TOP: Teaching Online Program

This video outlines the development of the Teaching Online Program for the Virginia Community College System. The presentation also provides a web tour of the TOP Blackboard web site. TOP was awarded a first place TIE (Technology In Education) Award at the VCCS New Horizon's Conference this Spring.

TOP Designers Ken Fairbanks (l) and CJ Bracken (r) receiving first place TIE Award from VCCS Chancelor Glen DuBois (c)

A Quote Worth Sharing

"Without execution... vision is just another word for hallucination."
-Mark Hurd, CEO for Hewlett Packard

Web 2.0 for Education

Photo by Side-2
Okay, it's been awhile since my last post... but I just haven't had much inspiring to comment on. Not to mention time.

Last week, I was in Roanoke, VA for the New Horizons Conference which focuses on technology in education. I enjoy the conference because it affords me the chance to see colleagues from across the state and learn about projects they're working on. This year, I was blown away by one workshop in particular presented by Leslie Smith and her talented team at Rapahanock Community College. They did a presentation on Web 2.0 technology and its application in the classroom.

I must admit to being quite the technology geek... and I'm very well acquainted with Web 2.0 and its possibilities. But Leslie and her team approached the topic as if we knew nothing at all. It was a refreshing rediscovery of the technology. For most in the room it was their first experience with wikis, blogs, social bookmarking, rss feeds... but wait! If I've lost you with the techno-speak, you shouldn't feel alone. I live in a technological bubble and forget that everyone isn't in the bubble with me.

Leslie introduced me to some great YouTube videos that explain technology in a very cool and simple way. Most of them are created by CommonCraft and are titled using the phrase "in plain english." Search YouTube for "in plain english" and you will find a great number of topics from wikis and blogs to social bookmarking and Twitter. So, jump in and start learning about Web 2.0. I've included a link to a sample video below:

Social Bookmarking in Plain English

Here are some links to some articles on the Web 2.0 subject if you wish to learn more:

Ten Web 2.0 Things You Can Do in Ten Minutes to Be a More Successful E-learning Professional

Futurist: To fix education, think Web 2.0

Web 2.0: A New Wave of Innovation for Teaching and Learning?

Book Review: Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom by Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt

This is quite simply one the best books on distance learning that I have read. Palloff and Pratt provide a well researched investigation into developing communities online.

The first part of the book goes to great length in defining distance learning and community. The authors provide both empirical and anecdotal evidence to support their claim that community building online is critical to distance learning success. They do a wonderful job stepping the reader through the psychological process of developing an online community and detailing the impact it can have on learning.

Their approach to instructional design moves the instructor into a collaborative and transformative learning model that places students at the center. Instructors become facilitators guiding student discussion and exploration. This stands in stark contrast to the chalk and talk lecture model that many instructors attempt to replicate in distance learning.

Part two of the book is a hands-on guide to best practices for building online learning communities. It covers everything from initial course design and maintaining a collaborative environment to student and course evaluation.

If you are involved in distance learning and online training… I would strongly recommend this book. It was published in July 2007 and is very up-to-date with references to blogging, wikis and social networks like Facebook and My Space. It’s a great read a wonderful reference.

"We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race."
- Cicero

Trading Spaces: Renovate your Courses this Summer!

Have you seen the show “Trading Spaces” on The Learning Channel (TLC)? The premise is that two people trade houses and decorate a room with the help of a professional designer and a team of specialists. It is a remarkable show and a little scary for the homeowners. It involves placing considerable trust in your trading partners and the professional team. However, the payoff can be great… as an old room is given a fresh coat of paint and new functionality.

Wouldn’t it be great, if we did that with our distance learning courses?

I challenge you to try “Trading Spaces” this summer. Yes, I know… it’s called peer review, but trading spaces sounds like more fun! Yes, I’m also aware that we are supposed to be already doing peer review, but many of us are not… or fail to do it thoroughly!

