Collaborative Interaction in Distance Education…

Siemens (2007) discusses the evolution and increasing acceptance of distance education because of three reasons: 1) global diversity, 2) communication, and 3) collaborative interaction. In this post the third reason, collaborative interaction in distance education, is the element of discussion. There have been many technology innovations over the past few years that have dramatically increased the number of tools that can be used to enhance online and distance education. This idea of collaborating online is an important element in my selected research topic for EDUC 7102 of the use of wikis for collaboration in education. Judd, Kennedy, and Cropper (2010) define wikis as, "…websites that can be interactively edited by any number of people using simple online tools" (p. 341). Two important reasons why wikis are chosen to be the subject of research in this course include the scholars who associate the use of wikis with constructivism as well as the use of wikis as an online cloud computing internet-based learning tool. Su and Beaumont (2010) state that, "A wiki is able to provide a learning environment which is closely aligned with the social-constructivist approach and is more natural than many tools where open collaboration and the exchange of ideas are important" (p. 417). Snyder (2009) describes credits wikis and other web 2.0 technologies by saying, "These elements support an online learning community framework that is interactive, collaborative, and constructive" (p. 52).

Web 2.0 tools and their implementation in the classrooms are getting lots of attention from the educational research community and wikis are one example of these online tools (Olligies, 2010). Wikis are generally used as a collaborative learning tool for learning communities (Lin & Kelsey, 2009). The role wikis play in e-learning environments and the role wikis play as web 2.0 tools that combine social networks with online learning are discussed by Hazari, North, & Moreland (2009). The study found that, "Wikis can promote collaboration in group assignments, encourage negotiation, and make students comfortable with new generation of technology tools (Hazari, North, & Moreland, 2009, p. 195). Sheehy (2008) explores the role that wikis play in communities of practice and how it can be used as a collective knowledge repository. Florea's (2008) study about the use of wikis as, "beneficial for online information literacy instruction" (p. 428).

Distance education must evolve if it is going to continue to rise as a viable, quality educational alternative to traditional face-to-face learning contexts. Web 2.0 tools such as wikis can be an important technological tool to create a culture of collaboration and interaction if it is structured and implemented correctly. Collaboration is an increasingly important component of the world of work as well as communicating in a global society. Wikis and other web 2.0 tools provide ways to communicate effectively in a global context for both education and work, however more research must be done on how to use these tools to maximize effectiveness of their use in the fast-paced and ever changing world that we live in.


References:

Florea, M. (2008). Using webCT, wiki spaces, and eportfolios for teaching and building information literacy skills. Journal of Library Administration, 48(3/4), 411-430.

Hazari, S., North, A., & Moreland, D. (2009). Investigating pedagogical value of wiki technology. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20(2), 187-198.

Judd, T., Kennedy, G., & Cropper, S. (2010). Using wikis for collaborative learning: assessing collaboration through contribution. Australasion Journal of Educational Technology, 26(3), 341-354. 

 

Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2007). Distance Education: Higher Education, K-12, and the Corporate World  [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

 

Lin, H., & Kelsey, K. D. (2009). Building a networked environment in wikis: the evolving phases of collaborative learning in a wikibook project. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 40(2), 145-169. doi:10.2190/EC.40.2.a

 

Olliges, R. (2010). Wikis and collaboration: are they a mix?. Journal of Philosophy & History of Education, 60(1), 77-80. 

 

Sheehy, G. (2008). The wiki as knowledge repository: using a wiki in a community of practice to strengthen K-12 education. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 52(6), 55-60. doi: 10.1007/s11528-008-0219-9

 

Snyder, M.M. (2009). Instructional-design theory to guide the creation of online learning communities for adults. TechTrends, 53(1), 48-56. 

