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Learning Goes SocialPresentation to Stevens Institute of Technology’s Web Campus BoardApril 2011

By Pat Sabosik, President and Board Member

Online Learning

Distance Education“Distance education or distance learning, is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and

technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom.” Wikipedia

Synchronous Learning“Synchronous learning refers to a group of people learning the same things at the same time in the same

place. Lecture is an example of synchronous learning in a face-to-face environment and with the advent of web conferencing tools, people can learn at the same time in different places as well. “ Wikipedia

Asynchronous Learning“Asynchronous learning is a student-centered teaching method that uses online learning resources to

facilitate information sharing outside the constraints of time and place among a network of people[1]. Asynchronous learning is based on constructivist theory, a student-centered approach that emphasizes the importance of peer-to-peer interactions.” Wikipedia

Networked Learning“Socially networked collaborative learning extends some of the most established practices, virtues, and

dispositional habits of individualized learning. include taking turns in speaking, posing questions, listening to and hearing others out. Networked learning, however, goes beyond these conversational rules to include correcting others, being open to being corrected oneself, and working together to fashion workarounds… “ Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age, MIT Press

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Students’ Communications Technology Use Increases

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Source: ECAR Research Study 6 , 2009; Students and Information Technology, 2009. Figure 4-9http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0906/rs/ers0906w.pdf

Net Generation students have more actively integratedSocial networking into their lives than older students.

Social Networking Services (SNS) like Facebook and

Twitter increased as InstantMessaging decreased showing preference for

SNS tools

Student Ownership of Internet-Capable Hand-Held Devices Increases

S

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Source: ECAR Research Study 6 , 2009; Students and Information Technology, 2009. Figure 1-5http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0906/rs/ers0906w.pdf

Will student adoption of mobiletechnology outpace institutionalsupport, or will institutions riseto the challenge…student use

of mobile technology [has]opportunity to improve the

educational environment forcollege students.

Source: The Revolution No OneNoticed by Alan Livingston, quotedin this ECAR report.

90% of studentsuse social networking sites

How Students Like to Learn with Technology

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Source: ECAR Research Study 6 , 2009; Students and Information Technology, 2009. Figure 5-1http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0906/rs/ers0906w.pdf

After describing the institution’s library system as “amazing,” the

student wrote, “I love it how I can send a text message on my

Phone to locate the book.”

The feature of real-time Chat is a great way to

Stimulate class discussion[in online courses].

Networked learning iscommitted to a vision ofthe social stressingcooperation, interactivity, mutuality and socialengagement for their own sakes and for the powerful productivity to which it more often than not leads.The Future of LearningInstitutions in a Digital Age.

Student Engagement with Each Other

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When students work together on coursework, both inside andoutside of the classroom, they learn more, think more critically,and gain an appreciation for diverse perspectives. (Pascarella &Terenzini, 2005; Gerlach, 1994)

Students who engaged in learning activities with their peers were

more likely to participate in other effective educational practices and

had more positive views of the campus learning environment.

Source: National Survey of Student Engagement, Annual Results 2010http://nsse.iub.edu/NSSE_2010_Results/pdf/NSSE_2010_AnnualResults.pdf

Student Engagement by Selected Disciplines

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Seniors majoring in general business administration participated in active and collaborative learning activities more frequently than peers in other

fields.Students have more time for

collaboration and outside class activities.

Source: National Survey of Student Engagement, Annual Results 2010http://nsse.iub.edu/NSSE_2010_Results/pdf/NSSE_2010_AnnualResults.pdf

10 Principles for the Future of Learning

1. Self Learning2. Horizontal Structures3. From Presumed Authority to Collective Credibility4. A De-Centered Pedagogy (inductive, collective pedagogy)5. Networked Learning6. Open-sourced Education—A Many to Multitudes Model7. Learning as Connectivity and Interactivity8. Life-long Learning9. Learning Institutions Mobilizing Networks10. Flexible Scalability & SimulationFrom the book: Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age by Cathy N. Davidson and David Theo Goldberg, with the assistance of Zoë Marie Jones. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning, published by MIT Press, 2009http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/chapters/Future_of_Learning.pdf

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…institutions of learning have changed far more slowly than the modes of inventive, collaborative, participatory learning offered

by the Internet and an array of contemporary mobile technologies.

A key term in thinking about these emergent shifts is participatory learning…

includes the many ways that learners (of any age) use new technologies to participate in virtual

communities where they share ideas, comment on one another’s projects,

and plan, design, implement…ideas together.

Those coming into our educational system rely on participatory learning

for information about virtually everything in their lives.

Implications for Stevens Web Campus

Progression from synchronous to asynchronous learning to networked learning

Progression aided by technology, particularly mobile and social networking

Demographic shift, Net Generation is wired and learns in connected ways; uses social networking as part of daily communication Preference shift away from the 1:1 towards the 1:many

Leading nonprofit educational foundations are investing in online learning, aided by technology, to reach more students cost effectively Learning outcomes improving

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Appendix

Cost management and hybrid learning models that help frame the discussion about the impact of social networking and student engagement on learning in post-secondary institutions

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Faculty Model for Teaching Online Courses

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Unbundling the faculty roles enables faculty tofocus on their areas of

expertise. In online class-rooms, instruction is

separated from delivery, making the process more

modular and easier toidentify and manage

costs.

Source: “Unbundling Faculty Roles in Online Distance Education Programs,” by Patricia Neely & Jan Tucker. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 11.2 (2010).http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/798/1543

Successful Uses of Technology for Student Learning Open Learning Initiative Carnegie Mellon

University Adopted hybrid models of digital and classroom

teaching to accelerate learning College statistics course was taught in two

different ways using comparable groups of students

Hybrid class lasted half as long — 7.5 weeks — as the traditional setting

Students’ test scores and retained learning, measured later in the year, were as high as or higher than those of the conventional lecture class

Hybrid approach doubled the productivity of education in that program

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Source: In Higher Education, a Focus on Technology, by Steve Lohr, The New York Times, Business Day section, October 10th 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/technology/11online.html?_r=3

Source: Inside Higher Ed, December 28, 2009 Hybrid Education 2.0, What if you could teach a college course without a classroom, or a Professor, and lose nothing?http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/12/28/carnegie