SESSION 5: INSTRUCTIONAL PRESENCE, COMMUNICATION AND MOTIVATION.

1. In your own words, define Instructional Presence.

Instructional presence is a state where an online instructor is actively and visibly present while facilitating online learning. This is achieved by effectively using educational tools that will enhance their presence online.

2. Name three things that your instructor identifies as contributing to Instructional Presence. Explain why these are, or are not consistent with your definition of Instructional Presence.

• Use of media either richer or leaner media.
• Instructor-students quality interactions.
• Instructional design of the course.

The above are consistent with my definition. For instructors to be actively involved in the learning process, they will need to use various eLearning tools which most of them are richer media. Being present visibly will help them to provide quality interactions by communicating effectively hence motivate students, improve their learning and create a sense of online community. 

Since instructors are the facilitators of instruction, their presence has to be felt and seen by the learners through the way they handle their online courses and respond to students’ questions. All these can be achieved depending with how the course has been designed.

3. Who are the researchers most often identified with the construct of "Teaching Presence"?

• John Short, Ederyn Williams, and Bruce Christie developed social presence theory.

http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/theory%20clusters/communication%20and%20information%20technology/social_presence_theory/

• Tracy Callaway Russo - Mediated presence.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.19.7266&rep=rep1&type=pdf

• Marvin Minsky developed telepresence.

https://web.media.mit.edu/~minsky/papers/Telepresence.html

https://web.media.mit.edu/~minsky/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telepresence

4. What are the three types of presence that Teaching Presence requires? Name and describe each.

Cognitive presence, Social presence and Teaching presence.

• Cognitive Presence occurs when students interact with the course content using different education tools, construct meaning out of what they have read through reflections, exchange ideas by discussing with others, and applying this knowledge into real life situations.

This concept has really been captured so well in this class through the use of discussion forums and blog postings. The way Dr. Newberry drafts the questions gives me a chance to search for more information so that I can share out. 

Kanuka & Garrison (2004), identifies cognitive presence as a key element in critical thinking and necessary for higher levels of thinking and learning. The authors have explained further how cognitive presence is necessary for higher learning using the figure below:

• Social Presence is the ability of online learners to project their personal characteristics into the community (Kanuka & Garrison, 2004), using affective expression, open communication and group cohesion. Social presence can be enhanced when learners feel free to interact with each other beyond just replying to their comments on blackboard or blogs. To me social presence entails learners’ experiences as a result of interacting with other classmates.
• Teaching Presence has been identified to include instructional design and organization, facilitating discourse, and direct instruction. This is the role an instructor carries out to ensure learning takes place. It includes an outline of the course site in relation to the activities learners are expected to undertake while following instructor’s guidelines.

5. Choose one of the three types of presence named in item #4 and identify ways an instructor can create or improve this type of presence in an online class.

Teaching Presence:

• Instructional design and organization - An instructor should demonstrate knowledge of the course content and device new ways of designing courses. The course site should be easy to navigate, course materials should be relevant and up dated, easy to access and consists of multimedia objects. Present course information into chunks while alternating between less and more engaging topics.

Learners expect to receive useful feedback on tasks and assignments in real time. The use of emails has been identified to be effective. Others include video feedback and Talk shoe as mentioned by Jeffrey. I like it when the “Home Page” on blackboard has a list of assignments which are due for that week and the next two weeks. An organized discussion board should have the most current topic at the top.

• Facilitating discourse – Provide two way communication to help learners stay motivated and engaged throughout the learning process. Ask open ended questions which are relevant to course content. Enforce course discussion policies like grading criteria for participation. Assignments should engage learners with the content and with each other, this can be achieved by allowing students to carry out self and peer evaluation.

An instructor should provide a section for Q & A on blackboard and allow learners to respond to them. I have experienced this in one of my classes where everybody is given a week to be the online support for Q &A section. Encourage private consultations where learners can chat with each other so as to create social presence.  

• Direct instruction – Model how to be a productive participant by providing a sample of a posting and outlining evaluation criteria. Encourage learners to respond to each other. Offer guidance to reluctant participants. Emphasize important topics using different teaching styles. Summarize the discussion by providing prompt feedback on key issues.

