>Scott Walker: Hello there.
>Scott Walker: Sorry I'm late, had to pick the kid up from school and got 
>caught by a train.
>Iskandar Hack2: Hello, may want to wait a few minutes. But these last day 
>sessions have not been very full
>Scott Walker: Will wait.
>Rosemary Plank: Iskandar:
>Iskandar Hack2: yes, Rosemary
>Rosemary Plank: where are the archives  - i should look i know
>Iskandar Hack2: On the main page 'My Schedule' on the right side you'll 
>see catalog. That's where they're at
>Rosemary Plank: thank you!
>Iskandar Hack2: the centra site will be up until the end of November
>Scott Walker: Rosemary, where are you?
>Rosemary Plank: San Francisco
>Scott Walker: What do you do there?
>Rosemary Plank: teach at the University of California San Fran
>Scott Walker: AH.
>Rosemary Plank: nursing
>Scott Walker: online too, I suppose?
>Rosemary Plank: it must be after school where you are
>Rosemary Plank: yes
>Scott Walker: 'Tis 3:35
>Rosemary Plank: two hours are you in Indiana?
>Scott Walker: San Marcos, Texas
>Scott Walker: Forgot to put that info on the first slide didn't I?
>Rosemary Plank: OUCH not a good guess used to live in Corpus Christi
>Scott Walker: I used to live in San Diego.
>Scott Walker: I've heard of San Francisco
>Rosemary Plank: no way!
>Rosemary Plank: ...I have heard of San Marcos small world
>Scott Walker: So, let's be informal here. What brings you to my session.
>Iskandar Hack2: go ahead and start - if anyone comes in late they canread 
>the log - or you
>Rosemary Plank: Interested in synchronous/asynchronous...
>Rosemary Plank: information. Most of our students do not like...
>Rosemary Plank: asynchronous because of the thought work...
>Rosemary Plank: they would rather have fun!
>Scott Walker: There's no thought work in face-to-face?
>Scott Walker: These are undergrads?
>Rosemary Plank: In the online world there is no...
>Rosemary Plank: back seat as there is in the physical classroom...
>Rosemary Plank: asynchronous discussions as we use them...
>Scott Walker: Right!
>Rosemary Plank: are harder for both faculty and student.
>Rosemary Plank: no, these are masters students we do not have undergrads
>Rosemary Plank: and docs
>Scott Walker: Right.
>Scott Walker: Okay.
>Scott Walker: I find teaching online easier, actually.
>Scott Walker: Contrary to most others.
>Rosemary Plank: I like both and find that they are comperable in time 
>consumption with online...
>Scott Walker: In fact I may be the first to take an online class and 
>convert it to a face-to-face class.
>Rosemary Plank: being more upfront.
>Rosemary Plank: this would be too much - our students would love you!
>Scott Walker: More "upfront" as in teaching being straight forward, no 
>messing around or what?
>Scott Walker: Explain "upfront".
>Rosemary Plank: hit enter before I had my thoughts together delete that
>Scott Walker: Okay.
>Scott Walker: I thought I was going to have a good segue there for a moment.
>Rosemary Plank: sorry...
>Scott Walker: I was thinking "upfront" as in there is sometimes more of a 
>"presence" in online that one doesn't get in a f2f.
>Scott Walker: Agree, or no?
>Rosemary Plank: interesting - the upfront to the students...
>Rosemary Plank: well perhaps so, I would almost think they would disagree 
>because of their definition and like of f2f
>Rosemary Plank: or percieved like.
>Scott Walker: What is it they "like" about the f2f vs. the online?
>Rosemary Plank: nursing is a contact profession...the grad students have 
>not experienced...
>Rosemary Plank: online learning and are the transition group.
>Scott Walker: "Percieved." There's my segue!!
>Scott Walker: THanks..
>Scott Walker: I knew we'd get there.
>Rosemary Plank: My whole dissertation was about perception
>Scott Walker: My work is all about perceptions too.
>Scott Walker: Psychosocial ones as you've perhaps noticed.
>Rosemary Plank: interesting mine was counterfactual thought
>Rosemary Plank: and relationship to physical wellbeing
>Scott Walker: My is regarding the online "environment"
>Rosemary Plank: but, what is the perception of asynch learning?
>Rosemary Plank: I am interested
>Scott Walker: You're in the right session then!
>Scott Walker: Let me give some background.
>Rosemary Plank: I can't wait~
>Scott Walker: You see my slide here?
