A Guide for E-Moderators

By participants on The Consultants-E July 2012 E-Moderation Course Andrina Rout, Bessie O'Connor, Christopher Cooke, Claire Yarborough, Jacqueline Jordan, Jessica Briggs, John Karamatzanis, Kathryn Delaney, Lucja Wojtasik, Mary Whiteside, Melanie Garrish, Najma Ali-Secours, Sabrina Wilson, Vasiliki Scurfield

Tutor: Ana d’Almeida

A Guide for E-Moderators

Chapters

1 Starting off online – creating a good

social environment online

2 Working online – tutor skills for handling

online chats, discussions, & content

3 Going deeper – the development of

knowledge & content online

4 Rounding up – assessment & ending a

course

A Guide for E-Moderators

Chapter One

Starting off online - creating a good social

environment online

by Bessie O'Connor

Lucja Wojtasik Najma Ali-Secours

This chapter considers the importance of socialising in online courses, online tasks and tools, the role of the tutor in online socialising, and recommended reference material.

It also includes an excellent glog with highlights of the main ideas on the topic of this chapter.

TOPIC # 1: Starting off online

Najma - Bessie- Lucja

Starting off on the right foot is essential in online courses.

It will set the tone for the duration of the course.

This resource pack will address the following areas of creating a good social environment online:

I. The Importance of Socializing in Online Courses

II. Online Socializing Tasks and Tools

III. The Role of the Tutor in Online Socializing

____________________________________________________________________________

In the spirit of "socializing", we highly encourage you, in fact we INSIST that you start by

viewing our Glog(!) and get to know us a little better! (Don't forget to turn on your speakers!)

http://www.glogster.com/najmaa/online-socialization/g-6lcvevkcuh61q105es2e9a0

↑ CLICK! ↑

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIALIZING IN ONLINE COURSES (Najma)

Climate setting in an online course may be an afterthought when it comes to course design and content. It appears to be a lightweight component when compared to assessed tasks that are more complex and time-consuming. However, one should not ignore the necessity of the inclusion of effective socialization amongst online classmates. The importance of creating a positive social environment strikes both the students and the Tutor.

The mind-map that follows outlines the numerous factors that come into play when socialization techniques are implemented. The map divides into 2 major areas (students and Tutor), however many of the points can and do overlap, so a 3rd area (both students and Tutor) has also been created. Some of the overlap has been highlighted, but there certainly can be others.

You can click on the following link if the map is not clear.

https://bubbl.us/?h=105852/1f31d5/10v9V45u.IL4E

ONLINE SOCIALIZING TASKS AND TOOLS (Bessie)

Online socialising tasks should be clearly structured with beginning, middle and end tasks that relate to

the learning content.

• Beginning tasks introduce and orientate the learners to the content, to each other and to the

tutor. Online courses need a socialising or ‘climate setting’ phase to get all participants to work

together effectively and this is best initiated with the beginning tasks.

• Middle tasks are collaborative or individual and relate to the course content.

• End tasks allow the course content to be applied to meaningful practice and enable the learners

to share final online products and take leave of their peers.

Beginning activities or tasks for an online course.

A.

Task: Writing Profiles

Tool: Discussion Forums in VLE

Learners write about themselves and post to a Discussion Forum. The tasks could include:

a. A description of themselves including an unusual thing about themselves.

b. A 3-2-1 Profile where learners post three, two and one thing about x, y and z e.g. 3

favourite books or songs, 2 unusual foods they have eaten or places they have visited and

one thing they like about their lives at the moment or one thing they would change about

themselves.

The tutor should include his or her own profile which follows the same pattern. Participants should

read the profiles and in a chain, send an e-mail to one or 2 people asking for further information. A

quiz could then be set up with questions about each person.

http://www.emoderationskills.com/?p+71

B

Task: Creating a Glog

Tools: Glogster / Discussion Forums / Wikis

Learners Glog themselves by producing a webpage in a tool called Glogster. The webpage takes the

form of a poster and text, images, audio and video can be used. The tutor creates his or her Glog and

makes it available to learners in a forum or wiki. Learners are asked to create their own Glogs and

share these with their peers and then post comments about these Glogs.

http://www.emoderationskills.com/?p+71

C

Task: Writing about 5 Top Favourite things

Tools:Discussion Forums / Wallwisher

Learners post a list of five favourite items onto a Discussion Forum for their peers to read and

respond to.

