Distance Learning

Distance Learning Things Learned Teaching Online Mathematics Courses Mike O’Lear, Adjunct

My Experience • Taught online (2001-2005) at Great Falls COT • Introductory Algebra (MA 005) • Business Math—most success • Intermediate Algebra (MA 100) • Statistics (MA 241)—least success

My Experience • Used WebCT—initially poor environment for mathematics • No MathType • No coordination with symbolic algebra software (Maple, Mathematica, etc.) • Clutsy way to make HTML files—had to use Netscape Composer to do HTML

Experience • Until WebCT got better, used Pearson Course Compass MyMathLab as the virtual environment • 1 year later, WebCT got upgraded--sufficient as a mathematical classroom • Now (2009), BlackBoard seems very adequate to support the classes I taught—Cindy L. presently uses it in STAT 216

Experience • Took a 3 credit class from MSU Bozeman on teaching math distance classes • Had various seminars on distance learning • Had seminar from U of IIlinois professors teaching online Calculus successfully for 10 years

Experience • Tutored online Statistics student from U of Phoenix—they don’t have online math courses figured out yet, either • Tutored multiple online MA 117 students this past spring and summer from Missoula COT—there are assessment dangers of taking online quizzes and tests

What I Learned From Experience • It seemed that GFCOT was beta testers for MSU Bozeman for online math (and other) courses • Possibly UM could use UMCOT for same investigation • The future is certain for all academic post-secondary institutions—online will be implemented

Administrators Like Online Courses • Cost savings due to virtual vs actual classroom • Larger acceptable student/teacher ratio with online offerings • Remotely stationed, possibly cheaper, less “educated” teachers available for online offerings • Larger geographical area for students—I had a student in the Philippines in my Stat class

Administrators Like Online Classes • Monitoring of classes can more easily and more covertly be done if they are online • Book publishers and special interests are successfully lobbying Administrators pitching their claims of online possibility and success—mathematics/science is rarely mentioned in these discussions, however

Students (Mostly) Like Online Class • Cost savings—don’t have to drive and dress for class, don’t have to get a baby sitter • Convenience—don’t have to alter job schedules to match school schedules, can have “class” 24-7 • Any location (including during vacation trips, hospital stays, etc.) can be used to “attend class”

Students (Mostly) Like Online Class • You can have extra “help” next to you during online homework, quizzes, and tests, which you would not have face-to-face (FTF) • Grading is “easier” in online equivalent to FTF math courses

Some Math Teachers Like Online Course Options • Fewer math/science teachers than, say, History, English, Education, Psychology, etc. teachers, however • All of us (Mathematics teachers) must resign ourselves to the inevitability of the movement reaching us—like subdivisions “coming to Bozeman ranch/farm property” in the early ’70’s—prepare for it, don’t fight it

Some Concepts of Teaching Online Learned • I “morph” from a teacher into more of a facilitator when going online with class • I must inventory “what works” for me in the classroom and find equivalencies online --PowerPoints and video lectures are NOT panaceas to equivalencies --video conferencing is too expensive and inconvenient, for either school or students

Some Concepts of Teaching Online Learned • Resign yourself to some percentage of “failure” the first time(s) you present online course—supervisors should realize this, I hope, rather than expect “instantaneous perfection” --realize that students (and you) are beta-testers --you will be more open to constructive changes (changes which are effective) --you will get better quicker in your course

Some Concepts of Teaching Online Learned • Do offering hybrid and then morph into full online later, if possible --what you can’t find equivalents to online, then keep them FTF --I had phone “office hours” as well as chat lines (for slow typers, who couldn’t join conversations) --I set up tutoring centers in Bozeman, Missoula, and Billings (as well as in Great Falls) for FTF help

Some Concepts of Teaching Online Learned • Important assessments should be done FTF --I had all midterms done in a proctored “test center”, with finished exams immediately sent to me for grading—I did homework and some quizzes online, however • Encourage “geographical clusters” of students to form study groups with extra credit

Some Concepts of Teaching Online Learned • Mandate a campus computer room visit (before the semester starts) for a 1 hour visitation with you --so you can “size each other up” --so class expectations can be imparted FTF --so students can have a guided “surf” of your class web site --so students can meet (group) with each other

