November 27, 2013 11:36 PM
Final Message for the e-Journal / OMDE 601 Professor, This has been an interesting project throughout the semester and I see myself easily continuing on with it during my future courses in MDE. As it is a living document, I know many of the pages I have built in it currently for OMDE 601 class will require "new reconstruction" and that it will require additional future changes as I progress through the program. I am going to take a snapshot of it each semester as I continue just to see how it changes. As I use it more, I have grown more at ease with it and have finally starting using some of the extra links to add things. Regarding the scholars I have read this semester, I am not sure I have a favorite. The early two waves and the readings from Bates, Holmberg, and Peters were engaging. The concept of 'most industrialized learning' by Peters was very interesting. I could see the correlation between his writings and the distance education correspondence course I participated in during the 1980's with the U.S. Army. Moore's instructional design relating to the distance between the instructor and student in the transactional distance theory and the variables of structure, dialogue, and autonomy was extremely interesting. It is something I would like to look into further. I found inspiration in the third and current trends waves with readings from Anderson, Downes, and Siemens and the theory of connectivism. These readings spoke the story of my current distance education experiences and the possibilities of those that I may be able to influence in future jobs. While some government programs are beginning to offer small advances in DE offerings, many still need people willing to invest the time and energy. Training programs will be no where near the level spoken of by Siemens in MOOC involvement, but there is the need for open access training. I hope you enjoy my initial beginnings of my E-Portfolio and will have an opportunity to view it again at a future date. V/R Kay sends Kay Venteicher *************************************************************************************************************************** November 25, 2013 Thoughts on a post from "OMDE - Regarding New Developments in DE/Week 10" I made the following post to a classmate and have gone back to reread the article several times since. I am very concerned at the possible future of education and in many ways, while this story is aimed at the economic recovery and barriers to higher education, it reminds me of the reasons why I wish to continue to contribute in the education field where ever I can. When the training program I am involved with cannot service all of the members of our community due to resource limitations in face to face training, then it is time to find alternative methods. I believe that DE offers more opportunities and options than the video conferencing method we currently use, especially in courses that require dissemination to a wide audience. The resource limitations made offering timely and critically sensitive courses such as "Sexual Assault Prevention and Reporting" difficult to reach 100% of our audience. While the videos developed for the training are of an outstanding quality, further development into interactive, online web products which would allow us to reach the remaining audience are necessary. *********** Re: It take more than just technology to enact a change November 25, 2013 12:19 AM Elena, I enjoyed your post and reading the information links you provided. Ironically there was an article in the Washington Post yesterday on the same topic you discussed. I agree with you that many educational institutions will need to re-look their current education model to be able to continue to exist and remain fiscally viable. In many cases the addition of DE courses has provided additional class resources for the students to select from and has kept the funding coming into the school. Unfortunately many will need to relook their business model or may not survive. Thanks for your post! V/R Kay sends http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/st-marys-college-of-maryland-joins-troubling-trend-too-many-empty-freshman-seats/2013/11/22/2fd1f8c0-489a-11e3-b6f8-3782ff6cb769_story.html ************************************************************************************************************************************** November 24, 2013 11:00PM 1. Review your group's (r)evolutionary grid. What are your thoughts about the grid as a learning tool and the process used to create the grid? I have gone back over the grid and see several areas that I want to investigate further. The grid will both provide a starting point for new research and allow me to catalog information and continue using it as a learning tool/memory aid. 2. Go back to your original definition of DE. What aspects of the course have influenced your understanding of DE? Based on what you have learned in the course, revise your original definition accordingly---and explain why you have changed (or not changed) your definition in the way you have. "I would define distance education as a means for learning via non-traditional means outside of the traditional brick and mortar secondary education program. The means can be via various technological methods such as but not limited to the online web and may include video and/or audio. Learning may be synchronous or asynchronous between the instructor and the student(s)." This definition should be expanded to include all levels of "formal and informal" education and further defined in the technology aspects of DE and the value it adds. With the vast improvements in computer-mediated communications, the distance between the instructor and the learner(s) has in many ways vanished with a greater opportunity for the learner to have a greater focus and responsibility in the learning process while the instructor still guides. 3. Consider the overall course objectives (see the Course Syllabus). Were all or most of these objectives achieved? If so, in what ways and to what degree? All of the course objectives in the syllabus were achieved. Although I know that the new skills I learned using social media will need further practice to achieve a greater level of mastery. In most of those used I would consider myself a novice. I will get there. It's just a matter of time. I do know that during research into some of the new skills I found other things that I want to learn to use. I came across Prezi and Dragon Speak and would like to incorporate these into my new skills. I believe I will be able to use them in future coursework and with the Odyssey of the Mind group that I will be coaching. I have drafted a Weebly account for them to use. I wouldn't have even know about Weebly without this course! Course terminology, authors, and theorists will require further research and reading to obtain a greater level of understanding and recall of critical details. The course has given me a foundation of knowledge to begin my distance education knowledge journey and made me acutely of just how far my personal journey will be to be able to master the full topics and discipline. 