Normally, I have chocolate when I write my blogs, but because today is my final blog I have switched to cinnamon rolls. I now see the error of my ways - cinnamon rolls are much better than chocolate for writing creative blogs!
Overall, I have enjoyed creating and updating my blog. I had to set up a wiki for my other course, and we've also used wikis in this course, so I feel I can make a good comparison between the two. Wikis seem to have a lot of options in terms of posting pages, and links, and even having separate pages within the same space. For instance, in my wiki for my other course, I have a main page with links to my journal as well as other assignments. However, for our blog, I have one main page that everyone can access. Based on my own usage, I appreciate having one page to go to. I feel that sometimes with wikis, you can miss some of the information because there are so many options. Also, if it is a new user like me, if the pages are not properly linked than it can be hard to find information.
I like to color code information, and make things colorful (as much as possible). This is probably not important to anyone else, but it has the potential to sway my decision if the color scheme is ugly! Both tools have the ability to color coordinate words, and backgrounds. The blog is a little bit more limited in terms of some of the colors and backgrounds but I can overlook this because I appreciate the straight forward organization of blogs. I also like that a blog will automatically list posts in reverse chronological order, and automatically categorize posts by month. I purposely made my wiki posts in reverse order, but could have easily done it another way. The blog seems to be the clear winner for me, because it allows me to be creative but also presents the information in a clear and concise manner with very little effort.
I think creating blogs is a great way to introduce new technology methods to distance education students. It is also nice to use another method of learning outside of Webtycho. By using the blog, we're showing that we understand how to use the tool, and it offers us another medium to express our thoughts on the class. Also, because not as many classmates are reviewing our blog, it might lead to more freedom of expression because of the lack of fear of rejection and criticism. I also think in terms of assignments, it was a nice break to write papers for some of the assignments and then write the blog and wiki definitions in between. It divides the learning process a little and gives us a couple different modes to showcase what we have learned in the course.
I hope creating blogs is kept as part of the class assignments. It is a great way to express what we have learned from the course and it's also fun. Eva and I have been corresponding a lot in the Webtycho conferences together, so once we were paired up for the blogs, we've been able to expand on our discussions and gain more insight into each other's thoughts and experiences.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Cost of Implementing Distance Education
We've been discussing the design and implementation of course content for distance education courses compared to face-to-face courses. I know that I have at least one course in my program that will cover cost analysis issues for distance education. In the meantime, I do wonder why some universities are unwilling to invest in the program or at least hesitant to invest. For larger universities who have already used some web 2.0 technology, it is not as large of an undertaking as it is for those who are smaller or have no previous technology basis to work from. However, it seems that the growing trend is for online or distance learning - based on our readings, the news, and my daily life.
Now, I am not saying that everyone should adopt the latest technology but it seems that implementing some technology slowly will capture enough revenue to compensate. It can also make it easier to expand in the future as well without utilizing a heavy amount of resources financially. I can see both sides of the argument for wanting to wait, or wanting to jump in BUT overall, even if the initial implementation is not cost effective I still believe it is important to incorporate technology for distance education. This goes back to my topic on blended learning, even if the intent is not to create distance education courses, this can still help. Face-to-face courses benefit from having DE components that allow students to review information when outside of the classroom. In addition, it provides additional tools and resources for professors to assist students in their learning.
I guess the next issue once implementing the technology is making sure it is beneficial to the student. We of course have compared asynchronous and synchronous learning in distance education. It seems again that most of our readings favored a combination of the two learning methods. Synchronous limited the freedom of online learning by placing a time constraint for participation, whereas asynchronous lacked social interaction and spontaneity. Though I completed my first degree completely online, I do admit that these last few sessions in Wimba and Skype were very thought-provoking, and even fun. It was great to interact with everyone, and be introduced to new learning methods. Though most days, it is better to be able to participate when I have time instead of a fixed schedule, it was nice to see the other options for learning.
Now, I am not saying that everyone should adopt the latest technology but it seems that implementing some technology slowly will capture enough revenue to compensate. It can also make it easier to expand in the future as well without utilizing a heavy amount of resources financially. I can see both sides of the argument for wanting to wait, or wanting to jump in BUT overall, even if the initial implementation is not cost effective I still believe it is important to incorporate technology for distance education. This goes back to my topic on blended learning, even if the intent is not to create distance education courses, this can still help. Face-to-face courses benefit from having DE components that allow students to review information when outside of the classroom. In addition, it provides additional tools and resources for professors to assist students in their learning.
