The Interrelationship of Encouragement & Confrontation

with Online Education

Presenters: Daniel Eckstein, Donna Eckstein, Chi-Sing Li, and Yu-Fen Lin

*Presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference in San Antonio, Texas; March 26-30, 2007.

*To be presented at the National Technology and Social Science

Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada; April 6-8, 2008.

Online Education

Creating a synergistic effect with two approaches using online tools.

Encouragement• Red-pencil mentality• Positive psychology

• Dinkmeyer and Eckstein’s definition of encouragement:A process that focuses on the individual’s resources and potential in order to enhance self-esteem and self-acceptance.

To encourage is to unite dualities such as:

Fear/ CourageMale/ Female

Democrat/ RepublicanInstructor/ Student

Seven Methods of Encouragement1. Role Model2. Identifying Strengths and Weakness 3. Consistency of Support over the Long

Haul 4. Seeing the Person as Special5. Passionate Inspiration6. Supporting a Person's Special Interests7. Encouraging Career Choices

Methods of Encouragement Applied to Seven Online Tools

1. Annoucements2. Assignments 3. Calendar 4. Discussions5. Learning Modules6. Mail7. Gradebook

The Four Directions of Encouragement

1. Downward

2. Across

3. Upward

4. Inward

Confrontation

• Confrontation is paradoxically an essential aspect of encouragement.• Stoke and Spit (Nikelly, 1971)• Focus on discrepancy.

Representative Online Examples Include

Discrepancies between

1. What a student says he or she will do and what they actually do

2. Between your perception of only quality and excellence as well as basic satisfactory work compared to some learners with overly inflated opinions of their work.

3. Between the posted course room or research standards and how a learner is unwilling and/or unable to follow such standards.

Confrontation• Does not have to be a harsh attack. • Can be done when students are respectfully invited to examine their behaviors, attitudes, and thoughts.

Information & Consent

• Ethical considerations with online education.• Giving and receiving of facilitative feedback and grades needs to be stated “up front” in the syllabus.

Examples of Confrontation

• Plagiarism• Poor Writing Skills• Late Postings & Lack of Planning with Assignments

• Inactive Online Participation

Examples of Encouragement

• Creative and Critical Thinking

• College Level Writing Skills

• Early Postings & Planning with Assignments

• Active Online Participation

The Interrelationship of Encouragement & Confrontation

with Online Education

• Plagiarism• Poor Writing Skills• Late Postings and Lack of Planning with Assignments• Inactive Participation

• Creative and Critical Thinking Skills

• College Level Writing Skills

• Early Postings andPlanning with Assignments

• Active Participation