4. Take some time to reflect on your study group experience: What did you think about the experience of working together to create a collaborative document? What worked? What did not? What could your group have improved in order to realize a more smooth process? What do you see as benefits (or drawbacks) of online collaboration? How do you think the activity could be improved? I would say that this was a new experience working with a group on this type of collaborative document. In the past, I had only worked with teams where the document was compiled by a single editor using Word. The use of Google Docs to create a collaborative document was fantastic! Being able to access a drive and everyone be able to work separately or together, was amazing! Oftentimes, we would chat as we were adding details to the grid and could make suggestions or receive instant input. While our group went from a group of five team members to two team members within a few weeks, we used the group area for coordination and later used g-mail to coordinate activities. The only other thing that would have added to the process was phone conversations or video conferencing but the lack of this media did not detract from our work together. I enjoyed working with the team. ************************************************************************************************************************************** November 10, 2013 11:00PM 1. Did you experience any "a-ha!" moments during this wave? Tell us more about them and what specifically made them "a-ha!" moments. In many ways I was familiar with the Wave 3 theories of distance education from a student/learner perspective and what occurred. What I was unfamiliar with was the theories and their applications to distance education. I could identify with many of them and was able to apply the terminology and theories that provided an explanation for the interactions that I participated in both with the teacher and other students in DE programs. 2. Go back to your original definition and consider again how it has changed (and if it has). What specific readings, interactions, and/or discussions influenced the change? "I would define distance education as a means for learning via non-traditional means outside of the traditional brick and mortar secondary education program. The means can be via various technological methods such as but not limited to the online web and may include video and/or audio. Learning may be synchronous or asynchronous between the instructor and the student(s)." This definition should be expanded to include all levels of education and further defined in the technology aspects of DE and the value it adds. With the vast improvements in computer-mediated communications, the distance between the instructor and the learner(s) has in many ways vanished with a greater opportunity for the learner to have a greater focus and responsibility in the learning process while the instructor still guides. 3. Think of a real-world situation, perhaps your current work environment, where you could apply something that you have learned in this module. Describe this situation in your journal. I have been working as the training coordinator for Acquisition Work Force (AWF) personnel to maintain training and certification. I have been enrolling more personnel into interactive programs that are closer to the Wave 3 descriptions with the learner having a greater responsibility in self-directed learning and interactive classes supplemented by digitized media (i.e., professional journals, regulations, and other reading materials) as well as the collaborative projects with other class members. While only a few have participated, they have provided positive feedback over the traditional course offerings with the changed format. The previous courses were conducted with only on-line interactive courses that had minimal interaction between the learner and the trainer. I have accepted a volunteer position as "Odyssey of the Mind" coach that requires both face to face coaching and online coaching between myself and a group of seven fourth and fifth graders. I am looking at setting up a Weebly that will provide them with tools that they can use for their self-guided journey. This endeavor requires me to not provide the "answer" but to provide the "rules" they must follow to achieve their goal. They must select a scenario and fulfill the requirements and elements based upon their interpretation. I am there just to assist and facilitate their journey to achieve that goal. I see the Community of Inquiry Theory as a framework that I can implement in this role. ************************************************************************************************************************************** October 27, 2013 12:00 AM 1. Review your group's (r)evolutionary grid. What aspects of Wave 2 did you find to be the most interesting? Why? What was the least interesting? The theories of distance education introduced in Wave 2 offered better insight into the current discussions in distance education articles. The background and history bring greater meaning to the context of distance education. There was no real area that was "least interesting" because all of the areas together create a puzzle that is slowly coming together. 2. What were your "a-ha!" moments during this wave? What incited these moments and how did they influence your understanding of DE? In several ways I had confused the ending of Wave 1 and beginning of Wave 2. Although the Wave 1 ended in 1970s and Wave 2 began in the 1960s, the time overlap presented a barrier that was difficult at first to comprehend until I started comparing the two grids and recognized the change in pattern in the types of learning was different between the two different grids/waves. The two different waves served a common purpose of furthering education needs for those who could not participate in traditional post-secondary education programs but were limited in Wave 1 by teaching and learning methods which were transmitted by limited means to correspondence type courses with minimal university level courses on a small scale. Wave 2 opened the door to teaching and learning methods which were at supported through a growing number of technologies such as film, print, radio, telecourses, telephone, and television. This wave showed a great level of support from government levels and pushed for distance education on a large scale. 3. After what you have read, learned, or experienced in studying this second wave, how might you revise your original definition of DE? What specific readings/experiences have influenced your understanding of DE? Although I know I should start to revise my original definition of DE, the changes would be small. "I would define distance education as a means for learning via non-traditional means outside of the traditional brick and mortar secondary education program. The means can be via various technological methods such as but not limited to the online web and may include video and/or audio. Learning may be synchronous or asynchronous between the instructor and the student(s)." 