Here’s how you play:

1. Select two trading partners. One partner should be a person in your department. Preferably this partner should teach the same subject or a related subject. Your second trading partner should be outside your department or division. They will provide a more objective view to the material since it is unfamiliar.

2. Once you gather the recommendations from your trading spaces partners… call upon the expertise of the qualified professionals in the Distance & Distributing Learning Center. From results-oriented instructional design to multimedia development and personalized training… we can help you create a highly effective course.

3. Pick another room… I mean course and start again. Continuous improvement and attention to quality is the name of the game.

Here are some guidelines for your distance learning courses:

The course should:
-Be designed to require students to engage themselves in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
-Maintain accuracy and currency of course content, instructional materials and delivery
technology.
-Provide detailed student course information that clearly states student requirements.
-Use approved course development software.
-Adhere to copyright law.
-Ensure ample student interaction with faculty and other students.
-Maintain weekly contact with each student.
-Provide feedback to students within a reasonable time dependent upon the situation. Email
responses should be made within 24 hours. If it is a test or assignment grade one-week
is considered reasonable.
-Have tests and other materials available and accessible to enrolled students within
established due dates.
-Develop safeguards to ensure enrolled students are submitting required assignments.
-Allow students to use an approved proctor when necessary while maintaining test integrity.

"Everything changes, nothing persihes." - Roman Poet Ovid from his work "Metamorphosis"

My space... Your space... Wasted space?

The runaway popularity of the social networking world’s: My Space (www.myspace.com) and Facebook (www.facebook.com) has drawn a mixed bag of praise, scorn and controversy in recent months. All of this attention is very reminiscent of the early days of the commercial Internet. The question is the same, too. Can the benefits of social networking outweigh its pervasive and iniquitous applications? My opinion is a resounding “yes it can.” Social networking applications can be effectively used to create online communities for sharing information and ideas. Unfortunately, as the old proverb goes... you can’t pick up just one end of the stick. Like the Internet, for every legitimate use… someone will discover ten illegitimate or illegal ways to leverage the same technology. I also believe that social networking like My Space could be a valuable tool in education. I see two primary applications: creating online learning communities and marketing to prospective students and alumni.

First let me provide a quick primer regarding social networking. Social networking is a category of web-based software that allows people to create their own website featuring a user submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos. These social networks also include internal email and an advanced search engine for finding people with like interests. Some of the most popular social networking sites include: My Space, Facebook and Yahoo360. A recent study by the Pew Foundation found the recent boom in social networking is being fueled by the under 30 crowd. My personal experience working with college students age 18-24 finds that almost all of them are using social networking on a regular basis. At Southwest Virginia Community College, My Space is the most popular followed by Facebook.

The detractors of social networking are quick to point out its shortcomings which are many. Security and illicit material top their list. Many social networking users are all too willing to publicly post everything about themselves on these sites despite having the ability to restrict their personal information. This has lead to some widely publicized cases of predators stalking and assaulting minors. In response to these incidents social networking sites have increased security measures pertaining to minors. Also… despite restrictions prohibiting pornographic material, users are sharing suggestive photos and videos.

These online networks are very unpredictable and uncontrollable… which is the reason many young people are drawn to them. There are few rules and users create the environment. This free-for-all philosophy results in a high risk environment for organizations wanting to create a presence on sites like My Space. Organizations cannot control the actions of those people who connect to them and how it affects their reputation among other consumers.

For those willing to take on the risk, the marketplace created by social networks is fertile with possibilities. Many organizations have already taken the leap with mixed results. The U.S. Marine Corps has been successful in generating quality recruits using My Space and other companies like Nike and Aquafina have also experienced success. Wal-Mart’s foray into My Space has been less fruitful. Social networks are fraught with the fickleness of popular culture. Organizations walk a fine line between being seen as “hip” or “cool” and just another corporate wannabe.

The application of social networking for educational institutions is a natural. Facebook was born on a university campus and specializes in connecting individuals on campuses across the country. My Space allows users to search for people by school affiliation and their year of graduation. The powerful search capabilities of these sites make finding prospective students and alumni based on their demographic and psychographic information relatively simple. Individual users decide whether or not to connect to your organization creating a permission-based marketing vehicle with endless possibilities.

