Internet Teaching: Oxymoron or Cutting Edge Pedagogy Worth Weller

Worth Weller Commonly heard… If it is not face to face, it’s just a correspondence course Why should we make things so convenient for students? Students need community It’s too easy to cheat in Internet classes

Worth Weller Commonly heard… The internet’s a dangerous place – you can’t make students do things there Internet courses are more time consuming They’re too impersonal –students feel disconnected from their profs –can’t mentor our students Technology is a problem Departmental concerns

Worth Weller Strategies… If it is not face to face, it’s just a correspondence course Teacher presence in the course –Weekly guidance; M-F responses –Monitored discussions –a/v Reusable Learning Objects –Chat –Frequent and timely assessment –Podcasting or similar audio files

Worth Weller Strategies… Why should we make things so convenient for students? Why not – this is the information age (24x7) –Students already find the Internet useful and fun; it’s their post postmodern text YouTube debates FaceBook, MySpace explosion James Sosnoski –Our role as educators New set of critical reading and thinking skills Teaches students how to find and use information wisely

Worth Weller Strategies… Students need community Research doesn’t support this –Some students do, older students often don’t –Easy to build anyhow Group projects Chat Peer review Student presentations Biographical sketches Class lounge Threaded discussions (graded and/or extra credit) On-line office hours

Worth Weller Strategies… It’s too easy to cheat in Internet classes It’s easy to cheat in any class –Frequent, small assignments that break out the larger assignments –Threaded Discussions –Proctored tests –Databanks, random order, time release quizzes and tests

Worth Weller Strategies… Internet courses are more time consuming This may be true –Students can be surprised and overwhelmed Start semester with course orientation tasks Provide weekly guidance by , and chat or “live” conferencingweekly guidance “Chunk” informationChunk –Prepare curriculum in summer and winter breaks use semester time for mentoring and assessment –Classroom organization: RLO’s and indexed web resourcesRLO’sindexed web resources Group and class management discussionsclass management discussions Library assistance –IPFW acknowledges the issue with a $500 stipend.

Worth Weller Strategies… They’re too impersonal/can’t mentor Simply not true –Weekly guidance and M-F responses –chat sessions Whole class One to one chat sessions (conferences) –a/v RLO’sRLO –Discussion participation –Podcasting and similar audio contactaudio contact –Voice assessments (pdf files)Voice assessments

Worth Weller Strategies… Technology is a problem Technology is not a problem, it’s a solution –If band width is a problem for a student, they can use a campus computer lab –One day live orientation –RLO’s for common browser and navigation issuesRLO –Classroom enhancement Blogs Wikis Web pages YouTube

Worth Weller Strategies… Department level concerns Performance assessment –Class evaluations Electronic Cross curriculum committees Dual evaluations Recruitment/tenure, intellectual property Filling/gutting sections –Rolling registrations –Strict caps –Growth area (demographics)

Worth Weller Resources Student perspective (with bibliography)Student perspective Student TestimonialsTestimonials Open Source Classroom Management and Teaching ToolsClassroom Management and Teaching Tools University of Wisconsin Extension Windows Media Encoder Survey Monkey

Worth Weller Windows Media Encoder  Free Download Free Download

Worth Weller Open Source Class Management and Teaching Tools  Blogs – teaching notes and student learning diariesteaching notes student learning diaries  Wikis – class delivery and student projectsclass delivery student projects

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