D

Task: E-mailing 2 or 3 learners in a class

Tools: E-mail / Quickmail

Learners write an introductory e-mail message to online 2 or 3 colleagues from a list drawn up by the

tutor. Learners are given suggestions about what to include in the content of the e-mail. The

respondents are asked to post replies to the senders.

Middle tasks

E

Task: Reflective journals

Tools: Forums / E-mail

Learners write a journal entry explaining their progress to date and commenting on aspects of the

course. The tutor writes a reply to the learner.

F

Task: Audio anecdotes

Tools: Voxopop

Learners are given a topic related to the course content and are asked to produce anecdotes about

their learning experiences e.g. the best / worst classroom / online experience. These anecdotes are

recorded ontoVoxopop and shared with their peers.

http://www.emoderationskills.com/?p+71

End tasks

G

Task: Most important learning item

Tools: Wallwisher / Glogster / Wiki / Discussion Forum

Learners choose the most important thing they have learned on their online course and write one

statement about this. The statement is posted onto Wallwisher / Glogster / Wiki or the Discussion

Forum.

H

Task: Parting Gifts

Tools: Discussion Forum / Wallwisher /YouTube

Learners give the group and the tutor a farewell gift comprising any of the following:

A photo, poem, video, drawing, joke, anecdote, audio or video message, recipe etc. The gift can take

also the form of a link to a particular site.

http://www.emoderationskills.com/?p+71

THE ROLE OF THE TUTOR IN ONLINE SOCIALIZING (Lucja)

The main role of tutor is online socializing is to create a friendly and communicative environment in which students feel that learning is possible:

• Tutor should be friendly, positive, encouraging, supportive, especially in the first week, provides a constructive feedbacks and then using praise.

• The tutor can encourage students to a better online participation by using an appropriate language (how to deal with no participation)*

The page with all reformulated emails : how to deal with online participation can be found on this link (created by Ana in pen.io- website that allow you to create a page of text instantly): http://emodjul2012reformulation.pen.io/ The Internet has its own culture and rules that users ( in our case tutors) should follow. Below is the summary of main principles that we should remember while teaching online. Netiquette rules: 1 Remember the human. 2 Be friendly, positive and self-reflective 3 Be concise yet friendly and considerate 4 Be patient – count to 107 5 Be forgiving of mistakes and obvious questions 6 Participate open and fully 7 Learn the (specific) netiquette rules and follow them 8 Appreciate cultural and language proficiency differences 9 Be encouraging 10 Avoid using offensive language 11 Do unto others as you would have others do unto you 12 Be a learner 13 Be cautious with humour 14 Help the less experienced colleagues 15 Disagree and challenge each other There are many great apps and no difficult in use that we can use in social area. Animoto is a great tool to make quick videos.

Below is the link how to create a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bGSEwza5gc&feature=related

I created Scenes from life, a video I would use to introduce myself. Other tool witch can be used is Glogster.

http://animoto.com/play/DHc2jjAMIb1vyytMTkoe2w

Below are links I have found useful:

http://www.theconsultants-e.com/resources/ToolsResources/default.aspx (tools than can help to interact

with students)

http://www.slideshare.net/erinherrick/creating-a-good-social-environment-online (creating good social

environment)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

IN CLOSING...

The importance of including a socialization aspect to your online course should not be underestimated.

Task types prove to be an integral component in ensuring successful climate setting and your role as the

Tutor will have a big effect on the success of socialization on your course.

We hope our ideas have convinced and inspired you!

Najma - Bessie- Lucja

A Guide for E-Moderators

Chapter Two

Working online – tutor skills for handling

online chats, discussions, & content

by Andrina Rout

Jacqueline Jordan Mary Whiteside

This chapter considers participation and motivation in online courses, tutors skills for handling synchronous and asychronous work online, sample rubric(s) for course design decisions and other related areas. This chapter is also available as a PowerPoint presentation for download on Slideshare.

