The power of infographics

For those of us who are visual, creative, thinkers... data can be overwhelming.  Just picking up a budget spreadsheet causes my eyes to glaze over.  However, great sites now offer professionally created inforgraphics covering a wide range of interesting concepts, topics, data, and ideas.  My favorite of these sites is http://visual.ly 

Each week Visual.ly sends out an email with new and interesting info graphics.  Taking a break from current tasks and browsing through the imagery rejuvenates and inspires.

Recently I felt bold enough to try out some info graphic creation of my own.  I've seen some useful tools and templates online, but I wanted something a little more organic and a little less helpful.  HubSpot has a free PowerPoint template with 5 preset graphic styles.  Everything a creative needs to get started and test the waters.

I signed up on their site for the free templates, here is the link: Free Infographic Template on HubSpot.  Then I make a copy of the original, delete all but one of the slides, delete most of the template content, and design away.  I've also found it useful to build in stages, using a separate PPT file to create a section of content and the copy and paste all onto the info graphic template.  Once my design is complete, I save it as a PDF, the open the PDF and export as an image.  To me this is a natural way to tell a visual story using familiar tools and processes.

Here's an example of my first attempt.  This info graphic was used in a district-wide online professional developent training on Common Core, PARCC assessments, and the connection of those to our district strategic plan - MNPS 2018.  You can see how each of the three sections is divided, those were each built separately in their own PPT file and then copied and added to the info graphic file.  Once the major content and imagery was in place, I shared the raw file with my team and had them make changes to text and font, shadows, and reflections to produce a jazzier feel.  The final product was then uploaded in the course and printed off using a poster maker.

We were all rather pleased with the results but were unprepared for the popularity of the graphic.  Several schools have made their own posters of the info graphic, and recently one school even tweeted out an image of the poster.

So, why not give it a shot?  Download the templates for yourself and see what you can do. Just be sure to post in the comments so others can see your amazing info art!

Discovering Discussion Posts

Discussion posts provide students with the opportunity to test out learning and gain feedback from peers.  Throughout our learning journey we have posted initial thoughts concerning prompts proposed in our course utilizing resources shared from primary resources.

As one considers the opportunities such constructive and collaborative activities provide, where would you find resources to engage your students on the topic of online assessment?  How would you share these resources with your audience?

The following rubric will be used to score your response:

Score 4 worth 25 points—student correctly identifies the artwork and connects the image to the prompt  (20 pts). Student includes the cultural context of the artwork, directly connecting the culture with the artwork’s physical attributes in at least three areas (30 pts). There are not any significant errors.

Score 3 worth 24–20 points—student correctly identifies the artwork and connects the image to the prompt (20 pts). Student includes the cultural context of the artwork directly connecting the culture with the artwork’s physical attributes in two areas (25–20 pts).   There may be a few minor errors.

Score 2 worth 19–15 points—student correctly identifies the artwork but does not connect the image to the prompt (10 pts) or student does not correctly identify the artwork but identifies the style, culture or time period (10 pts) with correct reasons to support their statements (15 pts). Student includes some cultural context of the artwork and only attempts to describe the artwork’s physical attributes (20–15 pts). The essay is generally not well developed. There may be significant errors.

Score 1 worth 14–10 points—student does not identify the artwork or connect the image to the prompt. Student includes only vague cultural context for the artwork and only attempts to describe the artwork’s physical attributes (25–20 pts).  The essay is generally not well developed. There may be significant errors.

Score 0 worth 0–9 points—attempt is made but without valid concepts (15 pts) or no attempt is made (0pts).

Detection v. Inspiration

Detection

While some free online tools exist to support the detection of plagiarism, most institutions purchase programs such as Turnitin, Grammerly, and SafeAssign, to check not only Internet resource plagiarism, but to host a database of previously submitted student work for the institution.  This practice can greatly enhance an institution’s ability to hold students accountable for academic integrity, even if a student copies his or her own work from a previous course.  Although these programs promote the ethical use of information, they create a false sense of security in that the work a student submits is their own.  In my district’s virtual school, there were some cases in which a student account was submitting work of sufficient academic integrity, however, the student’s parent was doing all the work.  This prompted the virtual school to implement a policy in which content in an online course is split into modules and each student must schedule a “call-in” with the teacher of record to talk about what they have learned in the module.  This process has greatly helped in ensuring that the student of record is the one completing the work.  The virtual school final course exams are proctored and students must come to a testing site and provide photo identification to be given the online exam.  In this manner, the virtual school has been able to prove that the student of record is the individual completing and submitting the work.

