Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Collaboration and the Future of eLearning

George Siemens has steadily increased his voice in the world of distance education since the publication of his theory of Connectivism in December of 2004. My recent experience of him was in a video produced for Walden University on the future of distance education (Siemens, 2008). While a thoroughly discussed topic, Mr. Siemens once again demonstrates there is still plenty of room for innovation and insight. In the video program, he highlights three unique characteristics of eLearning that will help formulate its future: connectivity at the individual level, global diversity, and collaborative innovation.

While all three of these are a part of distance education, the aspect of collaboration is most intriguing to me. Our connection to global diversity would be for naught if we could not collaborate with each other. Certainly, humans have been doing just that for millennia. We created family groups, then communities, then villages, then cities … you get the idea … all of which required collaboration. Of the multitude of definitions, "collaboration [as] a recursive process where two or more people work together toward an intersection of common goals … by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus" reflects what I imagine our earliest ancestors must have done to survive, and what we must continue to do now ("Collaboration", n.d.). (Ironic that it was created on Wikipedia, ostensibly the most successful example of collaboration on the net.) Our ancestors' goal was survival; our goals are increasingly complex, requiring increasingly diverse methods of connection. Our means of collaboration have grown with that complexity; now today, there are an overwhelming number of collaborative opportunities (screen share, co-browsing, web conferencing, video conferencing, VOIP, file sharing, collaborative reviewing, event scheduling, and mind-mapping) (Karrer, 2008).

In relation to eLearning, collaboration has been written about in numerous blogs, journals, and dissertations. A search for "collaboration eLearning" on Google Scholar returns about 24,000 items. A search just in Google returns about 5,420,000 items. Mr. Siemens has compiled a nice list of learning and technology blogs for review. From a technology perspective, Dr. Tony Karrer's blog, eLearning Technology, is a wealth of information on the development of these innovations. His recent post on this very topic includes a mind map of these tools created collaboratively by professionals and amateurs alike. most prevalent for education are screen-sharing/conferencing (i.e. GoToMeeting, WebEx, Adobe Connect), content management systems (i.e. Blackboard, Moodle, Angel), wikis (i.e. Wikispaces, MediaWiki, PBwiki), and chat (i.e. Skype, LiveMessenger, AIM).

To reach out and engage the global community, we will need to utilize these technologies, and develop learning theories like connectivism that support their enhanced capabilities to foster community and education.

References
Collaboration. (n.d.). Retrieved December 23, 2008, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaboration

Karrer, T. (2008, December 2). Collaboration Tools: eLearning Technology. Message December 23, 2008, posted to eLearning Technology: http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2008/12/collaboration-tools.html

Siemens, G. (Speaker). (2008). The future of distance education [Video]. Video December 19, 2008, posted to Walden University Web site: http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3206859&Survey=1&47=4198219&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1


Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The next evolution of distance education: is it really time to walk upright?

Distance education, to the surprise of some, has been around for the better part of 150 years (Anderson, 2008). In that time, it "has evolved through five generations" – post (a.k.a. snail mail), television and radio, AV conferencing, computer conferencing, and Web 2.0 (p. 2). As ubiquitous as connectivity has become, and with as many tools as are available for eLearning (discussion boards, wikis, blogs, chat, video conferencing, mobile learning, etc…), and with the emergence of online universities with over 100,000 students (see post on the recent Sloan Consortium report), beliefs that distance education is close to reaching its summit are understandable. However, if some are to be believed, the next evolution may be upon us … and it is not where you might think. According to recent work by Moller, Huett, Foshay, Coleman, and Simonson, this evolution may be underneath technology, in the dirty underbelly of educational theory and instructional design (Moller et al., 2008, Simonson, 2008).