4. Consider the seminar with our visiting scholar Alan and the expert video from Tony Bates. What left a lasting impression on you? Tell us about your impression and how it affected your views about DE. I was most impressed with the way that the concept and history of "Open Universities" came about which both the video from Tony Bates and questions/comments discussions with Alan Tait provided. I had no idea of the enormity of the institutions or how many existed. Reading Otto Peters' chapter on open universities provided a great amount of insight into the level of growth in DE from Wave 1 to Wave 2. This level of growth in DE makes the theory of industrialization of teaching/distance education easier to understand. The sheer numbers of students significantly changed between the two waves due to growing government support to provide greater access and openness. Peters, O. (2010). The greatest achievement of industrialized education: Open universities. In O. Peters, Distance education in transition: Developments and issues (5th edition) (pp. 57-81). Oldenburg, Germany: BIS-Verlag der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg. Available from: http://www.box.com/s/ktx7ipccetotqrr11mct 5. Go back to the course objectives listed in the Syllabus. Do you feel the objectives are being fulfilled and if so, how and to what degree? Are there objectives that are not being met? If so, which ones? The ten course objectives are being fulfilled by the OMDE601 coursework. I know that Objective 7 offers great challenges for myself in achieving and mastering new experiences such as shared virtual spaces and social media. The learning of distance education material was expected and I often find myself overwhelmed with the amount of information and struggle to compartmentalize it only to re-look the information and realize it applies to multiple areas creating overlap. Course Objectives: 1. Identify the unique characteristics of distance education 2. Describe the major influences in the evolution of distance education --social, economical, and political-- from its early beginnings to the current IT-based practices 3. Identify the key authors and theorists in distance education and analyze their contributions to the field 4. Describe how distance education methodologies have changed over time, in particular how the role of teacher and learner have evolved 5. Describe various types of distance education institutions and the relevance of a systems approach to teaching and learning 6. Analyze the impact of technological changes on the nature of teaching and learning in distance education 7. Navigate and use an online learning environment, shared virtual spaces, and social media for the purpose of learning, documenting learning, and creating content (e.g., learning management system, maps, charts, wikis, Google docs, Weebly, Twitter, blogs, Diigo, Vimeo) 8. Master and apply research and writing skills for the purpose of critically analyzing issues and topics discussed in relevant literature, synthesizing findings, and communicating ideas and arguments with supporting evidence 9. Learn collaboratively by using social media and other shared virtual spaces to create content and successfully complete assigned team projects 10. Reflect on learning and articulate changes in thinking, feeling, behavior COMM: Written Communication TECH: Technology Fluency INFO: Information Literacy KNOW: Program Content Knowledge THIN: Critical Thinking ************************************************************************************************************************************** October 7, 2013 12:18 AM 1. What was my initial definition of DE (posted in the OMDE601)? "I would define distance education as a means for learning via non-traditional means such as brick and mortar education program. The means can be via various technological methods such as the online web and may include video and/or audio. Learning may be synchronous or asynchronous between the instructor and the student(s)." 2. How has my understanding of DE changed after the first two weeks of class? My understanding of DE has been quickly changing. Although I have had several personal experiences with different types of DE formats to include correspondence courses (i.e., printed materials and online programs such as offered through Defense Acquisition University (DAU)) and online distance education programs from several different universities, I am amazed at what more is available. DE encompasses more than I ever imagined and the work that goes into creating a course that a student can use is amazing. Just learning the foundation material of DE has me wanting more to keep learning! And learning is what I am doing. I know several other students mentioned the amount of new terms. I understand. My previous experiences do not include education as a discipline but rather a consumer of the final product. 3. What is my view of myself as a learner? As an online learner? How prepared are you for online learning? Take the preparedness test and let us know how you did: http://www.adprima.com/dears.htm My view of myself as a learner prior to the preparedness test is very positive. After taking the Distance Education Aptitude and Readiness Scale (DEARS) developed by Dr. Kizlik, I feel as confident as before. I scored a 70 with only five questions answered as “Frequently” instead of “Always.” The preparedness test addresses questions which are relevant to whether a student will be successful as an online learner. Although I feel well prepared for online learning, the new skills that I will be mastering in the MDE program leave me a bit nervous. I know that I can do this but still find myself nervous navigating waters uncharted by myself before. I guess my masterpiece will grow in my Distance Education journeys. 4. How has my view of the MDE changed. I see a great amount of work ahead of me mastering a new skill set. MDE won't be easy but nothing that is truly important to an individual ever is. I can't wait to see what it brings me. Three weeks ago I would have never imagined myself with a Twitter account or an e-Portfolio. Imagine that... I am there. Oh, the places I will go! ************************************************************************************************************************************** Initial Home Page Entry for Weebly Welcome to my Distance Education journey. I remember reading to my children the story Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss. I have now found myself in that story experiencing things that I had not done before. While I have been experiencing DE for several decades, first during my career in the U.S. Army, and now as a MDE student, I realize I have many things to learn. My initial selection for a ePortfolio design has changed from an initial picture of vivid blue paint that represented a remodeling step for myself. That initial step has been followed by many more these past few months as I have begun to transform myself from student into whatever the future holds for myself. Please join me on this adventure. Kay Venteicher |