I guess the next issue once implementing the technology is making sure it is beneficial to the student. We of course have compared asynchronous and synchronous learning in distance education. It seems again that most of our readings favored a combination of the two learning methods. Synchronous limited the freedom of online learning by placing a time constraint for participation, whereas asynchronous lacked social interaction and spontaneity. Though I completed my first degree completely online, I do admit that these last few sessions in Wimba and Skype were very thought-provoking, and even fun. It was great to interact with everyone, and be introduced to new learning methods. Though most days, it is better to be able to participate when I have time instead of a fixed schedule, it was nice to see the other options for learning.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Blended Learning
Our topic for the next week is design and delivery in distance education. We are comparing DE and f2f courses. What I have been noticing is that although we are making the distinction between the two methods, almost every text is utilizing and encouraging both methods. It seems that even though we make the distinction as well in our own course, we are actually borrowing from both methods as well. Asynchronous and synchronous technologies are being used in both DE and f2f courses. Using UMUC as an example, most f2f courses have a shell course in Webtycho that allows professors to post syllabus information and important updates for students to check online before the course or after. As DE students we are incorporating different ways to communicate in synchronous methods of technology bolstering communication between students and instructors as would occur in a f2f classroom.
Of course time and money are always a concern, but with most schools already placing some of these methods into their classroom - it is not a huge, monumental investment of time and money. One might argue, that you can slowly implement technology and DE into a program without a distinct disruption... I will not make that argument, because in my opinion it is worth the investment regardless of the time and money because blended learning seems to be the new method of learning. It provides the student with the best of both worlds, and it allows for courses to not lose their main goal because instructors are able to utilize both synchronous and asynchronous methods of learning in their coursework. I harp on this, I am sure, but everyone learns differently and because of this it is important to teach subjects in several different ways so that everyone can learn. Use different methods of technology to reach students seems like a natural progression in schools today.
Hybrid courses are classes that are f2f half the semester and online the remainder of the time, at UMUC. This does take away from the flexibility of DE because it requires the student and instructor to be in the same place at the same time during the semester. But this may work for a student who learns well in the classroom but cannot commit 12 weeks of their time to their education in person. It could also be the gateway for some students to make the jump from f2f to completely online courses, to see how they handle their interactions online while still receiving f2f assistance from the professor.
Hybrid courses are a form of blended learning, but when I refer to it, I really mean f2f classes that have some external online functions and DE courses that have some synchronous functions. My best example of the first is in our high schools...most schools in Montgomery County follow the students with external online functions - attendance is online, assignments are submitted and tracked online as well as schedules for the semester. So much information at your finger tips for parents and students to keep track of. Part of me wonders how this was adopted so quickly, my first thought is for accountability from the parents and students. I am also sure this is a convenient method for schools to track teacher progress as well. It seems to be more of a monitoring tool than learning but at the same time, it does allow students the ability to track and monitor information needed for their education so I am going to count it.
In my previous courses I have not really used synchronous methods of learning but have really enjoyed using them in the last couple weeks. I feel they have really added to my learning and to my motivation. Though I've been through this before, I seem to need more and more motivation as these weeks go by, and I have definitely been encouraged by my interactions with the professors and students during our sessions. I hope to have more courses that encourage this blended learning process, even if I don't learn anything related to the course, I will at least learn more about myself and that can definitely be helpful.
Of course time and money are always a concern, but with most schools already placing some of these methods into their classroom - it is not a huge, monumental investment of time and money. One might argue, that you can slowly implement technology and DE into a program without a distinct disruption... I will not make that argument, because in my opinion it is worth the investment regardless of the time and money because blended learning seems to be the new method of learning. It provides the student with the best of both worlds, and it allows for courses to not lose their main goal because instructors are able to utilize both synchronous and asynchronous methods of learning in their coursework. I harp on this, I am sure, but everyone learns differently and because of this it is important to teach subjects in several different ways so that everyone can learn. Use different methods of technology to reach students seems like a natural progression in schools today.
Hybrid courses are classes that are f2f half the semester and online the remainder of the time, at UMUC. This does take away from the flexibility of DE because it requires the student and instructor to be in the same place at the same time during the semester. But this may work for a student who learns well in the classroom but cannot commit 12 weeks of their time to their education in person. It could also be the gateway for some students to make the jump from f2f to completely online courses, to see how they handle their interactions online while still receiving f2f assistance from the professor.
Hybrid courses are a form of blended learning, but when I refer to it, I really mean f2f classes that have some external online functions and DE courses that have some synchronous functions. My best example of the first is in our high schools...most schools in Montgomery County follow the students with external online functions - attendance is online, assignments are submitted and tracked online as well as schedules for the semester. So much information at your finger tips for parents and students to keep track of. Part of me wonders how this was adopted so quickly, my first thought is for accountability from the parents and students. I am also sure this is a convenient method for schools to track teacher progress as well. It seems to be more of a monitoring tool than learning but at the same time, it does allow students the ability to track and monitor information needed for their education so I am going to count it.