Mary, Jacqui & Andrina

Working Online

Tutor skills for handling online

chats, discussions, & content

Encouraging Online Participation &

Motivation

Definitions of Motivation

Motivation is the willingness to spend time or energy

towards goals, and can be looked in a variety of ways.

Some key elements which impact on online learning:

intrinsic motivation

extrinsic motivation

Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation

intrinsic motivation - motivation from the individual, often leading to

deeper learning behaviour - this can be further broken down (Kim,

2004) to:

motivation to initiate

motivation to persist

motivation to continue

extrinsic motivation - can be very strong still but motivation comes

externally and may lead to more superficial learning.

other important characteristics of motivation:

value - relevance to learner

expectancy - likelihood learner can complete task

Motivation Issues for Online Courses

high drop out rates - (30 - 50 %)

more likely to be adults who are more likely to be

motivated

assumptions about online courses - participants may

assume it’s self study and may prefer it to be self study.

some participants may be less familiar with tools

Suggestions for Initiating, Increasing,

and Sustaining Motivation

make assumptions and conventions clear before or very early in the course

raise awareness of the value of online courses and online tasks

include a variety of tasks and types of tasks. Include, shorter and longer, more in depth more fun, some sociable, some group building

give clear rubrics and information on assessment - what’s due and when

model the behaviour you expect

praise - privately and in open forums

match individuals - one less motivated with someone more motivated

start simply with the technology. Building up to more difficult, complex tools/online activities

clarify the value of participation

make your presence felt, so participants know they are involved and what is expected of them.

Tutor Skills for Handling Synchronous

and Asynchronous Work Online

Online Tutors Need…

a range of skills to create and maintain a positive

successful online learning environment

they also need to be committed to the idea of

collaborative learning.

Online Tutor Skills: 5 Categories

technical

structural

social

conceptual

time management

Online Tutor Technical Skills

be familiar with technical features and tools of the online

platform

be able to anticipate student difficulties and respond with

clear and supportive (not dismissive) instructions when

things don’t work

you need to be able, students enabled

Online Tutor Structural Skills

able to design tasks and assessments in which goals,

processes and expectations are clear

able to using student-friendly layout, e.g. simple

navigation, bullet points, headings, visuals

can see how things look and feel from “the other side”

Online Tutor Social Skills

Online learning is a social and educational milieu. Tutors need the skills of a social host and a meeting chairperson. In synchronous and asynchronous work this means:

being warm and encouraging, with group and 1-1 strategies to invite and reward

participation

“listening” or “reading between the lines” to draw out questions or concerns

being able to see the online environment from a student’s perspective

being able to set the tone in etiquette and mutual respect; prepared and able to deal constructively with inappropriate behaviour

being perceptive of subtle and not so subtle interactive issues, such as cliques, and non-participation. Diplomacy to deal constructively with dominance.

being able to “mix” people in collaborative work with sensitivity to personality and learning issues

being able to give constructive feedback and even criticism

Online Tutor Conceptual Skills

Online tutors need to be able to read, understand and respond to enormous amounts of student output. Specific skills are:

weaving: regular posts, for example in a forum, which help the students understand the flow of the discussion, with sensitive handling of different viewpoints, quantity and quality of contribution

feeding back their own ideas to help students reach a conclusion

synthesis and analysis: being able to summarise in a clear and succinct style without losing or distorting the central meaning

a questioning style which prompts discovery and learning by students

negotiating to find ways to accommodate the different needs and interests of students

reformulating and rephrasing incorrect or inappropriate contributions

re-directing and controlling to steer discussions back on track, or to move on to the next point

Online Tutor Time-Management Skills

need to be able to read and respond quickly and at the right

time – opportunistic teaching and learning

the ability to multitask and work under pressure without

sacrificing sensitivity to students’ needs and the quality of

their own posts is a must

Sample Rubrics that give Rationales for

Course Design Decisions

Course Design Guiding Principle

The design of online courses should be to facilitate

learning, so design decisions about the types of tasks

involved are crucial to facilitating the learning of each

particular group

Know your Students

Know your audience and their motivations for doing the course. Then you can decide how much

collaboration socialisation groupwork chat would be appropriate. This could also depend on whether it is a full time or part time course and how much spare time participants have for various activities