On the instructional side, social networking opens doors to online communities of learning for traditional and distance learning students. Students in college courses could be connected through corresponding groups on My Space. They could use the My Space connection to work collaboratively on projects post writing assignments to blogs or create portfolios of their academic work.

My personal philosophy on My Space and Facebook is that “this is where our students are congregating and we should attempt to use this virtual environment to enrich our marketing efforts and enhance student learning.” They are not hanging out at the mall or watching television. They are meeting and sharing information online. The benefits of social networking can only be realized if educational institutions take the time to learn about this new environment and implement their online activities always keeping the target audience (our students) at the forefront.

"Technology... the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it." - Max Frisch

Invasion of the Podcasters

Every time I hear the word iPod, I think of the 1956 science fiction movie “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” You remember the one: where aliens invade earth in plant-like pods and assume the identities of their human caretakers. It was a classic.

Now, fast forward 50 years and we are experiencing a real life invasion of “pods.” Of course, I’m speaking of Apple’s iPod and all the other mp3 players that are quickly becoming an extension of who we are, how we are perceived and through which we are entertained and informed. The very word iPod and podcasting have quickly become a part of the everyday lexicon used by young and old.

For those of you who may not own an mp3 player… remember back to the 1980’s (current students may need to refer to their history textbook) and the introduction of Sony’s Walkman. The “Walkman” and its many imitators was a wonder of technology that allowed us to carry our music with us everywhere. The same attraction holds true for all the mp3 players on the market today. They are small, light-weight and ready-to-go. Just download programming from the Internet or your favorite CDs and take it with you. Mp3 players or media players are miniature hard-drives capable of storing hours of audio and photos (and now, even video) for your listening and viewing pleasure.

Just like many other advances in technology, media players have driven the need for the creation of specialized content. In the case of mp3 players, this content has taken the form of “podcasts.” Podcasts are RSS feeds featuring audio and video files that can be pushed from websites to people’s media players through the routine synchronization of their devices. Podcasts have exploded in popularity in recent months with most of the shows you listen to on the radio or view on television offering podcast versions of their content.

Distance & Distributed Learning at Southwest is also riding the podcasting wave with the development of an iPod enabled sociology class. Thanks to the support of Sociology Professor, Dr. John Brenner, we are one of the first community colleges in the VCCS to develop an iPod enabled course. The class resembles our other online sociology sections with one exception: The lectures are all available as podcasts for download on a student’s mp3 player. Links to the podcasts are made available through Blackboard and are enabled using the proven technology of Apple’s iTunes. DDL is currently testing the format and plans to promote the course for spring and summer registration.

Distance & Distributed Learning is working on other applications that utilize podcasting technology. The department recently recorded video of a lecture by author Sharyn McCrumb. DDL will be releasing the lecture as both an audio and video podcast for students and faculty. The simplicity and widespread adoption of mp3 and other media players makes this technology very appealing for education. For our students, the application of the technology in education represents an unprecedented level of flexibility. Podcasts will allow students to listen or view lectures when and where they want. Distance & Distributed Learning is also developing a training class for faculty interested in creating podcast material of their own.

So, keep on the lookout for those pod people… they may be knocking on your door next!

"Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world." - Mary Shelley, "Frankenstein"

Summer Breezes

We have adopted some new technology at the college that I believe holds some serious promise. Back in January, we launched a new Macromedia (now Adobe) Breeze server. For those of you not familiar with Breeze, it is multipoint video/audio conferencing software that is based on Flash. The software also boasts some learning managment functionality, which makes it well suited for a college environment.

I don't want to sound like a commerical for Breeze, there are other options out there like Centra and E-lluminate.

We are teaching some synchronous distance learning courses that are originating from a traditional classroom. The class is actually taught to a classroom filled with students and shared with distance learners via Breeze. On a personal note, my wife recently took a graduate class the same way from a larger four-year institution and it worked perfectly. The university set up Breeze to accommodate three students, who couldn't attend class on campus.

