Working with a CMS (or CLE): Lessons We Can All Learn, Regardless of Platform

Working with a CMS (or CLE): Lessons We Can All Learn, Regardless of Platform

Presented by

• Amber D. Evans• Teggin Summers• Samantha Blevins

April 7, 2010

TopicsTopics

• Introduction• Designing & Organizing a Course• When to use Some Tools• ePortfolio• Conclusion & QA

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Designing a CourseDesigning a Course

• Context: Face-to-Face / Hybrid / Online• Paradigms and Pedagogy• Behavorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism?• Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergradu

ate Education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987)

• Audience, Content, and Context• Who are you instructing?• What are you teaching?• Where & How are students learning?

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Designing a Course …Designing a Course …

• It all translates into the Syllabus• What does YOUR syllabus look like? • What instructional activities or strategies exist?• What are your course learning goals?• What are your specific activity learning outcomes?• How are units / modules / weeks “chunked”

together?• If nothing else, use your Syllabus and the Seven

Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987) to provide the framework for your online site.

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Organizing a CourseOrganizing a Course

• Inventory the technology• CMS/CLE: Blackboard, Scholar, Moodle, other?• What tools are available in each?

• Assignments, Tests & Quizzes, File Storage, etc.• Blogs, Wikis, File Sharing, Peer-review, ePortfolio, etc.

• Inventory the resources• Faculty development programs, Instructional

Designers, Educational Technologists, and Media Specialists.

• Help documentation & materials.

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Organizing a Course …Organizing a Course …

• Use the technology to support the learning outcomes.• What do you want them to do and to learn?• Which tool helps support that?• Is there a better tool?

• The TLT Group provides concrete examples of how other instructors are using online tools to support the seven principles: http://www.tltgroup.org/seven/Library_TOC.htm

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When to Use Some ToolsWhen to Use Some Tools

• Chat Rooms / Instant Messaging (IM)• Forums / Discussion Boards• Blogs • Wikis / Collaborative Writing• ePortfolios

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When to use Chat Rooms / IMWhen to use Chat Rooms / IM

• Features:• Conversation happens in real-time• Chats can be stored for future reference

• Uses:• Online Office Hours• Brainstorming• Socialization

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When to use Forums / Discussion BoardsWhen to use Forums / Discussion Boards• Features:• “Threaded” discussions keep questions and

answers together.• Can be reused year-to-year.• Can be accessed site-wide or by specific groups.

• Uses:• Frequently Asked Questions• Weekly Reading Prompts• Venue for Socialization

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When to use BlogsWhen to use Blogs

• Features:• Users generate their post (not instructor initiated)• Entries arranged in chronological order• Easily incorporate text, audio, video, hyperlinks,

and images

• Uses:• Allow for personal perspective• Generate discussion and sense of community• Take students beyond lecture or textbook content

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When to use WikisWhen to use Wikis

• Features:• Easy online editing by users.• Revision history.• Notification of changes.• Export options (MS Word, HTML, PDF, etc.)

• Uses:• To capture and record process and procedures.• Meeting minutes that anyone can add to.• Brainstorming

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When to use an ePortfolioWhen to use an ePortfolio

When you want…• students to reflect on their learning

• to show growth over time

• to evaluate or assess authentic samples of student learning

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When to use an ePortfolio …When to use an ePortfolio …

When you want…• to synthesize Capstone experiences

• to draw connections between course/program activities and professional communities

• students to partake in professional development

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Creating Learning OutcomesCreating Learning Outcomes• A student learning outcome states a specific

skill/ability, knowledge, or belief/attitude students are expected to achieve through a course, program, or college experience.

• A learning outcome should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-scaled)

• Example: Upon completion of a B.A. degree in English, a student will be able to read critically and compose an effective analysis of a literary Text.

• Owned by the program faculty

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Gathering and Analyzing DataGathering and Analyzing Data

• Indirect Measures -- Student Interviews, Student Surveys, Course Grades, GPAs.

• Direct Measures -- Standardized tests, Student work samples (ideally embedded in course work) that are internally or externally juried review, Collections of student work (portfolios,*eportfolios*), Capstone assignments

• Aggregate data from embedded assessments• Use of rubrics

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Conditions for SuccessConditions for Success

• Faculty promote value of eP• eP-based curriculum• Feedback• Time for development• Include engagement and personalization• Examples• Technical assistance

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Secondary English EducationSecondary English Education

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Secondary English EducationSecondary English Education

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Secondary English EducationSecondary English Education

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Secondary English EducationSecondary English Education

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Free Tools for using ePsFree Tools for using ePs

• Helen Barrett is a limitless source of ePortfolio scholarship and resources for free eP tools.• http://electronicportfolios.org/

• Helen Barrett’s page that lists all of the Google Apps and “How-to Guides” for creating ePs using Google tools. This is also the source for the following image…

• http://electronicportfolios.org/google/index.html

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Thank you!Thank you!

• Questions?

Contact Information• Amber D. Evans adevans@vt.edu • Teggin Summers teggin@vt.edu • Samantha Blevins sjblevin@vt.edu

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