Preparing Faculty and Students for Web Ed

1. Preparing Faculty and Students for Web Ed Joan Thiele, PhD, RN

2. Transforming Education • “A major flaw in lecture-textbook courses is that students are treated in the same way, with only minor individualization. The courses proceed in lock-step fashion, with no attempt to allow students who need more time to have it.” (Bork, 1995)

3. Transforming Education • “the common assumption - that lecturing is an efficient way of transmitting information accurately - is wrong”. • In the average lecture only 500 of every 5000 words are recorded by the student. (Johnstone & Su, 1994)

4. Interaction is directly related to improved learning • student-to-faculty • student-to-student • student-to-information

5. Transforming education • Teachers must learn to use computers as teaching tools • Issue is professional development and teacher training

6. Issues Raised • Physical - wear and tear on the body, carpal tunnel, eye fatigue, headaches • Personal - adjustment of students and faculty to electronic learning

7. “The Internet is so big, so powerful and pointless, that for some it is a complete substitute for life.” (Andrew Brown)

8. Faculty Development • Requires a change in faculty thinking

9. Pedagogical considerations • Best use of technology • Collaborative learning • Problem solving • Critical thinking • Content mastery

10. Technical knowledge • Technical knowledge required • Technical advice requested

11. Design Principles • Original content • Timely, valuable, regularly updated • Graphics use • Easy to read pages • Interactive course material • Well organized • Created for ease of use

12. Download time • Animation • Images • Graphics/enhancements • Computer-based testing • Consider a 486 computer as lowest level for course support

13. Student Preparation Needs • Computer avoidance • Web “junkie” • Motivation to complete the course

14. Critical Thinking • “I prefer you teach it in class, rather than my trying to understand what it is.” • Transition from a rote learner to a focused learner who applies the material to relevant situations.

15. Critical Thinking

16. Computer Usage/Skills • “Computer skills greatly improved due to the class” • Prerequisite skills • New skills • Resources for assistance with skills

17. Computer Outcomes • “The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up, there’s no law against whacking them around a little.” (Porterfield)

18. Learning Tasks • Demand mastery of content • Guidelines may be useful - • Last one to post to the discussion must summarize comments and interpret them in relation to the situation.

19. Course expectations • Same (or more) than for traditional course • Activities must go beyond rote memorization of facts, a “surface approach” to learning • Learning is the focus, not the delivery method or technology

20. Assessment Methods • Same outcomes as in traditional course • Methods of assessing may utilize technology

21. Student Outcomes • Web-based students learn as much or more, IF the Web instruction is designed to be as effective (or more so) than traditional instruction.

22. What are the keys to successful conduct of Web courses? • Access to technology • Guidelines and procedures • Participation • Collaborative learning • Technology learning • Evaluation of the process

23. Web instruction is not a magic solution to education problems • Using a computer based, asynchronous teaching model is quite different from the more traditional mode and requires significant time to develop • It is cutting edge; everybody is learning, students and faculty together.