Promoting Accurate and Honest Assessment

in an
Online Learning Environment

            With the expansion of online learning there is a growing need to create an experience that resembles the face-to-face classroom interaction and to provide an accurate way to assess learning from a distance. Course designers work to make course activities engaging and meaningful while providing interaction between participants and the instructor. Another challenge for designers is to utilize authentic assessments that demonstrate the knowledge learners are building throughout the course experience. Because learners and instructors are functioning in a distance learning environment, designers and instructors must also consider the need to maintain academic integrity.

            Course management systems and other technologies assist instructors in providing a secure environment for assessment (Spaulding 2009). There may be other approaches to altering the perceptions of cheating and in avoiding cheating in the online environment.

Read the article Perceptions of Academic Honesty in Online vs. Face-to-Face Classrooms  http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/8.3.1.pdf

Consider:
Where is academic dishonesty most likely to occur and by whom?
What role do perceptions have in influencing cheating?
How can instructors change the students’ perception regarding academic dishonesty?
What technologies can be used to deter academic dishonesty?
Will cheating be as likely to occur if a course is well designed?
What other methods hold promise for reducing the likelihood that cheating will occur?

By Wednesday, respond to the prompts above, summarizing how instructors, designers, and learners feel academic dishonesty should be addressed.

By Friday, respond to at least two of your cohorts’ postings by identifying common thoughts and making suggestions for how you might address the concerns and proposed methods they have identified in their posting.

By Sunday, return to the postings and respond further to your cohorts.
Use the Discussion Board Rubric to guide your response. You can access the rubric by clicking here.



Additional resources:

Kennedy, K., Nowak, S., Raghuraman, R., Thomas, J., & Davis, S. F. (2000). ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND DISTANCE LEARNING: STUDENT AND FACULTY VIEWS. College Student Journal, 34(2), 309.

Milliron, V., & Sandoe, K. (2008). The net generation cheating challenge. Innovate, 4(6), 1–7. Retrieved from http://innovateonline.info/pdf/vol4_issue6/The__Net_Generation_Cheating_Challenge.pdf

Rowe, N. (2004). Cheating in online student assessment: Beyond plagiarism. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 7(2). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer72/rowe72.html

Spaulding, M. (2009). Perceptions of Academic Honesty in Online vs. Face-to-Face. In Journal of Interactive Online Learning. Retrieved April 9, 2012, from http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/8.3.1.pdf

Technology and Multimedia          

                                                                                               

Impact on Online Learning Environments

The development of technology and its application in the e-learning environment has lead to a rapid expansion of learning opportunities available on the Internet (Burgstahler, 2006). Technology tools provide improved access to learning resources, allowing instruction to be delivered at any time and in any place to meet individual learner’s needs. The use of technology, including multimedia, allows the creation of engaging options for delivering instruction and assessing learners. Some technologies are blurring the lines between social interaction, learning, and work (Flavin, 2011). It is prudent for instructional designers and instructors to consider, during the design phase, how the use of technology will affect a learner’s ability to participate fully in the course.

Considerations for Implementing Technology

There are factors instructional designers and instructors should consider before implementing a technology tool. These include:

• Do the learners’ have the necessary knowledge for using the technology tool? If some learners need remediation in order to use the tool, they will have an added burden within the course. This may present a disadvantage for some learners and prevent them for accomplishing the learning goals.

• Do all learners have the tool available to them? Providing a means of downloading software, or making the need to purchase a piece of hardware or software a prerequisite for participation in the course will ensure that the learners can anticipate and prepare for the needs of the course.

• Are the learners already using a similar technology? There may be resistance to using the tools if the learners are actively using a comparable technology. Consideration should be made to allow for the adaptation of assignments to allow for the use of familiar and comparable tools in order to meet the needs of the learner.

• Does the use of the technology enhance the learners’ ability to achieve the learning goals? Some learners become overwhelmed in online courses, feeling there is an overload of information (Flavin, 2011). Several factors may actually contribute to the learner’s sense of being overwhelmed including the way in which the course tools are organized, their experience working in the online environment, the difficulty of the tasks assigned, and the inclusion of information they do not find to be relevant to their needs (Flavin, 2011).   


• Are the technology tools usable and accessible to all learners? Designing instruction to meet the needs of all learners means taking into account that there may be students with physical needs or learning needs that require special adaptations and accommodations. Designing a course to take these possibilities into account will not only comply with laws requiring equal access, but will also prevent costly redesign when learners with special needs enroll in the class at a later date.

