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~ Capella University ~
Winter Quarter,
2000
Critical Skills for Facilitating
Online Learning
ED7690
Course Instructors: Bruce
Francis, Patricia Luopa
Learner: Leanne Carson Boyd
9850
Federal Blvd. #262
Denver,
CO 80260
(303)
464-7090 (W - home-based business)
(303) 381-7018 (W) www.netLibrary.com, team lead #)
(303)
464-7090 (H)
refugeearth@uswest.net
Mentor: TBD
Field of Study: Instructional Design for Online Learning
Degree: Ph.D. — Education
ED7690 Project: Design for an Online Course
Submitted: March 2000
http://www.refuge-earth.org
artwork
by Leanne Carson Boyd 1984 - 2000
Space Artists:
Prophets of the Stars
Version 2000
Space Artists, the concept, began in the Fall of 1995, in this [now Capella University] learner's early pathway back into academics, after a 25 year break! The courses that started it all were Beginning Multimedia Authoring and Advanced Multimedia Authoring. The program of study was Technical Communications (emphasis in Multimedia) in the School for Professional Studies at Metropolitan State College of Denver. The tool: Asymetrix Toolbook, version 3.0.
The original software was produced in version 3.0 on a Packard Bell, 100 Pentium PC, with only 1.5Gig of hard drive space, and only 16MB of RAM. Needless to say, there were many crashes along the way. Since that time, this software has been upgraded through Toolbook's version changes, 4.0 CBT, 5.0, and 6.0. It's still too "swarthy," as a Toolbook creation, to want to easily go online! The decision was made to take it to the Internet, instead, in traditional tools of the Internet ... HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
The Space Painters software, along with one on the topic of the Hopi Indians of the 4-corners region of the United States, and a kiosk-like overview of activities in Denver, Colorado — were all created by this learner in that same Fall semester of 1995, only a few months into the "PC" experience. Prior to Metro State College, the only computer was a MAC computer; a true die-hard. These Asymetrix-created software were used by the Computer Science Department of Metro State for many exhibitions, seminars, and Student/Parent Orientation presentations, during 1995 and 1996. They were also presented in the 1996 Denver Film Festival.
This was the "previous life" of Space Painters, before its new life in HTML, with additions and improvements to the artwork, in re-working it for the Web. The presentational format of this showcase-like software has been developed into an actual Course, suitable for use as a companion learning experience for the target group of late high school to early college student. It's purpose is to deliver a stimulating and fun environment to the learner, in hopes that fears of "hard" sciences may be alleviated. It is the genuine concern of this author/learner that the message be given — and received — that there is EQUITY in careers in the sciences, mathematics, and technology.
The original target group of this software-now-online-course was young women who have become convinced by societal messages, that they cannot choose careers in these areas, simply BECAUSE they are "girls." The same message goes out to many young men, as well. With enough attentionn to offerings such as Space Artists, perhaps this damaging message may be un-done!
More courses such as this will soon be placed online, with this one. The location is: Refuge_Earth. Look for the section of the Web site, named Pale Blue Dot — a place concerned with sciences and learning.
Refuge_Earth is a Learning Community, a shopping web site, an online community vitally
concerned about families, education, and environmental issues. All
products represented by Refuge_Earth are chosen for the health and
happiness of people — and animals and our surroundings! — on planet
Earth. We have a cyberschool, games, resources, and highly-researched
shopping items, from gifts, to home business and entrepreneurial needs,
to earth-friendly items for every room in your home. We care about YOU,
the learners, the parents, the children, the teens, and the babies. We are all
sisters and brothers. We are all who have inherited our Gentle Zoo.
You are invited — heartily! — to browse around!
(Note: the Refuge_Earth menu bar at the bottom of this page may be clicked to go to the Community.)
Plan for the ED7690 Project, submitted at Capella University on: 2/22/00
by Leanne C. Boyd
©1984 - 2000, Leanne C. Boyd
After reading this history, and when you're ready to begin,
click on the page underneath this one (the intro page)
to start the Space Artists 2000 Course ...
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0. Critical success factors for online teaching
(some thoughts, not set in stone!)