URL: http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/lt/resources/handouts/Online_Communication.pdf

6. Explain how the readings this week (and your own research) connects with the Blackboard discussion.

What I have read this week revolved around how an instructor can ensure “Teaching Presence” is felt by students. This involves effective communication, what students find engaging, motivation and creating instructional presence. The topics posted on blackboard about video response and how an instructor can achieve teaching presence are related to the readings. Use of video feedback has be identified to be a good way of creating teaching presence. All the readings provided examples about how teaching presence can be achieved.

The article about “face to face is better” highlighted strong points in f-2-f learning as opposed to online learning. From my experience so far, I can say that most of those issues have been dealt with by coming up with concepts like “Teaching Presence” which online instructors have tried to achieve. I know more needs to be done.

7. Quote your best entry from this week's Blackboard discussion. Explain why you chose it and what it demonstrates about your understanding, learning process etc.

“I found this topic interesting and went further to read about tools that can support video feedback. I have to create time and try using some of them. Here are some which I found out:

• Comment Bubble.
• Google drive apps like VideoNot.es, WeVideo, Wideo.co & Kaizena.
• Web based screencasting tools like screencastify.
• Explain Everything, Evernote & The Live Scribe Pen.”

This is what I learned by trying to identify tools that I can use to develop video feedback. Since am interested in facilitating eLearning, this will give me an opportunity to try out and see which one gives me the best results. I like them because they are free. 

8. Identify the student you think was the most important participant in the Blackboard discussion. Explain why and provide at least one quote from that student's contributions to the Blackboard discussion.

From the postings I have read by today, Christen takes it. She responded to both sets of questions. Most of the issues she has been talking about relates to how she either feels as an instructor or a student too. So her views are two sided and this enables her to provide relevant examples as she reflects on the questions.

“I think from a student perspective, we get frustrated with unpredictable teachers (be that f2f or online) who don't "show-up" on time and regularly or don't give feedback in a timely way."

9. Reflect on what you have learned this week. What have you learned that has the potential to inform or influence you or your practice of online learning going forward? Explain why.

For online learning to be effective, instructors need to convey their presence by the way they design the course and the course site, how they facilitate instruction and offer feedback. I learned about video response and the tools that can help develop video easily to provide feedback and create teaching presence. Instructional presence looked like a new term at first but when I read the materials, I realized some of the issues relate to “Online Best Practices”.

Discussion and the focus prompts were well connected to course objective i.e. developing and understanding of Instructional Presence and Teaching Presence; which I can now say I understand how to apply them to online learning.

Whether it is social, cognitive or teaching presence, they all enhance learning experience. This table provides a clear picture of these types of presence:

URL: http://jolt.merlot.org/vol7no3/mckerlich_0911.htm

REFERENCE.

Kanuka, H. , & Garrison, D. (2004). Cognitive presence in online learning. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 15(2), 21-39. doi. 10.1007/BF02940928

SESSION 4: PROJECT LITERATURE REVIEW

                                             

THEME: ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS FOR EFFECTIVE eLEARNING DELIVERY.

As discussed in the blackboard, am planning to create a self-study training manual about eLearning delivery. Topics to be covered include:

1. Representing information to online learners.

2. Facilitating interactions in eLearning setting.

3. Tools to use in eLearning – to help in effective communication.

4. Best practices in eLearning.

While reading these articles, I realized a lot of information has been presented about how instructors can effectively deliver online courses. These include eLearning interactions, best practices in online learning, synchronous and asynchronous communication, online tools e.t.c. A survey that was conducted by MDR's EdNET Insight identified three unique requirements of an online teacher/instructor (my last annotation) which can be achieved through training. This is what prompted me to draft the above topics to be covered in my training manual.

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF 10 ARTICLES.

Baran, E. , & Correia, A. (2014). A professional development framework for online teaching. TechTrends, 58(5), 95-101. doi: 10.1080/01587919.2013.835771.

Chou, C. , & Pi, S. (2015). The effectiveness of facebook groups for e-learning. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 5(7), 477-482. doi: 10.7763/IJIET.2015.V5.553.

Hirumi, A. (2013). Three levels of planned elearning interactions: A framework for grounding research and the design of elearning programs. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 14(1), 1. 

Huang, X. , & Hsiao, E. (2012). Synchronous and asynchronous communication in an online environment: Faculty experiences and perceptions. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 13(1), 15-30.

Kaur, M. (2013). Blended learning - its challenges and future. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 93, 612-617. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.09.248.