Tailoring the Course

tailor the course design around the needs of the group as one size doesn’t fit all

do the participants have enough free time to organise regular synchronous activities or would a greater number of asynchronous tasks be more important?

could this be adapted if the balance seems inappropriate as the course is ongoing? If the balance is inappropriate participants are more likely to drop out if they don’t have enough time for synchronous activities

Take Account of Learner Styles

the design decisions need to take into account different

learning styles and needs

if only one or two learner styles are taken into account

then participants with other learner styles will probably

be alienated

Collaboration Issues

match participants carefully for collaboration

if some participants seem to be much more adept at using

technology match them with participants who are less adept. This

could help the less adept students start to feel more confident

with the technology

at the design stage you could also have some way of designing

different collaboration matches that stop the partnerships from

becoming stale.

Marking

The design of the course should use marking rubrics to

make grading easier and to clarify expectations for

students

Reflect Real World Skills

it would be realistic and eminently useful for decisions about

course design to reflect the real world skills that the course is

aiming to develop

for example, a language course for business people who have to

give regular presentations, take part in telephone conferences and

video conferences, be part of a virtual team which uses

collaborative documents on the web for project work---should

engage in learning using these very tools, including a collaborative

document on the language of project management, a slideshare

presentation on the language of presentations

Thank you for your Time

The online tutor is a facilitator who uses the special qualities of

the online environment to create and sustain a supportive and

effective place to explore, discover and learn - collaboratively

A Guide for E-Moderators

Chapter Three

Going deeper – the development of

knowledge & content online

by Christopher Cooke

Jessica Briggs Kathryn Delaney Vasiliki Scurfield

This chapter considers course structure, course design and content of online courses as well as online course task types.

TASK 4.3: E-MODERATION RESOURCE PACK

TOPIC 3

GOING DEEPER – THE DEVELOPMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND CONTENT ONLINE

Introduction:

“Instructional design is about creating rich robust teaching and learning environments with opportunities

for interaction with course content, between students, and with the instructor.” Alexandra M. Pickett

“The great thing about this kind of work is that it’s fundamentally about people.” The Commonwealth of

Learning

While all four weeks of the course presented us with valuable and practical skills as online tutors in VLE

environments, perhaps Week 3 and the area of content could be considered the most important area of

our study.

Obviously the content of any one online course will be different from that of another, depending on the

type of course it is, the duration, the number of students, where they are and innumerous other factors.

As with f2f courses, the needs and interests of ours students is paramount and the content and task

types need to be tailored to our learners.

We have chosen to divide our work into three parts to better explore the factors involved under each

heading.

Course structure and design: online course content: (Kathryn)

Kathryn has broken down the aspects of course structure and design considering the four main factors:

the learners and the tutors, the course itself and the technology.

Kathryn also assembled reference list and some useful links:

Instructional Design for Self Learning for Distance Education

The Commonwealth of Learning

http://www.col.org/PublicationDocuments/pub_KS2000_Instructionaldesign.pdf

Instruction Design Tips for Online Learning

Joan van Duzer

http://www.csuchico.edu/tlp/resources/rubric/instructionalDesignTips.pdf

Planning an Online Course

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3H7PbkndOk

What Works? Effective Online Practices

Alexandra Pickett - SUNY Learning Network

http://www.slideshare.net/alexandrapickett/whatworks206

Blending Moodle for Language Learning James Scully http://www.slideshare.net/burscu/blending-

moodle-for-language-learning-presentation

NetLanguages: Online Language School http://www.netlanguages.com/info/english/index.php

Best Universities

http://www.bestuniversities.com/blog/2009/how-to-create-your-own-online-course-100-tools-guides-

and-resources/

Make pretty mind maps!

www.text2mindmap.com/

Online task types: (Vasiliki)

One of the great things about the course has been the variety of tasks and their versatility. There’s something there to suit every taste and learning style. Here Jess lists some of the task types we've experimented with during the course and suggests at what stage of course they are most suitable.

