the history of distance learning to develop a timeline, I learned that distance learning actually began through physically mailing assignments along with instructions back and forth from the professor and the students. I found this very interesting because I previously thought that distance learning began after the internet was created. I also learned the importance of e-learning in the military sector. It was amazing researching some of the programs offered to military personnel consisting of many benefits. There was also a lot to learn from my classmates’ postings. Their articles were very informative and provided with new perspectives on e-learning.