RSA 3: A Study of Students' Sense of Learning Community in Online Communities

RSA 3:  A Study of Students’ Sense of Learning Community in Online Communities

A Study of Students' Sense of Learning Community In Online Communities        

            In the reading this week, chapter one titled, “When Teaching and Learning Leave the Classroom” discusses the types of online classes as well as the strengths and weaknesses of them.  Online courses can be designed in a variety of ways.  Some may be completely online, others can blend online and face-to-face class time, sometimes called a hybrid course, while a third type meets mainly face-to-face, but with technology incorporated to enrich the class.  Regardless of the type of online course, strong interactions are paramount to its success; interactions between the teacher and the students as well as amongst the students themselves.  Furthermore, the students’ interactions must include collaborative work (Palloff and Pratt, 2007). 

            Both the student and the instructor need to realize that an online course also entails certain considerations.  Working collaboratively with others creates a vastly different situation than teaching in a traditional classroom.  A student or instructor who may not be effective in a face-to-face situation may, in fact, thrive in an online class.  The opposite scenario may be the case as well.  Those that succeed at face-to-face teaching and learning may not be suited for online distance learning (Palloff and Pratt, 2007). 

            Threaded discussions are a suggested means to create a community within online courses.  Threaded discussions can help student not only understand and analyze class topics, but can foster the development of “presence” within the class.  The authors also discuss the true definitions of presence and interaction within an online course.  They state that simply interacting in discussions does not necessarily mean that the student feels connected to the class or classmates (Palloff and Pratt, 2007).  Two key elements in creating a community is “collaborative learning and reflective practice” (p. 17).  Ultimately, an environment must be created by the instructor so that the students feel safe and comfortable to participate freely.

            Chapter two delves into the true meaning of community.  We often think of community as a group of people living in close proximity.  The authors want to extend that definition to groups of people working together online.  However, community is not merely a group of people working together, but rather a group of people connecting through shared interests and shared values resulting in a feeling of belonging (Palloff and Pratt, 2007).   It is this sharing of both professional and personal interests that fosters an effective online community as well.

            Discussion in this chapter also analyzed the reaction to online interactions.  For example, introverts may be more comfortable in the virtual world because they can take more time to process information and formulate their response.  On the other hand, an extrovert may feel more comfortable in face-to-face interactions due to the need for social presence (Palloff and Pratt, 2007).  The authors do point out that social presence can be established through effective online collaboration and discussion. 

            Chapter three addresses the many issues that arise when creating an online community.  One such issue is the difficulty of expressing one’s feelings online.  People can sometimes assume that others will understand the meaning of their words and be a little careless in what they say.  Also, online communication can create a sense of anonymity thus creating a situation where people make comments online that they would not otherwise say face-to-face.

            The lack of human contact is another issue that affects the success of some online participants.   Many people rely on the visual and auditory cues from others and feel isolated or less connected from the group without it.  Synchronous interactions, audio files, and video files can help resolve this situation. 

            One other topic discussed in chapter three is the development of roles within the group.  As the online communities progress, so do the roles that participants take within them.  Some may become the mediator to help resolve issues within the community while others may be helpful in moving the conversation along.  All of these role developments are indicators that the community is becoming more cohesive and effective. 

            Whatever the issue is, (i.e. need for human contact, connectedness and coalescence, shared responsibility, rules, and norms, roles and participation, psychological issues, psychological expression, spiritual issues, culture and language, or vulnerability, ethics, and privacy) it needs to be dealt with swiftly and definitively.

            Peter Shea wrote an article in the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks that discusses the importance of the learning community in the development of an effective online environment (Shea, 2006).  Shea analyzed a study of two thousand three hundred fourteen college students from thirty-two different colleges taking online courses.  The reports centers around the learners’ “sense of community” (p. 35).  Some of the very same essential elements of effective online communities that Palloff and Pratt discuss in Building Online Learning Communities are mirrored in Shea’s article (Palloff and Pratt, 2006).  For example, Shea concludes that “directed facilitation, instructional design and organization on the part of their [the students’]  instructor contributes to their sense of shared purpose, trust, connectedness, and learning—core elements of a community of learners” (Shea, 2006, p.35).  Palloff and Pratt agree that well laid out guidelines and procedures be set for the course much like Shea speaks about directed facilitation and instructional design and organization.  Palloff and Pratt also speak about the importance of shared interests and values in chapter two of their book.  In fact, they point out definitions of online communities have included descriptions of “mutual trust, a connection of the spirit, a sense of belonging, a sense of membership, a sense of support, and an ability to share educational journey together” (Palloff and Pratt, 2007, p. 26).  Overall, both articles agree that a well-directed and collaborative community with personally vested members is necessary when developing effective online courses.