1.1. Preparation
1.2. Course delivery
1.3. Course evaluation
2.0. Concerning plans for this project
2.1. Refuge_Earth:Academy
2.2. The course: "Space Artists: Prophets of the Stars"
3.0. Outline of this online course design
3.1. Introduction / Home Page of web site
3.2. Click into Main Menu page
4.0. Appendices
4.1. Appendix A: Advertising for Refuge_Earth:Academy - Public relations
4.2. Appendix B: Building customer loyalty
- online community
4.3. Appendix C: Space Art samples
Study assignment, unit 5
Send a progress report to Bruce
and Patricia on your final project. Include a list of what you've decided
are the critical success factors for online teaching. Also, give us
a high level outline of the course you will be designing for your final
project and a short narrative about your plans for this project.
Final project update
1.0. Critical
success factors for online teaching
(some thoughts, not set in stone!)
1.1. Preparation
1.1.1. Thorough
research of Course topic
- Collection of appropriate,
high-level resources, samples, items for use by learners
- Design and re-design of syllabus,
with particular attention to usability concerning timelines and expectations
- Common goals for final product,
between resources/SMEs, instructional design and technical design partners
- Develop a statement of objectives
for the Course, application to the target learner's goals, as well as
the goals of the academic institution
- Excellent preparation of visuals,
as this Course (and others to follow) will be highly visual, taking
into account the nature of the target group of learners
- Preparation of web site with
careful attention to usability, navigation, non-redundant effort by
user
1.2. Course
delivery
Thorough initial availability for learner questions, navigation advice,
or any given problem encountered
- Frequent observation of web
site, especially in Forums/Courseroom settings, or chat, bulletin boards,
or any/all forms of asynchronous activity
- Participation in online events,
such as just stated in point 1.1.2. -- both as instructor and also as
co-learner in the given event
- Timely response to learner email
- Appropriate, engaging material
in all synchronous discussions, lectures, or any other "live"
learning setting
- Instructor as leader, guide,
with emphasis on collaborative efforts whenever possible
- Frequent learner contact for
updating on all issues of problems encountered, needs, and especially
"shop talk," from the angle of professional in the field of
interest. This could also be seen as being available for "upon
request" feedback
- Observation of learner participation;
intervention when needed if lack of interest or problems are seen
- Encouragement of the learners
- Always attempt to provide an
interesting, interactive, and alert setting
- Find ways to allow the learner
to perform self-assessment
- Attempt to individualize, customize
each learner's experience; find out some of their passions and allow
the learner to route his/her experience in that direction
- Provide a place for "learner
portfolios," or presentation of works; encourage peer feedback
and critique among the learners
- Always work within the stretches
and limitations of the online delivery system; always be available to
learners in aiding them to utilize Internet tools, or related digital
tools, to overcome fears of technology -- even if this means learning
something new, yourself, in order to help a learner
- Always be fair and patient in
the teaching -- the setting is new and so are many of the rules or guidelines
-- and the written "word" can often times be misconstrued
- Develop a "feel" for
each learner, made easier by how the Course has been individualized;
attempt to do any grading based on personal successes in relation to
the goals of the Course
1.3. Course
evaluation
Thorough assessment and timely feedback, for all Course activities,
exams, assignments
- Request for learner feedback
on all accounts, at any time
- Develop a setting that ensures
trust among learners, and trust of your skills as instructor, listener,
and willingness to follow through; this will make learners willing and
anticipatory for the giving of feedback
- Request a written evaluation
at the end of the Course. Provide an area that is multiple choice, but
also provide an area for commentary and suggestions
- Really LISTEN to the suggestions
- Attempt to provide a final "showing
of learner works," a travel through the portfolio area. Attempt
to do this in a synchronous manner, with perhaps an Internet-delivered
showing of a few works, and a chatroom setting for talk concerning the
class. This will provide an arena for each learner to neatly tie up
his/her experience
- Take those suggestions and incorporate
them into the next iteration of the class!
- Never compare current learners
to others in this, or other courses
- Use the break to improve your
own technological skills
- Attempt to stay one tiny step,
at least, ahead of your students! This may be the biggest challenge,
and most certainly an important success factor for the delivery of the
learning content
2.0. Concerning
plans for this project
2.1. Refuge_Earth:Academy
This
Course, when completed, will have an actual "home," on the
learning web site, Refuge_Earth.org. This is the web site for the CyberSchool
that was born during the final Master's Project at Nova Southeaster
University, by Leanne Boyd. The site is an online Community, based in
topics such as environmental issues, gender-equity issues, global issues
that affect the learning community. It also is a fun web site, as the
target population is that group of students in late high school or early
college, pondering careers in science, math, or technology, but have
been given the societal/media message that they cannot, for various
reasons, succeed. The site, therefore, is geared toward showing how
they CAN become successful.
- The Proposal for this CyberSchool,
Refuge_Earth:Academy, may be viewed at:
http://www.refuge-earth.hispeed.com/BoydZoo/campus/Novaweb/
DCTE/OLEweb/final-pt-1.htm
- The web site for Refuge_Earth.org
is at:
http://www.refuge-earth.org/
2.2. The course:
"Space Artists: Prophets of the Stars"
The
Course covers the subject of artists who have been involved in the international
"Space Race." The art galleries consist of artwork from the
United States, and artwork from Russia. The intention of this Course
is to engage, with HUGE visual effort, students in the sciences of astronomy,
engineering, computing, mathematics, and all topics related to space
travel. It is designed to show not just the artistic side of the race
to space, but also, in non-stressful terms, all of the technologies.
It is also designed to be "non-pressure," with self-assessment
being the prime form of assessment, with written feedback from the "Guide"
of the Course.
Eventually, contact with a partner/psychologist
will be made available, to help students sort out goals for their post-secondary
academic endeavors. This Course, and others to follow, will NOT be credit-giving,
for the time being. They are envisioned as part of a plan to work with
local high schools and the community college years, as supportive materials
to regular course work, or collaborative efforts with individual schools
and counseling centers.
The CyberSchool portion of this
Community site is called Pale Blue Dot, in memory of the late,
undeniably the King of Space, Carl Sagan. This portion of the RE:Community
will eventually contain a large collection of resources, access to free
or low-cost, online courses (provided by many online schools and other
entities), and many outlets for interaction between students and others.
- Some of the resources that are
being compiled for use in Pale Blue Dot, may be viewed at:
http://refuge-earth.hispeed.com/BoydZoo/campus/
Novaweb/645/Project_1/gender-equity.htm
One very high goal for this Course,
this CyberSchool, and this Community web site is to eventually partner
with a number of online academic and corporate entities. One medium
will be through the Service-Learning centers of many universities and
professional settings. The underlying goal of this is to foster community
between young learners and seasoned professionals, to enlarge the vision
of all involved in science and technology, and to help provide an environment
of fun and trust, so that entry into these "hard science"
careers will not be painful, or worse, impossible, for these young learners.
This Course, "Space Artists:
Prophets of the Stars," is designed to engage, rather than to perform
"hard-core" instruction. The target population of students
already falls into the category of "high risk," especially
in terms of the final goal of Refuge_Earth:Academy, which is to provide
a highly interesting showcase for technology that is within the reach
of the student. The purpose is to orient a young learner toward the
sciences while initially enlisting his/her interest in artistic content
of almost an entertainment variety. Requests for assignments will be
"low-key," with most evaluation being in the range of self-assessment.
Any quizzes given within this Course will be non-graded assessments
to ascertain what was learned and plenty of opportunity for discussion
on quiz items. A primary reason for quizzes will be for observation
of:
- The learner-centered experience
and topics of highest interest
- Resources utilized by learners,
with reevaluation and changes in the Course, as needed
- Assurance of availability for
future feedback if learners express interest in pursuing topics, and
that this web site will attempt to provide contact names and availability
The same reasoning will apply
to the assignments within the Course, with careful attention paid to
student writings and interactivity. The goal of this Course, as with
the Refuge_Earth.org web site, is to provide an environment for learner-to-community
interchange, both online and in their real neighborhood communities.
It should be noted that research
has already begun for securing grant funding for the learning Community
and the CyberSchool. For methods being developed for announcing, advertising,
and promoting this Course, the CyberSchool, and the Refuge_Earth Community
web site, please see
Section 4.0, Appendices.
These include
Appendix A,
"Advertising for Refuge_Earth:Academy - Public relations "
and
Appendix B,
"Building customer loyalty - online community."
