Video Presentation for Professional Conference: Gamification & Jane McGonigal

Module 5 - Moving Toward Dynamic Technology

Tell me and I forget.  Teach me and I remember.  Involve me and I learn. ~ Benjamin Franklin

My concept map is meant to show how technology ranges from being completely static to completely dynamic.  For example, I placed books and peer-to-peer sharing at the static end; however, technologies such as blogs, wikis and discussion boards have static and dynamic characteristics (Moller, L., 2008).  Finally, activities such as virtual simulation, gaming, and multi-user environments are dynamic (Moller, L., 2008) and can be used to provide content, communication, or collaboration.

If I had to place myself on the "static-dynamic continuum" I would be in the middle.  I am relatively new to educational technology.  I tend to gravitate towards static technologies because that is what I have always used to learn.   I love reading, watching videos and listening to audio books.  All these activities are on the static end; however, as I take more classes at Walden University and learn about educational technology I am slowing moving to the dynamic end.

To become more comfortable with dynamic technologies, I plan to continue to learn and keep up-to-date with current trends in technology.   I think being knowledgeable about the technology that is available for learners is the most important measure I can take to incorporating dynamic technology into my classroom.  Furthermore, I plan to write my dissertation on the gamification of learning.   Gaming is considered a dynamic technology, so I am certain that by the time I earn my Ph.D., I will be just as comfortable with dynamic technology.

References:

Moller, L.  (2008).  Static and dynamic technological tools [Unpublished paper].  Retrieved from https://www.class.waldenu.edu

Module 4 - Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools

Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. ~ Mattie Stepanek

Reflection

Content

Books, websites, YouTube or Webinars, and blogs provide students with the knowledge to decipher their learning material.  For example, YouTube and websites allow students to learn how to use computer programs, how to solve problems, or do anything that they desire.  Although books are "old-fashioned," students can explore the content to highlight pertinent facts or write ideas in the margins or bookmark with sticky notes.  There are also eBooks that give students the opportunity to listen to an audio version of a book.  Finally, blogs provide students with another person's views of issues and concepts.

Communication

Email, phones, online chats, and Facebook are ways for students and instructors to communicate.  For instance, students can email documents to share or write correspondence to arrange an online meeting.  While, a synchronous online chat or phone call gives students an opportunity to ask the instructor questions and clarify information about the course content.  Meetings with others are especially important since online learners do not get many opportunities to connect with students or instructors.  In other words, it helps the student feel connected to the school and their peers.  Finally, a group Facebook page is another way for the instructor to help students feel part of their online community.  Also, since many people check Facebook daily, students can get answers to questions relatively quickly.

Collaboration

Email, wikis, Google Docs, and Skype offer students the means for collaboration.  Students can email documents to each other for editing or advice.  While wikis and Google docs allow students or instructors to share their work with others who can insert comments into documents.  Finally, Skype gives students a chance to meet a live person to collaborate.  It is a way for students to see facial expressions and hand gestures and develop an academic relationship with their peers.

Forums

The discussion forum is the virtual classroom.  It is where students share their ideas, personal experiences and work with their classmates and instructor.  Students develop relationships in these forums and communicate with each other.  They learn to view the content from a different perspective, which may alter the way they perceive the world.  Finally, the forums are where students learn how to collaborate to understand the material.  Therefore, the forum is the most important engagement tool that the instructor can provide the student!

Module 3 - Assessing Collaborative Efforts

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships. ~ Michael Jordan

Collaborative learning is the key to a successful distance education course.  Today’s world is dominated by cooperative efforts; therefore, students must acquire collaborative skills to be successful in life (Laureate Education, 2008b).  For that reason, many courses require group work as part of the curriculum.  This blog examines how to assess collaborative assignments and deal with reluctant group members.

Assessment of Participation

According to Siemens, the biggest challenge for an instructor is switching assessments created to test individuals to ones geared for groups and collaboration (Laureate Education, Inc, 2008a).   Siemens recommended four ways for teachers to assess group work.   The first way is through peer assessment where students rate aspects of the course (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a).  The second method entails reviewing comments from peers and discussion forums (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a).  Next, the third recommendation is based on the students’ input to the discussion and coursework (Laureate Education, Inc. 2008a).  Finally, Siemens suggests looking at learning analytical data to gauge the amount of time spent in the online classroom and the number of posts contributed by each student (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a). 

Of the four methods, I think that reviewing the students’ comments in the forums is the best way to measure students’ understanding.  This method allows the instructor to see students’ ideas and perceptions.  Instructors must also look at whether students’ comments are clear and insightful.  For example, as a geology instructor, I found that some students often spew information on essay questions hoping to find the right response.  Therefore, considering how the student answered the discussion prompts and questions is also important to test understanding. 

Conversely, of the four methods, I think that instructors should be skeptical of peer assessment.  For example, some students, when asked to rate a course will put all threes or ones.  Maybe even not judge a course fairly because of a problem with an instructor.  I have personally witnessed students do this on course assessments as a student and as an instructor.  How accurate and fair is this type of assessment?   I am not saying that students’ opinions are not enlightening and useful; however, I think that instructors should cautiously consider students' viewpoints as part of an assessment. 

The goal of assessment is determining how well an individual learned and understood the coursework.  Therefore, the assessment must be fair and based on the amount of work a student put into learning the course objectives (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a).  Unfortunately, not all students test well, so this endeavor can be challenging.  Siemens also suggests considering the amount of knowledge a student gained throughout the course (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a).  Some students may start out knowing more and may not be challenged by the coursework.  While, other students may need to put in extra time to reach the same level as the student that knew more resulting in not performing as well on a test.  In this case, who deserves a better grade the person with little gained new knowledge or the person that gained lots of new knowledge?  As Siemens points out, this is an issue that will need to be addressed in the future as society changes the education system (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a).

Dealing with a Reluctant Group Member

According to Siemens, there are several reasons for a reluctant group member.   One reason is due to inexperience with the online format (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).  The student may be unfamiliar with the computer programs required to complete assignments.  Having students take a familiarization seminar either online or in-person can alleviate fears and give them the confidence to complete the course (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).  Secondly, often the smartest students are hesitant to share their ideas (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).  Perhaps, they do not want to rely on others for a grade or do not want to have others criticize their ideas.  Finally, sometimes life gets in the way of online learning.  A child or family member gets sick, and the student has to shift the focus of their attention away from their studies.

There are several methods to encourage online collaboration and the reluctant group member.   One way is to have assessments that are both group and individual based (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).   This technique forces students to collaborate to earn a good grade.  Furthermore, students need to feel safe to express their ideas and not feel isolated (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).  Nobody wants their ideas or something they write ridiculed by their instructor or peers. Therefore, students must respect others' discussion posts and words.  Finally, It is easy for students to feel isolated in an online environment (Laureate Education, Inc. 2008b).  If instructors offer synchronous chat opportunities and places for students to discuss content asynchronously, it helps students to feel connected to their distance classroom.

Resource

Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence (2014) offers ideas for collaborative learning assignments.  Check out their website!

References:

Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence (2014).  Collaborative learning:  Group work.  Retrieved from http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/collaborative-learning.html

Laureate Education, Inc.  (Producer).  (2008a).  Principles of distance education:  Assessment of collaborative learning.  Baltimore, MD:  Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer).  (2008b).  Principles of distance education:  Learning communities.  Baltimore, MD:  Author.

Gamification Storyboard - Dr. Jane McGonigal

Gamification Storyboard - Dr. Jane McGonigal

Text	Image
1.  Introduction:  Greetings!  I am Jennifer Rae Smith a Ph.D. student at Walden University.  I am currently working on a dissertation concerning the gamification of learning.	A video of me talking to the screen.
2.  Gamification is the integration of gaming strategies and methods to everyday activities.  Learners can earn badges, rewards, and points by accomplishing goals (New Media Consortium Horizon Report, 2014).	The definition of gaming comes to the screen.
3.  Gaming has been found to improve the learning experience for students.	A picture of gaming equipment.
4.  For example, James Gee looked at the benefits of gaming to learning.  He found that games promote problem solving, teamwork, and continuous feedback (Gee, 2005).	An image of James Paul Gee and then the words (problem solving, teamwork, and continuous feedback) flash across the screen
5.  My interest in gamification makes introducing this guest speaker particularly exciting for me.  I am honored to introduce – Dr. Jane McGonigal.	A picture of Dr. McGonigal with music playing in the background.  Fade to a picture of her.
6.  She is the director of the Games of Research & Development at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, California.  She has a Ph.D. in performance studies from Berkeley University and develops game workshops (McGonigal, n.d.).	An image of Jane McGonigal’s business and then a picture of her.
7. She has written two books on gamification – Reality is Broken:  Why Games Make Us Better and How They can Change the World and SuperBetter (a game she developed to help people feel better from health problems) (McGonigal, n.d.).	An Image of her two books.
8.  Furthermore, she has made several appearances in TED Talks and has been a guest speaker at a variety of conferences around the world (McGonigal, n.d.).	A picture of Jane McGonigal at a Ted Talk.
9.  Finally, I am certain that we will all be enlightened today.  Please, put your hands together for Dr. Jane McGonigal.	A picture of Dr. Jane McGonigal will move across the screen with background music.

 

Digital image of Jane McGonigal retrieved from her website (McGonigal, n.d.)

References:

Gee, J. P.  (2005).  Good video games and good learning.  Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 85(2), 33 – 37.

McGonigal, J.  (n.d.).  Jane McGonigal:  You found me [Blog post].  Retrieved from http://janemcgonigal.com/meet-me/

New Media Consortium Horizon Project.  (2014). NMC Horizon Report:  2014 Higher Education Edition.  Retrieved from http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2014-nmc-horizon-report-he-EN-SC.pdf

Module 2 - Elements of Distance Education Diffusion - Global Diversity

Module 2 – Elements of Distance Education Diffusion – Global Diversity

Diversity:  the art of thinking independently together. ~ Malcolm Forbes

The biggest bonus of distance education versus face-to-face education is the global diversity component.  There are people from other countries attending in-person universities; however, in an online environment there is a bigger mix of individuals from around the world.  Students get the chance to interact and learn from a diverse group of people that they otherwise may not get to meet (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008).  I have attended both online and in-person colleges, and I can honestly say that I have met a more diverse group of people at my online college than the in-person college.

Before distance education became available, students would have to travel to the actual country for the chance to learn from their peers.   Now, people can learn from the comfort of their home.  Do not get me wrong there are benefits to traveling to a country in person.  One can experience the sights, sounds, smells, and interactions that online schools cannot provide.  However, e-learning provides students with a unique perspective of the world.  Online students get to learn about people from other cultures and life experiences. Students get to see that people from around the world have similar ideas despite their lifestyle or get to look at something in a different way due to the lifestyle differences. 

Students can interact with people from other countries due to the technology provided by the college.  Students interact on discussion boards and online forums.  Also, webinars are another excellent resource that students use to interact with their peers.  Finally, Skype can be an option to chat with other students.  In my experience, Skype has not been used in my classes.  Skype tends to be used more by instructors to talk with their students.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc.  (2008).  Principles of distance education:  The future of distance education.  Baltimore, MD:  Author.

Module 1 - The Next Generation of Distance Education

The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities.  ~ Stephen Hawking

Module 1 – The Next Generation of Distance Education

            The Internet provides people with instant access to volumes of information and knowledge.   Distance education presents communities and organizations with an alternate way to train and educate their citizens and employees.  The following is a discussion that explores Moller, Foshay, Huett, & Coleman’s (2008a; 2008b) and Simonson (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a; Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b) ideas of how distance education must evolve in order to be a successful endeavor.

Convenient & Economical Alternative

            Distance education allows organizations and institutions easy access to education.  Students and instructors can complete and grade assignments at their convenience allowing people to adjust their schedules and manage their time for school (Moller et al., 2008a; Moller et al., 2008b).  Moreover, students and instructors can complete course work or teach from home or other locations without driving to school (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).   Not having to go to a school building is handy when one must go away for a family or work event.

            Moreover, distance education saves money (Moller et al., 2008a).  Institutions do not have the overhead costs associated with maintaining classrooms and buildings (Moller et al., 2008a).  Additionally, students and teachers save time and gas money because there is no need to drive to school (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).  Furthermore, students with children do not need daycare while they are in class, which also saves a lot of money.  Instead, students can complete assignments when their children are sleeping or watching television.

            Finally, distance learning provides education to students that may not otherwise have the opportunity to go to school (Huett et al., 2008; Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).   For example, some students live in rural areas where the closest college or schools are hours away.   As a result, travel expenses or time may prevent a person from going to school.  Also, if a person cannot go to school due to an illness of a family member or themselves, e-learning provides an alternative way to get an education (Huett et al., 2008).          

