Firstly, we need to resolve the so-called digital divide
Secondly, this will mean that teachers must reconsider all their methodologies and prepare them for this new, blended learning environment.
Thirdly, institutions, both educational and normative, must understand that, in this new context, some ways of teaching no longer make sense.
Online teaching will not consist of turning a handle while students learn on their own. On the contrary: it will require teachers to engage more than ever, who will spend many hours in forums moderating conversations and opening new threads.
Are you going to teach synchronously or asynchronously? What’s better for your students? What’s better for you?
in the synchronous online classroom you can readily help students remember why they registered for your course to begin with, which can be very grounding.
The most popular reason for choosing this option for your teaching is flexibility regarding when work is done. Asynchronous classes have pedagogical benefits too. They allow students to literally “pause” your class when they are confused or need a break, something only possible in their dreams for in-person and synchronous online classes, which go at a pace not set by them at all. Also, the technology requirements to take in an asynchronous class are lower, and this is therefore more accessible to more students.
An example of “doing both”
++++++++++++++
How to Reconnect With Students and Strengthen Your Remote Course
how to structure a supportive learning environment, and how that might apply to an emergency situation such as this, where many students struggle to stay focused, or find it difficult to learn with unfamiliar systems and technologies.
Qualitative researchers: Does anyone have any general pointers on conducting qualitative work in this environment other than doing interviews or focus groups over Zoom? Example: I (normally) do a lot of participant observation work. Where and how will I do this or do it as well as I have done it?
At this moment, my focus is all on teaching. But if this situation becomes more prolonged, I need to figure out how to keep the research going too.
Second, another reason that there cannot be a definitive answer to this question is the diversity of stakeholders in online education. Yong Zhao: Does it Work? The Most Meaningless Question to Ask about Online Education https://t.co/LNqv2YYb40pic.twitter.com/SKG1jCyudo
— Ana Cristina Pratas (@AnaCristinaPrts) April 2, 2020
One of the most frequently and persistently asked questions about online education is “does it work” or “is it effective.”
The question is meaningless because there cannot be any definitive answer for a number of reasons.
First, online education (and its variants such a online instruction, online teaching, distance education and distance learning) is a big umbrella that covers a wide array of different practices, which vary a great deal in terms of quality. Comparing the effectiveness of online education with face-to-face education has been the most common research approach to examine the effectiveness of online education. And the answer has been, for a long time, that there is no significant difference between the two. This answer, however, does not mean online is effective or not, it simply means there are plenty of effective and ineffective programs in both online and face-to-face education. In other words, the within variation is larger than the between variation.
Second, another reason that there cannot be a definitive answer to this question is the diversity of stakeholders in online education.
And unfortunately what works for one stakeholder may not work for the others.
Third, even within the same program and with only students as the stakeholder, there cannot be a definitive answer because no program can possibly have the same effects on all students equally.
Fourth, yet another reason that the question cannot have a definitive answer is the multiplicity of outcomes. Education outcomes include more than what has been typically measured by grades or tests.
Fifth, the rapid changes in technology that can be used to deliver online education add to the elusiveness of a definitive answer to the question. While pedagogy, design, and human actors certainly paly a significant role in the experiences of online education, so does technology.
BUILD A LESSON PLAN USING INTERACTIVE 3D FOR A CHANCE TO WIN CASH PRIZES
Students love playing games like Fortnite. What if they could enjoy learning history, math, science, or social studies while they play and create?
Epic Games invites secondary school teachers to submit lesson plans that utilize interactive 3D technology to engage their students for a chance to win cash prizes up to $25,000. To enter the contest, submit a new or existing lesson plan that incorporates Fortnite Creative, Twinmotion, or Unreal Engine by May 31, 2020.
Lesson plans can cover any topic for ages 13 and up—whether that’s a core subject like history, math, or science, or vocational skills like game design, engineering, or urban planning. Need help teaching with real-time tools? We have so many resources and lesson plan examples to help you get started!
IM 690 lab plan for March 31, online: Virtual Worlds
If at any point you are lost in the virtual worlds, please consider talking/chatting using our IM 690 zoom link:https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/964455431 or call 320 308 3072
Readings: Currently, if you go to the SCSU online dbases
,if they are working at all, don’t be surprised when clicking on EBSCOhost Business Source Complete to see this msg:
and if you execute a search:
“AltSpaceVR” + “education”, you will find only meager 1+ results.
Google Scholar, naturally, will yield much greater number.
So, search and find an article of your interest using Google Scholar. I used “immersive learning” + “education” for my search.
I chose to read this article: https://journal.alt.ac.uk/index.php/rlt/article/view/2347/2657
since it addressed design principles when applying mixed reality in education. What article did you find/choose/read/are ready to share your analysis with?
Tuesday, March 31, 5PM lab
As usually, we will meet at this Zoom link: https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/964455431 All of us will be online and we will meet in the Zoom room. Please come 10 min earlier, so we can check our equipment and make sure everything works. Since we will be exploring online virtual worlds, please be prepared for technical issues, especially with microphones.
For this lab, please download and install on your computers the AltSpaceVR (ASVR) software: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/altspacevr/9nvr7mn2fchq?activetab=pivot:overviewtab Please consider the impediment that Microsoft has made the 2D mode for PC available only for Windows. If you are a Mac user and don’t have PC available at home, please contact me directly for help.
