How to Spot a Turkey in Cyberspace: Information Literacy PPT

How to Spot a Turkey in Cyberspace

This Information Literacy PowerPoint was presented at the 2005 NMC conference.

As global citizens become increasing reliant upon web-based information - AND web resource quality varies tremendously. Information literacy helps separate quality information treasure from the massive collection of cyber trash inhabiting the Internet. Information Literacy …enables us to analyze and evaluate the information we find on the Internet, giving us confidence in using the selections to make a decision or create a product.
 How to Spot a Turkey in Cyberspace suggests the 5 + 1 Evaluation Criteria:

• Accuracy
• Authority
• Objectivity
• Currency
• Coverage
• 5+1. Design /Navigation /ADA

~~CS Robinson

Overview: The Assessing Online Facilitation Instrument

The Assessing Online Facilitation (AOF) instrument and accompanying Facilitation Activity Record were developed by the California State University Tigers Grant Committee as a primary resource for the following:

• Checklist for self-evaluation in combination with student evaluations to gauge both areas of course strengths and areas of needing improvement.
• Framework for invited peer evaluation.
• Outline for a department’s expectations with simple modifications.
• Guide for faculty training.

The Assessing Online Facilitation (AOF) Instrument is essentially a self /peer assessment component of a process representing a cooperative effort to continuously improve online instruction.  It is comprised of organized tips and techniques from the literature into an easy-to-use checklist called the Assessing Online Facilitation Instrument, or the “AOF”.

The AOF can:

1. Serve as a checklist for self-evaluation in combination with student feedback to gauge both areas of course strengths and areas needing improvement.
2. Function as a framework for invited peer evaluation.
3. Outline a division/department’s expectations with simple modifications.
4. Guide for faculty training.

The Facilitation Activity Record is an optional companion document for the Assessing Online Facilitation (AOF) Instrument. A blank template is available on the AOF website at http://www.humboldt.edu/aof/far.htm.

 ~ CS Robinson

10 Questions to consider when redesigning a course for hybrid teaching and learning

A hybrid or blended course, by definition, reduces face-to-face "seat time" so that students can pursue additional teaching and learning activities online. To be successful, a hybrid or blended course requires careful pedagogical redesign. These ten questions offer you a way to start thinking about some of these design issues.

1. What do you want students to know when they have finished taking your hybrid course?
2. As you think about learning objectives, which would be better achieved online and which would be best achieved face-to-face?
3. Hybrid teaching is not just a matter of transferring a portion of your traditional course to the Web. Instead it involves developing challenging and engaging online learning activities that complement your face-to-face activities. What types of learning activities do you think you will be using for the online portion of your course?
4. Online asynchronous discussion is often an important part of hybrid courses. What new learning opportunities will arise as a result of using asynchronous discussion? What challenges do you anticipate in using online discussions? How would you address these?
5. How will the face-to-face and time out of class components be integrated into a single course? In other words, how will the work done in each component feed back into and support the other?
6. When working online, students frequently have problems scheduling their work and managing their time, and understanding the implications of the hybrid course module as related to learning. What do you plan to do to help your students address these issues?
7. How will you divide the percent of time between the face-to-face portion and the online portion of your course? How will you schedule the percent of time between the face-to-face and online portion of your course, i.e., one two hour face-to-face followed by one two hour online session each week?
8. How will you divide the course-grading scheme between face-to-face and online activities? What means will you use to assess student work in each of these two components?
9. Students sometimes have difficulty acclimating to the course Web site and to other instructional technologies you may be using for face-to-face and online activities. What specific technologies will you use for the online and face-to-face portions of your course? What proactive steps can you take to assist students to become familiar with your Web site and those instructional technologies? If students need help with technology later in the course, how will you provide support?
10. There is a tendency for faculty to require students to do more work in a hybrid course than they normally would complete in a purely traditional course. What are you going to do to ensure that you have not created a course and one-half? How will you evaluate the student workload as compared to a traditional class?

Further information may be accessed at http://www4.uwm.edu/ltc/hybrid/faculty_resources/questions.cfm

~CS Robinson~

Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video

"Fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances."

This video with accompanying information is useful as an introduction to the Fair Use law:

http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/fair-use/related-materials/codes/code-best-practices-fair-use-online-video

The Evidence on Online Education

Online learning has definite advantages over face-to-face instruction when it comes to teaching and learning, according to a new meta-analysis released ... by the U.S. Department of Education.

The study found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction. Further, those who took "blended" courses -- those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction -- appeared to do best of all. That finding could be significant as many colleges report that blended instruction is among the fastest-growing types of enrollment...

Read the whole article: Inside Higher Ed 6/29/2009

See the full report:  Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies