Comparing e-resources: D2L vs. DIY (Do-it-Yourself):

1. Comparing e-resources:D2L vs. DIY (Do-it-Yourself): An Aks approach to on-line course material. Deborah J. Aks 1st Int'l Desire2Learn (D2L) Users Conference, Madison WI. --Aug 3, 2004

2. Do-it-yourself -- DIY In 1994, DIY was… fun, simple, cheap & carefree (i.e., no need to worry about security, spam, viruses, expense)

3. Do-it-yourself -- DIY Today in 2004… (if you are a faculty w/ limited time) You have to be insane to be a DIYer

4. Do-it-yourself -- DIY • In 1994, It was free & easy to set up your own web server (e.g., mac-http) • It was easy to manually code html

5. Top Priorities: • Ease of Use! • Effective Teaching!

6. 1 step URL http://psych.uww.edu/aks/

12. Do-it-yourself -- DIY Today in 2004… • Web features can be far more complicated (to code by hand). • Need to worry about security, viruses, frequent upgrades & time!!!

13. Which on-line tools should I use? DIY • Web CT • Blackboard • D2L* CMS{

14. CMS contains lots of on-line features & is self-contained • Email • Dropbox • Grades • Discussions • Assessments* • Surveys • Quizzing…

16. What improves teaching effectiveness? Possibilities: •  Entertainment* •  Challenge •  Simplify •  Interactive involvement* •  Assessment •  Assessment & feedback* • *Effectiveness of these involvesfocusing student attention

17. Conclusion: •  Entertainment •  Challenge •  Simplify •  *Interactive involvement •  Assessment •  **Assessment & immediate feedback

18. What guides the decision as to which e-tools to use? The idea 2. The approach 3. The tools

20. Step 1: Teaching goal =Ideas! Working premise: Effective teaching = Increase in student learning of these ideas

21. Step 1: Idea = Critical Thinking skills Awareness of current event: WMD

22. Step 2: The approach • Approach = survey

23. Why focus on assessment & rapid feedback? • This might be the best way to help students learn!!! • = Effective teaching

24. Step 3: The Tool • What’s the best tool out there to do the job? ….at this point in time • Important note: technology is constantly changing & what’s best now may not be best a few months from now.

25. Step 3: The Tool • On July 22, 2004 I was choosing between: • D2L survey • PHP-ESP survey

29. Multiple Steps in D2L for each question

30. http://sourceforge.net/

31. PHP-ESP advantages • Fewer steps • Easier beta-testing • Anybody can take the survey

32. Try the survey.. http://stori.uww.edu/psych305/911survey.html

38. Signal Detection Theory (SDT) Powerful tool to distinguish factsfrom bias in decision making Task: Detect something e.g., WMD

39. Signal Detection Theory (SDT) Signal = WMD … Are they there? Or not? Evidence? -vs- Bias?

40. What guides the decision as to which e-tools to use? The idea: SDT 2. The approach: Interactive demo 3. The tools: Flash

41. Our Decisions are affected by: Signal strength & quality Our biases

42. Watch out for Noise! Sometime stuff looks like a signal But it’s not. e.g., sometimes trailers for monitoring weather can be mistaken for trailers used to produce WMD

43. Is the signal (WMD)present? Correct Response

44. Is the signal (WMD)present? Incorrect Response

45. 4 Types of Responses • Correct: • Hits • Correct Rejection • Incorrect: • False Alarm • Miss

46. (Pre-) 9/11 *

47. Post-9/11 *

48. Try the SDT demo… http://stori.uww.edu/psych305/SDT.swf Many thanks to David Delgado from UWW-LTC for his help w/ constructing the critical dynamic features

49. D2L + DIY = ? Combining e-resources a) Limitless possibilities in e-teaching b) Effective e-teaching c) Maximize student learning d) Complexity in e-teaching e) Confusion in e-teaching **f) All of the above

50. Future directions to keep in mind…. • Maximize effective teaching • Maximize ease of use • Import from specialized applications