Event Name - 0215--Achieving the Benefits of Blended Learning within... (XRJ975515)

Janet Groen: Good morning Iskandar
Iskandar Hack: Good morning, is it nice and cold there this morning?
Janet Groen: No actually it is going to be a nice day - in the low 50s which is very nice for convocation. However, it is a little early - 7 a.m.
Chris Huang: Hi
Janet Groen: Hi Chris - where are you from?
Chris Huang: Kent State U Ohio.
Janet Groen: Wecome Chris - the famous swing date in the election!
Chris Huang: Never been to Calgary though. Must be cold.
Chris Huang: Yes, but I didn't vote though.
Janet Groen: No - we have something called chinook winds which does a nice job of boasting the temperature in the winter and it is also nice a sunny. Today we should get up to 50 F (10 C)
Chris Huang: That's not that bad.
Janet Groen: Chris - while we are waiting to see if we will have a few more visitors - can you let me know if you teaching within a DE format?
Chris Huang: No I don't teach, I am a grad student.
Chris Huang: But I am familiar with most of the DE software.
Janet Groen: sorry for the typos - I suspect there will be lots - hi again Chris - another question then - do you take courses via distance
Iskandar Hack: I'll be monitoring 3 sessions - so I probably won't be saying much
Janet Groen: that's okay Iskandar
Chris Huang: There are many courses I took which uses DE.
Chris Huang: We use WebCT Vista a lot,
Chris Huang: Then there are LearnLinc, Palace, ActiveWorld,
Janet Groen: Chris - that will be helpful then - we'll have two perspectives here - the instructor and the student. We use Blackboard - having just swithced from Webct two years ago.
Chris Huang: My wife is using that at Wayne State U in Detroit.
Chris Huang: I have log in few times through her account, similar to WebCT.
Janet Groen: Well Chris - why don't we move through my slides and I'll make a few comments per slide and then see if you have questions -
Chris Huang: Sure.
Janet Groen: I agree that WEbct and Blackboard have the same type of format as well - okay I'll get started then and if more people come, we'll catch them on the way.
Chris Huang: Ok
Janet Groen: I would like to double check first to see if you are viewing my first slide which has the title of my presentation on it
Chris Huang: yes.
Chris Huang: I see the arch.
Chris Huang: ok saw the first one.
Chris Huang: 2 bullet points.
Janet Groen: The arch is the chinook arch I was telling you about earlier - anyways, welcome to GDER - we are the graduate faculty of education
Chris Huang: Good to meet you.
Janet Groen: within our division we have specializations is ed tech, ESL, ed leadership among others
Chris Huang: Ed tech is similar to my ITEC program.
Janet Groen: and as the powerpoint indicates it is possible in many of the specializaitions to never come on campus
Chris Huang: yes
Chris Huang: As far as Asia.
Janet Groen: people do like to come in during the summer though and connect however this is a challenge for over seas students
Janet Groen: right now I have 2 students from Taiwan in my classes
Chris Huang: I was from there too.
Janet Groen: okay - onto the next slide
Chris Huang: ok
Chris Huang: I am here for the Elluminate.
Janet Groen: as the slide says - I'm quite new hear and just arrived from Ontario a few years ago - the learning curve in terms of distance ed was huge
Chris Huang: Audio Conference is nice too, is that Elluminate is for?
Janet Groen: yes Elluminate is a cousin to Centra
Chris Huang: Hi, Jim
Chris Huang: I see.
Jim Ou: Hi, I am the "observer"
Chris Huang: Jim is from Taiwan too.
Janet Groen: audio conferencing was an old fashioned model that we used prior to Elluminate and Centra - it was a Fraser Crane style where you sat in a both and connected via phone to students
Janet Groen: Welcome Solomonl and Jim
Solomon Isiorho: hi
Janet Groen: we are just getting started - I'm providing background to my university and my program as we get started
Jim Ou: Good Morning
Solomon Isiorho: i'm in 2 sessions
Janet Groen: okay - onto the next slide
Chris Huang: I've done my part.