Breeze also allows for asynchronous delivery. Presenter's can record their synchronous class presentations for later viewing or produce course materials specifically for asynchronous delivery.

So far, I must admit that I'm impressed with technology and its ease of use. I think it could eventually replace compressed video as a delivery method.

"Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over technology." - John Tudor

Quality Ramblings

One of the greatest dilemmas facing distance learning as it becomes more mainstream is quality control. How do institutions create real equity between their distance learning courses? How do networked institutions such as the Virginia Community College System, State University of New York or University of California create system-wide standards for quality in distance learning? This is a challenging problem because it forces colleges and universities to look at themselves in terms of a market-driven system. In this system, courses become products that are traded and sold; universities and colleges are brands; and our campuses become retail outlets selling not only courses but a unique experience. All of these elements must combine to create value for the customer or students and be marketed effectively to gain or maintain marketshare. I do not claim to have the answers, but only to recognize the problem.

If we are to compete and grow our distance learning programs, we must address the quality of the product. We must recognize faculty as artisans and producers, who create the products that we sell. The physical nature of distance learning is very different when compared with traditional learning on a college campus. A traditional lecture is temporary in nature and lasts only the 55 minutes of the class. Of course, I’m only speaking of the physical space and don’t want this to become too abstract. The equivalent of a traditional lecture in online learning is much more tangible. The lecture is replaced by video, graphics and text documents that each carry value and possess quality points.

I believe that instructors should have the creative freedom to teach using their own unique style. I do not want to see a cookie-cutter approach to instructional design. Right now, book publishers are providing a path of least resistance with their course cartridges and online materials. These tools can be valuable to instructors, but are often misused by the lazy and unmotivated to replace their own creativity and instructional gifts. If instructors continue to embrace the misuse of course cartridges, my class and your class will be exactly the same and product differentiation and the “art of teaching” is lost.

Our ability to answer this question of quality is critical to the future of distance learning and the whole of higher education. There are no easy answers. However, our paralysis to act on this challenge and set quality as top priority with measurable results, may damage our institutional and educational credibility beyond repair.

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” - Peter F. Drucker

Safe Swimming with Blackboard and Other Learning Management Systems

Survey the Pond
Blackboard, WebCT, Angel or even the dreaded Moodle all represent a category of software referred to either as a learning management system (LMS) or a content management system (CMS). Chances are your campus is using one of these systems or is in the market to purchase one.

What does an LMS do? It provides a platform for placing instructional material online and a means for electronic communication with students and peers. Most systems allow instructors to post content, conduct assessments, email students, chat and post grades. The sky is the limit when it comes to posting content, instructors can share everything from simple text documents to fancy flash-enable multimedia.

Once an LMS is purchased, there can be significant pressure placed on instructors to begin utilizing this new tool. Justifiably, there are a lot of benefits associated with sharing and communicating with students online, even if the course is taught in a traditional classroom setting. How should a teacher start using a tool like Blackboard?

Make sure a lifeguard is on-duty
Instructional Design and Tech support are crucial to your success. Get to know your system administrator and support personnel; they can give you good advice on how to use your LMS.

Put your toe in the water before diving in
Too often, I see instructors faced with the glimmer of new technology and their instinct is to leap in head first. Unfortunately many of these teachers either drown immediately or splash around franticly in need of rescue. The end effect is discouragement with the new technology that when shared often scares away other faculty. I would suggest taking a slower approach to getting into the LMS pond. Try putting a few things online to test the water.

