Strategies to Increase Connectedness in

Online Mathematics Courses

Sonia FordMidland College

Midland, TexasAMATYC 2013 S001

GoalsBenefits and Challenges to Online

Learning/Teaching

Community of Inquiry Model

Strategies to Increase Connectedness

Survey Results

Suggestions

Benefits of Online Courses

Opportunity

Flexibility

Innovations in Teaching

Challenges of Online Courses

Assessment of Student Learning

Time Commitment

Student Feelings of Isolation

Isolation

High Attrition

Low Student Satisfaction

Lower Perceived Student Learning

Community of Inquiry Model

Garrison, Anderson, Archer (2000)

Cognitive Presence

“the extent to which the participants in any particular configuration of a community of inquiry are able to construct meaning through sustained communication”

(Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000, p. 89)

Cognitive PresencePractical Inquiry Model (Dewey, 1933)

◦Triggering event

◦Exploration

◦Integration

◦Resolution

Social Presence

“the ability of participants in the Community of Inquiry to project their personal characteristics into the community, thereby presenting themselves to other participants as ‘real people’.”

(Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000, p. 89)

Social PresenceEmotional Expression

Open Communication

Group Cohesion

(Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000)

Teacher Presence

“includes the selection, organization, and primary presentation of course content, as well as the design and development of learning activities and assessment”

(Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000, p. 90)

Teacher PresenceInstructional Management

Building Understanding

Direct Instruction

(Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000)

Community of Inquiry Model

Garrison, Anderson, Archer (2000)

Strategies to Increase Connectedness

Introduction Activities

◦Introduction

◦Scavenger Hunt

◦Video Conference/Chat

Strategies to Increase Connectedness

Discussion Boards◦Participation

◦TopicsIntroductionStudy SkillsReflectionsMath Help Website and Video LinksMath and My Subject

◦Assessment

Strategies to Increase Connectedness

Checking In Reports

◦Participation

◦Topics

◦Assessment

Strategies to Increase Connectedness

Online Videos◦Instructor Introduction

◦Instructor Mathematics Videos

◦YouTube, Khan Academy, Patrick JMT, etc.

Strategies to Increase Connectedness

Help Requests◦E-mail

◦Module Questions

◦Virtual Café

Survey Results

Online Student Connectedness Survey (Bolliger & Inan, 2012)

Factors of Connectedness◦Comfort◦Community and Social Presence◦Instructor Facilitation◦Interaction and Collaboration

Survey ResultsAdministered during Fall 2012 and Spring

2013Courses

◦Introductory Algebra◦Intermediate Algebra*◦College Algebra*◦Statistics◦Business Math I & II◦Precalculus*

*courses I currently teach

Survey ResultsN = 131

M SD

Comfort 4.26 .79

Community 2.36 .79

Facilitation 4.13 .71

Interaction and Collaboration 2.76 1.10

Survey ResultsN = 131

Comfort Community Facilitation Interaction and Collaboration

CourseTool

Discussion Board

.25* .26* .22 .13

Video Conferencing

.25* .13 .26* .10

Blogs .27* .06 .28* -.04

Instructor Math Videos

.09 .10 .26* .01

Instructor Introduction Video

.23 .11 .42** .06

*p < .05, **p < .01

Strategies to Increase Connectedness

Your suggestions?

References Bolliger, D. U., & Inan, F. A. (2012). Development and validation of

the online student connectedness survey (OSCS). The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13(3), 41-65.

Dewey, J. (1933). How we think. Boston, MA: Health.

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-105.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom (2nd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Thank you!

Sonia FordProfessor of Mathematics

Midland Collegesford@midland.edu