The Power of Online Learning: Creating & Nurturing an Effective Online Learning Community

1. The Power of Online Learning: Creating & Nurturing an Effective Online Learning Community Fred Rovai

2. Topics Covered • What Online Learning Research Tells Us • What Regent SET Data Tells Us • Community of Inquiry Model • Online Learning That Works • Online Learning That Does Not Work

3. Primary Sources

4. What Online Learning Research Tells Us • On average, online student outcomes are better than F2F student outcomes • Blended courses have better outcomes relative to purely F2F & online courses

5. What Online Learning Research Tells Us • A substantial number of distance educationapplications • provide better achievement results • are viewed more positively • have higher retention ratesthan F2F counterparts • A substantial number of distance education applications are far worse than F2F counterparts

6. What Online Learning Research Tells Us • Effects are larger when online learning takes place within a community of inquiry • Frequent opportunities for active learning • Frequent & constructive feedback • Active teacher guidance & support

7. SACS Policy – Distance Education • Comparability of distance education programs to campus-based programs & courses is ensured by the evaluation of educational effectiveness.

8. What Regent SET Data Tells Us • Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) • Spring Semester 2011 • N = 7,714 • Response rate = 54.30% • Variable: % students who select 4 or 5 from 5-point Likert Scale • higher is better

9. University Means – Selected SET Items % 4 or 5 Goal = 90%

10. School Means % 4 or 5 Goal = 90%

11. University Perceived Learning Means % 4 or 5

12. Sense of Community • Imagine… • being the only student in your school or program • there is nobody to talk to about things you don’t understand • Results… • feelings of isolation, loneliness • low satisfaction • student attrition

13. Community Building • Create activities that build a sense of community • Sense of belonging, connectedness • Shared values / goals • Active interaction & participation • Mutual interdependence & trust • Collaborative learning

14. Community of Inquiry Model • Addresses the learning needs of its members through collaborative learning • Essential Features: • problem or question driven • involves critical thinking & discourse • requires self-direction • Includes small-group work • Includes student reflection

15. Community of Inquiry Model

16. Online Learning That Works • Student-centered learning environment • Strong sense of community • Authentic tasks in an information-rich, tool-rich environment • Collaborative learning with synchronous and asynchronous communications • Learning at pace and time of learner‘s choosing • Emphasizes pedagogy over technology • Alignment of assessments with learning goals • Emphasis on constructed response assessments

17. Online Learning That Does Not Work • Teacher-centered learning environment • Extensive use of talking heads • Taped lectures (passive learning) • Lengthy learning objects • Failure to contextualize learning activities • Limited &/or untimely feedback to students • Activities that don’t take advantage of technology • Emphasis on selected-response assessments

18. Challenges • Awareness & understanding of true inquiry • too much focus on content & lecturing • too little effective use of collaboration • Faculty orientation (resistance) • Heightened need for time management • Commitment to fundamental redesign using communication technologies

19. Questions