Beginner Strokes
Below I have outlined some very basic “first things” that you can do to create a positive experience for you and your students:

• Put you syllabus and course schedule online
  Each semester we use reams of paper to print and handout our syllabus and course schedule to students. Whenever we desire to make a change we must print an addendum to our documents or risk students crying foul. By placing this information online, not only do we save a few trees, but we can share changes as needed. Students benefit from the convenience of being able to access this information online when they need it... 24/7.
• Use the gradebook feature
  As instructors much of our time is spent grading assignments and sharing that info with our students. The gradebook feature makes it easy to record, average and track grades from office or home. Students benefit from being able to check their grades when they want without having to find their instructor.
• Post announcements
  Another basic component of many learning management systems is an announcement page. You can use this page to post announcements and reminders for students about upcoming events. Posting regular announcements is great way to habituate students to using the technology. They will learn to regularly check the LMS for important information and changes in their courses.

These are some very basic functions that instructors can implement into their classes. Once you have mastered these swimming strokes and become more familiar with your LMS pond, you will find adding more advanced strokes will be much easier.

Good swimming, everyone!

"Excellence is achieved by the mastery of fundamentals."
-- Vince Lombardi

HELP! Email Overload!

Email has quickly become an all-pervasive and consuming form of communication. My phone doesn’t ring nearly as often as my computer “dings” to notify me of new email. As an instructor you may have over a hundred students and countless faculty members all sending you email. Just to make things worse… most of them want you to reply to their email (immediately... if you don’t mind). Add to that - spam, viruses and don’t forget Mike down the hall, who sends ten jokes-a-day to everyone he knows. Now, it should be easy to understand how we arrived at email overload.

Remember when you first got email? It was cool. It was like being little kid, who runs to the mailbox, excited to see an envelope with his name on it. Now, most of us can’t live without it, but we would like to.

Here are some tips to manage the electronic avalanche of email that buries our computers each day.

Use Folders and Rules
Most email programs allow you to create folders for your email. Just like a filing system helps to keep you office organized, these folders can help you sort and prioritize your email. Sorting and prioritizing your email can be done manually or through atomization by using rules within your email software. In MS Outlook a rule allows you to sort email into a folder based on any number of criteria such as the sender’s email, subject line, or words within the message.

Filter Junk Mail
Most schools run junk mail filters to eliminate spam, if your institution doesn’t, you can use rules and filters to eliminate much of the unwanted email. Nothing is perfect and you should always check your junk email folder for misplaced items.

Create a Special “Mailing List” Email Account
If you like to order things online or subscribe to catalogs and newsletters, I would suggest setting up a special email account for that purpose. There are plenty of free webmail services that will allow you to create an account. Signing up for newsletters, catalogs and other subscription services is where most spammers acquire your email address. By using a designated email account for these activities, you can keep your school and personal email accounts virtually free of spam.

Pick specific times to read and return email
We are all guilty of allowing email to interrupt our important activities. Instead of dropping everything each time your computer alerts you to incoming mail… set aside two or three designated times during the day to deal with email. I would suggest first thing in the morning, right after lunch and at the end of the day before you go home. If you will be strict about this… it will free up large chunks of your day to actually get some work done.

Create a FAQ page for your classes
When dealing with students instructors often wind up answering the same email question fifty times. Instead, I would suggest establishing a “Frequently Asked Questions” page for students to use as a reference. The FAQ page can be a webpage or a discussion board in Blackboard or other learning management system. Ask students to email you questions and concerns. But instead of answering each student individually post your answer on the FAQ page for all students to see. Students will quickly learn to refer to the page and it will cut down your email drastically.

Keep your email safe

• Don’t open email that is obviously spam or looks suspicious.
• Never open attachments from someone you don’t know.
• If you do open an attachment, scan it first with anti-virus software.
• Beware of any email that asks for or sends you to a site that asks for your personal information. This is often a technique called phishing that is used for identity theft.
• Never send chain emails that ask you to share an email with your 10 best friends for “Good Luck.” This is a scam to usually collect email addresses or spread a virus.
• Do not download images automatically in your emails – They can contain viruses and be used by spammers to verify your email address. You can turn off this option in most email programs.
• Do not use the preview pane for reading email. This feature automatically opens any email you click on and could cause you to mistakenly open an email with a virus.

These are just a few suggestions for handling your email overload. If you have further suggestion, please post them.

"Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all." - John F. Kennedy

Moving on Up! Online Learning Continues Growth

The following is a summary of data compiled by the Sloan Consortium in there recent report: "Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States, 2005."

• Almost two-thirds of all schools offering face-to-face courses also offer online courses. More than 40% of schools offering Master’s degree programs also offer these programs online.
• Business programs have the highest penetration with 43% of schools that offer these as a face-to-face programs also offering at least one online business program.
• While growth did not meet reported expectations from last year’s survey, an overall growth rate of 18.2% for online enrollments was reported between Fall 2003 and Fall 2004.
• The online enrollment growth rate of 18.2% is over ten times that projected by the National Center for Education Statistics for the entire postsecondary student population.
• An increasing majority of most types of schools see online education as key to theirlong-term strategy (exceptions: Private, nonprofit institutions, schools with under 1500 students, and Baccalaureate institutions).
• Most academic leaders are neutral on the statement that it takes more faculty time and effort to teach online, but one-third do believe this to be the case.
• Academic leaders at a majority of all schools believe that the effort and discipline required of students to successfully complete an online course is greater than in face-to-face courses.
• A majority of all schools believe that evaluating the quality of online courses is no more difficult than that of face-to-face courses.
• The increased penetration of online courses and programs has not had a positive impact on perceived faculty acceptance; there continue to be only a small minority of academic leaders that agree that their faculty accept the value and legitimacy of online education.

“Technology made large populations possible; large populations now make technology indespensible.” - Joseph Wood Krutch

Blogging for Brains: How to use weblogs in education

Turn on CNN, listen to NPR or log into your favorite web site and you may hear the terms “weblog, blog, blogging.” It has become a web phenomenon. Weblogs are not new… they have existed almost as long as the web they reside on. However, in recent years several services such as blogger.com (which hosts this blog) have made blogging very easy and accessible. Everyone from young children to leading scientist and researchers are creating their own blogs and people are visiting blogs at an increasing rate.

What is a Blog? Should I see my doctor?
No, your doctor probably has his own blog. A weblog or blog for short is defined by American Heritage Dictionary as follows: “A website that displays in chronological order the postings by one or more individuals and usually has links to comments on specific postings.” That is a very simple definition… but very accurate. What makes blogs interesting is their subject matter. They can address everything from the daily musings of a Cincinnati housewife to the latest findings of a leading cancer researcher. Blogs have become an intriguing form of communication and community.

Blogging Your Students
You may not be familiar with blogging, but your students are probably experts. Even if you’re new to blogging, the interface is so easy that you don’t have to be very technical to catch on. If you are using a learning management system like Blackboard or Angel you can easily incorporate a link to a blog with other course material. Most blogs allow for multiple authors allowing your students to set up accounts and participate. Blogging is a great online community builder that can be used in a single class or for an entire curriculum.

Blogging Ideas 101
Here are some suggestions on how to use blogs in your class:

• Create a collaborative resource – this could run by departmental faculty as a central repository of tools and study aids for students to access.
• Build student portfolios – Students could build individual blogs that contain samples of their work. Portfolios come in many different forms and will be covered in an upcoming post.
• Develop student journals – Students in a creative writing class could be required to keep a blog as writing journal.
• Create Peer to Peer Assistance – A blog could be established for students to use a resource for sharing information with each other.

These are just a few ideas. If you come up with other applications please share them on this blog.

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T. S. Eliot

Great Expectations

One of the most important things that we can do as educators teaching in a high-tech environment, is set realistic expectations with our students. Often students translate "hybrid" or "distance" into "easy" and "no work required." Nothing could be further from the truth. I have found most hybrid or distance courses require much more discipline and work from the student than traditional classroom-based instruction. By making sure that we set realistic expectations around our class requirements, we set students up for success.

Students must understand that our courses require an investment of time and effort that is equal to or greater than their other courses.

"It's not what you tell them…it's what they hear." - Red Auerbach

PowerPoint's that DON'T SUCK!

