Online Options for Enhancing Teaching Dr. Diane Finley Prince George’s Community College Dr. Kenneth Gray College of DuPage American Psychological Society Annual Meeting Chicago IL May 27-30, 2004
Dec 22, 2015
Online Options for Enhancing Teaching Dr. Diane FinleyPrince George’s Community CollegeDr. Kenneth GrayCollege of DuPage
American Psychological Society Annual Meeting Chicago IL May 27-30, 2004
What Computer Mediated Education Is
• Any education in which the computer is used for part of the learning process
• CME can be completely online at a distance or it can be a traditional classroom in which the computer enhances what is done face-to-face.
Online Psychology Courses
• Online learning is not a correspondence course delivered via the internet
• Online learning is an active learning environment in which the majority of the instruction occurs over the internet
Web Enhanced Classes
• Web content and exercises supplement traditionally delivered course.
• Hybrid course has reduced seat time– 1 hour per week– Half-time being piloted next fall
The Seven Principles
• Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education
• American Association for Higher Education
• Chickering and Gamson, 1987
• Guiding principles for undergraduate education
Principle One
Good Practice Encourages Contact between Students and Faculty
Principle One - Online
• Contact is the most important factor in student motivation and involvement in the discipline and school
• Online courses promote interaction through easier access, discussions, space for interaction to occur, attenuation of perceived barriers
Principle One - Enhanced
• Electronic availability helps “break the ice” for quieter students.
• In one class, 80% of students were AIM users.
Principle Two
Good Practice Develops Reciprocity and Cooperation Among Students
Principle Two - Online
• Learning is enhanced when there is a team effort and it is collaborative.
• Online courses facilitate student to student contact through a ready space for communication and the reduction of time and space obstacles
Principle Two - Enhanced
• Facilitates out-of-class group work– Online study groups– Virtual group meetings– Easy notification– Face-to-face time makes social
pressure more effective
• Online discussion board– Mixed results
Principle Three
Good Practice Uses Active Learning Techniques
Principle Three - Online
• In online courses that require active learning, students fare better than in passive courses.
• Active learning promotes thinking skills and touches on multiple learning styles.
• Online courses are tailored for active learning
Principle Three - Enhanced
• Example: comparison of popular and scholarly psychological information.– Find a claim and compare to peer-
reviewed research.
Men and women need to talk abouttheir feelings often, but for
different reasons.
Remember, 90% of what you are feeling at any given moment is
likely reflective of your past experience. Only 10% is purely new.
Typical activities
• Coming up with operational definitions
• Effective searching of PsycInfo
• Reading and comparing
• Consulting with me and librarian
Principle Four
Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback
Principle Four - Online
• The online environment enables the instructor to give almost immediate feedback. There is no need to wait for the next class.
• Most CMS (course management systems) have gradebooks that enable the student to see grades without any Buckley worries.
Principle Four - Enhanced
• Ditto
Principle Five
Good Practice Encourages Time on Task
Principle Five - Online
• Online courses can make time on task more efficient.
• Online courses makes it easier for the instructor to track student time on task and to remediate when necessary.
• Online courses record all participation so students can see what they are doing.
Principle Five - Enhanced
• I do not use course management software or “real” online courseware, so I cannot track time on task.
Principle Six
Good Practice Communicates High Expectations
Principle Six - Online
• Online courses can more easily post expectations in terms of objectives, etc.
• Online courses make it easier for an instructor to highlight good work, thus giving other students examples of work that meets expectations.
• The same high expectations held for face-to-face students must be maintained for online students.
Principle Six - Enhanced
• Online objectives and materials
• Shift of responsibility to students
• Earlier principles– Rapid feedback on drafts– Electronic availability
Principle Seven
Good practice respects diverse talents and ways of learning.
Principle Seven - Online
• Different students have different learning styles and talents.
• The online environment allows the instructor to tap into all of these. While it is primarily a visual element, it is possible to gear some aspects to auditory or kinesthetic learners.
• Assignments can be somewhat customized to tap into various strengths.
Principle Seven - Enhanced
• I give choices-- 8 hour assignment– Political Psychology links– Important to use and demonstrate
in class
Online Resources • MERLOT – http://www.merlot.com
a free and open resource
• Hawaii Community College faculty site – http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebook/teachtip/teachtip.htm
A terrific site with innumerable resources
References
• Benjamin, L. T. (1991). Personalization and active learning in the large introductory psychology class. Teaching of Psychology, 18 (2), 68-72
• Berge, Z.L. (2002). Active, interactive and reflective elearning. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 3 (2), 181-190
Chickering A. W. & Gamson, J. (1987) Seven principles for good practice. AAHE Bulletin, 39. 3-7
• Clements, A. D. (1995). Experiential-learning activities in undergraduate developmental psychology. Teaching of Psychology, 22 (2) 115-118
• Gamson, Z. & Chickering, A. W. (1992) Applying the Seven Principles of Good Practice for Undergraduate Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
References, cont.
• Lesgold, A.M. (2001). The nature and methods of learning by doing. American Psychologist, 56 (11), 964-973.
• McKeachie, W.J. & Hofer, B. (2001). McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research and Theory for College and University Teachers, 11th ed.. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath & Co.
• Rubin, L. & Hebert, C. (1998). Model for active learning. College Teaching, 46(1) 26-31
Contact Information
• Dr. Diane FinleyDepartment of PsychologyPrince George’s Community College301 Largo RoadLargo MD [email protected]
• Ken GrayCollege of DuPage425 Fawell Blvd.Glen Ellyn, IL [email protected]://www.cod.edu/grayke