Implications of Usability and Accessibility of Technology Tools for Online Teaching

A technology tool is considered usable if it is effective, efficient, and able to assist the learner in achieving their goals within the course with relative ease. (Cooper, Colwell, & Jelfs, 2007). In contrast, accessibility is the ability of the technology to meet the learning needs and preferences of all users (Cooper, et. al, 2007). In her article on accessibility indicators, Burgstahler provides several reasons that designers must consider accessibility when designing learning activities.

1. Under both the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, section 504, and the American Disabilities Act, it is illegal to deny access to, exclude from, or discriminate against any learner in programs whether or not they are receiving federal funding.

2. Providing an accessible design is equivalent to providing best practices for all learners.

3. Addressing the needs of all learners in the initial design will prevent costly demands for redesign as students with special needs join the course.

The chart below provides a summary for the technologies to consider when designing for learners’ needs.

Most Appealing Technology Tools for Effective Online Teaching

My experience with online teaching and learning has led me to consider a few technologies as essential in designing a learning experience. Perhaps the most important tool I have used is the text-to-speech programs. This tool assists learners with visual impairments or reading disabilities by allowing them to hear the information, replaying it as necessary to improve understanding. In order to effectively use this tool, designers must include alternate texts and captions for all images, provide scripts for all videos, and provide text-only files for any pdf documents used in the course.

Using video and audio files to convey content or to provide demonstrations or simulations of the application of the knowledge enriches the learning experience and provides to modes for acquiring the information and may enhance retention of the information (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). I have found that students are more engaged and relate well to video resources, and tend to be more willing and motivated to participate in the lesson when these resources are used.

Expanding on the concept of multisensory delivery, I anticipate that there will continue to be developments in the application of technology in the delivery of education resources. One area receiving attention in research and development is the concept of applying aspects of gaming to the learning environment. Researchers are investigating the creative and engaging processes used in today’s most popular e-games Farquhar & Camden, 2012). Designers are looking to create applications for learning that are as motivating, fun, and engaging for learners of all ages. The use of complex simulation and role playing games will further blur the line between learning, socializing, work, and play.

References

Burgstahler, S. (2006). The development of accessibility indicators for distance learning programs. ALT-J: Research In Learning Technology, 14(1), 79-102. doi:10.1080/09687760500479753

Cooper, M., Colwell, C., & Jelfs, A. (2007). Embedding accessibility and usability: considerations for e-learning research and development projects. ALT-J: Research In Learning Technology, 15(3), 231-245. doi:10.1080/09687760701673659

Farquhar, J., & Camden, M. (2012, February 9). Game ON! 7 gamification techniques to enliven your e-learning. In Enspire Learning. Retrieved February 9, 2012

Flavin, M. (2011). Enabling Disruptive Technologies for Higher Education Learning and Teaching. Proceedings Of The European Conference On E-Learning, 917-924.

                                                                      

Launching an Online

       Learning Experience

 

 

Technology Tools                  

Technology tools  provide an instructor with a variety of methods for interacting with the  learners, creating more effective activities, and expanding the opportunities for  learners to construct new knowledge (Diaz, 2010). It is important that an  instructor learn the basic tools needed to implement the course, such as the basic  functions of the course management system (CMS), email, how to upload and download documents, and how to manage the grade book. In addition, instructors  should be able to set up discussion forums, and understand the process of  establishing teams or groups of learners who will collaborate and contribute to  each others’ learning (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011). The strategic use of  technology tools will provide learners with an improved access to knowledge,  provide and engaging and effective learning experiences, and as a result,  maximize learner retention and course completion (Diaz, 2010).

Defining and Communicating Expectations

Clearly defining expectations during  the course will provide benefits to both the learners and the instructor. By  providing a complete syllabus at the beginning of the course, the learner will  be able to anticipate and plan for the work load, and feel confident that they  can blend the demands of the course with those of their life outside of school.  Providing information on Netiquette, the appropriate use of email and  communication styles within chat rooms and discussion boards, will set the  standards for the professional and respectful exchanges of ideas. When students  are comfortable that they know the format for a response, and that the  expectation of respectful remarks is clear, the learners will be more  comfortable expressing their opinions and thoughts. Knowledge is constructed in  safe and cooperative learning environments.

The instructor will benefit by making  clear the expectations that questions are to be posted in the public forum so  that the community of learners or the instructor may respond. Students can  offer each other support, further developing the sense of community (Conrad,  2010). The instructor and student will both benefit from an understanding of  the expected response time on emails and graded assignments. Both the  instructor and the learners will benefit from providing support contact  information during the initial course contact and in the course syllabus.  Students will want to feel the security of knowing ahead of time, that if they  have a problem with an aspect of the course, they know who to go to and how to  contact the support (Conrad, 2011). Providing this information in the  introduction of the course will lessen the time the instructor is using to  respond to learner issues (Diaz, 2010).