Keengwe, J. , Onchwari, G. , & Agamba, J. (2014). Promoting effective e-learning practices through the constructivist pedagogy. Education and Information Technologies, 19(4), 887-898. doi: 10.1007/s10639-013-9260-1.

K12 inc. educators survey highlights reporting, teacher availability and training, and engaging curriculum as key individualized online learning best practices. (2012). Education Letter, 69.

Omar, A. , Kalulu, D. , & Alijani, G. (2011). Management of innovative e-learning environments. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 15(3), 37-64.

York, C. , & Richardson, J. (2012). Interpersonal interaction in online learning: Experienced online instructors' perceptions of influencing factors. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 16(4), 83-98.

Yuan, J. , & Kim, C. (2014). Guidelines for facilitating the development of learning communities in online courses. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(3), 220-232. doi: 10.1111/jcal.12042.

Others which I found useful include:

Abel, R. (2005). Implementing best practices in online learning. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 28(3), 75-77.

Branon, R.F., & Essex, C. (2001). Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication tools in Distance Education. Tech Trends, 36-42.

Jackson, K. , & Simon, D. (2013). Traditional versus online instruction: Faculty resources impact strategies for course delivery. Business Education & Accreditation, 5(1), 107-116.

Jacobs, P. (2013). The challenges of online courses for the instructor. Research in Higher Education Journal, 21, 1.

Lee, J. (2001). Instructional support for distance education and faculty motivation, commitment, satisfaction. British Journal of Educational Technology, 32(2), 153-160.

Sun, P. , Tsai, R. , Finger, G. , Chen, Y. , & Yeh, D. (2008). What drives a successful e-learning? An empirical investigation of the critical factors influencing learner satisfaction. Computers & Education, 50(4), 1183-1202.

B. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Citation:

Huang, X. , & Hsiao, E. (2012). Synchronous and asynchronous communication in an online environment: Faculty experiences and perceptions. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 13(1), 15-30.

Summary:

This study examined online instructors' experiences and perceptions of online teaching and their communication with students in an online environment, so as to provide insights and guidance for distance education. It focused on the questions regarding:

1. Instructors' general experiences and perceptions of online teaching and communication.
2. Instructors' likes and dislikes about online synchronous and asynchronous communication.
3. Factors affecting instructors' adoption of synchronous communication mode.
4. Strategies that instructors used to facilitate online communication.
5. Instructors' perceptions of the impact of different communication mode on learning.
6. Difficulties instructors have encountered for online teaching and communication.

Three levels of criteria were used to identify the potential participants, i.e. teaching at least one fully online class at the university level; those who adopted both modes of communication for online delivery of instruction or relied solely on asynchronous and lastly instructors representing as many subject matter areas as possible. An in-depth semi-structured one-on-one interviews were the primary data collection tools.

The study found out participants’ overall perceptions of online teaching to be convenient, fun, heavier work-load and sometimes miscommunication could happen. Asynchronous communication tools adopted by the participants included discussion board, announcement, other text-based communication forms and e-mails being predominant though it can be overwhelming, while synchronous tools included chat and web conferencing tools.

Participants revealed that asynchronous communication provides an equal opportunity for participation, higher quality discussions, offer richer reflections, lack of instructor-student connection, and it is time-consuming. On the other hand, two-way web conferencing provides instructor-student connection, bring people closer and reduces communication barrier. This study found that in synchronous communication not everyone can participate and text-based chat is not much helpful. Strategies for facilitating online communication found to have worked include providing clear guidelines/rubrics/model examples for online discussions and monitoring student discussions regularly. The authors conclude by identifying how the two methods can be used to overcome the challenges mentioned during the interviews.

Review:

This is an article that has captured more information about asynchronous and synchronous online communication and tools that support each one of them to facilitate online learning. The methodology section fully explains how the study was conducted and the way participants were selected is a good representation of the population. The authors have supported their arguments based on interview results they received from participants. The findings reveals that asynchronous web-based online instruction is the most adopted delivery method for distance education. This is because it fosters in-depth learning and critical thinking.

 I agree with these results because so far being an online learner, most of my learning fully relies on the internet and tools like discussion board, emails and website URLs. However, synchronous communication was found to have positive impact on improved brainstorming and group decision-making skills as compared to asynchronous communication. It is an informative article, worth reading about the two types of online communication. The following table gives a clear difference about the two:

Citation:

Keengwe, J. , Onchwari, G. , & Agamba, J. (2014). Promoting effective e-learning practices through the constructivist pedagogy. Education and Information Technologies, 19(4), 887-898.