C'mon as educators we have seen (and probably given) so many bad PowerPoint presentations over the years, that most of us hold our breath with intrepidation at the mere mention of PowerPoint.

However, it never fails that some instructors put all their eggs in one basket when it comes to using PowerPoint. I have seen instructors who literally attempt to make an entire distance course out of a series of PowerPoints. This should be a crime.

PowerPoint is a presentation tool that should be used in combination with other modes of communication and learning. Keeping this in mind, there are a lot of things we can do to make our PowerPoints more effective.

The following are some tips that just might improve your PowerPoint presentations:

1. Keep your slides simple.
2. Use bullet points. It isn't neccessary to present every word you mumble on your slides.
3. Use backgrounds and font colors that create a lot of contrast. I personally prefer a light colored background with dark text.
4. Leave some extra space around your slide material. Often PowerPoints are shown on television monitors that cut off material around the edges.
5. Use the master slide view to create footers and design elements that repeat on each slide.
6. Use an easy to read san-serif font. I would suggest Verdana, Helvetica or Arial.
7. Use a font size of 24 points or greater. Nothing is worse than a slide with print too small to read.
8. Don't embed sounds or movies into your slides. They often don't work when the PowerPoint is viewed by others.
9. Make your PowerPoints available to students in a printable format. This provides a convenient way for them to take notes.
10. Never try to use PowerPoint as your only delivery method.

Try following these rules and students and colleages will thank you.

"He who asks a question is a fool for a minute; he who does not remains a fool forever." - Chinese Proverb

Teaching in an E-Classroom

On our campus we have several classrooms designated as “electronic” or “e-classrooms.” These rooms are equipped with two-way video over Internet Protocol conferencing equipment that allows instructors to teach in multiple classrooms or directly to a student’s desktop computer. The rooms feature an instructor stand with a computer, document camera, DVD and VCR.

Teaching in this technology-driven environment is very different from the traditional classroom and presents many challenges to the instructor and the students. My goal is to provide you with some best practices that can improve your effectiveness in the e-classroom.

Let me start by saying you don’t have to be an “Oscar Award winning actor” to make your class an academic hit with your students. Many of the following tips will seem like “common sense,” but sometimes we lose sight of simple things when faced with technology.

Preparation is Everything
Detailed Syllabus – Remember that your students will not all be in the classroom with you each week. They are often experiencing this type of delivery for the first time and they may be intimidated to ask questions. Go the extra mile with your syllabus to answer their questions ahead of time. Tell them what to expect and how you will run the class. Stress the importance of their participation and how they can participate. Also provide students with phone numbers and emails just in case technology fails and they need to get assistance.

Make Lecture Materials Available
Some students like to have a copy of your PowerPoint for taking notes or as a back-up in case they cannot read the slides on the screen. You may also want to supply students with an outline of your lecture and printable versions of charts and graphs that may not display well on their computer. Supplying the needed support materials can impact your effectiveness during class time.

Arrive Early and Be Organized
The adage: “If it can go wrong, it will,” is always in effect when dealing with technology. So arrive a few minutes early to the classroom and make sure the equipment is operating. Class time is too valuable to be wasted troubleshooting a broken classroom. Many problems can be fixed in 10-15 minutes. Organization can also help you make the most of your class time. Many instructors enter the classroom with papers flying and students tune them out before they can begin. Disorganization creates a distraction for students and can lead them to question an instructor’s credibility.

What not to wear… Fashion Rules
No naked professors! You don’t have to be a fashion diva, but you do need to follow some simple wardrobe rules.

• Rule 1: The camera adds 10-15-20 pounds, so dress like it.
• Rule 2: You should wear muted or darker tones. They will make you look smaller.
• Rule 3: Try wearing pastel colors
• Rule 4: Avoid Red, White and Bright. These colors can create havoc with the camera causing video noise that can be very distracting.
• Rule 5: Avoid pinstripes, checkered and tight plaid patterns. These types of designs can also cause the cameras to react unpredictably.

