Strategies to Increase Connectedness in Online Mathematics Courses Sonia Ford Midland College Midland, Texas AMATYC 2013 S001

Goals Benefits and Challenges to Online Learning/Teaching Community of Inquiry Model Strategies to Increase Connectedness Survey Results Suggestions

Benefits of Online Courses Opportunity Flexibility Innovations in Teaching

Challenges of Online Courses Assessment of Student Learning Time Commitment Student Feelings of Isolation

Isolation High Attrition Low Student Satisfaction Lower Perceived Student Learning

Community of Inquiry Model Garrison, Anderson, Archer (2000)

Cognitive Presence “the extent to which the participants in any particular configuration of a community of inquiry are able to construct meaning through sustained communication” (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000, p. 89)

Cognitive Presence Practical Inquiry Model (Dewey, 1933) ◦Triggering event ◦Exploration ◦Integration ◦Resolution

Social Presence “the ability of participants in the Community of Inquiry to project their personal characteristics into the community, thereby presenting themselves to other participants as ‘real people’.” (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000, p. 89)

Social Presence Emotional Expression Open Communication Group Cohesion (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000)

Teacher Presence “includes the selection, organization, and primary presentation of course content, as well as the design and development of learning activities and assessment” (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000, p. 90)

Teacher Presence Instructional Management Building Understanding Direct Instruction (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000)

Community of Inquiry Model Garrison, Anderson, Archer (2000)

Strategies to Increase Connectedness Introduction Activities ◦Introduction ◦Scavenger Hunt ◦Video Conference/Chat

Strategies to Increase Connectedness Discussion Boards ◦Participation ◦Topics Introduction Study Skills Reflections Math Help Website and Video Links Math and My Subject ◦Assessment

Strategies to Increase Connectedness Checking In Reports ◦Participation ◦Topics ◦Assessment

Strategies to Increase Connectedness Online Videos ◦Instructor Introduction ◦Instructor Mathematics Videos ◦YouTube, Khan Academy, Patrick JMT, etc.

Strategies to Increase Connectedness Help Requests ◦ ◦Module Questions ◦Virtual Café

Survey Results Online Student Connectedness Survey (Bolliger & Inan, 2012) Factors of Connectedness ◦Comfort ◦Community and Social Presence ◦Instructor Facilitation ◦Interaction and Collaboration

Survey Results Administered during Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 Courses ◦Introductory Algebra ◦Intermediate Algebra* ◦College Algebra* ◦Statistics ◦Business Math I & II ◦Precalculus* *courses I currently teach

Survey Results N = 131 MSD Comfort Community Facilitation Interaction and Collaboration

Survey Results N = 131 ComfortCommunityFacilitationInteraction and Collaboration Course Tool Discussion Board.25*.26* Video Conferencing.25*.13.26*.10 Blogs.27*.06.28*-.04 Instructor Math Videos *.01 Instructor Introduction Video **.06 *p <.05, **p <.01

Strategies to Increase Connectedness Your suggestions?

References Bolliger, D. U., & Inan, F. A. (2012). Development and validation of the online student connectedness survey (OSCS). The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13(3), Dewey, J. (1933). How we think. Boston, MA: Health. Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom (2 nd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Thank you! Sonia Ford Professor of Mathematics Midland College