Janet Groen: Chris and I have been chatting and I have learned he is from Ohio and is a grad student - how about you Solomonl
Solomon Isiorho: assoc prof @ ipfw
Solomon Isiorho: the host institution
Janet Groen: welcome solomonl - have you taught utilizing distance?
Solomon Isiorho: nope
Janet Groen: and Jim - welcome to you
Jim Ou: Chris and I are classmates at Kent State. Right now I am developing a project on online learning and teaching
Janet Groen: Jim have you taken courses via distance
Jim Ou: Yes. A lot. (Vista)
Janet Groen: okay thanks - this is helpful to know - onto the next slide
Solomon Isiorho: yes to your question
Janet Groen: Two years ago I went to hear a session led by Randy Garrison - head of the learning commons
Solomon Isiorho: i have for thepast 3 yrs
Janet Groen: In this session, he spoke about the effectivness of blended learning - coming f2f with distance leanring
Janet Groen: the context of the presentation was mostly for f2f instruction
Janet Groen: however, given that most of my students were solely in distance, I began to wonder if his definition of blended learning could be expanded
Janet Groen: I asked if the f2f portion could be equivalent to synchronous communication and he indicated that yes this was possible
Janet Groen: so the advantages that our students could have with combined approaches could also be realized by those at a distance
Janet Groen: however, in a paper that he and Kanuka wrote this spring on blended learning, his definition reverted back to the old model of blended learning
Janet Groen: so after two years of utilizing Elluminate - I am proposing the definition be expanded for our students who cannot come to campus
Janet Groen: I knwo that others in the conference are arguing for the advantages of f2f for students and I would agree with those for most udergraduate programs - however, for our Med students, this opportunity has opened up opportunities for them - thoughts?
Chris Huang: I think F2F has its benefit, still. But you are right, Elluminate can do quite a lot.
Janet Groen: So moving on - what is voice activated communication?
Janet Groen: actually the screen looks much like the one we are looking at right now
Janet Groen: the big difference is though - instead of text messaging, we are utilizing the voice component - which is also available in Centra
Janet Groen: when we first used Elluminate two years ago, the options were fairly limited - just large group format was possible
Janet Groen: now with Elluminate, it is possible to have large group sessions and then move people into small groups where they write on the white board and bring notes back - much like flip charts
Janet Groen: I have found the small group formats to be quite helpful and to have increased the interactivity of Elluminate
Jim Ou: Sorry for interrupt: If online learners don't have a certain level of computer literacy, technical problems will be the issue.(My opinion)
Janet Groen: so I believe, with well positioned seesions throughout the term, the students have all of the advantages of theblended learning environment that Garrison and Kanuka support
Chris Huang: Can you monitor each breakout sessions' conversation?
Chris Huang: Now for F2F learning, do you mean video conferencing?
Janet Groen: HI Jim - actually Elluminate is pretty good with slower computers - I have noticed some lag time when people speak but it does work
Janet Groen: Chris - yes I can bounce around to each room and monitor the discussion
Chris Huang: But your presents can not be at the same time for multiple rooms, right?
Janet Groen: Jim - no we haven't gotten into video-conferencing - but what I am saying is that elluminate allows for dialogue
Janet Groen: Chris - no the presenters can's be in multiple rooms for small group discussions - they would have to pop in and out of rooms
Chris Huang: ok, thx.
Janet Groen: actually when you think about it - during on campus small groups - presenters cannnot be in all places at the same time
Janet Groen: actually - just briefly about some of my orientations regarding teaching
Jim Ou: One of my project's pariticipants told me that class size is an issue, too. He had a big class(N=200) and it is extremely difficult for him to use online tehcnology...
Chris Huang: Well, Iskandar H is monitoring all 3 rooms now.
Chris Huang: But he is not doing that in voice based mode.
Janet Groen: Hi Jim - before I go on - 200 students WOW!  - yes I only have 20 students in each of my classes - that is the ceiling in all of the graduate classes
Janet Groen: as you can see by this slide - the process of dialogue and discussion is a central vehicle for learning in my classes
Chris Huang: That's pretty large size.