References

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: effective strategies for the virtual classroom (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Shea, P. (2006). A study of students’ sense of learning community in online environments. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 10(1), 35-44.

 

RSA 2: Will the Real SMART Goals Please Stand Up?

RSA 2: Will the Real SMART Goals Please Stand Up?

Will the Real SMART Goals Please Stand Up?        

            In chapter six of Learning by Doing, the authors discuss how to create results orientation in a professional learning community (PLC).  The chapter begins describing a school that prides themselves in having a strong strategic plan for the district and throughout each individual school within the district.  What was discovered was that as the grand plan sounded strong and worthwhile, “it was neither impacting practice in the classroom nor contributing to a culture of continuous improvement” (DuFour et al, 2010, p 156).  In fact, teachers even had difficulty in recalling the goals within the plan.  By creating a results orientation, teachers would be engaged and create goals that would directly result in raising student learning.  SMART goals were then introduced to help achieve such goals and improved learning.  The SMART acronym stands for:

·         Strategic

·         Measureable

·         Attainable

·         Results oriented

·         Time bound (specifying when the goal will be achieved) (p 158)

The SMART goals must be developed to link school goals to district goals.  Furthermore, teams within the schools need to create SMART goals to be able to be effective as well.  The text also discusses the need for attainable objectives focused on results not activities.  

            Chapter seven discusses the true meaning of results orientation.  In the case study presented in this chapter, the PLC was concerned about using common assessments as a means to discover strengths and weaknesses in their teaching.  However, the authors point out that collaborative efforts, however well-defined and meaningful, do not necessarily lead to improved learning.  In fact, “the very reason to engage in the PLC process is to improve results; therefore, it is incongruous to argue that the process should be inattentive to results” (p 182).  The chapter offers various protocols to achieve effective results orientation collaborative work.   Bruce Wellman and Laura Lipton (2004) created the protocol titled “Here’s What, So What, Now What.”  This program “focuses the team’s attention on a specific fact, data point, or idea (Here’s What), supports and builds capacity to surface and organize prior knowledge, interpretations and perspective (So What), and generates implications for changes in a teacher’s practice (Now What)” (DuFour et al, 2010, p 99).  Descriptive Review is another protocol used at Stevenson High School that utilizes six-steps; “introduction, teacher presentation, clarifying questions, feedback, reflection, and debrief” (p 189). 

            Chapter ten finishes our reading for the week with addressing the challenges of creating PLCs.  The key to effective PLC and leadership within PLCs is the realization that the process or protocol will need to be ever-changing as the needs change and challenges arise.  The authors also acknowledge the difficulty of developing a PLC and the fear of change in general.  Shared decision making and collaboration is necessary for all involved to feel empowered, but the success of a PLC lies strongly upon the effectiveness of its leader.  The authors wrap-up the chapter by offering various tips for strong leadership.  Some of their tips include, “link the change initiative to current practices and assumptions when possible, align actions with words, and disperse leadership” (p 254 – 257).

            Robert S. Rubin at Saint Louis University wrote an interesting article in “The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist” Journal titled, “Will the Real SMART Goals Please Stand Up?” (Rubin, 2002).  In this article, Rubin addresses the “real” meaning behind the acronym SMART.  He has always thought of the acronym for SMART matching exactly what DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many write in Learning by Doing:

·         Strategic

·         Measurable

·         Attainable

·         Results oriented

·         Time bound (DuFour et al, 2010, p 158)

Rubin performed research on what SMART goals represented after coming across a different word for the ‘T.’  Instead of “time-bound” as he had always thought it to be, he found it to represent “trackable.” That led him to further investigate the terms behind the acronym SMART.  Most of the research he performed represented SMART as was defined earlier.  However, he found the following additional terms:

·         S          simple, specific with a stretch, sensible, significant

·         M         meaningful, motivating

·         A         acceptable, achievable, action-motivated, accountable, as-if-now, agreed, agreed-  upon, actionable, assignable

·         R         realistic, reviewable, relative, rewarding, reasonable, results-oriented, relevant to    a mission

·         T          timelines, time-frame, time-stamped, tangible, timely, time-based, time-specific,     time-sensitive, timed, time-scaled, time-constrained, time-phased, time-limited,      time-driven, time-related, time-line, timed, and toward what you want, truthful   (Rubin, 2002)

            Rubin fears that some goals may not be more than “do your best” type goals, which are not effective.  He concludes, however, that many people realize that strong goal writing include some derivation of the SMART model. DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many conclude much the same, “research shows that setting SMART goals is essential to achieving results” (DuFour et al, 2010, p 172).