In my previous courses I have not really used synchronous methods of learning but have really enjoyed using them in the last couple weeks. I feel they have really added to my learning and to my motivation. Though I've been through this before, I seem to need more and more motivation as these weeks go by, and I have definitely been encouraged by my interactions with the professors and students during our sessions. I hope to have more courses that encourage this blended learning process, even if I don't learn anything related to the course, I will at least learn more about myself and that can definitely be helpful.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Wimba Session
Good morning! We had a Wimba session this morning, which was a great comparion to the Skype session we had before. I was hoping Eva would be in the session, but I am sure we will have time to talk in the future!
We discussed the digital divide in terms of technology for the "have" and the "have-nots". I agreed that the divide will increase as technology does. We discussed a variety of factors, but I believe cost is always the biggest issue. I tend to think about this in terms of other third-world countries. By the time they have received certain technologies such as the computer or laptop, there have been several other versions created in the meantime. So though they have a form of current technology, it is not the latest form and that alone places them at a disadvantage because there will always be something new created thus increasing the gap. We can also transition this thought into schools, where those with more money will often have access to the latest technology such as the Ipad. (In my opinion I think the Ipad is a waste of money, but if I was given one for free...I doubt I would complain about it.)
My view on Wimba: I think it is a wonderful tool. It had a lot more options for an educational setting compared to Skype. Of course, I doubt Skype was created for a school setting so I don't know the two can be compared but I will do so any way. Wimba had a lot of features that aided in the discussion process. We had some issues with responses in Skype because there was no real way to decipher who would be speaking next. Response buttons were built-in for easy access, as well as a chat function on the side. Holding down the talk button took a little bit of practice, but was easy to use in the end. I enjoyed the emoticons - you could select built-in tools for laughing, agree or disagree, one even offered a way to ask the professor to slow down. The best function of all was the hand raising tool because it also kept the order in which everyone raised their hand!
There was more opportunity to interact in this session as well. Together, we each chose a color and were able to write on a chart that Gila and Jim had created. It was better than being in a classroom because we were able to write on it ourselves and could do it at the same time. Paul totally stole one of my answers, but that made it more fun because he was quicker than I was putting his answer on the page!! We also took a survey and answered questions that Jim was able to post in a chart format - and that was better than him having to take the time in a f2f classroom writing it all down.
Overall, I really appreciated the session because it opened my eyes to the various ways we can interact in a synchronous way even though our course is designed to be asynchronous. Thanks again to Gila and Jim for taking the time to speak with us. I will be working on my paper this weekend, but that is by choice I promise! I will be sure to make some time to catch some BBQ food this holiday weekend!!
We discussed the digital divide in terms of technology for the "have" and the "have-nots". I agreed that the divide will increase as technology does. We discussed a variety of factors, but I believe cost is always the biggest issue. I tend to think about this in terms of other third-world countries. By the time they have received certain technologies such as the computer or laptop, there have been several other versions created in the meantime. So though they have a form of current technology, it is not the latest form and that alone places them at a disadvantage because there will always be something new created thus increasing the gap. We can also transition this thought into schools, where those with more money will often have access to the latest technology such as the Ipad. (In my opinion I think the Ipad is a waste of money, but if I was given one for free...I doubt I would complain about it.)
My view on Wimba: I think it is a wonderful tool. It had a lot more options for an educational setting compared to Skype. Of course, I doubt Skype was created for a school setting so I don't know the two can be compared but I will do so any way. Wimba had a lot of features that aided in the discussion process. We had some issues with responses in Skype because there was no real way to decipher who would be speaking next. Response buttons were built-in for easy access, as well as a chat function on the side. Holding down the talk button took a little bit of practice, but was easy to use in the end. I enjoyed the emoticons - you could select built-in tools for laughing, agree or disagree, one even offered a way to ask the professor to slow down. The best function of all was the hand raising tool because it also kept the order in which everyone raised their hand!
There was more opportunity to interact in this session as well. Together, we each chose a color and were able to write on a chart that Gila and Jim had created. It was better than being in a classroom because we were able to write on it ourselves and could do it at the same time. Paul totally stole one of my answers, but that made it more fun because he was quicker than I was putting his answer on the page!! We also took a survey and answered questions that Jim was able to post in a chart format - and that was better than him having to take the time in a f2f classroom writing it all down.
Overall, I really appreciated the session because it opened my eyes to the various ways we can interact in a synchronous way even though our course is designed to be asynchronous. Thanks again to Gila and Jim for taking the time to speak with us. I will be working on my paper this weekend, but that is by choice I promise! I will be sure to make some time to catch some BBQ food this holiday weekend!!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Skype Session
Good morning!