Janet Groen: so discussions can occur during asynchrounous format and synchronous format
Janet Groen: let's me on to how I use Elluminate
Janet Groen: a typical term course lasts thirteen weeks and we move through readings, presentations etc. in a weekly type of format
Janet Groen: so I carefully uses Elluminate to gather the class together three times during the term
Janet Groen: So let's start with the first meeting
Janet Groen: right now you are looking at two sample slides from my first meeting of the term
Chris Huang: Usually, the first night has the most technical difficulties.
Janet Groen: you can see the agenda on the left side slide
Jim Ou: I like the learning community part.
Janet Groen: good point Chris - I do have a technical assistant that works wtih me
Jim Ou: It is a central issue from my Online laerning survey
Janet Groen: having the technical assistant is key  - also I've noticed the glitches have dropped significantly over that past two years
Janet Groen: anyways - the first class feels quite similar to a first f2f class.
Janet Groen: We spend a signficant portion of the time setting up group norms and this is quite fascinating especially for those who have taken distance courses before
Chris Huang: Maybe I have missed something, but may I ask what is the title of this course(s)?
Janet Groen: we get into  a clear and focuses discussion about the number of postings, cycle of postings- quality, quantity, respect etc.
Janet Groen: sorry chris - this slide is taken from an Organizational Theory and Analysis course
Chris Huang: ok, thx
Chris Huang: That's a good one for discussion format.
Janet Groen: What is also very helpful is reviewing the course shell from Blackboard together - Elluminate allows me to share my desktop and I can then open the course shell
Jim Ou: Here comes the assessment issue. Generally how do you decide the quality and quantity of the class?
Janet Groen: we then tour around the course site and spend a great deal of time reviewing the course outline - outcomes, assignments etc. etc.
Janet Groen: Jim - can you be a little more specific?
Jim Ou: I mean, what's the critera you use to assess the effectivness of the class?
Janet Groen: Jim - are you talking about the effectiveness of this specific session or the whole course?
Jim Ou: the whole class..
Janet Groen: that's a big question - as I create assignments - they must link to the course outcomes.  Also within each assignment, I have assessment critieria outlined so they have a pretty good idea of the standards.
Janet Groen: this is one thing I have noticed in DE - you must be EXTREMELY clear about expectations and  have them all written out - is this helpful Jim
Jim Ou: Sure. Thanks.
Janet Groen: again as you can see by this slide - we then tour around the class site and make sure we are extremely clear about the content of the course
Janet Groen: so to summarize - the first meeting establishes, with 2 hours, clarity around content and process and establishes the start of a learning community
Janet Groen: this middle meeting usually focuses on some portion of the course content
Janet Groen: the goals for the middle meeting are to re-connect as a community, and to really change the pace during the middle of the course
Janet Groen: People within our faculty - who are not be DE supporters - suggest that while DE allows for reflective thought there is a lack a opporutnity for quick and fast paced engagment - this allows for a more fast paced exchange of ideas
Chris Huang: Student Presentation is a good way to blend students.
Janet Groen: yes - I use students presentations a great deal - if your group lands on an elluminate session - I ask if you would be willing to present and facilitate utilizing an elluminate session - nobody has said no yet
Janet Groen: so here are two more slides
Janet Groen: the first slide indicates that this session is mostly led by students
Janet Groen: the second slide indicates that we also touch base regarding process as a community
Janet Groen: last week I had a class where this was very helpful
Chris Huang: Do you ever find students hard to adjust the course pace at week 8 (middle of semester)?
Janet Groen: the number of postings were getting huge and students were forgetting our posting cycle
Chris Huang: Sorting postings can be a problem sometimes.
Janet Groen: Chris - the placement of this during the middle of the semester helps as well - because we do less work on blackboard during the week - a change in rhthym
Janet Groen: this slide is hard to see - but it demonstrates what a group of students did - which I will show you on the next slide
Jim Ou: Interesting
Chris Huang: Is this a visual cue student did for their presentation?