Other considerations               

Online  instructors will facilitate the construction of new learner knowledge through  the activities and interactions in the course. The instructor will also want to  keep notes on the progress of the course and any specific areas that either do  not flow within the time allotted or require an excess of instructor  intervention and time to be successful. Proper notes and documentation regarding  the delivery will assist the instructor and course designers in making modification  to maximize the efficiency and outcomes of the course. It will typically take  three cycle of delivering the course to identify areas for improvement and  fully develop the course (Conrad, 2011).

References

  Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging  the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated  ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

  Diaz, V.  (2010). Web 2.0 and emerging technologies in online learning. New Directions  For Community Colleges, (150), 57-66. doi:10.1002/cc.405

Online Learning Communities

Online learning communities have a significant impact on student learning by developing the students’ sense of being part of a larger group, collaborating together to construct knowledge and providing a shared learning experience (Laureate, 2011). Students working together will challenge each other to achieve, their shared knowledge and experience will deepen the level of understanding and provide examples of life experiences that will anchor the knowledge through application in the working world.

When a learning community has been established, the structure of the course becomes less apparent and the student move into a role more equal to the instructors, helping facilitate the instruction and construction of knowledge. Students usually feel a greater sense of satisfaction with an active role in the process and find greater opportunities for achieving their learning goals.

Essential Elements

There are several elements of community building. The instructor will take on the role of facilitator with the responsibility to create a “high degree of interactivity and participation” (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011). During the first phase of the course the instructor should greet the students through a friendly welcome message and a request for students to take the time to introduce themselves to the class by sharing a little of their background and experience, perhaps even including a picture. This activity allows the students to participate in an initial interaction that is informal and friendly, thus beginning the development of the sense of community. The instructor may also design an optional icebreaker to allow students another optional means of sharing more information (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011). These activities not only help create a learner-to-learner relationship but can also provide the instructor with valuable information on the preparedness of the learners who will be participating in the course. The instructor should reach out to

any who express that this is their first online experience. There may be some students that express concern about the use of technology and the instructor can assist by referring them to resources to support their effort. Providing a friendly personal response to the student introductions will help bond the student to the group and promote student success

Sustaining the Sense of Community

Choosing appropriate interactive activities will help sustain the community of learners. Using a blogs or discussion groups allows students to communicate their ideas and build on each other’s understanding of the content (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011). Having a Question and Answer or area of the LMS reserved for students to post informal comments and questions will also help provide an ongoing connection among the course participants.

Having a well developed sense of community and an ongoing connection to those sharing the learning experience will assist the instructor in providing an engaging and effective course. As students become more engaged in the course they will guide each other and promote success among all students.


References

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (Narrator). (2011).

Online learning communities [Online video]. Baltimore: Laureate Education.

Managing Scope Creep

Every project is vulnerable to scope creep. It is the desire to use the latest and greatest of the new technology and the need to improve on every aspect of a project as it unfolds that drive clients and instructional designers to begin requesting changes as the project unfolds. Unfortunately, scope creep can become the cause of missed deadlines and over budget outcomes, and can result in a project becoming out of control or failing all together (Doll, 2001).

Scope creep will begin when the project begins. It is important that any project have a project plan, and that the clients be kept informed in the additional costs and time delays related to requests to make changes as the project proceeds (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008).

An experience I had that leads me to reflect on scope creep is the design of an introductory science class for the school where I was teaching. Initially, it was to be a freshman level class, introducing the basics of chemistry and physics. There was no written plan or course outline, nor was there a timeline for the hours to be worked creating the class. As I began planning the year long course, the director began adding duties to the project, such as correlating the class to an online version to be used for credit recovery or as an alternative to being present in the classroom, integrating all of the exams into an online benchmark tracking software, and adapting the class for individual students who had already taken the class and were assigned to me for independent study, and for those who had accommodations that required me to personalize the course to meet their needs.

What began as a plan to layout one course quickly resulted in the equivalent of three courses being developed- low, mid, and highly challenging, each allowing the student to be present in the classroom during that class period, but to have individual educational services delivered. The time I was given for planning was based on 10 minutes for every hour of instruction. Unfortunately every hour of instruction included 3 separate course levels being taught.