The punitive nature of copyright infringement, whether intentional or unintentional can hinder the body of academic work and creativity (Jocoy, & DiBiase, 2006).  Last year during the training for building blended courses in Blackboard©, teachers were cautioned and trained on the proper use of citation and copyrighted materials.  The fear of retribution convinced some teachers to limit their use of the learning management system and caused a backlash from others concerned about their own intellectual property rights.  

Inspiration

More important than the detection of plagiarism is the development of student’s sense of ethics and integrity.  Challenging students and building a culture of respect for individual contributions will have a greater and more positive impact than whether a program caught a “copy/paste” infraction.  The lesson is not, in the not getting caught, but in the not wanting to steal in the first place. 

Just as the Internet has provided almost unlimited access to information in the virtual classroom, teachers in the physical classroom have had to deal with these issues as well.  In a great post entitled, “Google-Proof Questioning: A New Use For Bloom’s Taxonomy”, blogger and educator John Sowash shares how teachers can challenge students in meaningful and creative ways.  Similarly, online courses can be designed with the intention of getting beyond the copy/paste option and into the creation of more personalized content that cannot be stolen but must be created to meet a specific goal.

References:

Jocoy, C., & DiBiase, D. (2006). Plagiarism by adult learners online: A case study in detection and remediation. International Review of Research in Open & Distance Learning, 7(1), 1-15. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.

Lions, Technology, and Multimedia ..."Oh My!"

Lions

Have you seen the GEICO© commercial with the Antelopes?  Poor Carl the king of beasts, reduced to slinking away from a delicious meal because of technology.  Have you ever wondered how the story ends?  Do the antelopes realize that they will have to take off the night vision goggles in the daytime?  What if Carl comes up on their blind side?  Reliance on technology alone is a dangerous thing.

Technology and Multimedia

Technology provides a vehicle for delivery of communication in the online environment (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2008).  Multimedia designed well and with a focusing purpose can add to the content delivery and meeting of diverse learner needs (Cooper, Colwel, & Jelfs, 2007).  While all these are useful aspects of technology, some drawbacks include the diverse systems, software, platforms, and Internet speeds of the student. 

As an instructional designer in the learning technology department of my organization, there is a constant battle between the use of technology for the sake of technology and the careful design and implementation of technology to enhance learning.  Two years ago, our state received a large grant called “Race to the Top” from the federal government to increase instructional use of technology, STEM, and the technology infrastructure of the district.  One million dollars of the grant was set up as a competitive grant, which all schools were able to submit a proposal.  Guidelines and stipulations were given, but the end goal was to encourage school leaders to break out into innovative ideas and strategies for the use of technology to engage students and teachers.  The surprising and sad fact was that many of the grants were more about the “stuff” than the learner outcomes and program goals.  The schools that were chosen came up with some terrific ideas, and all those who submitted put a lot of work into their proposals, but technology alone is not the answer (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2008).  In a similar manner, an online instructor must carefully plan and design the use of technology as a tool to meet a desired student outcome (Conrad, & Donaldson, 2011).  If transactional distances are vast, meaningful interactions made possible by the technology will increase the engagement and construction of collective meaning (Boettcher, & Conrad, 2010).

When designing instruction in any medium, the designer must first consider and analyze the target audience.  As a clear picture of the end user is developed, better choices can be made as to appropriate learning objects and course design (Burgstahler, 2006).  Not all students may have access to high-speed Internet, or unlimited streaming capabilities.  Students may have time or geographical distances that would make synchronous activities difficult.  Many online courses include a minimum requirement list to help students assess their equipment and access to the content.

Drive by trainings... "Oh My!"