Janet Groen: this is hard to visualize - but in small groups, students had to communicate their ideas about a concept utilizing the drawing tools that are available in elluminate and bring the slide back to the large group
Chris Huang: That answers the question.
Janet Groen: when the slide was brought back, key concepts were talked about and extended in the large group
Jim Ou: Collaborative project
Janet Groen: just as a little side bar - note the Calgary Flames symbol in the right hand corner - we were in the Stanley Cup playoffs at the time :)
Janet Groen: okay onto the final meeting
Solomon Isiorho: :)
Chris Huang: :)
Janet Groen: as you can see - there are three goals for this meeting
Janet Groen: one of the things I often often have people do is share drafts of their final papers in small groups
Janet Groen: I find this is a huge advantage - rather than just having myself review and learn from their papers, they get to vet their papers amongst a small set of peers
Janet Groen: this really is like a mini-peer review process that we go through as academics
Janet Groen: I find by the end of a course, they can provide fairly substantive and focused critiques of each other's work and they can also learn a great deal from each other as well.
Janet Groen: so this final elluminate session can set the groundwork for the peer review of papers - they spend time outlining the background of their paper, goals etc.
Janet Groen: and if they have already done an intial read through of each other's papers, they can provide each other some initial feedback and dialogue
Janet Groen: the second things I like to do is to pull the course together - we reflect on key learnings within the course and connect back to the course outcomes.  A great dael of time is spend loop the content back to these course outcomes - this brings the content piece to a closure.
Janet Groen: Also - back to the process part of the course - since we can't go to the grad lounge we still have a chance to sign-off from mthe course at the same time.
Janet Groen: so here's a slide about small groups and reviewing their papers
Janet Groen: and two slide about pulling the course together and closure - the star and wish is kind of hokey, but it works.  Star - what worked well for you this term? Wish - what could I do for next time?
Janet Groen: Now, even though I am a supporter to the blended learning concept that elluminate offers, there are a few cautions
Janet Groen: many of our students take DE courses because of their flexibility
Janet Groen: when Elluminate sessions are scheduled some of the flexibilityi is lost and they are pinned down to a specific date and time
Janet Groen: also - we need to be aware of time zone challenges
Janet Groen: Last year I had a student from Israel in my class and she attended class at 4 a.m.!
Jim Ou: Do you find any DE students' differneces in terms of culture, gender, etc?
Jim Ou: or learning style?
Janet Groen: I'm thinking through your question here Jim - I do have students from Taiwan who find the language a challenge
Jim Ou: I am asking this because I am an international student
Chris Huang: Sometimes it is hard to evaluate student's retention on the subject after the class ends (actually, it is hard to find out without any fallow through in any type of program).
Solomon Isiorho: sorry i got kicked out :(
Janet Groen: However, they are finding the graduate program a challenge regardless of elluminate
Jim Ou: Language. Typing skills?
Janet Groen: yes retention is an issue - one of the things I am finding helpful is the final papers
Janet Groen: with the final papers, they are created in such a way to combine theory and practice - to create praxis
Chris Huang: The final paper maybe a way to tie everything together.
Janet Groen: this praxis helps increases the relevancy and retention of content in a way that is meaningful to them
Janet Groen: also in terms of Bloom's taxonomy, this type of work requires a higher level of thinking - integration and synthesis definitely increases transfer of learning
Janet Groen: Also - it is important to note that these are concerns not just in DE but also in any program
Janet Groen: anyways, back to a few points regarding the final meeting
Chris Huang: That's right.
Janet Groen: It is really important to not over schedule these meetings - 4 max!
Janet Groen: also they should not be longer then 2 hours - they are intense, focused meetings that require the ability to listen, read text messaging and really listen because there are no non-audio cue in terms of body language
Janet Groen: I'm usually pretty tired after a session and I bet the students are too
Janet Groen: Also, try and do a great deal of small group discussion in elluminate - it is easier to hide in a large group session
Janet Groen: finally, the sessions need to be focused - coming in and asking students what they would like to talk about isn't helpful - it is too open
Janet Groen: however, I have, with a doctorate course,scheduled an office hour every Thursday morrning
Chris Huang: You must have a pretty good server which is powerful enough to broadcast to a large population.
