Passing Notes in the Virtual Classroom – Real Time Learning? MDDE 610: Graduate Students Terralyn McKee & Diana Quirk New Pedagogies – New Practices

Traditional Pedagogies (f2f, classroom-based) – Teacher as ‘sage’ Formatting the information and curriculum Arbiter of quality, quantity, sequence & assessment Evolution of Pedagogies Constructivist Pedagogies - Teacher as ‘guide’ larger student role in discovering, exploring and creating own knowledge

Digital Pedagogies (blended and online) – Blurring of Student/Teacher roles Facilitated environment of co-constructed understanding and instantaneous, simultaneous learning Creation of practices and strategies not possible in a f2f or classroom environment Evolution of Pedagogies

Correspondence Radio, television, satellite Computer Models have included support through one or many of the following: text or print-based materials, audio resources or conferencing (tapes, phone, radio), video resources (tapes, television or conferencing) and data resources (digital storehouses and/or virtual connections) Evolving ‘Models of Delivery’ create opportunities for different methods and pedagogies within teaching and learning practices. Delivery Models in Distance Education

Evolution of Pedagogies: Distance Education Defined Traditional Distance Education Definition: teaching and learning taking place at different times and in different places Technologically evolving Distance Education Definition: educational experiences occurring at the same time in different locations Simonson, M. (1999). Equivalency theory and distance education. TechTrends v43 no5 p5-8 If you are “talking” to other students If you are “talking” to other students while the presentation takes place, while the presentation takes place, are you still learning ? are you still learning ?

Evolution of Pedagogies: Distance Education Are the current crop of education specialists (curriculum developers, administrators and teachers) ready for the new pedagogies created by new technologies? Moore (1989) wrote eloquently about the role of Learner, Content, and Teacher in his Interaction Theory. Interaction between the Learner and the Content are paramount principles in education. Albion (2008) added a fourth dimension to this equation stating “…technology...should be…considered as a fourth type of interaction that affects learners’ interaction on the three primary dimensions”

Content and/or Presenter Participants Digital environment with real-time communication tools Real-time Communication Process Digital environments allow for the “layering” of communication (text, graphical, audio) that is no longer a linear process but dynamic and concurrent – elements of content, presenter, and participants interacting within the digital environment to create multiple dialogues unique to the learning levels of each participant.

Conferencing Software Allows for real-time multimedia presentations through a web browser. Include audio, visual, streaming, whiteboard, interactivity of a topic with large groups. Elluminate has a “Chat” feature which promotes discussion during interactive presentations. The “Chat” feature can be public or private and can serve as a “place holder” related thoughts, ideas, questions arising from the presentation. It creates a tangible record that can support “formal” learning processes. Evolution of Pedagogies: Distance Education Defined Evolution of Pedagogies: Digital Communication Tools

VoIP – free or share ware Digital audio software that allows real time connections for discussions, file sharing, group conferencing, screen sharing, or text discussions AOL Instant Messenger OctroTalk SightSpeed Skype  TeamSpeak Tokbox Ventrilo Windows Live Messenger Evolution of Pedagogies: Digital Communication Tools

Benefits of Real-Time Conferencing

Skype (VoIP applications) -provides opportunities to text, chat person to person or group, pass files, or share screen while attending a presentation in a separate web conferencing application; -opportunity for immediate interaction with the content allows participants to initiate learning processes on a more relevant and personal manner sooner -decreases ‘transactional distance’ and increases ‘equivalency’ in the digital learning environment Benefits of Real-Time Conferencing

Comparing Pedagogies Distance Education Independent Study Creates distance -geographically -socially -cognitively Limited perspective Tendency to be static Real-Time Collaboration Creates community -content -interests and practices Multiple and divergent perspectives Vibrant and ever changing

“A traditional classroom environment is not conducive for preserving the ideas and thoughts that emerge in and through class discussion.” (Philip, 2007) However, an online learning environment supported by communication technologies allows written ideas and thoughts generated by participants in chat and text boxes to be copied and saved long after a presentation’s conclusion, when review and elaboration (hallmarks of critical thinking and reflection, and, ultimately, metacognition) can take place.

The activity of chatting/texting in presentation sidebars or through VoIP allows for brainstorming which provides opportunities to apply “new solutions to existing problems, inspire(s) collective creativity, and effect(s) group synergy.” (Renner, 1994 as cited in Anderson & Kanuka, 1999, para. 64)

Engaging in real-time chat during a presentation allows the learner to be “a full and active participant in the learning process who can consciously control and direct cognition while engaged in learning.” (Terrell, 2006, p.257)

Dialoguing with other students, especially during real-time presentations, webinars, etc., provides “the learner with a context and stimulus for thought construction and learning which (is) the means by which the group contributes more to each learner’s understanding than they are able to do individually.” (Stacey, 2002, p. 289)

“A majority of the writer’s own online DE students, however, want and ask for methods of live online audio contact to be made available to them; and many of them who live many time zones away cheerfully rise in the middle of the night to take part in synchronous audio discussions.” (Baggaley, 2008, page 44)

If participating in real-time online learning activities has so many benefits, why are we not doing it more? Challenging Current Pedagogies Distance Education

Instructor bias - lack of knowledge with the technology and/or -discomfort based on poor experiences with technology Inconvenience for academic institutions to incorporate real-time activities and the technologies into their distance delivery models Financial commitment to change delivery models Spencer and Hiltz (2003) Challenging Current Pedagogies Distance Education

Whew…….that was a mouthful! Thanks for your patience. For more information on this topic please contact Terralyn McKee or Diana Quirk