Your SIG focus. In particular, indicate what focus you will have in each of the 4 common places in education: the teacher, the student, the subject matter, and the context.
We can focus on the subject matter as a group. This will be the general topic of LEARNING IN ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS
But if each one need to apply a different focus, then: Joys (Students.) Heather (Teacher) Trixi (Subject matter / context)
Your members and their special areas of emphasis within your SIG. Joys: Emphasis is geometry learning online. Heather: Emphasis is re-teaching capabilities online. Trixi: Emphasis is retention in online classes.
The new thing(s) our group is learning:
1. to use the wiki to its fullest capabilities
2. to use Diigo.
Some of the reasons we are choosing to use Diigo over other social bookmarking tools can be found @ http://www.diigo.com/about
The major categories of resources you hope to gather related to your SIG. These might include professional organizations, tech help forums, lesson plans, online articles and/or examples.
Joys:
My target audiences / age group is high school, focusing on ten graders.
My setting / scope would be nation-wide, with a focus on Michigan online learning environment.
I will carry out a survey in my classroom - to see if my students like to learn Geometry online with The Geometer's Sketchpad. http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/
I will look for some of the successful online learning examples.
Search for a free online course to test learning outcome. Try my best to find a Geometry course if it is possible.
fellow biology/physics teacher at work who has an online component to her classes: she suggested Blackboard. While it is complicated, it has nice features. She was willing to answer any questions in the future!
college friend who is an online instructor: suggested online format to set-up class. She said almost like a website with everything on it that you do in your class PLUS more.
instructor of professional development: I took a class on online instruction at a conference and will dig out my notes concerning what he suggested for online instruction.
sample lesson plans/units that can be put online (I was thinking of our stair projects and WebQuests from 811 as examples!)
http://www.21things4teachers.net/ (use this website as a starting point to create some of the materials to put online). It contains multiple links to free software to help with the creation of different things!
Trixi:
My target audiences / age group is Community College!
My setting / scope would be nation-wide, with a focus on Michigan Community Colleges.
During the TechQuest Project, I will start by researching this problem, investigating the following questions:
1. What factors lead to poor student retention in online courses? 2. Are there demographic / personality /learning style differences between students in retention? 3. What has been tried / researched so far in terms of improving student retention in online courses? 4. Is the retention problem caused by a technology issue? a teaching issue? an accessibility/usability issue or a combination of all three?
I plan to use a combination of library databases, online catalogues, and websites to research sources. For starters...
3. Cost-Benefit of Student Retention Policies and Practice Simpson, Ormond (2008). Cost-Benefit of Student Retention Policies and Practice. In: Bramble, William, J. and Panda, Santosh eds. Economics of Distance and Online learning. New York, USA: Routledge, pp. 162–178. http://oro.open.ac.uk/11854/
4. AHEAD - a professional membership organization for individuals involved in the development of policy and in the provision of quality services to meet the needs of persons with disabilities involved in all areas of higher education. http://www.ahead.org/resources/universal-design/resources
Books:
1. Title Essential elements : prepare, design, and teach your online course / by Bonnie Elbaum, Cynthia McIntyre, and Alese Smith Published Madison, WI : Atwood Pub., c2002
2. Title Enhancing learning through human computer interaction / Elspeth McKay [editor]. Published Hershey : Idea Group Reference, c2007.
Dissertations & Theses:
1. Community college online courses [electronic resource] : student retention / by Marie Pritchett. Author Pritchett, Marie. Published 2009 Description 143 p. : ill. Note Advisor: Frances LaPlante-Sosnowsky. THESIS Thesis (Ph. D.) -- Wayne State University, 2009.
2. Title Learning strategies, motivation, and self-reported academic outcomes of students enrolled in web- based coursework [electronic resource] / by Author Foust, Roberta A. Published 2008 Description 116 p. : ill. Note Advisor: Shlomo Sawilowsky. THESIS Thesis (Ed. D.) -- Wayne State University, 2008.
Special Interest Group Proposal
- by Joys, Heather, and Trixi
Your SIG focus. In particular, indicate what focus you will have in each of the 4 common places in education: the teacher, the student, the subject matter, and the context.