In addition, pls have a link to the video tutorial; https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/03/13/im690-asvr-2d-tutorial/
pls be informed about MediaSpace issues of the last two weeks, which can result in poor rendering of the video. If issues persist and you still need help downloading and installing the software, contact me directly for help. Please do your best to have ASVR installed on your computer before the lab starts on Tues, March 31, 5PM, so we can use our time during the lab for much more fun activities!
Intro to ASVR.
Please watch this 5 min video anytime you feel a bit lost in ASVR
pls consider the issues with MediaSpace and be patient, if the video renders and/or does not play right away. The video is meant to help you learn how to navigate your avatar in ASVR.
the first 15-20 min in the lab, we will “meet” in ASVR, figure out how to work on our ASVR avatar, how to use the computer keyboard to move, communicate and have basic dexterity. We must learn to “make friends” with Mark Gill (ASVR name: MarkGill47), Dr. Park (ASVR name: dhk3600) and Dr. Miltenoff (ASVR name: Plamen), as well as with your class peers, who will be sharing their ASVR contact info in the Zoom Chat session. Once we learn this skills, we are ready to explore ASVR.
Mark Gill will “lead” us through several virtual worlds, which you will observe and assess from the point of view of an Instructional Designer and an educator (e.g. how these worlds can accommodate learning; what type of teaching do these virtual worlds offer, etc.)
Eventually, Mark Gill will bring us to the SCSU COSE space, created by him, where he will leave us to discuss.
Discussion in the COSE ASVR room
We will start our discussion with you sharing your analysis of the article you found in Google Scholar for today’s class (see above Readings). How do your findings from the article match your impressions from the tour across virtual worlds in ASVR? How does learning happen?
Final projects
the rest of the time in the lab will be allocated for work on your final projects.
Dr. Park and Dr. Miltenoff will work individually with your groups to assist with ideas, questions regarding your projects,
breaking up synchronous sessions with hands-on. This requires strong skills for virtual presenting. A nice little simple book on this: https://www.amazon.com/Exceptional-Presenter-Goes-Virtual-Person/dp/1608320464:
Koegel, T. (2010). The exceptional presenter goes virtual (1st ed.). Austin, Tex: Greenleaf Book Group Press.
The book, unfortunately, is available through ILL and ILL is suspended.
\Asking for a “friend,” does anyone know if on a Zoom call whether the host can tell if you’ve navigated to another window – i.e., multi-tasking? I’ve heard of teachers threatening students with this capability.
My note: From a pedagogical point of view, the bigger question is: does one (instructor) need to “big brother” students’ activities, in this case multi-tasking on another window.
Blast from the past: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/04/03/use-of-laptops-in-the-classroom/
Here is the collection of opinions regarding a similar issue 15 years ago: do we have to let students use Internet-connected laptops in the class room and 5 years ago: can we let students use smart phones in the classroom.
The opinion i liked most and side with it: if we (the instructors) are not able to create arresting content and class presence, we should not blame students for straying away from our activities. It does not matter how much control Zoom will give us to “big brother” students, it is up to our teaching, not to the technology to keep students learning
#Gaming #gamification
Information literacies (media literacy, Research Literacy, digital literacy, visual literacy, financial literacy, health literacy, cyber wellness, infographics, information behavior, trans-literacy, post-literacy)
Information Literacy and academic libraries
Information Literacy and adult education
Information Literacy and blended learning
Information Literacy and distance learning
Information Literacy and mobile devices
Information Literacy and Gamification
Information Literacy and public libraries
Information Literacy in Primary and Secondary Schools
Information Literacy and the Knowledge Economy
Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning
Information Literacy and the Information Society
Information Literacy and the Multimedia Society
Information Literacy and the Digital Society
Information Literacy in the modern world (e.g trends, emerging technologies and innovation, growth of digital resources, digital reference tools, reference services).
The future of Information Literacy
Workplace Information Literacy
Librarians as support to the lifelong learning process
Digital literacy, Digital Citizenship
Digital pedagogy and Information Literacy
Information Literacy Needs in the Electronic Resource Environment
Integrating Information Literacy into the curriculum
Putting Information Literacy theory into practice
Information Literacy training and instruction
Instructional design and performance for Information Literacy (e.g. teaching practice, session design, lesson plans)
Information Literacy and online learning (e.g. self-paced IL modules, online courses, Library Guides)
Information Literacy and Virtual Learning Environments
Supporting users need through library 2.0 and beyond
Digital empowerment and reference work
Information Literacy across the disciplines
Information Literacy and digital preservation
Innovative IL approaches
Student engagement with Information Literacy
Action Literacy
Information Literacy, Copyright and Intellectual Property
Information Literacy and Academic Writing
Media and Information Literacy – theoretical approaches (standards, assessment, collaboration, etc.)
The Digital Competence Framework 2.0
Information Literacy theory (models, standards, indicators, Moscow Declaration etc.)
Information Literacy and Artificial intelligence
Information Literacy and information behavior
Information Literacy and reference services: cyber reference services, virtual reference services, mobile reference services
Information Literacy cultural and contextual approaches
Information Literacy and Threshold concepts
Information Literacy evaluation and assessment
Information Literacy in different cultures and countries including national studies
Information Literacy project management
Measuring in Information Literacy instruction assessment
New aspects of education/strategic planning, policy, and advocacy for Information Literacy in a digital age
Information Literacy and the Digital Divide
Policy and Planning for Information Literacy
Branding, promotion and marketing for Information Literacy
Cross –sectorial; and interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships for Information Literacy
Leadership and Governance for Information Literacy
Strategic planning for IL
Strategies in e-learning to promote self-directed and sustainable learning in the area of Information Literacy skills.