Summary:

This article examines how the theory of constructivism supports e-Learning and the design of e-learning activities using constructivist principles. A broader view of eLearning and why it is gaining popularity in the 21^st century has been discussed into four interrelated categories. These include definition of the term constructivism as a pedagogical theory; how a constructivist approach enhances effective e-learning practices; use of e-learning to teach foreign language students and e-learning activities for selected grades. The authors have identified leaner-centered design and effective e-learning environments to be guidelines for effective e-learning practices. These can be achieved by training teachers/faculty to facilitate proper design and effectiveness of e-Learning so that the content is presented in a compelling way.

They conclude by providing the following suggestions on the use of technology in learning:

1.    Focusing on use of computer for students to benefit the most.

2.    Using computers to align standards, curriculum and tests.

3.    Using computers for assessment as much as possible.

4.    Teaching students to use computer tools.

Review:

This articles provides important information about constructivist approach to effective eLearning delivery by citing what others have found out. The following suggestions have been provided about how this can be achieved: using problem-oriented learning activities relevant to student interests; encouraging active, not passive learning; providing learning environments that use a wide variety of learning resources; encouraging creativity; encouraging collaborative and cooperative group work; emphasizing the process of problem solving, decision making, and evaluation skills; and using authentic assessment methods along with quantitative methods.

Incorporating the above into online learning will help students to be actively involved in learning hence improve their thinking skills. It is also a good way to build community because students will engage in dialogue with other students. However, information about E-learning activities for selected grades does not clearly explain how effective delivery of content can be achieved. Various technology tools appropriate for children need be identified; explanation about constructive and creative learning was not captured. I think more information is required about eLearning activities for children. I found this article to have addressed current issues in eLearning and I would recommend one to read it to get more ideas about eLearning delivery in view of constructivist approach.

Citation:

York, C. , & Richardson, J. (2012). Interpersonal interaction in online learning: Experienced online instructors' perceptions of influencing factors. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 16(4), 83-98.

Summary:

This study is about interpersonal interaction in online learning i.e. (student-student & student-instructor). Perceptions of six experienced online instructors have been examined to determine factors they believe increase interaction among their students and between the students and instructor of online courses. Potential participants were selected using purposeful sampling technique. Criteria used included at least five years of experience teaching online, currently active in the field of online learning, and considered experienced online instructors by their peers.

Findings shows that course structure factors, feedback factors, and facilitating discourse factors have an impact on interpersonal interaction in online courses. These has also been compared with what the literature presents along with what other researchers have found out. In conclusion, the authors recommend a further study to identify factors used to increase interaction deemed most important.

Review:

Citing what others have researched, this article reveals that online courses that lack substantive and meaningful interaction contribute to a sense of isolation, unsatisfying learning experiences and high dropout rates. The authors have identified strategies that can be used by novice and experienced online instructors alike to impact interpersonal interaction in online courses. These strategies include group work, course environment, model use, community, discussion question type and assessment, feedback type and medium, immediacy behaviors, discourse guidelines, and instructor participation.

I found the discussion about different ways participants carry out online delivery and what they have found out to be working with online students to be well presented. Ideas like course presentation, using appropriate media to provide feedback and how to communicate are key issues that affect interpersonal interaction in an online environment. I will recommend one to read this article to learn more about interpersonal interaction in online courses.

Citation:

Hirumi, A. (2013). Three levels of planned elearning interactions: A framework for grounding research and the design of elearning programs. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 14(1), 1.

Summary:

This article describes continuing advancements of a framework for grounding research and the design of eLearning interactions. It reveals that advances in technology offer a vast array of opportunities for facilitating eLearning. However, difficulties may arise if eLearning research and design, including the use of emerging technologies, are based primarily on past practices, fads, or political agendas.

The methodology used identifies using behavioral and cognitive instructional strategies as well as applying the theories to facilitate eLearning. The author recommends educators to use frameworks to organize and apply knowledge as they integrate emerging technologies to facilitate eLearning. This framework can be a good starting point.

The article describes refinements made to a framework for designing and sequencing eLearning interactions, three primary levels of interactions that distinguish the framework and illustrates the relationship between learning theories, instructional strategies, and learner interactions with human and nonhuman resources. The author suggests the following while using the framework:

1. Educators and educational researchers should select an instructional strategy based on their values and beliefs about how and why people learn.