Lights… Camera… Now what?
You have done all the preparation, dressed accordingly and have found yourself staring like a “deer in headlights” at the camera. SNAP OUT OF IT!!! You need to relax. I worked in television for many years and my advice is to talk to the camera as if it were another person and keep the conversation casual. Imagine you are standing in your kitchen talking to a good friend. Always look at the camera and smile it will help you connect with your students. Speak clearly (no mumbling) and avoid a lot of unnecessary hand gestures. Don’t move around too much. Many of the cameras are designed to track your movements and can result in your students getting “camera sickness.” Finally, be creative using visual aids and look for ways to avoid becoming just another talking head.

Keep them Engaged!
We have all experience a time when we were in class and just mentally “checked out.” Now imagine how easy it would be to do that if your instructor was teaching you from a classroom miles and miles away. What can you do to keep those students engaged? Foster interactivity at every turn. Ask your students questions (use their names) and keep them thinking. Establish regular dialogue in your class and discussion times. These classrooms work both ways, so take advantage of the technology. Make sure that you are familiar with remote classrooms and how they are designed. Again try not to become a talking head. Incorporate video and demonstrations into your classroom presentation.

Teaching effectively in an e-classroom is a challenge worth overcoming and can become very rewarding. All you need to do is invest some extra time and effort to make it work.

To view a presentation of this material click this link.

"People can cry much easier than they can change." - James Baldwin

Unraveling Distance Education

I work with distant learners everyday working for Distance & Distributed Learning at Southwest Virginia Community College. Our college is one of the westernmost outposts in the Virginia Community College System and our remote location has forced our focus to be on distance education. We see the lines between the traditional classroom and distance education blurring as students demand more flexibility and adopt new technology.

I believe that as higher education continues to embrace a market system and competition for FTEs increases, we will continue to see distance education grow and influence everything in and out of the classroom.

One of the questions this raises: At what point do students become customers and our courses become products? What does this mean for education?

"Education is one of the few things a person is willing to pay for and not get." - William Lowe Bryan

The Digital Divide

One of the most pressing issues that has always challenged educators is the digital divide -- those who have the means and resources to use the latest technology tools vs. those who lack the resources. This can be socio-economic or cognitive in nature but the challange is real. As educators we walk a tightwire when it comes to delivering content. We live in a wired world where everyone is not equal.

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) has adopted Blackboard (Bb) as a learning management system (LMS) and the product is very robust allowing educators to develop and organize their courses according to any pedagogy. Educators have virtually complete control to deliver a wide-range of rich media content.

The problem is two-fold... both students and faculty often lack the skill and/or resources to leverage the new technology. Educators, many of whom are entrenched in a lecture & chalk paradigm, do not have the instructional design knowledge and support to use Bb to its potential or missuse Bb all together. Students face the same uncertainity, this is escpecially acute with older students who lack many of the basic technology skills needed to succeed in both the distance and traditional classroom settings.

We are currently reviewing an assessment tool for students called READI (www.readi.info) that I think shows significant promise in identifying at risk students. Broadband is becoming more available each day and our campuses are filled with open computer labs to provide on-campus students with access. Yet there are still scores of students for whom distance education is not an option.

Faculty is a tougher proposition. Many do not want to learn the new technology while others jump in headfirst. Neither approach is optimal. Training faculty has to be a priority and attendance mandatory for students to be effectively served. An issue for another posting is quality control. At what point should administrators dictate how a course is presented to ensure an equitable experience for students across instructors and colleges?

None of these challenges are new, but they still influence our decisions.

“Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road.” - Stewart Brand

Welcome to "Breaking the Chalk"

It is the mission of "Breaking the Chalk" to help instructors stay abreast of the latest advances in classroom technology trends and to effectively integrate technology into their academic endeavors. You will find everything from tips and tricks and product reviews to my personal opinions about technology, the classroom and distance learning.

I invite readers to always chime in with their own experiences and opinions. It is through this exchange of ideas that real learning is achieved.

"We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein