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DRAFT Julia Parra 1 ONLINE TOOLS FOR GROUP WORK AND COLLABORATION: SUPPORTING STUDENT LEARNING, SUCCESS, AND SATISFACTION Julia L. Parra ABSTRACT Increasingly, group work and collaboration are valued as key strategies for engaging students in online and blended learning environments. There are many online tools available to support students as they engage in group work and collaboration. In this article, students themselves identify the online tools that are most beneficial for group work and collaboration. Based on the results of an end of online course survey, the online tools that most supported student satisfaction, learning, and success with group work and collaboration included Skype (1-1 or small group chat tool or video conferencing tool), Google Docs (collaborative document tool), and Adobe Connect (class web conferencing tool). I. INTRODUCTION Social constructivism, connectivism, collaborative learning, and transformative learning theories provide the foundation for my beliefs about and approaches towards teaching and learning. For my role as researcher, I take a pragmatic approach to research wherein I take the role of action researcher. According to Lewin and Stringer, “Action research is focused on solving specific problems that local practitioners face in their schools and communities” [1, p. 11]. Johnson and Christensen further note: To carry out an action research project, you would need to diagnose the specific problem you are facing and conduct a thorough literature review to see if a useful answer already exists. If the literature doesn’t suffice, then you will need to carry out your own research study (i.e., collect data to help answer your question) in your environment with your students or clients. When you finish interpreting your results, you can implement the changes needed to help solve your local problem. [1, p. 11] Anecdotally, I was asking and learning from students that Skype, Google Docs, and Adobe Connect were key online tools that supported them in the successful completion of group work and collaboration in online and blended courses. However, I couldn’t find any literature that supported either this particular toolkit or the student perspective in support of the best online tools for group work and collaboration. Thus, taking the role of an action researcher, I decided to find out what students thought so I could provide some literature on the topic. This rest of this article includes the following sections - Background, Online Tools for Group Work and Collaboration, Research Method, Data Analysis, Implications for Online and Blended Course Design. Additionally, added to this chapter, as Appendices, are key resources, that I share with the educators that I teach about online teaching and learning, to use as needed. I. BACKGROUND I use the Phases and Scaffolding for Technology and Collaboration (PSTC) model (Appendix A) for online and blended course design. As part of this model, I provide students with a Getting Started Guide and a section titled, Set Up Your Tech Toolkit (Appendix B). In my online and blended courses, students use these tools to communicate, collaborate, and conduct group work. II. ONLINE TOOLS FOR GROUP WORK AND COLLABORATION As more and more employers are valuing teams, group work, and collaboration as critical skills, silos both in the workplace and at school are being abandoned in favor of collective intelligence. Online and
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ONLINE TOOLS FOR GROUP WORK AND COLLABORATION: SUPPORTING STUDENT LEARNING, SUCCESS, AND SATISFACTION Julia L. Parra ABSTRACT Increasingly, group work and collaboration are valued as key strategies for engaging students in online and blended learning environments. There are many online tools available to support students as they engage in group work and collaboration. In this article, students themselves identify the online tools that are most beneficial for group work and collaboration. Based on the results of an end of online course survey, the online tools that most supported student satisfaction, learning, and success with group work and collaboration included Skype (1-1 or small group chat tool or video conferencing tool), Google Docs (collaborative document tool), and Adobe Connect (class web conferencing tool).

I. INTRODUCTION Social constructivism, connectivism, collaborative learning, and transformative learning theories provide the foundation for my beliefs about and approaches towards teaching and learning. For my role as researcher, I take a pragmatic approach to research wherein I take the role of action researcher. According to Lewin and Stringer, “Action research is focused on solving specific problems that local practitioners face in their schools and communities” [1, p. 11]. Johnson and Christensen further note:

To carry out an action research project, you would need to diagnose the specific problem you are facing and conduct a thorough literature review to see if a useful answer already exists. If the literature doesn’t suffice, then you will need to carry out your own research study (i.e., collect data to help answer your question) in your environment with your students or clients. When you finish interpreting your results, you can implement the changes needed to help solve your local problem. [1, p. 11]

Anecdotally, I was asking and learning from students that Skype, Google Docs, and Adobe Connect were key online tools that supported them in the successful completion of group work and collaboration in online and blended courses. However, I couldn’t find any literature that supported either this particular toolkit or the student perspective in support of the best online tools for group work and collaboration. Thus, taking the role of an action researcher, I decided to find out what students thought so I could provide some literature on the topic. This rest of this article includes the following sections - Background, Online Tools for Group Work and Collaboration, Research Method, Data Analysis, Implications for Online and Blended Course Design. Additionally, added to this chapter, as Appendices, are key resources, that I share with the educators that I teach about online teaching and learning, to use as needed.

I. BACKGROUND I use the Phases and Scaffolding for Technology and Collaboration (PSTC) model (Appendix A) for online and blended course design. As part of this model, I provide students with a Getting Started Guide and a section titled, Set Up Your Tech Toolkit (Appendix B). In my online and blended courses, students use these tools to communicate, collaborate, and conduct group work.

II. ONLINE TOOLS FOR GROUP WORK AND COLLABORATION As more and more employers are valuing teams, group work, and collaboration as critical skills, silos both in the workplace and at school are being abandoned in favor of collective intelligence. Online and

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blended courses are well suited to provide students with opportunities for group work and collaboration fostering a move from solo, individual contribution, to genuine real-time collaboration of group members. Numerous tools have been and continue to be developed to support group work and collaboration in online and blended environments. To facilitate more teamwork and group communication, projects rely on tools like wikis, Google Docs, Skype, and online forums. Group projects are increasingly evaluated by educators not just on the overall outcome, but also on the success of the group dynamic. In many cases, the online collaboration tool itself is an equally important outcome as it stores — and even immortalizes— the process and multiple perspectives that led to the end results [18, p. 4]. In discussing tools for group work and collaboration, it is helpful to start with a brief review of the concepts of asynchronous, synchronous, and nearly-synchronous tools.

A. Asynchronous, Synchronous, and Nearly-Synchronous Tools Asynchronous, synchronous and nearly-synchronous as terms are important in relation to online and blended course design. Examples of traditional asynchronous components include email, list servs, discussion boards and forums, reading texts, and tutorials. Other asynchronous tools gaining popularity for use in online and blended courses include blogs, microblogs, wikis, site creation, and social networks. Examples of synchronous tools include chats, video or web-conferencing, and even teleconferencing. Common tools used for synchronous online learning and communication include, 1-1 or small group chat tools or video conferencing tools as well as class web conferencing tools. When these web conferencing tools have recording capability, the recordings can be used as asynchronous resources. Additionally, nearly-synchronous communication can play a big role in online learning and communication. An example of nearly-synchronous communication is with email where email messages are going back and forth very quickly. Text messaging can work this way as well. A term similar to synchronous is real-time. Google Docs is a popular collaborative document tool that is noted to work in real-time, where up to 50 document participants can add content to the same document at the same time and immediately see the results of each others’ work. The early days of online learning were very focused on mostly asynchronous communications and tools. However, the rapidly developing landscape of emerging synchronous, nearly-synchronous, and real-time technologies bring a wealth of opportunity for online and blended learning [24] especially in the area of online collaboration tools. Online collaboration tools often blur the lines between asynchronous and synchronous giving us degrees of communication and interaction [25]. There is currently an engaging tool being used on smart phones called Voxer, which supports audio communication by allowing people to send audio snippets back and forth. This tool is used asynchronously, nearly-synchronously, and synchronously for a dynamic communication experience.

B. Online Tools for Group Work & Collaboration There are so many tools for group work and collaboration available that the biggest problem for groups really ends up being agreeing on which tools to use. I am providing a sampling of popular and useful tools. I have included information about accessibility with the tool descriptions. It is recommended that you provide accessibility information for your students; I provide this information in my syllabi. It is important to note that descriptive information and accessibility information about the following tools change often and need to be revisited and researched often. I used Google Search and looked up the tools with the term accessibility, i.e. Google Hangouts accessibility.

1. Learning Management Systems (LMS) Learning management systems usually have a group area for students to collaborate. There is often a discussion area to discuss group projects in private, the ability to send group messages, chat or conferencing tools to communicate synchronously, and areas to store or collaborate on files. Historically, some of these tools, especially the synchronous tools, have been “clunky” and the most useful tools are usually discussion and email/mail/message.

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When selecting a learning management system, institutions must consider accessibility to support all learners and comply with laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. It is recommended that you inquire about and provide your students with accessibility information about your learning management system. We currently use Canvas at my institution and the resource I found and share with my students is at http://www.instructure.com/canvas-vpat.

2. Small group and 1-1 Web Conferencing Small group and 1-1 web conferencing tools such as Skype and Google Hangout support synchronous communication and collaboration for 1-1 study partners and small to medium-sized groups. Currently, Skype allows up to 25 people in a voice only conference and Google Hangout supports a video chat with up to 10 people with the option to broadcast to the world. Additionally, tools like these allow for text, audio, and video chat along with other features including screen sharing, file sharing and a variety of other collaboration features. Skype and Google Hangout are emphasized here because they include free options and are cross-platform. Additionally, Skype is very popular for personal use thus a good option for student use and Google Hangout is quickly gaining ground with its ease of use and evolving features. Skype provides brief FAQ instruction in the Help forum about turning on keyboard navigation or screen reader mode through the menu items Tools > Accessibility. Google Products have an overarching accessibility site at http://www.google.com/accessibility/. Google Hangouts have keyboard shortcut features for Mac and PC users noted at http://support.google.com/plus/answer/2752487, a captions app at https://hangout-captions.appspot.com/, a sign language interpreter app, and a feature to make Hangouts easier for sign language users.

3. Large Group and Class Web Conferencing Large group and class web conferencing tools such as Adobe Connect and Blackboard Collaborate support synchronous communication and collaboration on a larger scale than the small group and 1-1 web conferencing tools. These tools can support 100 or more participants with a rich array of features including PowerPoint and other document display, chat, audio, video, application and screen share, whiteboards, breakout rooms, recording, and more. Adobe Connect and Blackboard Collaborate are cross-platform but they are not free. They are, however, becoming prevalent at institutions that offer online education. An open source product to keep an eye on is Big Blue Button. It hasn’t been an option for my classes because it doesn’t have a recording option and recording events is a key feature in case a student misses a class or needs to review content. We currently use Adobe Connect at my university and the resource I found and share with my students is at http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/compliance/AdobeConnect8-Section508.html. I also use Blackboard Collaborate and found its accessibility resource at http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Collaborate/Products/Blackboard-Collaborate/Web-Conferencing/Accessibility.aspx.

4. Collaborative Document/Product Creation Collaborative document and product creation tools such as Google Drive include great tools for collaboratively creating documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and even movies. For example, using Google Docs is just like using MS Word except that everyone in your group can edit the same document online synchronously, asynchronously, and from any Internet connected computer. A tool like Google Docs along with a web-conferencing tool like Skype or Google Hangout, can support groups or teams to with effective and efficient communication and collaboration as they engage in and complete group-based activities. Google Products have an overarching accessibility site at http://www.google.com/accessibility/.

5. Wikis and Blogs

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Wiki tools like PbWorks and Wikispaces and blogs like Blogger and WordPress are great tools for group work, collaboration, and collaborative publishing. Wikis are different from Google Docs in that only one person can create or edit at a time. Wikis and blogs are most helpful for group work if a polished end product is required. PBWorks and Wikispaces do not have accessibility information available. I have an email to both companies to find out if they have accessibility statements available. Blogger does not have easily accessible information about accessibility and it is WordPress that stands out as the blog tool of choice for both the concept of blog user and blog viewer. Two sites that support WordPress accessibility concepts include 1) a section in the online WordPress manual at http://codex.wordpress.org/Accessibility and 2) an official online resource for people who develop for WordPress at http://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/.

6. Microblogging Microblogging tools like Yammer and Twitter are fun tools for asynchronous communication and collaboration. Yammer Where Twitter is a free and global microblogging tool, Yammer is an organization-focused microblogging tool with free and paid for components. I was using Yammer as a class communication tool when I conducted the small study discussed in this article. I used Twitter for a low-risk fun activity in the Practicing phase of group work (Appendix C). In the future, I will advise students on the supportive nature of Twitter for group work. By using the mobile notifications, a group could stay on top of group activities. I have personally experienced this strategy recently and found it a fun and timely way to accomplish group activities. Yammer does not have accessibility information available. I have an email to them to find out if they have accessibility information available. Twitter also does not have accessibility information available. Of interest is the development of an app called Easy Chirp at http://www.easychirp.com. This app is designed to make Twitter a more accessible tool. In April 2013, the creator conducted a Kickstarter campaign to develop Easy Chirp 2 and was successfully in achieving the funding goal. There are many other types of tools for group work and collaboration that could be discussed such as group texting, blogs, graphic organizers, and a plethora of mobile apps. However, it is also important to keep things manageable for your learners and yourself. Therefore a strategy of picking a set of tools or a toolkit that is manageable and proven to be effective is recommended. In my online and blended courses and for the study reported in this article a specific set of online tools were used to support student group and collaboration. These tools included the LMS Blackboard discussion, mail, and chat tools; Skype; Adobe Connect; Gmail and Google Docs; Yammer and Twitter. My current student group work and collaboration core toolkit includes Canvas group tools, Google Docs, and Skype. For my online and HyFlex (students can choose to attend online or face-to-face) courses, Adobe Connect is an additional key tool. For the process of online course design and long-term discussion, the type of tool is what is important. For the survey and for actual implementation of online collaboration tool use, the specific tools become important. See the PSTC model in Appendix A for how these tool types fit into my online and blended courses.

III. RESEARCH METHOD I wanted to know which online tools were most beneficial to students for completing online collaborative group work. I used a framework of impact on student satisfaction, student learning, and student success to support the development of the end of course survey discussed in this article. This framework was partially derived from the SLOAN Consortium’s Quality Framework – The Five Pillars, specifically the pillars for Learning Effectiveness and Student Satisfaction [29].

Audience and Data Collection

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I designed an end of course survey in Survey Monkey. About one month after the last day of classes, all students from the graduate level college class were sent the necessary consent email that included a link to the end of course survey (Appendix D).

IV. DATA ANALYSIS Seventeen of the twenty-five students in the class (68%) completed the survey. The end of course survey was mostly quantitative in nature but provided the option for comments, allowing for qualitative response. There were only a few qualitative responses. Note that the percentages in the data analysis are rounded to the nearest numbers.

A. Student Use of Tools – Prior Use and Helpfulness of Tool A particular set of tools were used in this course and the survey included questions about these tools. These tools included: Adobe Connect, Skype, Blackboard Discussion, Blackboard Chat, Blackboard Mail, Gmail, Google Docs or other collaborative document, PBWorks or other wiki tool, Yammer, and Twitter. Students were asked if they had used a particular tool prior to taking this online course and then asked to rate the helpfulness of that tool for conducting the online course group work. Three tools stood out due to later data - Adobe Connect, Skype, and Google Docs (see Appendix E for the complete table). Adobe Connect, our class web conferencing tool was at 65% never used but ended up being helpful or very helpful at almost the same percentage at 64%. Skype was never used at 18% and was noted at 100% as helpful or very helpful, and Google Docs was never used at 41% and was noted at 94% as helpful or very helpful. Tool Percentage of student use

prior to this course

Percentage found helpful after using in the course to complete collaborative group work

Adobe Connect Never used – 65% Moderate use – 24% Frequent use – 12%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 18% Somewhat helpful – 18% Helpful or Very helpful – 64%

Skype

Never used – 18% Moderate use – 35% Frequent use – 47%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 0% Somewhat helpful – 0% Helpful or Very helpful – 100%

Google Docs or other collaborative document

Never used – 41% Moderate use – 29% Frequent use – 29%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 0% Somewhat helpful – 6% Helpful or Very helpful – 94%

Table 1. Top 3 Percentages for Tool Use Prior Vs. Helpfulness of Tool for Group Work.

B. Student Use of Tools – Student Satisfaction, Impact on Overall Learning and Impact on Student Success

The next set of data about the set of tools used in this online course was about student satisfaction, impact on overall student learning, and impact on student success. For student satisfaction, the three tools that stood out were, again - Adobe Connect, Skype, and Google Docs (see Appendix F for the complete table). Adobe Connect, our class web conferencing tool had a positive impact rate of 71%. Skype was at 94% and Google Docs was at 82%. Tool Tool satisfaction Adobe Connect Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 18%

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Somewhat satisfied – 12% Satisfied – 71%

Skype

Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 0% Somewhat satisfied – 6% Satisfied – 94%

Google Docs or other collaborative document

Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 6% Somewhat satisfied – 12% Satisfied – 82%

Table 2. Top 3 Percentages for Student Satisfaction of Tools Used to Complete Group Project.

For impact on overall student learning, the three tools that stood out were, again, - Adobe Connect, Skype, and Google Docs (see Appendix G for the complete table). Adobe Connect, our class web conferencing tool had a positive impact rate of 71%. Skype was at 100% and Google Docs was at 94%. Tool Impact of tool on overall learning Adobe Connect Negative impact – 0%

Neutral or no impact – 29% Positive impact – 71%

Skype

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 0% Positive impact – 100%

Google Docs or other collaborative document

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 6% Positive impact – 94%

Table 3. Top 3 Percentages for Impact of Tool Use on Student Overall Learning.

For impact on learner success, the three tools that stood out were, again - Adobe Connect, Skype, and Google Docs (see Appendix H for the complete table). Adobe Connect, our class web conferencing tool had a positive impact rate of 65%. Skype was at 100% and Google Docs was at 94%. Tool Impact of tool on overall learning Adobe Connect Negative impact – 0%

Neutral or no impact – 35% Positive impact – 65%

Skype

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 0% Positive impact – 100%

Google Docs or other collaborative document

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 6% Positive impact – 94%

Table 4. Top 3 Percentages for Impact of Tool Use on Student Success.

Related to the data about student use of tools, one student added a comment about Google Docs, saying that, “having access to the shared docs in Google docs was a great benefit as we could all edit and change things as suggestions were made.”

V. IMPLICATIONS FOR ONLINE AND BLENDED COURSE DESIGN Anecdotally, I knew that Skype, Google Docs, and Adobe Connect were key technologies that supported

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students in the successful completion of group work in online and blended courses. The data gathered and analyzed about student use of tools in this case study verified that the tools most beneficial and valued by students for collaborative group in an online class were, in fact, Skype, Google Docs, and Adobe Connect. These tools are important for the categories they represent of class web conferencing tools; 1-1 and small group web conferencing tools; and collaborative document creation tools. Thus, for the near future in online course design and development, these are recommendations for tools and categories of tools for anyone when designing for collaborative group work in online or blended courses.

VI. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to the NMSU Fall 2011 EDLT 528/628 Class! And a special thank you to my friends in online teaching and learning, Bethany Bovard and Holly Rae Bemis-Schurtz; this chapter would not be possible without you!

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VII. REFERENCES 1. Johnson, B. and Christensen, L. Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed

Approaches, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc, 2012. 2. Quality Matters. Quality Matters Rubric Standards 2011-2013 Edition with Assigned Point Values,

2011. http://www.qmprogram.org/rubric 3. Garrison, D. R. and Anderson T. E-Learning in The 21st Century, New York: RoutledgeFalmer,

2003. 4. Anderson, T., and Elloumi, F. Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Athabasca, AB.:

Athabasca University, 2004. http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ 5. Salmon, G. E-moderating: The Key to Teaching and Learning Online, London: Kogan Page, 2000. 6. Conrad, R.M., and Donaldson, A. Engaging The Online Learner: Activities and Resources for

Creative Instruction, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004. 7. Palloff, R., and Pratt, K. The virtual Student: A Profile and Guide to Working with Online

Learners, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003. 8. Palloff, R., and Pratt, K. Collaborating Online: Learning Together in Community, San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass, 2005a. 9. Abrami, P. C., and Bures, E. M. “Computer-supported Collaborative Learning and Distance

Education.” American Journal of Distance Education 10 (1996): 37 – 42. 10. Carr, S. “As Distance Education Comes of Age, The Challenge Is Keeping The Students.” The

Chronicle of Higher Education 46, no. 23 (2000): A39 – A41. 11. Ludwig-Hardman, S., and Dunlap, J. “Learner Support Services for On-line Students:

Scaffolding for Success.” International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 4, no. 1 (2003):1-15. http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/131/602

12. Muilenburg, L. Y., and Berge, Z. L. “Student Barriers to Online Learning: A Factor Analytic Study.” Distance Education 26, no. 1 (2005): 29–48.

13. Anderson, T. Teaching in an Online Iearning Context. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.) Theory and Practice of Online Learning, 2nd edition, Athabasca, AB.: Athabasca University, 343-472, 2009.

14. Swan, K. “Building Learning Communities in Online Courses: The Importance of Interaction.” Distance Education 22, no. 2 (2001): 306-331.

15. Tu, C. Online Collaborative Learning Communities, Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004. 16. Palloff, R., and Pratt, K. Learning Together in Community: Collaboration Online. Proceedings

20th Annual Conference on Distance and Teaching and Learning. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 2005b. http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/04_1127.pdf

17. Collison, G., Elbaum, B., Haavind, S., and Tinker, R. Facilitating Online Learning: Effective Strategies for Moderators, Atwood Publishing, 2710 Atwood Ave., Madison, WI 53704, 2000.

18. Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Cummins, M. The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition, Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium, 2012. http://www.nmc.org/publications/horizon-report-2012-higher-ed-edition

19. Bellman, Geoffrey M., and Ryan, Kathleen D. Extraordinary Groups: How Ordinary Teams Achieve Amazing Results, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009.

20. Katzenbach, J.R., and Smith, D.K. The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-performance Organization, Boston: Harvard Business School, 1993.

21. Kim, K.-J., Liu, S., and Bonk, C. J. “Online MBA Students' Perceptions of Online Learning: Benefits, Challenges and suggestions.” Internet and Higher Education 8, no. 4 (2005): 335–344.

22. Koh, M.H., and Hill, J.R. “Student Perceptions of Group Work in an Online Course: Benefits and Challenges.” Journal of Distance Education 23, no. 2 (2009): 69–92.

23. Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., and Jones, K. Evaluation of Evidence-based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-analysis and Review of Online A Meta-analysis and Review

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of Online Learning Studies, 2010. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html#edtech

24. McBrien, J. L., Jones, P., and Cheng, R. “Virtual Spaces: Employing a Synchronous Online Classroom to Facilitate Student Engagement in Online Learning.” International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 10, no. 3 (2009): 1-18.

25. Hrastinski, S. “Asynchronous and Synchronous E-Learning.” Educause Quarterly 31, no. 4 (2008): 51-55.

26. Diaz, V. “Web 2.0 and Emerging Technologies in Online Learning.” New Directions for Community Colleges 150 (2010): 57–66.

27. Su, Y., and Klein, J.D. “Using Scaffolds in Problem-Based Hypermedia.” Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia 19, no. 3 (2010): 327-347.

28. Salmon, G. E-moderating: The Key to Teaching and Learning Online, RoutledgeFalmer, 2004. 29. Moore, J. The SLOAN Consortium Quality Framework and the Five Pillars. SLOAN-C, 2005.

http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/books/qualityframework.pdf

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APPENDIX A

Phases and Scaffolds for Technology & Collaboration 2-Page Handout Synopsis This process phases and scaffolds both technology use and collaborative group work skill development. This synopsis and table provides an easy to follow view of the course design process for a full semester online course wherein the students were provided support with specific phases and scaffolds for technology use and collaborative group work skill development. The course was divided into six units. The phases and scaffolds were integrated into the units and included:

A Getting Started with Group Work phase, where students engaged in introduction activities, developed their beginning technology tool kit, and prepared for group work. The beginning collaborative technology tool kit included Skype, Google (start with Gmail, model and scaffold the use of GDocs), PBWorks, and Yammer. To prepare for group work, students filled out a class communications and group work survey created in Google Docs/Form. They were provided access to the accompanying spreadsheet to view each others’ contact information and day/time availability. They were prompted to use the LMS sign up tool to create their groups. They were provided group work resources and prompted to start with practice communications.

