Engaging learners with new strategies and technology is very important in this technological driven era. Instructors have the opportunity to utilize various diverse technologies that will surely help keep students actively engaged in their classrooms. Technology can help students become more knowledgeable and associated with the content. There are so many technologies that can help students from a communication standpoint such as Skype, email and social networks. Blogs can allow learners the opportunity to keep up with information and updates that may go on in the classroom. One of the most important goals of applying technology in the classroom is to ensure that education is very effective and give students new resources and options with technology. Technology can also have a tremendous impact on teaching strategies and methodologies of an instructor. It’s just important for all instructors to develop an effective plan that will feature all main elements. According to Siemens (2008), the students would be actively engaged in online environment by changing the assessment model. This process will work because it will allow the students to be creative and work collaborative with other peers in the class.

Reference

Siemens, G. (2008). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. ITForum.

Storyboard Outline

 Storyboard Outline:
Social Presence

 By: Keith Phillips

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Introduction to Social Presence
   

—  What is Social Presence?

—  What role does Social Presence plays in distance education?

—  What are the effect of Social Presence?

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Examples of Social Presence

—  Table 1. Identifies the categories and indicators of Social Presence

—  Table 2. Identifies the dimensions and variables of Social Presence

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Establishing and Maintaining Social presence

—  Level of Participation

—  Quality of Interaction

—  Responsibility

—  Expectations

 
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Summary

—  Review main points on Social Presence

—  Identify perceptions of Social Presence

—  Tools to improve Social Presence

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References

Assessing Collaborative Efforts

In a collaborative learning community, individual implementation should not be the main attraction because all members of that particular learning community should play an active and engaging part in the group assignment. Teamwork should be stressed. The collaborative learning community should plan learning activities together, assign task equally among the community members, put their plans in action, and display a well-organized project or findings as a team. One important viewpoint about collaborative learning community is that each member will bring their different strengths and weakness. In collaborative endeavors, students inevitably encounter difference, and must grapple with recognizing and working with it. According to Siemens (2008), it is important to have a high level of trust, well-connected information sources and external connections to tightly knit groups that will support a successful learning community. Collaboration is a very important part of mastering huge tasks when working as a group.

If you ever manage to experience a student who does not want to work collaborately in your learning community the members of the learning group have to come together and complete the task. Regardless of the student who fails to participate accordingly, the group is still responsible for completing the task in a timely matter. All members of the learning community are responsible for completing a task but that particular student didn’t. It is important that the group report it to the instructor. As an instructor, I will ensure that each student is assessing accordingly, fair and direct. The instructor should also assess each student on their outcome and equitable. Learning communities can be challenging and the best way to get students to participate in a learning community is to ensure students are contributing in a high functioning learning community (Pallof &Pratt, 2005).

Reference

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Siemens, G. (2008). Assessment of collaborative learning. Vodocast. Laureate Education, Inc.