ETEC501- Session 6: Effective Instructional Methods for e-Learning

I began this weeks activities by taking both the "Multiple Intelligence Quiz" as well as the "Seeing, Hearing, and Doing Quiz", both of which are available online at: www.jobsetc.gc.ca/toolbox/quizzes/styles_quiz.do.  According to these quizzes, I favor visual learning as well as preferring to learn kinesthetically.  Fortunately, these learning styles mix well with learning online; I have the grades and knowledge to prove it!  I regularly visualize concepts and information to help me remember for later retrieval after all I am 42 so I need all the help I can get with memory (ha ha).  Oh and I regularly cook, to relieve stress, to learn new skills, and to express my love and appreciation for my family; they say, "they taste my creative love in every new concoction"! (I grew up cooking in my parent's restaurant). So the quizzes were accurate and I look forward to using them in the future with my students.

The next part of this week's assignment asks what we would "keep or change" (Session 6 handout, p. 1) in terms of the design of this course (ETEC 501), to help us function better in terms of " course design and participation style/pattern" (p. 1).  Well, I realize that I tend to learn the least from reading the textbook, unless there is some direct associated activity included that relates back to the chapter assigned.  What I mean is that whenever, a class requires me to do something like a summary of each assigned chapter's key points, or responding to a "thread" (usually with a problem to solve or issue to elaborate upon using points from the text), I actually learn and retain the key points (new information) and am able to draw on them later as needed. On the other hand,  If I am just instructed to read a text and then no follow up is used to support the information contained within the text. I tend to lose the knowledge shortly after. 

How this pertains to our class is that, I guess I would somehow, work in key points or information from our text, and give students ability to actively participate in learning more collaboratively,  and expand further upon key points within the textbook, so that they are for sure retained and fully explored.  To do this, I would just use more of the "Discussion Topics" part of our text, because it offers some great sample situations that students  could work to solve in groups or individually, through discussion threads, blogs, etc, to further enhance the materials offered.  For someone like me who admits to learning easier from more visually appealing information like Power-Point presentations, Threaded discussion (blackboard), and Pod Casts really have helped me to learn effectively in other courses I have taken in the past; of Course, I am a self-regulated, learner who is highly motivated, so I read too, but it is not the most effective way for me. 

Now on to how this pertains to my "hypothetical scenario from session 5" (Session 6, p. 1).  Last week I decided that the course I would be designing is for a 6th/7th grade ELL class who have been diagnosed with emotional and learning disabilities.  We are studying Creative writing, and will be learning how to write Autobiographies.  (I am really teaching this face-to- face with students fitting the above description).

My students will represent a multitude of learning styles, attitudes, motivation levels, prior knowledge, distance experiences, and assorted other factors unknown, so it is essential that an effective course is one that creates a "community of learners" (text, p. 165) that includes a variety of high quality learning experiences that draw off the learning community's needs and relevance.  Furthermore, the age of my student's brings in other challenges, such as prior experience, motivation, level of "self-reliance as learners" (p. 165).  Not to mention the fact that my students come from socio-economically disadvantaged families with no internet access, unless provided by the school or local library, so I also must keep this in mind when assigning activities. Luckily my students will each be provided laptop computers for the summer course I will be teaching so the divide is temporarily connected.

Furthermore, I find all of the above characteristics to be important in order for the course to remain relevant and meaningful to the students.  If I know that my class is filled with visual and tactile learners, than I can make sure to include Power-Point presentations and active problem solving threads, etc. rather than heavy reading and audio.  It is essential to create a culture that is welcoming, collaborative, expansive, and one that encourages active learning through positive interaction.  The text mentions the importance of establishing a culture of teamwork (p. 165), because this collaboration "all students expand their knowledge, skills, and ability to self-assess their own progress" (p. 165).  Well in order to make sure this can occur, it is necessary for the course designer to incorporate heavy use of "prior knowledge" (p. 167) because when learning can draw from multiple prior experiences, then more unfamiliar can become familiar, making the learning more effective because now what was once unknown is now understood and familiar (read page 167 for further insight). 

Of course, how I would address these characteristics is through having students take quizzes online that are similar to the ones we were assigned this week.  There are great websites out there for all ages of learners, that offer quizzes to assess and determine learning characteristics, and job skills, etc.  So I would open my course with a thread asking every member to introduce themselves, then I would also direct them to a link (age appropriate) where they could take an online quiz and get a quick assessment of what their learning style is and/or special skills they have.  This is so that they can activate their own  meta-cognition (thinking about how you think).

The next question asks how I will "establish classroom management rules to help my students achieve learning objectives while facilitating a learner-centered approach" (Session 6 handout, p. 1).  Well, I will use a multi-faceted approach to management; I will rely on a clearly written, concise, syllabus (ch. 6 and 7 agree) which will detail expectations, activity instructions, technology requirements, due dates, ways to communicate, how to complete assignments, what to do in case of technological failure, and consequences for failing to contribute and complete assignments.  But, more than just relying on a syllabus, I will also use face-to-face meetings (two days per week), in conjunction with online discussion threads, blog post activities, and email communication, to build a working "community of learners" who will collaborate to create classroom rules and expectations for success.  By including students in the creation of the rules of the classroom community, they will get a chance to contribute and think deeper about such ideas as what constitutes rewards and what appropriate consequences should be for not participating, or being late. Furthermore, this is a great example of learner-centered approach that models collaboration, because the students are working together with the teacher, to create original thinking consciously, about what the classes communal goals, achievement expectations and consequences truly mean since they are inventing the definitions actively for the unique learning community they have built.  Oh, the final result of all of this collaborative feedback and forth will be in the form of a "Learning Contract" ( See Instructional Strategies handout under Resources/Materials Session 6) which will be posted online under the course name and in the classroom for easy review as needed.

