E-learning Mythbusters - COTC Keynote

E-Learning Myth-busters Is Conventional Wisdom Wrong?

Lake Superior College Duluth, Minnesota

Vital Stats Approx.2,000 students take at least one online course each semester at LSC. 141 sections of online courses were taught during spring semester 2008. 89% of all available seats are taken. Approx. 65 faculty members teach at least one online course per year at LSC.

What is your experience with online education? Taught an online class. Taken online class. Both 1 & 2 above. Neither 1 nor 2 above.

Famous Quotes #1 George Washington once said (re: the cherry tree incident): "I can't tell a lie, Pa; you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet.“ (Or did he?)

Famous Quotes #2 Al Gore once said: “ I invented the Internet.” (Or did he?)

Famous Quotes #3 George W. Bush once said: “ Too many OB-GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across this country.” (Or did he?)

Choose the accurate quote. George Washington Al Gore George W. Bush All of the above are true All of the above are false

Against USC, the Buckeyes … Got jobbed by the refs Were looking ahead to game with Troy U. Were suffering from jet lag Were distracted by California girls None of the above

E-Learning Myth-busters Point of View: The Student Perspective

Student Perspective: Questions 1-3 E-Learning students believe that a sense of community is important Online students plagiarize more than “traditional” students e-Learning enables anytime, anywhere learning

E-Learning students believe that a sense of community (in their e-learning) is important Reality Myth

Online students plagiarize more than “traditional” students Reality Myth

e-Learning enables anytime, anywhere learning Reality Myth

Student Perspective: Questions 4-6 Digital natives are well prepared for e-Learning Cheating is rampant among online students Online students are less satisfied with their college experience than F-2-F students

Digital natives are well prepared for e-Learning Reality Myth

Cheating is rampant among online students Reality Myth

Online students are less satisfied with their college experience than F-2-F students Reality Myth

Online Students Plagiarize More Really? Prove it! Could it be that online students get caught more? Do you really think that on-ground students don’t use mainly the same tools to write their papers?

How Important is AAL? From Birmingham Grid for Learning: AAL – Potentially the single most significant educational initiative in decades

Anytime, Anywhere Learning Anyone can learn anytime and anywhere . Ummm, no, they can’t! This rarely applies to individual students.

That’s Crazy talk. Let’s consolidate.

“ Digital Net-gennials” Get It Um, no, they don’t!! They get MySpace and FaceBook. They get IM and text messaging. They have very few technology skills that we expect them to use in e-Learning. Is that their problem, or ours?

Cheating is Rampant Really? Prove it!! Stanford dorm resident? Troy University – Big Brother device Lucky for us, Congress is ready to save us from the cheaters.

E-Learning Myth-busters Point of View: The Faculty Perspective

Faculty Perspective: Questions 7-9 Faculty are embracing the concept of shared electronic learning objects Online faculty work harder I don’t have the time to learn any of this new stuff

Faculty are embracing the concept of shared electronic learning objects Reality Myth

Online faculty work harder Reality Myth

I don’t have time to learn any of this new stuff Reality Myth

Faculty Perspective: Questions 10-12 Web accessibility is NOT my job! Entertaining students is NOT my job! Highly interactive online courses are better than courses with little interaction.

Faculty: Web accessibility is NOT my job! Reality Myth

Faculty: Entertaining students is NOT my job! Reality Myth

Highly interactive courses are better than courses with little interaction Reality Myth

Learning Objects? Define SCORM. What is a SCO? Name 3 different ways that an LOR can be used effectively. Huh? What’s an LOR?

Faculty Effort Work harder? Really? All of them? Highly interactive, highly engaged faculty work very hard – regardless of the delivery method.

I Don’t Have the Time Since when is it okay for a teacher to stop learning? Are you sure that all the things you do now are more valuable that learning new things? What if the new things make you better, or more efficient, or more effective?

Web Accessibility is Not MY Job Um, yes, it is!! If you truly believe that, then STOP teaching on the web. See how frustrating this is? Don’t do this to your students!!

Entertaining Students is Not MY Job Um, yes, it is!! If you truly believe that, then STOP teaching on the web (and everywhere else for that matter). Have you ever listened to an incredibly boring keynote address?

Interaction Interaction is good (we think) – but what exactly is it? How does one interact with static content? “ Interactive” is the most overused and abused term in e-Learning today.

E-Learning Myth-busters Point of View: The Broader Perspective

Questions 13-15 A VLE is an important component of e-Learning Second Life will be the Second Coming for teaching and learning. Through web analytics reporting, we are learning a tremendous amount of useful information about the behavior and activities of our online students.

A Virtual Learning Environment (or LMS) is an important component of e-Learning Absolutely Essential Very Important Important Slightly Important Not Really Necessary

Second Life will be the Second Coming for teaching and learning. Reality Myth

Through web analytics reporting, we are learning a tremendous amount of useful information about the behavior and activities of our online students. Reality Myth

Questions 16-18 Through the use of rubrics and standards related to the quality of online courses (i.e. Quality Matters™), we are sufficiently addressing the questions about e-learning quality. The cost to the institution and the price (tuition) to the student should be lower for e-Learning than traditional bricks-and-mortar education. Online learning is plagued by a huge number of fictitious students.

Through the use of rubrics and standards related to the quality of online courses (i.e. Quality Matters™), we are sufficiently addressing the questions about e-learning quality Reality Myth

The cost to the institution and the price (tuition) to the student should be lower for e-Learning than traditional bricks-and-mortar education. Reality Myth

Online learning is plagued with a huge number of fictitious students Reality Myth

VLE or PLE? Virtual learning environments need to become more open, more flexible, more creative and less reactive. Embracing Web 2.0 concepts in a more open, more personalized learning environment is the future.

Web Analytics The amount of information available about our students is mind boggling. However, we are not mining it and using it.

QualityMatters is Sufficient QualityMatters looks at the quality of course design. That’s good, but it’s only one leg holding up the stool. Um, no, it isn’t!! Learning Quality Concerns Design Teaching

Learning Level Is High Teaching Level Is High Course Design Meets Standards Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is Low Teaching Level Is High Course Design Meets Standards Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is High Teaching Level Is High Course Design Below Standard Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is High Teaching Level Is Low Course Design Meets Standards Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is Low Teaching Level Is Low Course Design Meets Standards Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is Low Teaching Level Is High Course Design Below Standard Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Learning Level Is Low Teaching Level Is Low Course Design Below Standard Learning Assessment Performance Eval QualityMatters ®

Lower Cost for Online? Why tuition differentials? Just because we can? Or because online learning has been an add-on at all campuses with new and additional costs incurred?

Fictitious Students? This has been the #1 fear since online learning began. To this date, there is no credible evidence that I am aware of that indicates that this is a real problem.

Other Myths or Realities? I have 35 items on the list so far. Send me your ideas to add to the list. [email_address]

More about e-Learning Myths at: Desire2blog.blogspot.com

E-learning Mythbusters - COTC Keynote

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