 

References:

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010). Learning by doing: a handbook for professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Rubin, R. S. (2002). Will the Real SMART Goals Please Stand Up?. The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, 39(4), 26-27.

Wellman, B., & Lipton, L. (2004).  Data-driven dialogue:  A facilitator’s guide to collaborative inquiry.  Sherman, CT: Mira Via.

 

RSA #1: Texas District Moving from Good to Great

RSA 1: Texas District Moving from Good to Great

Texas District Moving from Good to Great | What's Working in Schools

            Chapter three of Learning by Doing (DuFour, et al., 2010) is titled “Creating a Focus on Learning.”  Within this chapter, the authors examine many questions a Professional Learning Community (PLC) team must ask in order to effectively fulfill the school’s mission and vision.  The reading details the initial questions as to the objectives that schools want to set and ways they will assess if the students have fulfilled the objectives.  Furthermore, discussion included what the actual student work would look like and if the assessment addresses the standards.    Two such questions from the chapter are “What is it we want our student to learn?” and “What is the evidence we expect students to generate in order to demonstrate proficiency?” (p 66).  When the previous two questions are clearly laid out, the instructors are more effective at helping the students learn the necessary information.  To answer the two questions, teachers must work collaboratively “to study, to clarify, and most importantly, to commit to teaching the curriculum” (p 70).  Collaboration and commitment are essential to the success of a PLC. 

            Chapter five discusses what to do when students do not learn.  The authors conclude that a “systematic process of intervention” (p 97) is necessary.  This process would ensure that all students receive the necessary interventions with a specific plan to ensure its implementation is consistent, guaranteed, and successful.  Moreover, the interventions would involve a variety of resources and staff members within the school rather than falling solely on the shoulders of an individual teacher.

            Chapter six explains effective collaboration.  Effective collaboration is created when teachers address the following questions;

·        What is it we want our students to learn?

·        How will we know if each student has learned it?

·        How will we respond when some students do not learn it?

·        How can we extend and enrich the learning for students who have demonstrated proficiency? (p 119)

The authors take much care to clarify the true intent of a PLC collaborative group; “to help more students achieve at higher levels” (p 119).

            The HOPE (Harnessing Optimism and Potential through Education) Foundation publishes an online professional education development blog titled, “What’s Working in Schools.”  La Grange Independent School District in Texas is highlighted in a blog titled, “Texas District Moving from Good to Great.”  This blog details how a district in Texas went about improving the student learning by developing a strong and effective PLC.  Many of the steps taken at La Grange mimic what is detailed in Learning by Doing.

            The goal of the changes in La Grange included finding a “way to strengthen teacher capacity and leadership, as well as improving communication and maintaining consistency and alignment throughout the district.”  All of these elements were discussed within the Learning by Doing text.  Consistency and alignment are discussed in chapter three.  The authors state that, “one of the most powerful, high-leverage strategies for improving student learning available to schools is the creation of frequent, high-quality, common formative assessments by teachers who are working collaboratively to help a group of students acquire agreed-upon knowledge and skills” (p 75).  Developing strong leadership was also spoken about in chapter two of Learning by Doing; “the creation of a guiding coalition or leadership team is a critical first step in the complex task of leading a school” (p 22).  Melanie Castellow, the curriculum director in La Grange says, “Building and sustaining teacher leadership is a key development piece. Teachers better understand that they can help move the system and become even better leaders.”  Another step that La Grange Independent School District did was to develop a “common mission, values, vision and goals.” These four items are the exact same “pillars” that DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many speak about in chapter two in regards to establishing a strong foundation for a PLC. 

            La Grange has also adopted a HOPE technique called “learning walks.”  In these learning walks, a small group of teachers visits other classrooms “to note positive teaching and learning, as well as making suggestions for improvements.”  This step is mirrored in the Learning by Doing book in chapter five. “Individuals on effective teams learn to acknowledge mistakes, weaknesses, failures, and the need for help.  They also learn to recognize and value the strengths of other members of the team and are willing to learn from one another” (p 132).

            The blog finishes with a strong summary quote from their curriculum director that echoes much of what DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many promote, “We know where we want to go and what we are supposed to do to get there. We have a better understanding of what it means to be collaborative. We’re excited about the possibilities and are ready to move from good to great.”

 

References:

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010). Learning by doing: a handbook for professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Kisch, M. (2012, October 22). Texas District Moving from Good to Great | What's Working in Schools. The HOPE Foundation | Because failure is not an option. Retrieved November 4, 2012, from http://www.hopefoundation.org/blog/2012/10/22/texas-district-moving-from-good-to-great/