Janet Groen: I sit in an Elluminate session and wait for students to drop by during the hour that I am hanging out in Elluminate
Janet Groen: HI Chris - yes I guess so - however, I can also run an Elluminate session at home via my cable internet
Chris Huang: Is the elluminate interactive (2 ways), like a telephone?
Janet Groen: actually I'm sitting at home and running this session since it started at 7 a.m. for me.
Patrick Ashton: Pat Ashton here, from IPFW (Sociology, Peace and Conflict Studies).  Sorry I had to enter late; I apologize if my questions have already been answered.  What are some of the technical challenges using Elluminate?  computer speed, microphones, varying articulation of participants, etc.?
Janet Groen: Hmm Chris - elluminate is just like this Centra mode here - it is interactive
Janet Groen: Hi Pat - first up, it is a good idea to always have a technical assistant working with you
Janet Groen: In terms of speed, some of my students live in remote areas with low-speed dials ups and they can connect
Solomon Isiorho: hmm
Janet Groen: what happens though - is that there is a little bit of a delay when they speak, but you get used to it.
Jim Ou: Like Internet Phone
Janet Groen: also, you do have to make sure that your slides are pretty low tech - this year is the first year I have put my slides in colours
Patrick Ashton: Is there a turn-taking mechanism?
Chris Huang: With 200 students, class management must be quit an effort.
Janet Groen: Hi Pat - yes there is a talking mangement system - people press the talk button and then speak
Patrick Ashton: but does it adjudicate simultaneous access?
Janet Groen: also - if you will note in this space right here - there is a hand raising action that can be done and then the moderator calls onyou
Janet Groen: yes Pat - it works pretty well
Patrick Ashton: without visual cues, turntaking can be a problem
Chris Huang: Do you use centra a lot in your classes?
Janet Groen: did I get all of your technical questions?  process wise - having more than 25 studetns in a class would be a huge challenge
Jim Ou: Have to go. THANKS, Dr. Groen and all!
Chris Huang: Good to "see" you Jim.
Janet Groen: Hi Chris - no I don't use Centra - it isn't supported by our Tech staff but it does my the same thing
Janet Groen: thanks Jim - bye
Janet Groen: Okay - I think we are beginning to wrap up - thanks for asking those technical questions Pat - if the tech support isnt' seamless it can be a nightmare
Janet Groen: however, - when things flow together as it is lately, it works very well - especially the small group work
Patrick Ashton: Is Elluminate a stand-alone program, or does it run with Blackboard?
Chris Huang: How much do youhave to pay for the elluminate license?
Janet Groen: Ellumianate is a stand-alone program
Janet Groen: Hi Chris:  Good question - I don't know
Janet Groen: however, I have found the support we have gotten from Elluminate to be quite good and they are getting more innovative
Patrick Ashton: Sorry if I missed it - do you have the students introduce themselves to each other - eg via a website with pictures, personal info, etc.?
Janet Groen: for example - small breakout rooms was huge
Janet Groen: Hi Pat:  Within blackboard, the students post homepages
Janet Groen: so when we get to the elluminate session, we still re-introduce ourselves and can now put a voice to a name and a picture
Janet Groen: Pat - where are you from?
Patrick Ashton: Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne
Janet Groen: ah - host university
Solomon Isiorho: Fort Wayne where?
Janet Groen: Are there any other questions?
Patrick Ashton: Yes. I didn't have to go anywhere to not go anywhere.
Patrick Ashton: Thanks, Janet.  This was helpful.  I applaud your use of blended learning.
Janet Groen: I am not sure my e-mail has been attached, but if you have any more questions after reading my paper please contact me
Solomon Isiorho: cold place
Janet Groen: jgroen@ucalgary.ca
Chris Huang: No, thank you for this enlightening session.
Janet Groen: It isn't a cold place - 50 degrees today!
Patrick Ashton: It's only 40 here.
Janet Groen: thanks everyone - take care
Solomon Isiorho: it's about th