EL7003+Collaboration


 * ** EL7003-8 ** ||  ||
 * ** Instructional Design and Engaging E-Learning Activities ** || ** 5 Collaborative/Team Activities ** ||
 * Intro and conclusion were superior! Glad to see my comments are helping. In fact the entire paper was well done, superbly written in APA and academic English! The activities were also very interesting (I always get new ideas for my own ID work in this class!)This was a well-developed paper throughout and substantially achieved the stated learning outcomes and integrated the key concepts from our text. A pleasure to read! **
 * Intro and conclusion were superior! Glad to see my comments are helping. In fact the entire paper was well done, superbly written in APA and academic English! The activities were also very interesting (I always get new ideas for my own ID work in this class!)This was a well-developed paper throughout and substantially achieved the stated learning outcomes and integrated the key concepts from our text. A pleasure to read! **

=Collaborative – Team Activities= Collaborative learning can take many forms in an online environment. Collaboration in an online class can be between learner and instructor, learner and learner, learner and content, and learner and technical environment. The online XML Publisher course has a synchronous environment with access to audio (telephone conference call), video (webcam), two-way chat, question and answer pages, and the ability to demonstrate, collaborate, and present information from participant’s computer screens. The technical environment allows for collaboration in all four aspects. It is the instructor’s responsibility to determine when, or if collaboration will occur. Activities that encourage interactivity and cooperation among students must be identified, and introduced in the online learning environment for successful learning to transpire. The following activities have been designed to encourage learner participation and collaboration with other learners, the content of the course, the technical environment, and the instructor, while deepening learner commitment and understanding of the course.

Collaborative Activity One: Summarize the Learning
**Task:** A collaborative discussion activity to promote learner’s learning goals. **Objectives:** The learner will gain a deeper understanding* of the course material and a deeper commitment to learning it by summarizing salient learning outcomes and concepts and tying them to his or her own rational for taking the course. **Method:** Synchronous **Time required:** One-half to one hour **Materials:** This activity will utilize the Develop five initial questions related to the courses objectives and goals to use as a springboard question for each group. Divide the students into two to five groups of at least three but no more than five students each. I will establish a break-out session on the audio conference call (audio) and in the two-way chat (chat) window for each group. If this is the first break-out session that we have conducted, I will introduce break-outs and how to switch between the main audio and chat channels and the break-out audio and chat. I will introduce the activity by stating: You will be working in small groups as we proceed through this course. The activity we are about to start serves two purposes. You will become familiar with the facilities that enable small group work in the class environment, and in each group you will answer a question regarding the course objectives. The course objectives and the material to be covered are found in lessons one and two, starting on page 1 in the student guide. In a moment, I will send your break-out session number, and a question you will discuss and come to consensus regarding in your group through chat. You will have 20 minutes. During this time you will also need to select a spokesperson to present your answers when we return to the main session. At this point, I will assign groups and send the questions, and the learners will join their break-out sessions. I will rotate my attention to each group in turn. During each turn I will listen and make myself available, but will not interrupt the ongoing discussion unless they have a specific question for me. After 18 minutes I will announce that the groups have two minutes to wrap up their discussions. At the end of 20 minutes I will gather them for the main session. Upon returning, each spokesperson will read their question and deliver the groups consensus. I will facilitate this discussion determining how each group came to their conclusions, if there were dissenting views, and clarifying any misunderstandings regarding objectives, or ideas for how the knowledge and skills gained in the course can be applied.
 * Break-out capability of the audio conference call
 * Break-out capability of the two-way chat feature, and
 * Student guide for the XML Publisher course
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Preparation: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This course has been designed to expose you to the knowledge and skills for developing and executing XML Publisher reports in the course of your work. Based on the objectives identified for this class, how do you expect to use the knowledge and skills from this course in your work?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The objectives for this course build on each other so that at the completion of the course you will be able to develop and execute XML Publisher reports with a number of advanced features. Which two of these features do you feel will have the biggest impact on your success in implementing XML Publisher reports?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This course was designed to provide you with useful knowledge and skills in developing and implementing XML Publisher reports. Of the objectives for this course, which one do you feel will be the most useful and why?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">After completing this course and returning to work, you are approached by a co-worker. This co-worker is wondering what they would be able to gain from attending this course. Choose from the objectives of this course and explain why gaining the knowledge and skills associated with one objective are essential for his or her success in XML Publisher.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">After completing this training you will be able to create and execute XML Publisher reports with a number of advanced features. How do you plan on using these skills and knowledge now, and how will this allow you to gain advancement in your company?*
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Process: **