Had I been the director (project manager) I would have started the project off with a brain storming session with several staff members of the school. As the development team, we could have shared the needs of the various students, and better identified the needs that would be addressed in the course being developed. Having established the project needs, I would ask the instructional designer to put together a project plan that would estimate the time and cost requirements for putting the course together. This would need to be done some months to a year in advance of the expected delivery of the course, allowing for planning and purchasing of materials and supplies. When new products such as the benchmark tracking software became available, I would consider incorporating that change in phase two of the project, after the course was created and successfully initiated.

The need to establish the course at three levels required an extension of the time allowed for the staff to design the course (courses) and to prepare the materials. Establishing the change after the assignment had begun placed pressure on the staff to move forward quickly, and resulted in a sacrifice of quality. It is important that as project manager I have a well developed understanding of the school administrations priorities when requesting a change in the project. It would be with the understanding that extending the time to delivery was not an option, that the decision to sacrifice quality would be made. As project manager I would keep thorough notes and documentation of the changes and suggested upgrades, so that after we completed phase one we could look to a follow up project to make additional improvements.

Doll, S. (2001, March 1). Seven steps for avoiding scope creep. In TechRepublic. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from http://www.techrepublic.com/article/seven-steps-for-avoiding-scope-creep/1045555

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Estimating Project Costs in e-Learning

Project managers preparing for an instructional design project must develop a budget to reflect the many resources used in the project. During the course of the project, any variations in the estimated budget should be addressed in a timely manner in order to assure that the project is able to be completed on time and within the funding resources assigned to the project.

In order to develop the best budget estimates, project managers can utilize a number of resources, including insights from peers in the profession who have completed similar work. Here are a few resources I have found helpful in creating a budget estimate for my project of converting an instructor based course to an e-Learning opportunity.

Convert ILT to eLearning - Estimating    

Dr. Tony Karrer provides insight into the related costs of converting an Instructor Lead Course (LIC) to an e-Learning course. Dr. Kerrer is the CEO/CTO of TechEmpower and is respected as one of the top technologists in eLearning. After teaching computer science for several years, Dr. Kerrer has led many start up projects, including eHarmony.

http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2009/10/convert-ilt-to-elearning-estimating.html

Dr. Karrer uses this blog to answer questions and to guide instructional designers and project managers towards accurate estimations of the costs of establishing an e-Learning course.

Case Study: Converting an Existing Course to E-Learning

By Bill Qualls

http://www.astd.org/LC/2009/0409_qualls.htm

Bill Qualls is the vice president of curriculum and instruction at Caliber Data Training. In this case study, Mr. Qualls provides a summary of questions to consider when estimating the costs and benefits of converting a course to the e-Learning format.

Once it is determined that e-Learning is the best option for delivery of a course, the project manager should consider many factors in establishing a budget and schedule. Some of the factors that will affect the project budget and schedule include:

• Does the course already exist in ILT format?

• If there is an existing ILT course, does the courseware exist in electronic form? Is it useable?

• If there is an existing ILT course, how complete is it?

• Are there any hands-on labs in the ILT course? Will these need to be converted? Is it feasible to do so?

• Is the person doing the conversion already familiar with the ILT course?

• Is the person doing the conversion already familiar with the product or service being taught?

• Will subject matter experts (SMEs) be available for consultation as needed?

• Will the person doing the conversion be dedicated to this project exclusively?

• How many people will be working on the conversion team?

• How much animation is required?

• Is the scope of the conversion effort clearly defined?

• What is the approval process? Who will sign off on the project?

• How will the finished product be implemented within the organization?

• Does the organization use a learning management system (LMS)? If so, will this product be required to interface with that LMS?

• How will learning be measured?

• Is the person doing the conversion familiar with the e-learning software? Does the person doing the conversion have prior experience with similar projects?

Please read the Case Study for details on how these factors affect the conversion plan.

What Training Costs     

Beth Chmielowski posts some thoughts about estimating the costs of a conversion form an ILC to an e-Learning course and the best practices she believes will provide the most accurate budgeting for such a conversion.

In her post What Training Costs Part I: Converting Content from ILT to WBT Beth explains why she believes that the real correct answer to “What will it cost” actually is “It depends”. Beth highlights her analysis of several factors:

1. The compression ratio of a project is typically 50%.

2. The development costs can be based on content and interactivity.

3. There are “reusability savings” for materials that exist in the ILC that are available in electronic format and can be easily converted for use in the new format.

