Supporting Synchronous e-learning

1. Supporting Synchronous e-learning Different strokes for different folks Tamar WeissUniversity of Haifatamar@research.haifa.ac.il Heidi SugarmanOno Academic College & Ben Gurion Universityhsugarman@hakirya.ac.il

2. Technology Push Technologies for online learning Market Pull • Wide availability of computers • High speed online connectivity • Courseware programs • E-learning support centers Student and lecturer convenience • Older students with work & home obligations • Traffic, weather, strikes • Differences in learning styles • Accessible for students with disabilities • Commuting students & lecturers

3. Advantages of DL • The obvious ones: weather, traffic, crowded, uncomfortable classrooms, students with disabilities • The more subtle ones: students take more responsibility for their education in order to support options for life-long learning.

4. 2 Types of DL • Synchronous • Asynchronous

5. Asynchronous Synchronous Same time any place Any time any place Moderately flexible Extremely flexible Computer, modem Computer, modem Online, on demand Online, live Student initiative, driven by materials prepared by instructor Instructor drivenNeeds discipline by student Multimedia not posible due to bandwidth limitations Moderate use of multimedia, limited by bandwidth

6. Advantages of Synchronous DL • Students taking part in synchronous sessions are motivated by the energy generated by the group. • In contrast to the delayed response associated with asynchronous discussion forums, feedback with synchronous methods is fast-paced and immediate. • Encourages students to keep up-to-date and maintain discipline in meeting course deadlines

7. Main advantage of synchronous DL • Potential for creating the feeling of actually sitting in a real classroom – i.e., the creation of a sense of "telepresence" over the Internet. • Telepresence = the extent to which one has the experience of being fully present at a live real world location remote from one's own physical location

8. Disadvantages of Synchronous DL

9. Lack of control over students • Moderating a synchronous online event has been likened to teaching while wearing a blindfold and earplugs – the lecturer usually has no idea what is taking place on the other side of the Internet connection

10. Distractions • Students at work have the usual pressures and demands of work setting • At home: temptation to take care of domestic chores can be overwhelming

11. Demographic data *Ben Gurion University

12. Supporting Synchronous e-learning Supporting Synchronous e-learning Different strokes for different folks Different strokes for different folks The Interwise system Lecturer’s Desktop Student's Desktop

13. Importance of adequate support for synchronous DL Haifa • PPT explanation of the program sent to each student • Individual training using support person to use the Interwise program – one or two 20 min training sessions for each student • Individual training was needed because of feelings of fear and trepidation BGU: • PPT explanation sent to each student • Lecturer did “dress rehearsal” to check for technical problems • Students viewed using the program as a great adventure

14. Interactivity • Students were encouraged to make use of the Interwise tools to communicate with the lecturer and with each other

15. What we did – • Interactive – many questions to the students • Lecturer stopped as soon as hand was raised, and passed speaker rights to student • Camera showing lecturer (Haifa) • Student presentations (BGU) Student's Desktop

16. Support system • Technical support person for training and during sessions • Needed occasionally even by BGU students because of technical difficulties that arose during the lecture (usually problems with downloading materials).

17. Use of internet, chat, e-mail Yes=1, no = 0 Maximum score = 3 Knowledge of computer and internet applications – students rated themselves Internet experience - years

18. Similar Learning styles Both practical professions like to try things out, get a feel for what it means Sequential vs. Global “Once I understand (a) all the parts, I understand the whole thing or (b) the whole thing, I see how the parts fit”. Verbal vs. Visual “When I think about what I did yesterday, I am most likely to get (a) a picture or (b) words”. Intuitive vs. Sensing “I would rather first (a) try things out or (b) think about how I’m going to do it”. Active vs. Reflective “I understand something better after I (a) try it out or (b) think it through”. Wide variation in both groups  masking any between group differences

19. Feeling of presence

20. Feeling of accomplishment

21. Comfort level

22. Student comments • BGU enjoyed the comfort of tuning in from their own homes • BGU students tended to get together in small groups of 2-3 • Both groups of students enjoyed the feeling of being “techy” • Haifa students : several negative comments about presenting difficult material in this format • Otherwise they seemed to like it and felt that an online learning format suited the course material “Technology in Occupational Therapy”

23. Conclusions & Recommendations • Camera (Haifa) and participating in small groups (BGU) added to sense of presence • Good to ask many questions and create interactivity • Not a good idea to try and teach difficult material in this format • Can only cover about 2/3 of the material in comparison to face-to-face lecture • Even non-techy older students can enjoy the internet format, if they are adequately prepared

24. Bottom Line • Overall, both students and lecturers reported that the advantages of synchronous learning outweighed its disadvantages, at least for occasional courses. • Technology can overcome problems of wide geographic distribution of potential students

25. Unfortunately • Support for Interwise is now being discontinued at both BGU and Haifa due to lack of demand on part of lecturers. • Need to find incentives to encourage lecturers to try out new learning technologies……

26. Limitations of this study • Group sizes are small relative to the variability • Technical difficulties with some of the more interactive interventions • Groups differed in many ways that confounded the study (e.g. different course material, different lecturers)

27. Acknowledgements Meital for financial support for the Interwise platform and this study Alison Brann for technical support Noa Gilad for data analysis Micha Konja and Yehuda Hausner for support above and beyond the call of duty