We can focus on the subject matter as a group. This will be the general topic of LEARNING IN ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS
But if each one need to apply a different focus, then:
Joys (Students.)
Heather (Teacher)
Trixi (Subject matter / context)
Your members and their special areas of emphasis within your SIG.
Joys: Emphasis is geometry learning online.
Heather: Emphasis is re-teaching capabilities online.
Trixi: Emphasis is retention in online classes.
The new thing(s) our group is learning:
1. to use the wiki to its fullest capabilities
2. to use Diigo.
Some of the reasons we are choosing to use Diigo over other social bookmarking tools can be found @ http://www.diigo.com/about
The major categories of resources you hope to gather related to your SIG. These might include professional organizations, tech help forums, lesson plans, online articles and/or examples.
Joys:
My target audiences / age group is high school, focusing on ten graders.
My setting / scope would be nation-wide, with a focus on Michigan online learning environment.
http://www.wiziq.com/tutorial/18208-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Teaching-Math-Online
http://www.brillkids.com/teach-math/
http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/
http://www.thinkfinity.org/in-the-classroom
Heather:
My target audiences / age group is high school, focusing on ninth graders.
My setting / scope would be nation-wide, with the focus on a traditional classroom containing an online component to the class.
Trixi:
My target audiences / age group is Community College!
My setting / scope would be nation-wide, with a focus on Michigan Community Colleges.
During the TechQuest Project, I will start by researching this problem, investigating the following questions:
1. What factors lead to poor student retention in online courses?
2. Are there demographic / personality /learning style differences between students in retention?
3. What has been tried / researched so far in terms of improving student retention in online courses?
4. Is the retention problem caused by a technology issue? a teaching issue? an accessibility/usability issue or a
combination of all three?
I plan to use a combination of library databases, online catalogues, and websites to research sources. For starters...
Articles:
1. Staying the Course: A Study in Online Student Satisfaction and Retention
Michael Herbert, Ph.D.
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter94/herbert94.htm
2. J. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS, Vol. 36(1) 105-112, 2007-2008 DESIGNING ONLINE COURSES TO PROMOTE STUDENT RETENTION BETH DIETZ-UHLER AMY FISHER ANDREA HAN Miami University, Middletown, Ohio ABSTRACT
Journal of Educational Technology Systems,
Volume 36, Number 1 / 2007-2008, pages 105-112
http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/18/27736474/Designing-Online-Courses-to-Promote-Student-Retention
3. Cost-Benefit of Student Retention Policies and Practice
Simpson, Ormond (2008). Cost-Benefit of Student Retention Policies and Practice. In: Bramble, William, J. and Panda,
Santosh eds. Economics of Distance and Online learning. New York, USA: Routledge, pp. 162–178.
http://oro.open.ac.uk/11854/
Websites:
1. iNACOL resources (North American Council for Online Learning)
http://www.inacol.org/
2. The International Center for Distance Learning Research and Praxis
http://www.usdla.org/
3. The American Distance Education Consortium
http://www.adec.edu/online-resources.html
4. AHEAD - a professional membership organization for individuals involved in the development of policy and in the
provision of quality services to meet the needs of persons with disabilities involved in all areas of higher
education.
http://www.ahead.org/resources/universal-design/resources
Books:
1. Title Essential elements : prepare, design, and teach your online course / by Bonnie Elbaum, Cynthia
McIntyre, and Alese Smith
Published Madison, WI : Atwood Pub., c2002
2. Title Enhancing learning through human computer interaction / Elspeth McKay [editor].
Published Hershey : Idea Group Reference, c2007.
Dissertations & Theses:
1. Community college online courses [electronic resource] : student retention / by Marie Pritchett.
Author Pritchett, Marie.
Published 2009
Description 143 p. : ill.
Note Advisor: Frances LaPlante-Sosnowsky.
THESIS Thesis (Ph. D.) -- Wayne State University, 2009.
2. Title Learning strategies, motivation, and self-reported academic outcomes of students enrolled in web-
based coursework [electronic resource] / by
Author Foust, Roberta A.
Published 2008
Description 116 p. : ill.
Note Advisor: Shlomo Sawilowsky.
THESIS Thesis (Ed. D.) -- Wayne State University, 2008.