>Rosemary Plank: not yet
>Scott Walker: Uh, oh.
>Rosemary Plank: the getting started screen is still up
>Scott Walker: In the big window is there a slide reading....
>Scott Walker: oh.
>Iskandar Hack2: Scott you need to click on the slides in the session
>Scott Walker: IH, I did.
>Scott Walker: Still in pression.
>Rosemary Plank: new , guess someone else always did that!
>Scott Walker: Is that the prob.
>Iskandar Hack2: hit the stop light
>Iskandar Hack2: on the right hand side on tope
>Scott Walker: ah
>Iskandar Hack2: now you got it
>Scott Walker: now
>Scott Walker: RP you see the slide
>Scott Walker: ?
>Rosemary Plank: yes
>Scott Walker: Okay.
>Scott Walker: Starting over.
>Scott Walker: Thought I turned it on.
>Rosemary Plank: how does the environment "obtain" the personality
>Scott Walker: Rudolph Moos, a psychologist/human ecologist noticed there 
>are similarities in human environments
>Scott Walker: nursing homes, hospitals, prisons, etc.
>Scott Walker: He started in the health biz.
>Scott Walker: He was "slammed" a bit for the term "personality" but it 
>makes sense.
>Scott Walker: Ever had two sections of the same class?
>Rosemary Plank: yes, and of course they have different personalities
>Scott Walker: or one section one term, same class different students the next?
>Scott Walker: Some classes just jive others....well, they don't.
>Scott Walker: I'd call that a classes' personality.
>Rosemary Plank: behaviors depend upon the components of the environment?
>Scott Walker: Ah ha.
>Scott Walker: Yes.
>Scott Walker: That's the formula there.
>Scott Walker: Behavior of those in the environment = B
>Scott Walker: Behavior is a (f) function of the person (P) and the 
>environment (E).
>Rosemary Plank: cant wait for the rest -so his means we can "control" the 
>personality?
>Scott Walker: of the environment, so to speak, yes.
>Scott Walker: Alter the environment and the behavior changes.
>Scott Walker: This is sort of a universal formula.
>Scott Walker: Comes from Murray and Lewin.
>Scott Walker: in a round about way.
>Rosemary Plank: round about?
>Scott Walker: Read that slide
>Scott Walker: We usually measure the cognitive outcomes of our classes.
>Rosemary Plank: yes, what about the qualitative outcomes?
>Scott Walker: But, there are affective-trait characteristics...
>Scott Walker: and psychosocial characteristics involved too.
>Scott Walker: I believe it was Murray who postulated this formula.
>Rosemary Plank: identify examples of affective-trait characteristics please
>Scott Walker: L=f(A, T)
>Scott Walker: This is what educators usually default to. This first formula.
>Scott Walker: The thought is that if you change the instruction, you 
>change the learning. Because you often can't change the students' aptitude.
>Scott Walker: BUT...
>Scott Walker: What about the learning environment?
>Scott Walker: Multiple studies have demonstrated...
>Scott Walker: that if you alter the learning environment, the class 
>climate, if you will, you can enhance learning.
>Scott Walker: There are demonstrated direct statistical correlations.
>Rosemary Plank: yes, you can change the learning environment to match 
>learner characteristics...
>Scott Walker: I'll show the some of the characteristics in a sec.
>Scott Walker: Here are ways to research the learning environments.
>Scott Walker: Typically, it's done through observation, etc.
>Scott Walker: The ol' qualitative thing.
>Scott Walker: But, that has us looking from an external point of view.
>Rosemary Plank: third party observation?
>Scott Walker: This is called the Alpha press.
>Rosemary Plank: not familiar with the term
>Scott Walker: Third party....an outside observer.
>Scott Walker: Teacher, students, outside observer.
>Scott Walker: Someone sitting in class taking notes.
>Scott Walker: interviewing
>Scott Walker: etc.
>Scott Walker: In terms of researching learning environments
>Scott Walker: BUT...
>Scott Walker: what if we could "see" the class as the students do?
>Scott Walker: STudents' perceptions are called the Beta press.
>Rosemary Plank: interesting - would focus groups fit here?
>Scott Walker: We can get at the Beta press through carefully crafted 
>survey instruments.
>Scott Walker: This has been demolnstrated since the 1960s.
>Scott Walker: Focus group...yes.
>Scott Walker: So, here is a survey crafted just for getting at the Beta 
>press in distance ed
>Scott Walker: It measures the environment on six scales.