The Future of Distance Education

1.  Distance education will supplement face-to-face courses (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a).

In the future, distance learning will complement more face-to-face courses.  Having a distance education component to a sit-down class allows students to use technology (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).  Furthermore, the asynchronous nature of discussion boards, encourage students to think about the class discussions and lectures after school (Moller et al., 2008a; Moller et al., 2008b).  Students must take the time to reflect on the course material before making comments promoting critical thinking skills.

2.  Enrollment in distance education programs will increase as more people go to college to finish or earn degrees, particularly at the graduate level (Moller et al., 2008b).

Specifically, many of the new jobs of the future will require advanced degrees.  For example, the need for people trained in the healthcare industry is predicted to add the most jobs to the US market from 2012 – 2022 (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2013).  Most of these jobs require advanced training or degrees to gain employment (U.S. BLS, 2013).

3.  Distance education is not a substitute for face-to-face institutions (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a).

There will be a need for brick and mortar schools to teach students going for degrees in science, technical trades, and the medical field.  On the job training and laboratory, skills are needed to for these degrees (U.S. BLS, 2013).  The only way to gain experience is through internships or going to a real laboratory with materials and equipment to practice the skills needed for the job.

My Opinion

            I agree with Dr. Simonson that distance education is not a replacement for face-to-face education and brick, and motor institutions are not leaving anytime soon (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).  As a result, he believes that distance learning designers should strive to make learning outcomes and the knowledge gained from a course "equivalent" to the in-person counterpart (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b; Moller et al., 2008b).  I think for this to occur, educators need to determine the best teaching practices for a particular subject. 

Depending upon the subject and the content will dictate whether a course can be completely or partially taught in-person or online (Moller et al., 2008a; Moller et al., 2008b; Huett et al., 2008).  For example, I taught chemistry at a rural high school.  One of my students attended the alternate high school after getting into trouble at school.  She was enrolled in a distance education chemistry course.  She watched lessons and completed assignments by herself.  When her punishment ended, she returned to school and my chemistry class.  She was slightly ahead of my class; however, she did not understand chemistry.  She could not complete problems or answer questions regarding basic chemistry concepts that were covered in the first quarter. 

Chemistry is a course that builds upon each idea throughout the year.  Students must understand a topic to move forward to the next concept to successfully apply their knowledge.  Perhaps if my student had more tutoring or mentoring throughout her virtual chemistry class, she would have performed better throughout the school year.  Also, research suggests that distance education may not benefit all types of learners and should not be the alternate method of instruction for everyone (Huett et al., 2008).

            In my opinion, certain courses such as science, technical trades, and medical courses need face-to-face time, especially during the laboratories.  Virtual or simulated labs are great for practice and learning how to use equipment; however, they are vastly different than doing a real lab.  In the virtual world, people do not have the opportunity to pick up equipment with their hands and learn the skills needed to conduct experiments or complete tasks.  

Furthermore, Moller et al. (2008a; 2008b), Huett et al. (2008), and Laureate Education, Inc. (2008b) propose that distance education must be developed properly to be effective and benefit students.  Quality e-learning requires trained personnel or instructional designers that are knowledgeable on the best teaching techniques and technologies for a specific subject and that also requires time (Moller et al., 2008a; Moller et al., 2008b; Huett et al., 2008; & Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b). I think that my chemistry student would have benefited from these principles as well as future students requiring alternate methods of instruction; otherwise, society will fail to provide a proper education for everyone.

In conclusion, distance education is an affordable, convenient, alternate method of delivery for training instruction.  Universities and organizations must train their faculty and staff on the proper teaching techniques for distance education because they are not the same (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b; Moller et al., 2008b).  If people are aware and embrace the differences between face-to-face and virtual learning, distance education can be a successful endeavor for everyone.

References:

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Coleman, C.  (2008).  The evolution of distance education:  Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web:  Part 3:  K – 12. TechTrends, 52(5), 63 – 67.

Laureate Education, Inc.  (2008a).  Principles of distance education:  Distance education:  The net generation.  Baltimore, MD:  Author.

Laureate Education, Inc.  (2008b).  Principles of distance education:  Equivalency theory.  Baltimore, MD:  Author.

Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Huett, J.  (2008a).  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. R., & Huett, J.  (2008b).  The evolution of distance education:  Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web:  Part 2:  Higher education.  TechTrends, 52(4), 66 – 70.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  (2013, December 19).  Economic news release:  Employment projections:  2012 – 2022 summary.  Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.nr0.htm