Moller, Huett, Foshay, and Coleman (2008) recently collaborated on a series of three articles published in TechTrends. Titled The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web, each article approaches the topic from a different context. The first examines training and development. The second approaches from higher education. The third opens up K-12. Each article is comprehensive in its evaluation of current trends' meaning for students, faculty, administrators, and instructional designers. Their bottom line, within all three sectors, is too much growth has created a demand for qualified instructional designers unable to be met by the current supply (Moller et al., 2008). This deficit has created an unbalanced reliance on faculty members and administrators, untrained to be instructional designers, creating curriculum for distance education through leveraging the "craft" of traditional education. A tradition that, in many cases, was not effective to begin with (Moller et al, 2008). The result is courses lacking quality needs assessments, effective learning models, and a connection to recent research. These courses lead to increased student disillusionment, not just for their courses, but also for distance education as a whole. Moller et al., in their final installment, call for all eLearning professionals to collaborate, and begin "the hard work of building a cumulative and unified base of knowledge for e-learning and the field of instructional design" (Huett et al., 2008, p. 66).

On the other hand, Dr. Michael Simonson (Equivalency, 2008) focuses on the concept of equivalency and the diffusion of distance education as he contemplates its future. His theory of equivalency is similar to Moller et al.'s (2008) call to revise distance education learning models, and not rely on the old teaching "craft". Dr. Simonson wants instructional designers to avoid copying their traditional courses, and focus on building courses that give learners "the same learning outcomes, but provide the learning experiences that they need in order to accomplish this equivalent … learning outcome from the course." Dr. Simonson (Distance Education, 2008) has also postulated that distance education is at a "point of critical mass" on the traditional S-curve of adoption. The implication is that growth will continue (though not in a "revolutionary" way), and academic professionals need to usher that growth safely into its next evolution, be it "haphazard" or "highly structured and planned."

At the point where the fingers meet the keyboard, Moller et al. (2008) have a thorough and practical analysis of distance education's difficult situation. They make it clear to see why instructional design must evolve to meet the needs of diverse online learners, and fill the gap between the number of trained instructional designers and the demand for new courses. As presented, Dr. Simonson's theory of equivalency is relevant, though not motivating. It will not stir the professional masses to begin the "hard work" Moller et al. emphasize, and the industry needs. I agree with Moller et al. (2008). It is time to stop dragging our collective knuckles and persisting with research and analysis that only compares distance education to traditional delivery. It is time for researchers to focus on maturing and evolving distance education in its own right. It is time for distance education to stand up on its own, assuming responsibility for its place and potential in academia.


References (Please note, other than Anderson, links in this section are internal to Walden University's system and will not work without appropriate credentials)

Anderson, T. (Ed.) (2008). The Theory And Practice Of Online Learning (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Moller, L Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The Evolution Of Distance Education: Implications For Instructional Design On The Potential Of The Web (Part 1: Training And Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70-75. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's Accession Number: 33281719.

Moller, L Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The Evolution Of Distance Education: Implications For Instructional Design On The Potential Of The Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's Accession Number: 33991516.

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The Evolution Of Distance Education: Implications For Instructional Design On The Potential Of The Web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5). 63-67.

Walden University (Producer). (2008, December 7th). EDUC-8842 Resource Distance education: The next generation. Podcast retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3206859&Survey=1&47=4683208&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Walden University (Producer). (2008, December 7th). EDUC-8842 Resource Equivalency theory. Podcast retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3206859&Survey=1&47=4683208&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Monday, December 08, 2008

New Blog Address

New Blog Address

Hello all, you may have noticed I changed my blog address. My hope, is that it better reflects my intentions and its purpose. It is time to reexamine what we think we know about eLearning. Sociological, technological, and educational changes are happening at an ever-increasing pace. The status-quo will not be sufficient to thrust eLearning to its next (r)evolution.

In that spirit, the new blog address is http://r-elearning.blogspot.com.

Differences can be made. Its time to start (r)eLearning.

Brad

Friday, December 05, 2008

Wii Cool

Johnny Lee opens the doors to awesome new ways to use the Wii remote for digital white boarding and 3D head tracking applications. I am sure many, many of you have already seen this... BUT... if you hvae not, take the five minutes to watch the video. Right now!

Trust me, it is worth it! And now ... I am off to Radio Shack!

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Scientists: Is technology rewiring our brains?