Tasks:

Online socialisation tasks:

These were lighter and more about exploring the VLE, bonding and ice breaking:

� Setting up a profile, including a photo

� Emailing colleagues with additional information

� Top five lists (very interesting and generated a lot of comments)

� Using a wiki to post which socialisation tasks we preferred and adding our own which produced a useful bank of tasks.

� Exploring netiquette rules and posting in a wiki which again gave us a useful bank of rules.

� Parting gift task

Tasks around course content:

� Quizzes (useful for revision tasks or to test learning to date or existing knowledge)

� Working in smaller groups on specific tasks (involving choices in terms of how we communicated to achieve the outcomes)

� Exploring recommended resources in a variety of media i.e video, PDFs and responding to them

� Jigsaw tasks used as a review tool

� Synchronous chat as a whole group or in smaller groups, guided and unguided.

Reflective tasks:

Online journal

Temperature check which was a mini evaluation/ reflection

Course evaluation

Links that might contribute to tasks:

mind mapping software

http://www.voxopop.com/

http://penzu.com/

http://wallwisher.com/

The Development of Knowledge: Content Online (Jess)

Jess decided to approach this aspect from a theoretical perspective having researched educational

research databases for articles about the development of knowledge online. From this she provides a

pertinent theoretical framework that connects Kathryn's diagram and Vasiliki's section on task types.

1. Introduction

As shown in Kathryn’s diagram, the development of knowledge online involves careful consideration of

content, pedagogy and technology with reference to course design and structure. Vasiliki’s contribution

to this task has demonstrated that online learning offers the course developer a wealth of task types

through which these considerations can be addressed. This piece of writing is a discussion of a

theoretical framework which has been posited by the research community with reference to the

development of knowledge online. The framework is defined and discussed with a particular focus on

how it might be exploited by developing online educators to assist in course design, task evaluation and

self-development.

2. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a theoretical framework developed by Mishra

& Koehler (2006; 2008) to map the essential qualities of online educators. TPACK is a development of

Schulman’s (1986) Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) framework, adding to the model the necessary

technological capabilities of those who teach online. The framework postulates that online educators

require a unique skill set and knowledge base which is not only different from F2F teachers (who

operate within the PCK), but also from content experts in each of the three fields the framework refers

to (e.g. an IT specialist, a head teacher, a linguist/mathematician). Fig. 1 (taken from http://tpack.org/) is

a pictorial representation of the framework which shows the relationships between TPACK, PCK and the

individual knowledge fields.

Figure 1: TPACK diagram

An interesting point to note about this model is that as online educators we may be called upon to

operate in any one of the seven spheres of competence, or any combination of them, at any given time;

that is to say, it may be the case that at times only Technological Knowledge (TK) is pertinent to solving a

particular problem (for example if a student is having difficulty logging into a synchronous chat session),

whereas at other times we may withhold our content knowledge whilst operating in the sphere of

Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK: for example if a student asks for advice on the best

technological tool to use for a particular group task).

3. Applying the framework

One practical application of TPACK for our group as developing online educators would be to evaluate

the tasks which have been set on this e-Moderation course in terms of where they might fall into the

TPACK model or to what extent they involve each of the three knowledge types. For example, if we

consider the Jigsaw Review Task (3.1) used in a course such as the online CELTA, Content Knowledge

(CK) would relate to the aspects of knowledge we ask the trainees to review. This relates to our

knowledge of teaching methods and skills, and also to our knowledge of the course itself and the

course/module aims we are helping the trainees to meet. In terms of TK, we would need to advise the

trainees how they are to contact one another with their answers (Quickmail/group chat), and what tool

they should use to post their summary of their group’s answers (forum/Wiki). Regarding Pedagogical

Knowledge (PK), we will know what the advantages of using this type of task are, and specifically at the

stage at which we use it (self-directed learning/self-reflection/collaborative learning/scaffolding etc.).

