Technical Classes Online: A Different Breed of Learning? Paula San Millan Maurino, Ph.D. Francine Federman, Ph.D. Lorraine Greenwald, Ph.D. Farmingdale State College State University of New York.

Dissertation Online Threaded Discussions: Purposes, Goals and Objectives Rationale for dissertation Interaction cannot be evaluated until instructor’s purposes, goals and objectives are known first

Methodology Interviewed 30 online instructors at Farmingdale State Analyzed “starter” questions Analyzed database transcripts Focus groups from private colleges

Research Questions Main Research Question: What are the purposes, goals and objectives set by online instructors for the utilization of threaded discussions? Five Sub Questions

Sub Research Questions 1. How do faculty evaluate the success and value of online discussions? 2. Are threaded discussions valued for social or cognitive purposes or both? 3. Do instructor characteristics influence the purposes, goals and objectives? 4. Do student characteristics influence the purposes, goals and objectives of online threaded discussions?

Sub Research Question 5 Do academic discipline and the educational level of students affect the purpose and objectives set by the instructor for threaded discussions within online courses? Lower level vs. Higher level Discipline Technical vs. Nontechnical

Upper and Lower Level Percent of Instructors Teaching Lower Level, Upper Level, and Both Lower and Upper Level Classes Upper Level 33% Both 37% Lower Level 30%

Upper Level vs. Lower Level Lower Level More hand holding needed/supervision Students have more time to participate More enthusiastic Higher Level More experienced, mature More to offer a discussion Classes are so diverse, level does not matter

Discipline/Academic School Did NOT have a strong effect on the goals set or use of discussions Did affect perceptions of quality/success More Arts and Sciences instructors considered their discussions successful

Discipline/Academic School Best courses for discussion liberal arts and humanities courses such as literature, philosophy, history and psychology Worst courses for discussion math classes such as calculus and statistics and business/programming classes such as accounting or database.

Definition of Technical Researcher’s Definition A course devoted to learning a specific skill. Determined by instructor Could be in any academic school/discipline

Technical vs. Non-Technical Percent of Instructors Teaching Technical, Non-Technical and Both Technical and Non-Technical Classes Non-Technical 50% Technical 27% Both 23%

Technical vs. Nontechnical No pattern/relationship between Level and technical nature of class Just as many lower level class rated technical as upper level No relationship between faculty profile and technical nature of class

Technical vs. NonTechnical Technical classes seen as unique and different In interviews & source documents What makes a technical class different? Devoted to learning a specific skill Main focus and objective Students immersed in “doing” or “making” NOT general knowledge foundation Offline Classes may be taught in a lab May not have class discussion or participation

Focus and Objective of the Course Concerns expressed about moving a technical class online May change nature and focus Active to passive learning? Is talking about an activity as important as doing it?

Discussion topics – What to talk about Hard to find topics to discuss Current trends and events most popular Less likely to do so – main objective was making or doing Students see discussion as “busy work” Participate only because it is required

Student Time Constraints Adding discussion increases time students must put in to complete course requirements Alternative Shorten time allocated to hands-on activities Does this affect successful achievement of course objectives and learning outcomes?

Time Delay Delayed response by instructor may be critical Minor correction made by a “live” instructor in minutes may require days to correct online

Time Constraints of Instructors If time lags are more important, must the instructor be accessible more often? Are synchronous meetings necessary? Are online office hours necessary?

Additional Requirements Students may need specific software programs or equipment Students need to be able to successfully load and set up equipment themselves Should the instructor allow extra time at the start of the semester for this setup? Problems with setup? Can results of the technical activity be Transferred between student and teacher Student and other students?

Interaction Shift Current literature points to need for and benefit of group and social interaction Technical classes may have different needs in this area Some students need more one-on-one interaction Some students don’t need any – “they just get it” Need for teacher presence is determined by whether particular students “get it”

Interaction Shift (cont.) More one-to-one interaction for some students, may leave less time for other students and group interaction Group interaction often involves one student asking others for help Change to social dynamics of class? Are stronger students willing to help and provide scaffolding for weaker students?

Administrative Concerns Workload requirements Size of class Can curriculum be modified for online classes? Should curriculum be modified for online classes? Are all classes suited to the online format?

Implications Online technical instructors may need to rethink strategies Can individual learning activities be turned into group activities? Break up hands-on activities into pieces and have the group put them together? Are different textbooks/hand outs/lecture materials needed?

Implications Connect the discussions to the hands on activities Use discussions to decrease work load To answer individual questions To achieve teacher presence To allow one student to help another

Thank you! Paula Maurino Farmingdale State University