Researchers seek a better understanding of technology's effects on reading, learning

I was struck by this article because of its perspective. Being entrenched in educational theory and eLearning, I don't often consider the very real possibility that our ubiquitous digital immersion is not simply changing how we behave and relate - it is altering the physical reality of our gray matter. I recognize the need for new theories of learning, like connectivism, but do neurosurgeons need to start questioning their knowledge as well?

If so, is it just another stage of our evolution? Should we plow ahead as usual, or should we pause to consider the ramifications of that "rewiring?" Internet usage moderation?

<::no tomato throwing please::>

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Sloan Consortium Report


Every year the Sloan Consortium's report gathers more attention. Their 6th report, like the others, includes a plethora of quantitative information from a broad array of colleges and programs; this year's included more than 2500 colleges and universities. Of course all the key question areas are pertinent. However, with Monday's acknowledgment by the National Bureau of Economic Research that we are in a recession (and have been for a year), this year's focus on the economy's impact on Online enrollments could not be more timely.

Here is a link to the executive summary: http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/staying_course

Here is a link to the full text: http://mirror.nber.org/dec2008.pdf

From a student of educational technology, and for what its worth since I cannot you money ... thank you Sloan Consortium!

Successful and Unsuccessful Innnovations in Education

Using Rogers' (2003) definition, education has experienced countless innovations (p. 12). His definition of a “technology cluster” also applies to modern education, whose elements are so closely interrelated that distinguishing one from the other is difficult (p. 14). As Rogers elucidates, technology and innovation are matters of perception (2003, p. 12). Oblinger and Oblinger (2005) clarify the relevancy of this to modern education and the “net generation” by defining technology as no longer an object or thing, but as the practice of using “the activity technology enables” (p. 2.10). Successful and unsuccessful innovations can be distinguished from this framework of perception and practice.

The practice of using the internet for education is a clear example of successful diffusion at individual and societal levels. Educational use of the internet has increased since its modern beginning with the Mosaic browser in 1993 (Schrader, 2008; Allen & Seaman, 2008). As it developed, the internet created its own communication channels and social systems, helping increase its usage and status as an expected classroom tool. Shrader (2008) further demonstrates business, hardware, software, and user support aligned over the past 15 years, allowing 21 million students to use the internet for education; 3.9M taking at least one fully online course by the fall of 2007 (Allen & Seman, 2008, p.1). Students and faculty continue to make the innovation-decision to adopt as they move through the five attributes of innovation (Rogers, 2003, pp. 15-16).

Comparatively, a practice that has not diffused as successfully is homeschooling. Since its modern roots in the 70s, the number of homeschooled children has risen to approximately “1,096,000 from the 2003 National Household Education Survey,” only 2% of all schoolchildren (Isenberg, 2007, p. 388). It is easy to see how the myths about homeschooling represent barriers existing within the five “perceived attributes of innovation” (Rogers, 2003, pp. 15-16; Romanowski, 2006). Moreover – even though Romanowski (2006) offers well-structured counterpoints – the continued persistence of these myths and misperceptions, combined with its comparatively low adoption rate, indicate a social system rejecting a “collective innovation-decision”, even though individuals are making “optional innovative-decisions” (Rogers, 2003, p. 28).

References:
Allen, I.E., & Seaman, J. (2008). Online education in the United States, 2008. Needham, MA: Sloan Consortium. http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/pdf/staying_the_course.pdf

Isenberg, E. (2007, January 1). What Have We Learned about Homeschooling?. Peabody Journal of Education, 82, 387-409. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ772374) Retrieved December 3, 2008, from ERIC database.

Oblinger, D., & Oblinger, J. L. (2005). Educating the net generation. Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE. http://bibpurl.oclc.org/web/9463.

Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press.

Romanowski, M. (2006, January). Revisiting the Common Myths about Homeschooling. Clearing House, 79(3), 125-129. Retrieved December 3, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Schrader, P. (2008, October). Learning In Technology: Reconceptualizing Immersive Environments. AACE Journal, 16(4), 457-475. Retrieved December 3, 2008, from Education Research Complete database.