This brings me to the final portion of our week 6 assignment, which is to "list one specific learning objective you want to include in your online course and describe how you would design your class activities using one or more multiple instructional strategies to help your students meet the learning objective" (Session 6 handout, p. 1).

Since the course I am teaching is being designed for students with behavioral challenges, I not only am teaching a course on writing "Autobiographies" but I am also supposed to be helping my students develop as self-regulated learners capable of positive problem solving.  Therefore, it is inevitable that during the course of the course, problems will arise and resolution will be needed for progress and learning to occur.  So, the first learning goal we will tackle is one that will teach students ways to effectively communicate and problem solve in a collaborative group environment.

Since my students are 6th and 7th grade students with diagnosed behavioral challenges, we can assume they could benefit from learning positive problem solving and communication skills.  So our first meeting will be face-to-face and it will incorporate multiple instructional strategies including, lecture, problem centered learning, simulation, role playing, class discussion, decision-making panels, and ultimately written exercises to record the resolutions.  There will be follow up activity to this first learning goal in the form of a discussion thread online that will be open throughout the course length so that problems can be resolved effectively and efficiently.

I will begin by probing students for their prior experiences with problem solving and communicating when conflicted.  We will move on through question and discussion, and I will use  a Power Point or an overhead projector or whiteboard to list out the "6 step problem-solving process" ": step 1: Validating student's feelings; step 2: Connecting with student; step 3: Expressing your feelings and asserting your needs; step 4: Transitioning to problem solving; step 5: Facilitating the problem-solving process so that the solution satisfies everyone involved; step 6: Restoring the relationship (if necessary)" (Larrivee (2005), p. 280).  I will then break the class into groups of 4 and have them discuss a  case study which offers a scenario of conflict and then model each step in the problem solving process until it is clear and understood.

After the students and teacher have discussed the case study thoroughly we will move to a game of role playing to further help the students develop their problem solving abilities so that in the future as the collective learning community grows in learning together, these students will be empowered with positive problem solving abilities.  The role playing uses Morgan and Reinhart (1991) strategy which involves: Clarifying a problem, followed by finding a solution, getting in touch with and developing empathy, followed by setting the stage, warming up, finishing with discussion and closure.  Below is a brief sampling of the actual role play (Note that the information described below is found in Barbara Larrivee's 2005 textbook called "Authentic Classroom Management 2nd edition, pgs. 233-236):

Clarifying the problem:  Students come up with a "problem" and  a few students act out the scenario but must show exactly what happened to create the seemingly impossible problem.  After the problem is described and acted out, the observers in the class can ask: "Now what did you notice about the argument? How did that make ___________feel? What about _______'s feelings? What really happened there? What could be done?

Finding Solutions: Now the teacher takes the findings and observations from the above scenario and assigns two new students to come up and reenact the original problem above but this time trying out optional solutions to show ways of resolving the problem in multiple ways.  The teacher can have a few sets of students reenact the problem and potential solutions until it is clear to all that problems come in many different ways and have many possible positive solutions not just negative ones.

Getting in Touch with and Developing Empathy:  This part of the role playing helps students to become aware of their feelings and understand more about how their emotions can play into how their bodies and behavior is affected by it all.  So now the students draw from a list of possible situations listed below which they will then have to act out through facial expressions so that they can see how emotions are expressed outwardly (eye rolling or twisting of the mouth) which can be picked up on by others and reacted upon.  some of the situations include:
Someone told a lie about you
Someone tore up your homework
Someone called you a name
Someone told you to shut up
You just failed your test
You stole something and now you have to face up to it

After the class has all had a chance to "freeze" their bodies and expressions according to how they think they would feel, the class to improvise dialogue with others and act out mini situations in smaller groups until there is a consensus of understanding amongst the group about how they are affected by emotions and how emotions are tied to actions it is time to move to the next:

Setting the stage:  This is when teacher explains to students that there are problems that are not easily solved but that there are many possible solutions to just about every problem out there.  In this part of the role play, the students are asked to take on a character other than themselves and solve the problem as that character.  The example could be for the student to take on the role of a blind man who has been robbed, now what would it feel like to be robbed and be blind so you can't see who did it, now what would this feel like and what do you think the robber is thinking?

Now that the stage is set it is time for Warm Up: During this stage in the role play the students stretch, and practice their new characters assigned above.  At this time, the students make sure they are in character to problem solve by asking some questions: Are you really playing the character? What kind of person is______? Are we working on the problem? Does this sound like something _______ would really do?

After role playing is over, the students will be work with the teacher to devise some classroom rules on how to deal with problem solving and then they will be given their student contracts to take home and have signed by their parents.  What is ultimately the goal of this whole exercise is to allow the students to get to know each other, and joke around together, and to become comfortable working in group situations collaboratively and respectfully, while also realizing that everyone has different ideas and opinions and they are all valid and valuable.  By getting my students involved early in how to problem solve, I hope to ensure they will have more productive disagreements and problems with positive resolutions.

Again, I will also have an ongoing Discussion Thread posted online specifically designed to handle problems and issues that come up, and the entire class can participate in creating solutions through feedback and suggestions.  Further, if there is a continuing issue with students acquiring skills needed to effectively collaborate and learn in groups, I might add a podcast that models effective problem solving and communication.