In terms of self-reflection and development, this model could be used to evaluate the level of

equivalence between the three fields with reference to our own knowledge base. Moreover, the seven

spheres could be used to chart our experience over the past four weeks and note in which spheres we

feel we would benefit from having more experience. Additionally, the framework could be a useful tool

when engaged in course design; to measure different course elements against the model would be to

ensure that the course is not too ‘tech-heavy’ or has included sufficient consideration of pedagogical

concerns.

4. Conclusion

This is one framework of many discussed in the literature on e-learning and was by no means chosen

because it was more valid or tested than any other or because it was more applicable to the e-

moderation course than another. Applying a theory or theoretical framework to a particular area of

knowledge can be useful in appraising the knowledge in a new light – to see things through a different

lens. The interplay of the three main types of knowledge involved in online moderation is an aspect of

being an online educator which I had not considered prior to reading about TPACK, and I hope it has

offered a new perspective to those who have read this.

5. References

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A new framework for

teacher knowledge . Teachers College Record. 108 (6), 1017-1054.

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2008). Introducing Technological Pedagogical Knowledge . In AACTE (Eds.)

The Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Educators (pp.3-29). Mahwah, NJ:

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Conclusion:

From our work you can see that the successful design of an online course involves constant reference to

the type of course we are delivering, the time frame and the available technologies. Most importantly

though, are the students themselves: what are their expectations of the course and of the tutor? What

are their learning styles? Do they prefer to work individually or in a group? How does the type of course

they are following dictate the task types and layout of the course that we are designing?

Taking these points into consideration we are better able as course designers and as online tutors to

deliver courses that satisfy the needs of the students but that also bring new challenges to ourselves as

teachers and guides that improve the quality of the learning experience.

A final quote from David Murphy in his article on Instructional Design for Self-learning in Distance

Education nicely sums up the importance of technology in the learning process while reminding us that

our contribution as teachers still plays an important part:

“Far more important than the system is the quality of the people; persons of talent and commitment can

overcome the deficiencies of a system, but no system can cover up the deficiencies of unintersted and

uncommitted people.”

Kathryn, Jess, Vasiliki and Chris

A Guide for E-Moderators

Chapter Four

Rounding up – assessment & ending a

course

by Claire Yarborough

John Karamatzanis Melanie Garrish Sabrina Wilson

This chapter considers issues in assessment of asynchronous and synchronous discussions, useful tools, ideas for finishing of an online course, and suggestions for ‘beyond the course’. The last part of this chapter Rounding up & Finishing off is available as a PowerPoint presentation on Slideshare.

E Moderation

Resource Pack

Assessment of

Asynchronous &

Synchronous Discussions

(John, Claire, Sabrina, Mel)

Synchronous and Asynchronous interaction are an essential part of any online learning

programme. For the successful implementation of these types of interaction, the

application of the following useful practices could effectively contribute to a more

holistic approach in the facilitation and assessment of both. It should be noted that

most of the approaches proposed may be used with both types of interaction since they

are mostly interrelated.

Assessment of Asynchronous and Synchronous Discussions

Do’s:

Alleviate some of the anxiety participants may be experiencing and make sure to stress

the importance of interaction in learning. (Sync/Async)

Set meaningful tasks. (Sync/Async)

Provide clear instructions so that confusion is avoided and they know exactly what to

do. (Sync/Async)

Start off with discussions of a more general nature to establish a friendlier online

learning environment and then move on to more specific tasks.

Motivate students to reflect, and encourage them to do some further reading before

contributing. (Sync/Async)

Establish a broader grading scale e.g. unsatisfactory, good, very good, excellent which

may be construed by learners as less ‘threatening’ and promote participation.

(Sync/Async)

Inform students that they will be graded and provide explicit instruction concerning the

criteria by which they will be assessed (content – quality of interaction – rate and

consistency of participation). (Sync/Async)

Keep discussions focused. (Mainly applies to asynchronous interaction since it is more

difficult to control spontaneity in a synchronous situation).