2. The selected strategy should then guide the design and sequencing of eLearning interactions.

Effectiveness of the proposed framework has been demonstrated practically.

Review:

This is an informative article that outlines various eLearning levels of interactions that can be used by educators to facilitate eLearning effectively. The three levels have been explained in detailed by further identifying learner human and learner non-human interactions that facilitate learning. This gives a clear understanding of how learner-interactions in eLearning take place. Student-content interaction has been noted to have a greater contribution to higher levels of student achievement and improved attitudes.

Embracing these interactions will help to minimize the idea of just delivering content and teaching to the test. I think educators will have a clear strategy to follow. The learner being the center for instruction educators need to support Internal Learner-Self Interactions as identified. These are issues revolving within the learner which also have an impact on how the learner performs. The author has identified area for further research so as to provide empirical evidence for its utility and to reduce the gap between rhetoric and practice in K-12 distance education.

Citation:

K12 inc. educators survey highlights reporting, teacher availability and training, and engaging curriculum as key individualized online learning best practices. (2012). Education Letter, 69.

Summary:

This is a survey that was conducted by MDR's EdNET Insight. Superintendents, assistant superintendents, curriculum directors, principals and special education directors who have experience implementing online learning were asked to identify and rank several key success factors and best practices.

More than 220 leaders responded, majority of them have experience implementing online programs for credit recovery, experience offering online courses and full-time online programs.

Results show that the following four factors cited as "extremely important" are critical to implementing successful online learning programs in K–12 schools and districts:

1.  Progress monitoring tools to gauge a student's understanding of lessons, monitor performance and determine if intervention is needed.

2. Availability of teachers to assist struggling students.

3. Instructors who are well trained in delivering online courses.

4. Offering rigorous and engaging curriculum to provide different methods of delivering content.

Review:

By reading the main goal of the survey, the survey respondents and the results of the survey, I presume useful information about what is expected of online teachers was presented. Not all information has been presented because this article cannot be accessed not unless you register, have to belong to a specific school district and have a role. I think such useful information should be easily accessed by those interested to help them learn what others have found out in the field. Putting some restrictions is a limitation in the academia.

SESSION 3: BEST PRACTICES.

1. After reviewing the Quality Matters Checklist, what are three best practices you can extract. List each one and explain its significance and importance. Be sure to give an example of how using this idea would make either delivery or assessment better in a specific eLearning context.

        From the Quality Matters (QM) checklist, I found the following to be best practices: Course activities and learner interaction, assessment & measurement and instructional materials. Dr. Newberry points out that the very best best practices would be those that are most universal and applicable to more settings and populations. 

Providing course activities and learner interaction – activities which the learner has to undertake provides an opportunity for delivering the content to be learned; a good way to develop the knowledge base of the learner which leads to mastery of content. This can be accomplished by following bloom’s taxonomy.

Such activities include reading resources – instructor can provide URLs of web resources for students to read and complete assignments. The learner will be able to interact with the content, interact with other students about the topic of discussion and the instructor so that learning objectives can be achieved. Students learn by sharing what they know because they put it in the way they understand better.

          I have found blackboard discussions to be a good eLearning context. This is because different views and resources are presented by students about the same topic; giving one a chance to learn more information about the same topic as of compared when it would have been presented by an individual. Writing reflections about what has been covered in that topic helps in facilitating critical thinking.

For example, this weeks’ work illustrates this clearly. We had several topics to read and three topics were presented but we were to respond to one and give comments to the rest. This is emphasized by Chickering and Gamson (1987) under principle numbers 2 & 3; one way to enhance learner-focused teaching by focusing attention on the learning process and empowering learners to take on the learning task (Palloff & Pratt, 2009).

Giving assessment & measurement – Assessment is a strategy that both the learner and the instructor uses to track performance in regards to the learning objectives. It’s through assessment that an instructor can identify the best way to deliver instruction to meet learners’ needs. Best practice is exercised when the learner receives prompt feedback about their performance through a grading routine. This motivates and enlightens them about areas they need to improve.

        Dr. Newberry has shared his strategy about this; a question a once asked him and this is what he had to say:

“Q: I must say I like the way you are so prompt in giving feedback. What is the secret behind this?”

“A: I try to reserve Monday to do grading. By focusing only on grading (and by reading fast!) I can get grading done for two or three classes in a single day.
I keep all grades in a spreadsheet and I use a merge feature to port the grades and the comments into individual emails. That is how I can send you an email each week that includes all of your grades including updated scores.”

