1. שילוב טכנולוגיות למידה סינכרוניות בלמידה מתוקשבת : הפרספקטיבה הארגונית Gila Kurtz & Stella Porto כנס מיטל יוני 2007

2. Agenda Goal The SECTIONS model The Context Findings under each of the dimensions of the SETIONS model Conclusion Future research discussion

3. Goal Analyzing UMUC’s process of incorporating synchronous with asynchronous technologies  Applying the SECTIONS model (Bates & Poole, 2003)  Decision making guide to introduce the new technology to a DE institution SECTIONS  Students, Ease of use and reliability, Costs, Teaching and learning, Interactivity, Organizational issues, Novelty, Speed

4. The SECTIONS model Students: demographics, access, learning style Ease of use and reliability Costs: essential and defining criterion Teaching and learning: content, skills for learning Interactivity: learner-content, student-content, student-student Organizational issues: organizational support Novelty: not as important given the current context Speed: how quickly it is to make change

5. The Context: University of Maryland University College Online programs to non-traditional students Asynchronous mode, text-based technologies Flexibility and convenience (anywhere & anytime)  Student satisfaction is obvious with the current mode  Autonomy is a must Limitation of asynchronous  Isolation  Lack of human touch  Loneliness  Lack of immediate feedback

6. Applying the SECTIONS model: main findings Students  Demographics: older; mostly married; professionals, work full-time; 30% African Americans  Access: difficult to logon in pre-scheduled times  Learning style: possibility of using audio and visual learning Ease of use and reliability  Difficulty in installing and operation  Concurrency generates problem during synchronous sessions  Support is needed on-the-fly Costs  Software licenses; support at different levels; delivery & production; training to all stakeholders at different levels; administration of use throughout the institutions

7. Applying the SECTIONS model: main findings Teaching and learning  Supplemental to asynchronous interaction  Use of audio for more spontaneous dialogue  Immediate feedback  Recording for those that cannot attend  Group work and group project  Development of oral skills Interactivity  Foster community and sense of belonging  Motivation  Feedback  Involvement

8. Applying the SECTIONS model: main findings Organizational issues  Supported by the institution’s leadership as a project  Not yet as a main form of DE  Strategic plans are tied to the institution’s mission  More concrete results will be needed to prove cost-effectiveness  Less scalable and thus problematic for growth expectations of the institution Novelty Speed  Relatively fast

9. Conclusions The SECTIONS model is helpful for decision-making  Setting strategies and tactics Issues go beyond technology selection and implementation Synchronous interaction effectiveness depends on  Embedding into course development  Disseminated through faculty  Diffusion of benefits  Pedagogy discussed  Policies defined All levels of the university need to be involved

10. Further research Isolating the choice of technology from the organizational and contextual issues is artificial and ineffective Complexity of the institution needs to be considered The SECTIONS model helps to keep an analytical and research- based approach to decision-making, strategy setting and planning

11. Contact information: Gila Kurtz: kurtzg@mail.biu.ac.il Stella Porto: sporto@umuc.edusporto@umuc.edu