Familiarize yourself with your students. Do this by administering a pre-course needs

analysis questionnaire. This will help you to choose a variety of question/activity types

or assign roles to account for student preferences and abilities. (Sync/Async)

Acknowledge good ideas publicly. (Sync/Async)

Acknowledge learner type or special circumstances e.g. busy professional etc, and allow

more flexibility. (Mainly asynchronous)

Carefully monitor discussions. Always be there to moderate. (Sync/Async)

Assign group projects to help create a greater sense of responsibility among students

and encourage them to support each other’s participation/learning. (Asynchronous)

Don’ts:

Judge their opinions based on your subjectivity. (Sync/Async)

Inhibit active participation by being over concerned with assessment. (Sync/Async)

Forget to include both quantitative and qualitative methods when assessing.

(Sync/Async)

Make the assessment framework too detailed as this can be very time consuming.

(Sync/Async)

Avoid reflecting on the outcome of the activity. (Sync/Async)

Ignore ‘lurkers’. (Sync/Async)

And last but not least:

Don’t

Expect everything to always go as planned. Things always have a way of going wrong.

(Sync/Async)

Useful links

Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication Tools:

http://www.asaecenter.org/Resources/articledetail.cfm?itemnumber=13572

Successful Synchronous and Asynchronous Discussions:

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/MAC0426.pdf

Asynchronous & Synchronous E-Learning:

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0848.pdf

Methods of Assessing Learning in Distance Education Courses:

http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/JAN00_Issue/Methods.htm

More Rubrics for Assessing Synchronous Discussions

Click on the link to watch the video

http://www.screencast.com/t/1rQjZtQv2

http://www.screencast.com/t/E3cdtnJ6

Watching this Youtube video (about 11 minutes is also recommended).

Alternative assessment: Discussion skills (11:01 minutes) (E-Teacher Scholarship Program)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylKc8LraS_E

Here are a few more points that I would consider using when

assessing a synchronous text or video chat.

• Show them the rubric you will be completing as part of their assessment which also

revises the goals for them.

• This same rubric will be completed by them as a peer evaluation of other's work

afterwards.

I believe it could be adapted to an attachment or a live poll/voting app.

• The tutor assesses by listening and making notes/completing the rubric with a scale from

1-5 (5 being excellent) covering different expectations.

Keep in mind that the tutor has modelled how to lead a discussion in a previous lesson where

the students all talk about what the tutor did so they understand the procedure. For this video

each student took it in turns to be the discussion leader. Learning to lead a discussion helps

students become better participants.

Here is a rough version of the rubric from the video.

Discussion Topic:

Leader's name:

1) Discussion Leader introduced the topic effectively. (How was the topic introduced?)

1 2 3 4 5

needs improvement fair really good excellent

2) Discussion Leader was clear – participants could understand. Discussion Leader helped clarify

any misunderstandings. (Was the Leader clear?)

1 2 3 4 5

3) Discussion Leader included everyone by asking for their opinions, ideas or experience. No one

spoke too little or too much. (Was everyone included?)

1 2 3 4 5

4) Discussion Leader helped create a cohesive discussion by using follow-up questions, keeping

the discussion on-topic, summarizing other people's opinions, and asking students to respond

to each other's ideas. (How was the interaction among participants in the group?)

1 2 3 4 5

5) Discussion Leader kept track of time, spent the right amount of time on each part of the

discussion, and closed the discussion effectively.

(Time management and conclusion)

1 2 3 4 5

Other comments concerning pronunciation / vocabulary.

End of rubric.

Peer assessment

• Afterwards the non-Leader students complete their copy of the rubric.

Assessing each other’s discussion leading skills helps them to apply what they see/hear in

someone else's discussion to their own.

• The tutor uses the peer assessments to assess more accurately because they are often

busy focusing on monitoring and taking notes.

With regular practice students understand the benefits of giving and receiving honest/fair

assessments.

Unlike traditional testing which tests knowledge, this type of alternative assessment is used to

test the student's ability to use the language.

Tools for Asynchronous & Synchronous discussions

Synchronous Asynchronous

Webex

Blackboard Collaborate

Google Hangouts

Discussion Forums

E-mail

Wallwisher

Wikis

Blogs

Rounding Up & Finishing Off

Click here to see a presentation

Rounding Up and Finishing Off

A Guide for E-Moderators

The Consultants-E July 2012 E-Moderation Course

www.theconsultants-e.com