>Scott Walker: The scales are derived from what the literature and experts 
>(practitioners and researchers) agree are characteristics of a
>Scott Walker: high-quality, post-secondary distance education
>Scott Walker: There are others...yes, but one has to stop somewhere.
>Rosemary Plank: benchmarks?
>Scott Walker: Explain?
>Rosemary Plank: benchmarks ahave been published using the definition you 
>have given.
>Scott Walker: Benchmarks as in these are what others say it should be like?
>Ronald Ramsey: I'm reading and trying to catch up
>Scott Walker: Hey ron
>Rosemary Plank: yes
>Scott Walker: THere are a number of organizations that have tried to 
>establish standards
>Rosemary Plank: hi ron
>Scott Walker: or benchmarks, yes.
>Ronald Ramsey: Hi.  Been prosecuting cases and talking to the Mayor
>Scott Walker: I pulled these 6 scales together prior to that.
>Rosemary Plank: and published them?
>Scott Walker: In a diss.
>Scott Walker: Publ coming soom
>Scott Walker: soon
>Scott Walker: I can point you to other presentations at the end
>Scott Walker: ANyway,
>Scott Walker: so here are six scale on which to measure the learning env.
>Scott Walker: This isn't designed to read
>Scott Walker: it shows the online DELES
>Scott Walker: there are items in each of the 6 scales.
>Scott Walker: With a Likert-like response scale
>Scott Walker: Students check the radio button and submit.
>Scott Walker: All anonymous
>Scott Walker: We do one early in the online class.
>Scott Walker: Call it the Preferred VERsion
>Ronald Ramsey: What is the URL?
>Scott Walker: Hang on there Ron
>Scott Walker: Gotta sit through the whole thing to get the prize at the end
>Scott Walker: ;o)
>Ronald Ramsey: Rats!
>Rosemary Plank: hmmm
>Scott Walker: We do the same thing again mid-way through class.
>Scott Walker: And we do one with the instructor
>Scott Walker: The items are the same on all three versions, but slightly 
>reworded to make sense
>Ronald Ramsey: Do you weight some more, such as the personal application 
>for the student?
>Rosemary Plank: is there a third party that provides input?
>Scott Walker: So...recap. there is a Preferred, Actual, and Instructor 
>version of the DELES
>Scott Walker: No third party.
>Scott Walker: We want the students' perspectives
>Scott Walker: Ron, they're not weighted.
>Scott Walker: From one administration of this here are the results.
>Scott Walker: I didn't include the Preferred in this shot
>Rosemary Plank: interesting comparisons
>Scott Walker: But, we can see the class, so to speak, from the students' 
>view and the instructor's view.
>Scott Walker: Does this tell you anything about this class?
>Scott Walker: Or, perhaps the instructor? (Clue)
>Rosemary Plank: what are your thoughts about the inst ranking consistently 
>higher
>Scott Walker: What are your thoughts?
>Scott Walker: Why would the instructor rank himself higher than the 
>students think?
>Rosemary Plank: perception of his/er actions
>Scott Walker: Right-O
>Rosemary Plank: vs. perceptions of the students
>Ronald Ramsey: and comparison to interaction the instr has in live classes
>Scott Walker: This guy had an inflated perception of his class
>Scott Walker: Well, we're not talking about live classes.
>Rosemary Plank: in all cases but support?
>Scott Walker: This instrument won't work for a live class.
>Scott Walker: Strickly online
>Ronald Ramsey: I know, but an instructor may feel a live class is more of 
>a stage
>Scott Walker: Perhaps.
>Ronald Ramsey: looks like greatest disparity is opinion of active learning 
>online
>Scott Walker: The point is to measure this class though
>Scott Walker: Right Ron.
>Scott Walker: Note too the low Interaction scale
>Scott Walker: There's a problem there.
>Scott Walker: Students think it happens sometimes, the instructor more often.
>Rosemary Plank: interaction and collaboration are not related to support?
>Scott Walker: Student-to-student interaction.
>Ronald Ramsey: I see such a difference in teaching CC classes online 
>versus graduate students, so much of this must be interpreted according to 
>the student audience
>Rosemary Plank: ok
>Scott Walker: Yes.
>Scott Walker: This is an undergraduate class.
>Scott Walker: Anyway, the instructor is a PhD student.
>Scott Walker: No online teaching experience.
>Rosemary Plank: I only have experience with grads. and would believe that 
>these might be similar!