3.0. Outline
of this online course design
3.1. Introduction / Home Page of web site
Interactive front title page
- Click into "About"
page, which introduces the Course
- Course estimated time frame,
12 weeks
- History of this Course
3.2. Click
into Main Menu page
Showing the interactive buttons for the Course sections
- Opening page of web based Course
software
- Readings (five) for the Course
- An online E-book, with art
samples and extensive readings concerning both the art and the appropriate
space travel topics. See
Appendix C: Space
Art samples
- Space Art from the U.S.A. See Appendix
C, section 4.3.1.:
Art sample No. 1, Space Art from the U.S.A.
- Space Art from the U.S.S.R./Russia. See
Appendix C, section 4.3.2.:
Art sample No. 2, Space Art from Russia (previously USSR)
- Space Art and the Media - examples
from traditional Media: television, movies
- "Reality Check,"
concerning troubles in the Space Race, including a tribute to The Challenger
- Showing textual link buttons
at the bottom of page, for additional information
- References used in the actual
Course
- Course Schedule and Syllabus
- Suggested (additional) readings
- Online Resources (to include
encyclopedic sources, dictionary, an excellent sampling of more-or-less
traditional academic tools)
- Mid-Course Quiz (50 multiple
choice questions)
- Projects:
- Creative expression (paper, 3-5 pages)
- Bi-Weekly chat room discussion (write
brief review to post to Course Bulletin Board / Forums area, equaling
5 short papers)
- Interview with a professional in the field
(many career categories to choose from) - Refuge_Earth will help set
up this introduction (write review of this interview, 2-3 pages, to
post to Course Bulletin Board / Forums area)
- Final paper, minimum of 4 pages, to compare
learner interests to content of Course, and plans, if any, for further
exploration
- Course Evaluation - learner is to complete
a minimum of the ~30 multiple choice questions, with an invitation to
write a commentary
- Excellence in Sample Web Sites
- Topic specific web sites: NASA, Space
pages for Russia (yes! they are online!)
- Specific science, math and technology
pages, such as museums, university student pages, etc.
- Online tutorial pages, from all topic
areas (this is a large list currently, and growing quickly)
4.0. Appendices
4.1. Appendix A:
Advertising for Refuge_Earth:Academy - Public relations
Post Refuge_Earth.org, as well as this Course (and others as they are
available) to all Internet search engines (e.g. Excite, AltaVista) with
the help of analytical software, WebPosition Gold, which optimizes META
tags for each search engine, as they all have different preferences
Post links to Refuge_Earth.org and Course(s) on smaller related sites,
such as, but NOT limited to:
Post newsgroup messages concerning RE:Academy Course(s) in the appropriate
newsgroups, such as, but not limited to:
Education: |
Math, Science, Technology |
Environmental Issues |
alt.education |
alt.algebra.help |
alt.org.earth-first |
alt.education.alterna |
alt.engineering.elect |
alt.politics.greens |
alt.education.distanc |
bit.listserv.edtech |
gov.us.topic.environm |
alt.education.home-sc |
comp.internet.net-hap |
misc.activism.progres |
misc.education |
comp.lang.c++ |
rec.backcountry |
misc.education.adult |
sci.math |
rec.outdoors.national |
soc.college.admission |
sci.physics |
sci.environment |
ucb.students.internat |
sci.space.news |
talk.environment |
4.2. Appendix B: Building
customer loyalty -
online community
Provide a harbor, a support-group-type atmosphere. A place that people
will WANT to return to. The Internet is becoming like the "last
wilderness," the last place to seek a peaceful way of interaction.
"The rate at which farmland and private forests were developed
into subdivisions and other commercial uses has more than doubled in
the 1990s, a federal survey released Tuesday shows. The sharp increase
reflects the growing concerns that suburban sprawl is eroding America's
quality of life." (Llanos 1999).
Make RE:Communities a very special, inviting place to "hang out,"
with state-of-the-art navigation, exceptional interface, user-friendly
services geared toward easing the Internet experience. This is ONLY
a partial list:
4.3. Appendix C: Space
Art samples
Art sample No. 1, Space Art from the U.S.A.:
Fast Times/Ocean of Storms,
by Astronaut Alan Bean
Art sample No. 2, Space Art from Russia (previously USSR):
New Year on Mars, by Cosmonaut
Georgii Orlov
(Note: References for all artwork
will be found in the References link,
within the web-based course software.)
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