A Practicing Group Work phase during which, students completed and shared with instructor their Group Work Forms completed in Google Docs. With this class, a fun, low risk activity about Twitter was used (a student from a previous semester recommended the use of a practice activity.)

A Conducting Group Work phase during which, students worked on their Group Projects, submitted group progress reports, and attended online class meetings in Adobe Connect to discuss relevant topics, group work, Q&A, etc.

A Celebrating Group Work phase during which students turned in final products, practiced presenting, and presented their group projects.

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Phases and Scaffolds for Technology & Collaboration Model

Phases (based on 16-week Schedule)

Instructor Roles

Student Activities Technology & Scaffold Examples

Phase 1 Commencing Unit 1 Weeks 1-2

Leader Role Model Master Learner Coordinator Motivator

1. Course introduction, icebreaker, and/or orientation activities

2. Develop basic technology toolkits

3. Prepare for group work 4. Form groups 5. Review group work resources 6. Practice group work

communications and tool use

1. LMS Forum and web conferencing tool

2. Getting Started Guide 3. Collaboration Survey 4. LMS Group Sign-Up process &

tools 5. Group Work Guide 6. Small group collaboration tools

such as Skype & Google Docs

Phase 2 Practicing Unit 2 Weeks 3-5

Leader Role Model Master Learner Coordinator

1. Practice group work communications and tool use

2. Complete a group work form/contract

3. Complete a fun low risk collaborative group activity to understand group dynamics and practice collaboration skills.

1. Small group collaboration tools 2. Group Work and Roles Guide and

class template [contract] 3. Activity guide and class template

[activity] with instruction for use of fun emerging technology like Twitter, memes, etc.

Phase 3 Conducting Units 3-5 Weeks 6-12

Leader Counselor Mediator Motivator

1. Work on the Group Projects 2. Submit group artifacts or

progress reports 3. Attend online class meetings

or review recordings to discuss relevant topics, group work, Q&A, etc.

1. Small group collaboration tools 2. LMS assignment tool 3. Class chat or web conferencing

tool

Phase 4 Celebrating Units 5-6 Weeks 13-16

Leader Counselor Mediator Coordinator

1. Turn in final products (slides, site, documents, etc.)

2. Practice group presentations 3. Present group projects in

online class meeting

1. LMS assignment tool 2. Small group collaboration tool or

class web conferencing tool 3. Class web conferencing tool

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APPENDIX B SET UP YOUR TECH TOOL KIT (CURRENT EXAMPLE)

For this class, there are a few tools that you should become familiar with right away. These tools are some of my favorites for communication, collaboration, and personal learning network (PLN) development. Make sure you have read the Online Identity document. There are four (4) tools for you to get started with. The points for this will be reflected in the Class Technology & Communications Survey that you will fill out later. Tool #1: Create a Skype Account & Chat w/ Instructor What is it? Skype is an instant messenger, audio conferencing and much more technology. Why use it? To communicate with me and your small groups, a must have tool in every EdTech Tool Kit! Directions:

1. Go to Skype to download the software. See the Help for Windows users or Help for Mac users if you need help. during the installation process, you'll be asked to create a Skype user name and to add contacts to your contact list. Add students you know to your contact list - their skype IDs are listed on the class communications survey spreadsheet posted in the Group Work module.

2. If you need help, post a message in Course Help discussion topic. 3. When you can, begin a text chat with me when you see me online so I will know that you were

successful in installing and using Skype. I also have important information for you! ********** Tool #2: Create Gmail Account & send a Gmail message What is it? It’s The Google and includes Gmail, GDOCS, HANGOUT, Calendar, Sites, Scholar, and MUCH MORE. Why use it? It’s THE GOOGLE for heaven’s sake! Need I say more? Directions:

1. If you already have an account, skip to #3 2. Go to http://gmail.com and click Create an account on the right, follow the directions. 3. Send me a gmail message.