>Scott Walker: Thinks he's doing a phenominal job.
>Scott Walker: Let me show you another class though.
>Scott Walker: OH, this class uses "shovelware."
>Rosemary Plank: what is shovelware?
>Scott Walker: Taped lecture via the web.
>Scott Walker: The developer tried to make the class like a f2f class.
>Scott Walker: Watch lecture, read book, do assignment.
>Scott Walker: Have a look at this class.
>Scott Walker: Overall, all student perceptions are stronger.
>Rosemary Plank: varying stimuli?
>Scott Walker: No inflated perceptions on the instructor's part.
>Scott Walker: Yes, RP
>Scott Walker: Lots of "conversation"
>Scott Walker: project based
>Scott Walker: students work on projects together
>Rosemary Plank: asynchronous conversation?
>Scott Walker: student do an icebreaker activitiy in the first week
>Scott Walker: YEs.
>Scott Walker: by e-mail discussion group
>Scott Walker: based on a focus point
>Scott Walker: given by the instructor
>Scott Walker: instructor participates in the conversation
>Scott Walker: That's why I have quote marks around "conversation"
>Scott Walker: This is a grad class though.
>Scott Walker: Teachers
>Scott Walker: BTW my aim here is not to do a rigorous comparison
>Ronald Ramsey: In the second slide, now the students are in love with the 
>medium
>Scott Walker: there are too many differences, but the point is to show how 
>one can "see" the environment using the DELES
>Scott Walker: Perhaps.
>Scott Walker: THere's another scale I've not shown
>Scott Walker: It's an affective-trait scale of Enjoyment of Dist. Ed.
>Scott Walker: It often comes in about mediocre.
>Scott Walker: Oddly
>Scott Walker: So, here are both compared
>Scott Walker: Makes it easier to see with both on one page
>Rosemary Plank: why is there such a difference between the way the student 
>sees it and the instructor except in support?
>Scott Walker: So, if we alter the environment, we can increase student 
>satisfaction and academic achievement.
>Rosemary Plank: reversed of course.
>Scott Walker: Which class?
>Rosemary Plank: Are you sure there is a difference in academic achievement 
>or is it in...
>Rosemary Plank: the perception of academic achievement?
>Scott Walker: No.
>Scott Walker: As the learning env becomes more positive (perceptcions of 
>it), learning is often increase.
>Scott Walker: increased
>Scott Walker: RP, the instructor in the EDUC class is
>Scott Walker: a seasoned, doctoral holding professor with ten years 
>experience teaching online
>Scott Walker: Okay, these showed a sort of "snap shot" of a couple of classes.
>Rosemary Plank: Is there a differnce in GPA or a measure of learning?
>Scott Walker: One can learn how to make some changes from these.
>Scott Walker: In particular classes.
>Scott Walker: RP, the demonstration of increased achievement is elsewhere. 
>I'm not sure of the exact measures.
>Rosemary Plank: ok
>Scott Walker: Have to say "I don't know" exactly.
>Scott Walker: This slide represents programs rather than just classes.
>Scott Walker: The top most is one year of an online ed program. 9 instructors
>Scott Walker: 61 students
>Scott Walker: The Preferred version is now showing too.
>Scott Walker: Preferences are always stronger than the actual.
>Scott Walker: Overall, the EDUC program has a strong set of learning 
>environments.
>Rosemary Plank: plural environments?
>Scott Walker: Each classes' environment
>Scott Walker: Could be called one meta-environment or meso-environment perhaps
>Scott Walker: Organizationally, the EDUC program is stronger thant the GEO
>Rosemary Plank: is strength measured by student perceptions?
>Scott Walker: The GEO program is somewhat lacking
>Scott Walker: I'd say, Yes
>Rosemary Plank: OK as it is in most/all programs
>Scott Walker: The more students perceive the environment ashaving these 
>things occur always, the stronger
>Scott Walker: We use the actual as the pivot point, if you wil
>Scott Walker: The instructor's perceptions either exceed those of the 
>students, is roughly equal, or is less than the students.
>Scott Walker: We'd like to have all of our instructors seeing the env just 
>as their students do.
>Scott Walker: That's healthy.
>Ronald Ramsey: It may be important to see how students perceive the online 
>environment
>Scott Walker: Inflated, or looking through rose-colored 
>glasses,  indicates a need for some changes on the instructor's part.
>Ronald Ramsey: ....but I doubt you will change the instructor's views
>Scott Walker: Low overall student perceptions indicate a need for some 
>changes too.