Collaborative Activity Two: Group Responsibilities
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Task:** A collaborative discussion activity to promote learner’s learning goals and to identify the additional responsibilities learners will have during group activities. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Objectives:** Learners will engage in a discussion* with each other to identify their primary responsibilities in the group activities that will occur throughout the XML Publisher class, and create a contract of participation regarding these responsibilities. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Method:** Synchronous <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Time required:** One hour to 90 minutes. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Materials:** This activity will utilize the <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">On the white board I will post the following items and label them “Responsibilities of Contributing Group Members”: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">I will introduce this activity over the audio conference call in the following manner: <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">We will now determine the most important qualities of working as a class, and as groups, as we work through this class. I want you to take a couple minutes to look at the items that are on your white board and think of how important they are to you regarding discussions that will take place in the class or in the group activities that we will participate in. During this time, I would like you to send over chat any additional responsibilities you feel would be important to the class. I will add these items to the list on the white board. <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Once we have our list of responsibilities I will post each of the responsibilities, one at a time, in the chat window. I will then ask that you will rate each responsibility from 1 (being the least important) to <total # of items> (being the most important). I will sum all of the responses to determine the most critical responsibilities according to our group. We will then discuss these items to determine how we can implement them within the course’s online groups. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">I will then facilitate the discussion regarding how these responsibilities will be implemented in class and group discussions. I will also post the responsibilities in descending order of importance on the white board, and get learner agreements using the participation tools of WebEx that they will abide by the responsibilities decided upon.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Audio conference call
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Two-way chat feature
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">WebEx white board feature
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Participation features (raise hand, emoticons, checkmark, cross), and
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">XML Publisher student guide
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Preparation: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Be signed into the WebEx and audio conference on time at the start of the day, and after each break, and lunch.[PP4]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Contribute to class and group discussions.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Active listening. Make sure that I understand what is being said before commenting.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Take responsibility for clarifying understanding or learning, as necessary.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Do not disappear (walk away from your computer without notification).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Do what you say you will do.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Keep communication civil, and enriching.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Process: **

Reflective on Collaboration and Team Building Activities
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Learning is more likely to be successful from the perspective of the student in an interactive and engaging environment ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Abrami, Bernard, Bures, Borokhovski, & Tamim, 2010; Boling, Hough, Krinsky, Saleem, & Stevens, 2011; Palloff & Pratt, 2003; Pelz, 2010; Sharples, Taylor, & Vavoula, 2007; Yang & Cornelious, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). In order for the student to perceive that the class is both interactive and engaging “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">instructors incorporate small group activities or team projects into their courses <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Watkins, 2005, p. 123 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). In the first activity, small groups of students are given the opportunity to identify the course objectives, knowledge, and skills that may have meaning to them, and discuss that meaning with others. This helps build camaraderie and common ground between learners, but can also enhance and build the learner to learner relationships that are “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">foundational to a strong distance education setting <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Levine, 2005, p. 17 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Through this discussion, learner’s will be able to identify more accurately what they hope to gain from the course, can better support the learning of their fellow students, and reveal to the instructor the objectives most important to them. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The second activity prepares learners in the class to engage in group and class discussions, and obtains agreement to follow the responsibilities that they have identified. Learning in small groups enhances the learning of students over individual learning in some circumstances. Among others, these situations include: where group learning and collaboration strategies are introduced, the group size is small, and the subject to be learned is computer skills ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Abrami et al., 2010 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). By preparing the learners to engage in collaborative activities “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">students can enhance their critical thinking skills <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Bradley, 2009, p. 24 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), which is a principle means of enhancing and encouraging deeper learning.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Conclusion
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Both activities give students the chance to work with one another and have a voice in how learning will take place. In the first activity, learners identify those objectives that will have the greatest impact regarding their purpose for taking the class. The second activity encourages learners to set rules for their interactions with one another, and with the instructor, and prepares for the group work ahead, providing group parameters and norms. Collaboration is about relationships. Through collaboration four relationships are enhanced and facilitated; (a) learner to learner, (b) learner to instructor, as the learner feels more heard in his or her goals for the course, (c) learner to content, as the learner gains greater understanding of how the course will benefit him or her, and (d) learner to technical environment, as he or she gains more experience with the environment.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP1] Need to provide a learning objective that can be assessed. This is a weak verb. Do you want them to explain and demonstrate something perhaps? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP2] These are some valid questions for the project! Good job! <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP3] How can this be assessed? Need to find better action verbs. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP4] This indicates it would be no more than 1 ½ hours? Why so much time online?


 * = References ||
 * * Abrami, P. C., Bernard, R. M., Bures, E. M., Borokhovski, E., & Tamim, R. (2010, July). Interaction in distance education and online learning: Using evidence and theory to improve practice. //The Evolution from Distance Education to Distributed Learning//. Symposium conducted at Memorial Union Biddle Hotel, Bloomington, IN.
 * Boling, E. C., Hough, M., Krinsky, H., Saleem, H., & Stevens, M. (2011). Cutting the distance in distance education: Perspectives on what promotes positive, online learning experiences. //Internet and Higher Education//. Advance online publication. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.11.006
 * Bradley, J. (2009). Promoting and supporting authentic online conversations – which comes first – the tools of instructional design? //International Journal of Pedagogies and learning, 5//(3), 20-31. Retrieved from http://jpl.e-contentmanagement.com/ *
 * Levine, S. J. (2005). Creating a foundation for learning relationships. In S. J. Levine (Ed.), //Making distance education work: Understanding learning and learners at a distance// (pp. 17-24). Okemos, MI: LearnerAssociates.
 * Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2003). //The virtual student: A profile and guide to working with online learners.// San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Sons.
 * Pelz, B. (2010). (My) three principles of effective online pedagogy. //Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 14//(1), 103-116. Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/jaln_main
 * Sharples, M., Taylor, J., & Vavoula, G. (2007). A theory of learning for the mobile age. In R. Andrews, & C. Haythornthwaite (Eds.), //The SAGE handbook of e-learning research// (pp. 219247). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
 * Watkins, R. (2005). //75 e-learning activities: Making online learning interactive//. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer/John Wiley & Sons.
 * Yang, Y., & Cornelious, L. F. (2005). Preparing instructors for quality online instruction. //Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 8//(1). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring81/yang81.htm

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP1] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Need full URL of the article. [This is incorrect. APA 6th ed. says to include the home page URL of the journal if a doi is not available.] ||