Through my work in the K-12 realm, I am most excited by the possibility of creating sustainable professional learning communities through our district learning management system.  In the past we have jokingly referred to our efforts for professional development to be “drive by trainings” in which participants enjoyed the session, but little transference occurred from theory to practice.  With 148 schools, and over 5,000 teachers, our small staff of 7 struggles to make inroads into the classroom.  However, by offering face-to-face sessions with an online organization and online professional development, we are beginning to see that the continuous support and online interaction creates an elearning community focused around a purpose.  In a recent webinar, one of the speakers shared a profound thought that collaborative learning leads to collective knowledge (Marini, McGonagle, & Peterson, 2013).  The opportunity to facilitate groups, project based learning, discussions, and shared content with the powerful connection of the learning management system has me excited about the upcoming year in our schools.  Here is a simple Infographic I created to help explain the concept of online interaction as it relates to face-to-face interaction. 

Levels of Interaction created by Tischann Nye, March, 2013 for the MNPS Learning Technology Department.

References:

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Burgstahler, S. (2006).The development of accessibility indicators for distance learning programs. ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology, 14(1/2), 79-102.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Cooper, M., Colwell, C., & Jelfs, A. (2007). Embedding accessibility and usability: Considerations for e-learning research and development projects. ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology, 15(3), 231-245.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.

Marini, P., McGonagle, L., Peterson, K., (2013, June).  Collaboration and Content in Online Course Design [webinar].  EdTech Leaders Online (ETLO).  Archived at: http://www.edtechleaders.org/webinars

Simonson, M., Smaldino S., Albright M., & Zvacek S. (2008). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

What you don't know can kill your course.

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Learning from Failure

In designing and delivering an asynchronous online training for teachers in my district, I failed to understand the importance of several key factors to the successful launch of a course.  The first training launched in the spring of 2012, and I used my MacBook Pro© and Google Chrome© to build the course in our district LMS, Blackboard©.  When teachers began taking the course, there were a lot of complaints that the system was difficult, that videos did not play, or that links mentioned in the course were not appearing on the screen.  As I researched these issues, I discovered the following:

 

1.     Google Chrome© is not a supported browser for Blackboard©.

2.     Internet Explorer© 7 was an obsolete browser for Blackboard©, but was the predominant default browser on all teacher use computers at the time of launch. 

3.     Participant computers needed updated Flash© plug-ins to play videos.

Needless to say, these issues greatly frustrated the participants, many of whom were not confident in their abilities to use technology and therefore felt defeated by the training.  

Fast-forward one year and the latest roll-out of the training contains some useful introductory information concerning expectations for the course, navigation directions, and technical requirements.  I have used familiar symbols to guide my learners through the course since many of them are new to online learning.  Similarly, images of the log-in page with browser check requirements are posted.  Our Blackboard© Administrator actually added the browser compliance check after feedback from me in the first training roll out.  

Content from Blended Learning Training: Roadsigns to Point the Way

(USDT, 2009)

   Throughout this online course you will see signs and directions similar to the question mark sign to the left.  A guide for all the signs in the course is shown below.  Note that some signs point out the direction you will need to scroll to see the next piece of the training, some point out informational text, others show where a particular action is needed on your part, and finally there are signs to indicate the end of a portion or the end of the course.

Read through the information below to note the method for directing you through what you should do each step of the way.

Roadsigns used in this course.

(USDT, 2009)	Information Sign:  This sign indicates some information you will need to read before proceeding.
(USDT, 2009)	One-Way Sign:  This sign indicates that you should proceed to the next section of the module.
(USDT, 2009)	Road Work Sign:  This sign indicates that some work is required before proceeding to the next section. To the right of this sign, you will find the directions to complete the work.
(USDT, 2009)	Exit Only Sign:  This sign indicates the end of a module.  Below this sign, you will find directions for navigating to the next module.
(USDT, 2009)	Playground Sign:  This sign is only found at the end of the orientation, indicating that it is time for you to take what you have learned and go play in your own online classes.