Some Concepts of Teaching Online Learned • Not all students are “suitable” for online classes --the most organized do best online (notice I did not say the smartest) --the more self-teachers and self-sufficient (rarely found) do the best --must be technically “literate” and have dependable, middle aged computer (at least), and access to backup --must have a friend who is a computer geek to help with problems

Some Concepts of Teaching Online Learned • Use course email for ALL class business—don’t respond to students who contact you on other email accounts • This will keep the complete class records (gradebook, email, class documents, etc.) at one electronic location—true even for hybrid classes

Some Concepts of Teaching Online Learned • The most successful online math offerings are those with high volume of algorithmic content --Business Math --(some) 100 and 200 level offerings --I used Workshop Stats book best in online but still ended up with poor results

Some Concepts of Teaching Online Learned • You will spend more time preparing for the course (the first few times) longer than it is worthwhile to do, or more than you are paid to do • If possible, have parallel FTF and online sections for students to enter • If I have paper grader, have him/her post online documents, post grades, do chat lines, fix technical problems, make phone calls, etc.

Learned Online Teaching Concepts • The text I use online may be quite different than that used FTF for the same class --FTF I used Velleman 2nd Ed Statistics for STAT 216 --online I used Workshop Stats, 1st Ed for STAT 216 --I used Velleman once online, and it was a disaster—better, somewhat, with Workshop

U of Illinois Experience • Came to MSUGF and put on a day long seminar in 2003? • Had completely online pre-calc., calc. 1 and 2, and was going to do lin. alg. next—successfully!! • Course designers were 2 math professors and 2 or 3 high school teachers from the area—needed online for corn farmers in the Champagne-Urbana area

U of Illinois • They had Mathematica demos and homework weaved throughout the curricula—online student connection to Mathematica • They had TA’s man phones on multiple office hours and email answers to questions and do class “bookwork” online. • They authored their own text, made it available online through passwords of Adobe .pdf documents

U of Illinois • They had “study centers” at remote locations around Illinois, and places on main campus for online students to study or get tutored • They had online homework, interactive kinds of work, group work, problem solving threads, etc., all online—and it was effective for students!! • At the seminar, they gave us a “thought problem”, which I solved with Sketchpad on their Mac laptop • I recommend they come here and give seminar on mathematical online offering successes

Dangers of Math. Online Offerings • Do all major assessment FTF, not online --avoids cheating --maintains uniformity of assessment • Do homework, minor quizzes, group work/ proposals/results online --automatic feedback nice --automatic grading nice

Online Math. Dangers • Multiple choice answers can be teaching wrong mathematical objectives or “bad math”—so review EVERY TestGen question you will post online, for correctness of math. and correctness of assessment probe (make sure the question “does what you want it to do for students”) • --rounding problem questions—all right or all wrong teaches students to get the right answer instead of learning any math. concepts

Online Math. “Dangers” • Don’t publish long winded documents or announcements online. Students (even the good ones) will pay attention to between half a page to one page of written information or instructions—the rest will be glossed over or misinterpreted, or just not read! Say things online “short, sweet, and clear”

Summary • 3 kinds of teaching attitudes about online (from Chronicle of Higher Ed paper) [1] opponents—FTF teaching, in the classical tradition is the only way to go—fight online movements to the “bitter end” [2] pragmatic opponents—online will be done, but is second-best alternative←I am this [3] full blown supporters of online— “Intellectually equivalent of FTF courses”←author was this

Summary • I think online will work good enough for students and our standards if the teacher puts much thought into how to accomplish the same goals as in FTF • What cannot be done online must be retained as in FTF (e.g., tests, tutoring, working in groups, etc.) • I had to do much on my own—mathematics is not considered in much of the “how to teach online” training

Summary • Blackboard is an acceptable and adequate electronic classroom environment (now) to handle most mathematics classes—not so just a few years ago. • Possibly run “beta” programs, using COT personnel and course offerings, and supervise/monitor student learning with your own personnel

Summary • If possible, start with hybrid (and maybe stay hybrid), adding elements a bit at a time as you feel secure to do so • If possible, offer FTF and online course at the same time (i.e., same semester), and compare learning outcomes

Distance Learning