In her second article, What Training Costs Part 2: Building ILT and V-ILT Courses, Beth establishes the cost of a project using the formula

Length of course in hours x development ratio x (blended) cost of resources

Her formula takes into consideration several additional conditions:

4. The “Level of Effort” required to perform each task will impact the overall cost.

5. There is a cost for resources to be used in the project.

6. There is a “blended” rate that can be used for the various resources working on the project.

In addition, Beth provides several “caveats” that can lead to additional costs and should be given special consideration when budgeting. Those include:

7. If multi-media is to be used, include a special Level of Effort analysis for the production of the course material.

8. If this is the first use of e-Learning there must be consideration to the cost if integrating your current technology with the learning management system.

9. If the course is to be completely online, consider the cost of providing facilities for those who will be participating.

10. If you have to train the person who will be facilitating the course, allow extra time for allowing them to become familiar with the technology.

11. Build in the cost for a person to provide assistance with the course being delivered.

An additional resource for understanding the justification to make such a conversion is

Effectiveness and costs of distance education using computer‐mediated communication

Article from the September 1999 issues of T.H.E.Journal

http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring03/telecomold/r4-2_virtual_classroom_design.pdf

This easy to read summary provides a step-by-step guide for conceiving, planning, designing, implementing, and maintaining a virtual classroom. The article includes the following graphic to provide a visual summary of the content of the article.

 References
Chmielowski, B. (2009, July 30). What Training Costs Part I: Converting Content from ILT to WBT. In VMG. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from http://velocitymg.com/explorations/leveraging-learning/what-training-costs-part-i-converting-content-from-ilt-to-wbt/


Hsu, S., Marcus, O., Hamza, M. K., & Alhalabi, B. (1999, September). How to design a virtual classroom: 10 easy steps to follow. In T.H.E. Journal. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring03/telecomold/r4-2_virtual_classroom_design.pdf

Karrer, T. (2009, October 14). Convert ILT to eLearning - Estimating . In e-Learning Technology. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2009/10/convert-ilt-to-elearning-estimating.html

Qualls, B. (2009). Case Study: Converting an Existing Course to E-Learning. In ASTD Learning Circuits. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://www.astd.org/LC/2009/0409_qualls.htm

Communicating with Project Members and Stakeholders

Communication within a project is essential to its success. Good communication skills allows for active cooperation among many people in various levels of an organization (Kraut, Fish, Root, & Chalfonte, 2002). From the initial contact with the client, through the development of the project, and concluding with the post launch follow up, it is essential that those involved in or affected by the project have a means of communicating in both formal and informal ways. Within an instructional design project, it is the project manager who is responsible for establishing the expectations and methods of communication among those involved in the project (Portny, 2008).

Messages conveyed in writing, such as emails, have advantages and disadvantages. The written words can be read and reread, allowing the person receiving the message to review it as needed to assure understanding (Ferraro & Palmer, n.d.). The disadvantages include having no way to assure that the message was read, or that the message was received and interpreted as intended. Without the support of the tone and gesture of the author, the message may be misunderstood or even be considered offensive.

Communicating with voice mail, provides the benefit of hearing the sender’s voice and allowing some interpretation of the message based on the tone, inflections, and pacing of the sender’s message (Ferraro & Palmer, n.d.). The use of email allows those working at a distance from each other, to convey brief messages in order to maintain the productivity level of the project (Kraut, et.al, 2002). Although voicemail is somewhat more able to convey the verbal cues of the sender, it is still lacking in many other aspects of face-to-face communication.

Speaking with others face-to-face allows the interaction to be either formal or informal. Brief casual interactions are often used to communicate the needs of one team member to another. The benefits of being able to see those you are attempting to communicate with include being able to observe their emotion and response to your words, and giving you the time to adjust your tone, or words to better convey the desired message (Ferraro & Palmer, n.d.).

Utilizing the desktop audio-visual communication systems allows team members to have access to the informal approach of face-to-face encounters even though they may not work in proximity to each other (Kraut, et.al, 2002). The ability to communicate in an informal manner allows members of a project team to get to know and like each other (Kraut, et.al, 2002).

Communication within a project may require formal or informal means for distributing and acquiring information. Managing communications properly will promote productivity and success of the project.



References:

Ferraro, V., & Palmer, K. C. (n.d.). Differences between oral and written communication. South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoake College. Retrieved September 25, 2011, from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/speech/differences.htm

Kraut, R. E., Fish, R. S., Root, R. W., & Chalfonte, B. L. (2002). Informal communications in organizations: Forms, function, and technology. Morristown, NJ: Bellcore. Retrieved September 25, 2011

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.