         Chickering and Gamson (1987) points out this under principle numbers 6 & 7. Aligning assessment with course activities helps to determine a true measurement of student competency and performance. It also ensures that the instructor retains responsibility for monitoring progress and assigning the final grade (Palloff & Pratt, 2009). They recommend answering this question when designing assessment: “what is it we want our students to be able to know and do at the conclusion of this course?” (p.28).

Use of instructional materials – having an updated and a variety of instructional materials will help to effectively facilitate learning activities. These ranges from printed and duplicated materials, still-projected display materials and technological instructional media. I believe all the seven principles presented by Chickering will have to rely on instructional materials for fruition of eLearning.

You may click here for more information about instructional materials.

          In an eLearning context the following materials should be used to deliver the content, use of textual information, audiovisual materials and presentations. Chickering and Gamson (1987) points out this under principle number 7.

More information about best practices in online teaching: http://www.uwec.edu/AcadAff/resources/edtech/upload/Best-Practices-in-Online-Teaching-Strategies-Membership.pdf

2. After reviewing the readings (and other sources that you locate on your own) what are some ideas that you can take from the work of Chickering and Gamson? How well do their suggestions map to online education in general? How well do they map to the students and/or content you might teach or develop for?

        Dreon (2013) states in her work that almost 25 years have passed since Chickering and Gamson offered principles for good instructional practices in undergraduate education, but still they have a place in today’s collegiate classroom. The principles translate well to the online classroom though they were meant to communicate best practices for face-to-face instruction.

The seven principles have illustrated how good practice can be exercised while teaching be it face-to-face or online learning. They also relate well with what (Palloff & Pratt, 2009) have presented about learner-focused teaching.

          From my experience with online / hybrid learning, I would say efforts have been made to ensure what Chickering presented is implemented. Use of communication technologies has helped to see learners and instructors remain in contact throughout the course. Various interactions especially student-student has so far ensured that students build a community and has been a good way to learn from others.

Breaking down course content into manageable weekly readings, assignments, discussions and reflections promotes active learning, gives the instructor time to provide prompt feedback on the work covered and a convenient way of learning. 

          For any course which I will develop, I will ensure I implement the seven principles by ensuring there is constant communication with the students about the course expectations, come up with methods of promoting student-student interaction as discussed before and having a variety of multimedia options to deliver the content.

3. According to the text, what are Objectives, Outcomes and Competencies? Provide an example of each.

• Objectives: Are statement of purpose describing what students will learn, generally at the end of a unit of study. They are outlined goal an instructor would want to achieve in his or her teaching. This is accomplished by coming up with learning activities which students have to perform followed by an assessment to demonstrate that they have mastered the concepts presented. For example: At the end of the unit, students should be able to list points to consider when designing an online course.

• Outcomes: What students will be able to know or do, generally at the end of a course. The behavior to be achieved that will be performed even after leaving the program course. This is something which a student can do to demonstrate knowledge acquisition. For example: At the end of the course, students should be able to design an online course.

• Competencies: How students demonstrate knowledge or skill acquisition, generally at the end of a program of study. It forms the foundation. It is at this stage that I would say learning has taken place because there is an observable change in the learners’ behavior i.e. acquisition of knowledge and skills. For example, at the end of the program, students should be able to facilitate an online class.

They have presented it in this table which gives a clear illustration of how they relate to each other:

4. List the six levels in Bloom's taxonomy. Now list one eLearning task, question or assignment for each level.

Knowledge: Ability to recall previously learned material; know specific facts, methods, and procedures; and know basic concepts and principles.

eLearning Question: List any four best practices in eLearning as presented in the web resources provided.

Comprehension: Ability to understand the meaning of material, interpret charts and graphs, estimate future consequences implied in the data.

eLearning Question: Write a brief explanation about best practices in eLearning as presented in the web resources provided and any other online material.

Application:  Ability to use learned information in new situations, problem solving, solutions that have “best answers”; to demonstrate correct usage of procedures; to apply laws or theories to practical situations.

eLearning assignment: Illustrate how the identified best practices can be used in an online environment.

Analysis: Ability to identify component parts of knowledge, to understand its structure and composition, to recognize logical fallacies in reasoning, to make distinctions between facts and inferences.

eLearning assignment: Compare and contrast “best practices” for face-to-face learning and those for online learning.

Synthesis: Ability to creatively apply knowledge to new areas, to integrate new knowledge, to write a well-argued paper or speech, to propose a research design to test a hypothesis.

eLearning question: In relation to the chapter readings, what solution would you suggest towards improving the practice of eLearning.

Evaluation: Ability to judge the value of evidence or material for a given purpose.

eLearning assignment: Review the various definitions of best practices as presented in the chapter readings as well as several other definitions that you find online.

5. According to the text, what is "learner focused teaching"? How does this concept relate to the work of Chickering and Gamson? Provide some ideas for providing "learner focused teaching" in an eLearning setting and give at least one example.

       Learner focused teaching enables the learner to gain knowledge by analyzing and evaluating the information presented. This is done by involving the student, aligning assessment with course activities and use of multiple measures of student performance.

The seven principles places the learner at the focal area. How delivery and assessment of the content is presented by Chickering is a true picture of learner focused teaching. This include use of active learning techniques, reflecting on diverse talents and ways of learning e.t.c. Palloff & Pratt (2009) have identified the benefits of learner-focused teaching as follows:

• Focuses attention squarely on the learning process.

• Focuses on what the student is learning, how the student is learning, the conditions under which the student is learning, and whether the student is retaining and applying the learning.

• Focuses on how current learning positions the student for future learning.

• Focuses on learning, not grades.

• Empowers learners to take on the learning task.

• Gives learners input into the assessment process.

• Ensures that the instructor retains responsibility for monitoring progress and assigning the final grade, if one is necessary.

6. Explain how the readings this week (and your own research) connects with the Blackboard discussion.

        The readings are interrelated with blackboard discussion topics. They include best practices and how to implement them, quality matters, bloom’s taxonomy and learner-focused teaching. Discussion topics were selected from these readings which was a good way to reflect on what was presented in the readings. All the information presented covered issues about improving online delivery and assessment. I gained a deeper understanding of key areas relating to best practices in online learning.

7. Quote your best entry from this week's Blackboard discussion. Explain why you chose it and what it demonstrates about your understanding, learning process etc.

        “Quality Matters check helps to improve the quality of most online classes. QM standards provide information for instructors to keep track as they design and deliver the course. This helps to identify areas that need improvements. The peer review process helps the instructor to receive information about the strengths of the course, instructional enhancement suggestions and/or recommendations. Standards that were met and those not met are provided. Any score below the minimum score (85%) calls for revision of the course for the instructor to continue teaching it.”

        It is encouraging to realize that online classes have to meet some laid down standards before they can be taught. Any online classes which do not meet the requirements need to be reviewed. This has a positive impact towards learning process because we can be sure that learners are receiving quality education that will help to improve their performance.

8. Identify the student you think was the most important participant in the Blackboard discussion. Explain why and provide at least one quote from that student's contributions to the Blackboard discussion.

           Generally all the postings that I read were informative and information about real classroom experiences were presented but I gained a lot from Laura’s presentation. I needed an explanation about how the 7^th principle relates to online learning and her feedback broadened my understanding about it:

“The curriculum can be fast-tracked for students who are capable and modified for struggling students……..For example, if they are not going to be able to accomplish writing an entire research report, they could create a PowerPoint or travel brochure that covers the same learning objectives.”

9. Reflect on what you have learned this week. What have you learned that has the potential to inform or influence you or your practice of online learning going forward? Explain why.

           It has been very long time since I read about Bloom’s taxonomy. This gave me a time to reflect on what & how learning is facilitated in a classroom setup. Best practices have changed the way I used to view online delivery and assessment. At least I now have something to refer to whenever I carry out online learning. I have understood how emerging technologies has helped to facilitate best practices.

REFERENCES.

Chickering, A. and Gamson, Z. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in              undergraduate education. Washington Center News. Retrieved from:                                                                                                                                      http://www.lonestar.edu/multimedia/SevenPrinciples.pdf

Dreon, O. (2013). Applying the seven principles for good practice to the online          classroom. Faculty Focus. Higher Ed Teaching Strategies from Magna                Publications p. 1-5.

McEachron, D. , Bach, C. , & Sualp, M. (2012). Digital socrates: A system for           disseminating and evaluating best practices in education. Campus-Wide             Information Systems, 29(4), 226-237.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2009). Assessing the online learner: Resources and strategies for faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.