References:

United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration, (2009).  United States road symbol signs.  Manual on Uniform Control Traffic Devices (MUCTD).  PDF Retrieved From: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/services/publications/fhwaop02084/index.htm

Make your first impression a good one!

In an online course, there is only one chance at a first impression.  As I designed this course, careful consideration was taken to address the analyzed needs of my learners.  As an added level of review, I asked my neighbor who is retired, aged 69, and not a computer user (except for looking up motorcycles on Craigslist) to navigate the course and provide constructive criticism.  His honest thoughts as he test-drove the course helped show me areas that were unclear to an objective participant.  This new and improved version launched in April 2013 and has received reviews that clearly show that learners are engaging with the content instead of the helpdesk!

 

Screen shot of the landing page of the orientation, a fun character greets the learner, directions are provided on next steps, and narrative text is available to support universal design for learning.

Here is the snail greeter for the course, made with Voki. He is at the top of each page to provide structure and continuity, and I placed him at the end to give a pat on the back to participants as they completed the training. "“Welcome to this online familiarization session for blended learning.  As many of you, are new to the fully online experience, road-signs have been put into this course to guide you through each step of the learning.  Take a look below to see the signs you will encounter in this course.  This page contains essential information for our online journey.  Take some time to scroll down and begin your online learning experience. Oh, and be sure to follow the road signs!  I look forward to seeing you again in Module 1!”"

Online Learning Communities

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While the traditional classroom remains teacher centered, the online environment fosters more interaction among students and is one of the cited benefits of online learning by both teachers and students (Stacey, & Wiesenberg, 2007).  Although considerable time is needed to build the course material prior to launching the course, teachers have seen growth in their craft by the reflective practice of reviewing their content for delivery online and in the rich discussions students create online and which instructors facilitate rather than dictate (So, & Bush, 2008). 

Students have access to the material and can participate online in ways that are difficult to manage in a face-to-face, synchronous manner. Students further develop skills in time-management and technology proficiency that will serve them well in further study and the career environment (Allen, Seaman, & Garrett, 2007).   The restriction of location is mitigated as well by the online environment; students receive the benefit of a greater amount of viewpoints when the student base is diverse.

While there are numerous benefits for online learning, several issues remain to threaten the efficacy of this method of instruction.  Teachers must be clear and structured in their online environment so that students understand what is to be done online and how to accomplish the assigned tasks (Stacey, & Weisenberg, 2007).  Students also need to see that the online component is complimenting the traditional instruction without doubling the workload (So, & Bush, 2008).

Student Engagement from a frustrated student’s perspective:

Role of teachers in the digital age:

http://stumpteacher.blogspot.com/2013/05/do-we-need-teachers.html

Conclusion

Online communities offer an opportunity for students to gain valuable skills that will serve them well in their offline lives.  Well-planned online content that allows for student interaction, both fosters a collegial mentality while deepening the knowledge of the student (Stacey, & Weisenberg, 2007).  Wise use of the online environment builds community and strengthens face-to-face interactions (So, & Bush, 2008).  For teachers who pay attention to student workload and facilitate their online environment, the benefits are greater for blended classroom instruction than either virtual or face-to-face methods alone (Gedik, Kiraz, & Özden, 2012).

References:

Allen, E. I., Seaman, J., & Garrett, R. (2007).  Blending In: The extent and promise of

blended education in the United States. Sloan Consortium [Sloan-C].  Needham, MA.

Gedik, N., Kiraz, E., & Özden, M. Y. (2012).  The optimum blend: Affordances and

challenges of blended learning for students.  Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, July 2012, 3(3), 102-117.

So, H., & Bush, T. A. (2008).  Student perceptions of collaborative learning, social

presence and satisfaction in a blended learning environment: Relationships and critical factors.  Computers & Education, 51, 318-336.

Stacey, E. & Wiesenberg, F. (2007).  A study of face-to-face and online teaching

philosophies in Canada and Australia.  Journal of Distance Education, 22(1), 19-40.

Welcome Online Instructional Strategies Cohort!

Over the next few months, this blog will focus on online instructional strategies as I prepare to dive into building and delivering quality online instruction.  I'm looking forward to a terrific learning community and constructing knowledge with purpose.