XLS Commons
Posted on July 27, 2009
Filed Under Emerging Technologies, Engagement, Faculty and Student Support, Instructional Design | Leave a Comment
The Annual Conference on Distance Learning at the University of Wisconsin is less than two weeks away, and I’ll be attending for the first time. I’m especially looking forward to the one-half day workshop entitled Community of Inquiry Framework: Informing instructional design and learning being facilitated by Karen Swan and her project colleagues. I’ve been following their work in developing and testing a survey instrument that validates Garrison, Anderson and Archer’s Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (2000) of online learning because I’m a firm believer in the CoI model.
When checking email on Tuesday, I was surprised to find one from Karen Swan. I was even more surprised to discover, upon reading it, that she created a Ning for workshop participants. Karen not only introduced herself on this social network (and invited us to do likewise), she also provided us with resources that will be used in the workshop and created discussion forums around them. With a few mouse clicks, my electronic library grew, I was connected to a group of professionals interested in communities of inquiry, and I was invited to deepen my understanding of the CoI framework and survey — long before the formal learning event will begin. That’s a real twofer in my book!
Now in addition to anticipating what all I will learn during the one-half day workshop, I’m wondering how the Ning community will support and extend my learning long afterwards. This is particularly relevant given our intention to use a Ning for the next annual Extended Learning Institute (XLi 2010). Check back in for a “Part 2” post sometime in mid-August.
Posted on July 6, 2009
Filed Under Engagement, Faculty and Student Support | 4 Comments
Extended Learning Services (XLS) at The University of Montana provides access to live virtual classrooms through the Elluminate web conferencing system. These classrooms can be used to hold virtual office hours, discuss course content and/or facilitate collaborative work among students who cannot meet face-to-face. In a pilot study of the impact of a web conferencing tool on student perceptions of online learning, Koppelman and Vranken (2008) note that “students report better understanding of subject matter” and appreciate the “structure to study regularly”(196). (More on this later in the month). Read more
Posted on June 22, 2009
Filed Under Engagement | 1 Comment
We spent considerable time on Day One establishing some common understanding of what we all meant by engagement. This should not be surprising, I suppose, given the audience and given the term itself, which can easily and understandably be applied to a whole range of activities (none of them prenuptial). Read more
Posted on June 3, 2009
Filed Under Emerging Technologies, Engagement, r3 | 7 Comments
In a world where the tail is long, the world is flat and information doubles every 2 years (or is it 11 hours), social media is the latest “must be involved” technology. Social web programs such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Netvibes, Flickr, Second Life, LinkedIn, etc, are becoming a part of the daily routine.
Holy social media Batman, what‘s all the fuss about? Well for you to find the answer to that question, you will need to join the masses. You can’t visit these sites and putter around. You need to become a member and reveal your identity. Read more
Posted on May 27, 2009
Filed Under Engagement, r3 | 1 Comment
I just read a short piece by Judith Ramaley entitled Reflections on the Public Purposes of Higher Education, which was published in the Wingspread Journal in 2007. This article summarizes the major themes and timeline of the notion of higher education and engagement—in scholarship, service, community development, innovation, and the like. It’s a broad and spongy term, in some ways, but I’ll leave the sharpening of the terminology for another time. (Or, perhaps you might offer some definitions on engagement.)