This morning was my very first interaction with Skype. My husband set it up for me, which is probably a form of cheating but I was working on my other assignments and time got away from me. He also gave me a headset/microphone combo to use as well. I did test my microphone before the conference by calling my dad this morning, but as the actual school conference got underway, I believe the combo was my downfall. As the meeting went on, my headset was working against me; the sound kept switching from my right to left ear and the volume would randomly increase!! I appreciate everyone's willingness to put up with my typing instead of talking. I pride myself on my ability to "chat" online but seemed to be having technical difficulties today - I think I am getting old and am less able to multi-task!
I really enjoyed the session today. In the beginning when I signed up for my sessions, I was a little more excited about Wimba because I have used it a couple times at work. I was uncertain about Skype, but I can definitely see the benefits of using it. I might end up using it for more personal use, but the conversation today was great. We covered a lot of relevant topics for Distance Education and I really appreciate that our professors took the time to give us some synchronous learning experience for our course.
I also learned a lot about my classmates. Paul and I seemed a little bit more reserved in speaking, or it seemed. We chimed in with answers but not as frequently as Simone and Tomeatha. This might have been a good reflection of our participation in a regular classroom. Everyone had a lot of great ideas and follow-up and the discussion did veer off point a couple times but it was a great learning experience for all. We also had a quick Q&A session with the professors concerning some of the assignments. I am very impressed with how much we covered during the session. I know I added to some of the confusion with my typing, but hopefully I can get a new microphone before our Wimba session so this can be avoided. I hope I did not distract from the learning process.
Side note: I did want to give up when I realized my microphone was not working, but the topics were interesting and I did not want to give up when everyone had taken time out of their weekends for this conference.
I want to say thank you to everyone, especially Gila and Jim, for a great session today!
This morning was my very first interaction with Skype. My husband set it up for me, which is probably a form of cheating but I was working on my other assignments and time got away from me. He also gave me a headset/microphone combo to use as well. I did test my microphone before the conference by calling my dad this morning, but as the actual school conference got underway, I believe the combo was my downfall. As the meeting went on, my headset was working against me; the sound kept switching from my right to left ear and the volume would randomly increase!! I appreciate everyone's willingness to put up with my typing instead of talking. I pride myself on my ability to "chat" online but seemed to be having technical difficulties today - I think I am getting old and am less able to multi-task!
I really enjoyed the session today. In the beginning when I signed up for my sessions, I was a little more excited about Wimba because I have used it a couple times at work. I was uncertain about Skype, but I can definitely see the benefits of using it. I might end up using it for more personal use, but the conversation today was great. We covered a lot of relevant topics for Distance Education and I really appreciate that our professors took the time to give us some synchronous learning experience for our course.
I also learned a lot about my classmates. Paul and I seemed a little bit more reserved in speaking, or it seemed. We chimed in with answers but not as frequently as Simone and Tomeatha. This might have been a good reflection of our participation in a regular classroom. Everyone had a lot of great ideas and follow-up and the discussion did veer off point a couple times but it was a great learning experience for all. We also had a quick Q&A session with the professors concerning some of the assignments. I am very impressed with how much we covered during the session. I know I added to some of the confusion with my typing, but hopefully I can get a new microphone before our Wimba session so this can be avoided. I hope I did not distract from the learning process.
Side note: I did want to give up when I realized my microphone was not working, but the topics were interesting and I did not want to give up when everyone had taken time out of their weekends for this conference.
I want to say thank you to everyone, especially Gila and Jim, for a great session today!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Introduction
Welcome to my blog! I plan to use this for more than education, but at the moment I am setting this up for use in one of my classes.
The address of my blog may have you scratching your head right now, but if you knew me - you would understand! This is a blended name of mine and my husband's creation, and one that is very unique as far as I can tell.
I am currently enrolled at UMUC in a dual degree program for Distance Education. My current course is OMDE 603. I am struggling through some of the course material and trying to get back into the swing of things after taking 3 years off of school. It is difficult coming back to school and I have more challenges in my schedule than I did back then, so it has been an adjustment.
Stay tuned for more updates! (I was very tempted to post this under the wingdings font but assumed that everyone would then stop reading my posts...hmmm)
-Aloma
The address of my blog may have you scratching your head right now, but if you knew me - you would understand! This is a blended name of mine and my husband's creation, and one that is very unique as far as I can tell.
I am currently enrolled at UMUC in a dual degree program for Distance Education. My current course is OMDE 603. I am struggling through some of the course material and trying to get back into the swing of things after taking 3 years off of school. It is difficult coming back to school and I have more challenges in my schedule than I did back then, so it has been an adjustment.
Stay tuned for more updates! (I was very tempted to post this under the wingdings font but assumed that everyone would then stop reading my posts...hmmm)
-Aloma
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