eLearning Collaboration and Assessment Ann

Transcript:eLearning Collaboration and Assessment Ann:
eLearning Collaboration and Assessment Ann Musgrove and Page Jerzak Instructional Design musgrove@fau.edu 297-1003 pjerzak@fau.edu 297-3981 Collaborative Learning What is Collaborative Learning (CL)? Why does CL help learners? How is CL used with computers? How do I assess CL? How do I set up CL in Blackboard (Bb)? What is Collaborative Learning? Collaborative learning is an educational approach to teaching and learning that involves groups of learners working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product. Collaborative learning is based on the idea that learning is a naturally social act in which the participants talk among themselves. It is through the talk that learning occurs. (National Institute for Science Education) Why does CL help learners? Reduce the feeling of isolation that can come with elearning. If elearning courses provide learners with effective interaction, they possess all the benefits that a course could possibly have – flexibility, convenience, and quality (Chang, 2009) Revision 1 (2006) Theorists Contributors included: Dewey (Education is growth, not an end in itself; education occurs though its connection to real life) Piaget (Children construct reality through four phases of development) Vygotsky (Learning as a social process) Bruner (Discovery Learning) Web-based Communication Synchronous Vs. Asynchronous Many students don’t have a schedule that affords them the opportunity for face-to-face classes. Many studies indicate that online student achievement is comparable to F2F classes. Some studies indicate that students learn more in online classes with some synchronous components. (Sitzmann, Ely & Wisher, 2004) Assessment Refreshment Assessment: Measuring information / skills acquisition and interactions Evaluation: Judgment of learning and collaboration Throughout the presentation, we will concentrate on the different types of assessment and how they can be applied to collaborative learning and online communication. Major Types of Assessment Diagnostic: identify strengths and weaknesses of learners, and allow for verification of required skills and knowledge Used when student knowledge or skills are unknown and need to be estimated Typically measured through introductory tasks or tests to ensure students can proceed in the learning unit Faculty may wish to use “orientation quizzes” Communication: have students locate “threads” in online discussions or make self-related blog entries to demonstrate they can use Blackboard Major Types of Assessment (Cont.) Formative: measures how learning takes place and the quality of learning; incorporates student feedback and uses it to improve instruction delivery and content selection Used when faculty want to understand how students are changing in