 

Su, F., & Beaumont, C. (2010). Evaluating the use of a wiki for collaborative learning. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 47(4), 417-431. doi: 10.1080/14703297.2010.518428

Distance Education Part 2…

Scholars are discussing e-learning trends and how online distance learning must evolve. Examples of voices in this conversation are Moller, Foshay, & Huett (2008). Moller, Foshay, & Huett (2008) in part 1 of their series on e-learning trends discuss how training and development increasingly rely on Internet distance education in workplace settings due to its economic benefits as well as its ability to provide a customizable learning experience that is unprecedented. "If the most important training is that which is actually used by learners, it stands to reason that as web-based instruction evolves and learners become more adept at maneuvering within the environment, they will come to demand greater customization of the learning process to cater to their individual interaction needs—whatever those needs might be" (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008, p. 75). Part 2 of Moller, Foshay, & Huett's (2008) series discuss the role online distance learning is playing in higher education. There is a need for performance-based outcomes in online distance learning, particularly in higher education. "The conclusion, therefore, is to understand that the faculty, the distance education organizations, the learners and their employers, and the ID field all have a common interest in performance-based definitions of quality" (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008, p. 70). Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman (2008) also discuss in Part 3 of their series on distance education the ever-increasing role that online education plays in K-12 education. They conclude with the confession that "As much as our understanding of technology in education and training has developed over the past 40 years, we still understand only a small fraction of what is required to transform the craft of instructional technology and design into an engineering or science-style discipline" (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008, p. 66).


 
The reality is that education must be continually studied and redefined if it is going to successfully meet the ever-changing needs of our society and world. There are three important educational theories that are important to education in general, and specifically in educational technology (Ally, 2008). They are behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. The cognitivist school of learning, which, "see learning as an internal process that involves memory, thinking, reflection, abstraction, motivation, and metacognition" (Ally, 2008, p. 21), is an approach that is the most appropriate to meet the learning outcomes in a distance education environment in my opinion. The emphasis on activating existing knowledge, chunking knowledge into parts to reduce overload, a variety of learning strategies should be used to meet learner outcomes, different modes of information presentation, and learners should be motivated to learn are important components to designing instruction that is learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered and when done effectively, community-centered (Anderson, 2008). Constructivism can also be utilized as an effective theory to promote the four goals of distance learning. Both of these approaches accommodate the needs of the learner and can be used as a basis for facilitating the complex process of learning. Behaviorism in my opinion does not fully accommodate for the complexities of the learning process due to its emphasis on the role of the instructional medium rather than the learner.


 
References:
Ally, M. (2008). Foundations of educational theory for online learning. In Anderson, T. (2^nd ed.), The theory and practice of online learning (pp. 15-44). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.


Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications     for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.


Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, July/August). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.


Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63–67.

Distance Education Part 1…

Education must inevitably change as students change. Specific approaches to education must evolve to meet the needs of the students as well as meet the learning goals of the educational milieu. Distance education must evolve and change due to rapid technological innovations that are taking place as well as the shifting needs of the glocal (global and local) context of the 21^st century.

The four goals recommended by Anderson (2008) are learner-centered, knowledge-centered, community-centered, and assessment-centered. Any learning environment that utilizes these four areas can improve student experiences whether they are in distance or traditional education. Paloff & Pratt (2005) describe the need for institutions and educators in distance learning institutions must be learner-focused and highlight openness, flexibility & humor, honesty, the willingness to take responsibility for community formation and the willingness to work collaboratively as important aspects for success as online learners. All of these aspects of the learning process are essential to successful learning in whatever context it takes place. Distance learning's unique context is not a face-to-face learning environment; therefore a different conception of learning must be understood than in a traditional educational experience. Best practices must be researched to and be continually modified due to the technological and communication changes that occur in the societies that distance learning institutions serve.

 

References:

Ally, M. (2008). Foundations of educational theory for online learning. In Anderson, T. (2^nd ed.), The theory and practice of online learning (pp. 15-44). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Anderson, T. (Ed.). (2008). The theory and practice of online learning. (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). The role and responsibility of the learner in the online classroom. Retrieved from http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/03_24.pdf