>Scott Walker: But, it's all relative.
>Scott Walker: Ron, on the contrary,
>Ronald Ramsey: Are these summaries most valid within certain departments?
>Rosemary Plank: If the students have this perception the evaluations are 
>good..
>Scott Walker: You take this bar graph to the instructor now and show 
>him/her and the instructor can see a difference.
>Rosemary Plank: and the instructor feels better about the course thus the 
>perceptions increase?
>Scott Walker: Now, some may change. Others, may not give a damn
>Scott Walker: RP, I suppose they could
>Scott Walker: Regardless, we know very little about distance ed 
>psychosocial environments.
>Ronald Ramsey: Those instructors who don't care probably would be better 
>off not teaching online
>Scott Walker: These are the first studies as such.
>Scott Walker: Yes, you heard it here first.
>Rosemary Plank: This appeases something that administration wuld really 
>like - The postive student perceptions would increase student 
>recommendation to take the course thus bring in more students
>Scott Walker: Ron, true.
>Scott Walker: RP, yes.
>Scott Walker: The GEO results are from a program evaluation I recently 
>conducted.
>Scott Walker: The dept. chair, knowing little about DE needed a reference 
>point.
>Ronald Ramsey: Do you extrapolate these results to recommendations on 
>course structures, such as use of more collaboration groups?
>Scott Walker: So, I showed her these comparisons.
>Scott Walker: The EDUC program is recognized by the Sloan Consortium for a 
>high-quality program.
>Scott Walker: It's not the best, I'm sure, but it's better, in terms of 
>the learning env. than the GEO program
>Scott Walker: Ron, yes.
>Scott Walker: Exactly.
>Rosemary Plank: a questions remains for me... how might the faculty be 
>'taught' to see the course from the students perspective?
>Scott Walker: We can look at these charts and pin point some teaching 
>strategies that can make improvements.
>Scott Walker: RP, I think showing them this is a start.
>Scott Walker: When I "coach" other faculty in teaching online.
>Scott Walker: I show them these.
>Scott Walker: I work with them on what makes for a strong learning env.
>Scott Walker: among other things, of course
>Scott Walker: There always is the content!
>Rosemary Plank: so the faculty are taught to change the learning 
>environments according to student likes and dislikes.
>Scott Walker: Yes.
>Scott Walker: Doesn't mean the students are "taking over" the class by any 
>means
>Scott Walker: Just means one can change the environment to suite the 
>learner a little bit better to then enhance learning.
>Rosemary Plank: No, but it would not matter since the content is placed in 
>the "presentation box" so to speak.
>Rosemary Plank: maybe "environment box" wuld be better.
>Scott Walker: Some of it has to do with how the content is presented and 
>what activities students do and to what extent certain aspects are met.
>Scott Walker: Ron, here's the prize!
>Scott Walker: The INSIGHT URL has the DELES.
>Scott Walker: A number of evaluations are here: 
>http://education.ollusa.edu/mtt/evaluations.htm 
>Scott Walker: Lots o' presentations here: 
>http://education.ollusa.edu/mtt/presentations/default.htm 
>Scott Walker: This was my dissertation. It's available online through the 
>~sw36 link, see DELES.
>Rosemary Plank: it would be an interesting tool to use in other 
>universities have you done that?
>Scott Walker: Other universities have used it, yes.
>Rosemary Plank: are findings similar in evnironmental structures?
>Scott Walker: I have access to the data from their programs too, but most 
>have been inconsisten.
>Rosemary Plank: that are liked by students?
>Scott Walker: I've not looked at the other data yet.
>Scott Walker: Too much to do.
>Rosemary Plank: i understand
>Scott Walker: Well, turns out that #3 is the most associated with student 
>enjoyment of distance ed
>Rosemary Plank: thank you Ron - do you have a handout for your 
>presentation? You had a few references on your slides that I would like to 
>look at.
>Scott Walker: Of course, the field tests were done with predominantly grad 
>students
>Scott Walker: Everything DELES and psychosocial online env is on my web site.
>Rosemary Plank: OK I will definitely visit your site!
>Rosemary Plank: good luck with future studies!
>Scott Walker: Thanks.
>Iskandar Hack: Scott I'll save the log
>Scott Walker: Will do.
>Iskandar Hack: I'll get it - you don't need to worry about it - but when 
>you leave it'll ask you publish the session go ahead and say yes