********** Tool #3: Join the NMSU EDLT Wiki What is it? It’s a wiki and wikis are important tools for teachers to know about. Watch the video, Wikis in Plain English, to learn more about wikis. Note that the Plain English videos no longer allow embedding without a paid account.

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Why use it? Wikis allow for instant publishing on the web. It’s a place for you and I to post information related to our class. Directions:

1. Got to http://nmsuedlt.pbworks.com/ and request access on the right. Make sure you add a message that you are in one of my EDLT classes!

********** Tool #4: Join Twitter and create an update with #EDLT520 Directions:

1. Join Twitter at http://twitter.com.

2. Create a post and at the end add #EDLT520, you have a maximum of 140 characters. See an example of a Twitter account at http://twitter.com/desertjul. Don’t freak out, just do this. If you don’t like it, after the course, you can delete it.

APPENDIX C TWITTER TOP 5 ACTIVITY

Twitter Top 5 Class Template Guide How to use this document:

• Copy the below information into your own google doc • Share your group document with all members of your group • Share your group document with your instructor using gmail account

Twitter Top 5 Group Work Guide Group Member Names: Group/Team Name: Everyone take this pre-assessment quiz [link to pre-assessment quiz] Social Media Resources

• What is Social Media in Plain English? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE • Other timely and relevant resources selected by the instructor

Twitter Resources You Should Explore Prior to Group Work

• What is Twitter? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o • Other timely and relevant resources selected by the instructor

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Part 1 Instructions. Value = 2 pts. 1. Create a Group Name: Your group name should be short (3-5 characters) and hashtagged

2. As a group, do some research about Twitter and add five new resources that you find here:

3. As a group, choose the one resource you would recommend the most here and explain what

makes it your recommendation:

4. Create your Twitter accounts and list them here: Part 2 Instructions. Value = 2 pts

1. As a group search for the best people you can find to follow in the area of educational technology. List the Top 5 people to follow in the area of educational technology here:

2. As a group, identify the one person, you think is the best of the 5, create and tweet it with a very brief explanation of why that person is the best and add your group’s hashtag and the tag for the class you are taking. Copy your tweet here:

3. Optional: Identify other areas of interest to develop Top 5 lists for. (Meta Note: these lists make this type of activity friendly for any content area.)

Part 3 Instructions. Value = 1 pts. Individually, throughout this activity, create a minimum of 2 tweets about what you learned. Make sure to use the class hashtag. Add a copy of each of your tweets here: Everyone take this post-assessment quiz [link to post-assessment quiz]

APPENDIX D

Survey (sections related to this article) This survey asks questions about the group work (Project #2), including your perceptions about the online tools you used for group work collaboration in EDLT 528/628. How did you feel about group work prior to taking EDLT 528/628? Negative feelings | Somewhat negative feelings| Neutral or no feelings | Somewhat postive feeling | Positive feelings Comments box provided How did you feel about online tools for collaboration prior to EDLT 528/628? Negative feelings | Somewhat negative feelings| Neutral or no feelings | Somewhat postive feeling | Positive feelings Comments box provided

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Did you participate in the class group work project in EDLT 528/628? This was the learning plan with presentation project that you did for Project #2. Yes No If no, please explain why not? (if no, participant is done with survey) There was a process for the use of tools in the course and the group work project, Project #2, that included the development of a Tech Toolkit and the use of online tools to complete a group work form. The following questions are about the online tools available for collaboration in EDLT 528/628. Of the following online tools, which have you used before EDLT 528/628? Never used | moderate use | frequent use Adobe Connect Skype Blackboard Discussion Blackboard Chat Blackboard Mail Gmail Google Docs or other collaborative document PBWorks or other wiki tool Yammer Twitter Other Comments Of the following tools, which tools were were most helpful to you in conducting your group work in EDLT 528/628? Didn’t use | Not helpful | somewhat helpful | helpful | very helpful Adobe Connect Skype Blackboard Discussion Blackboard Chat Blackboard Mail Gmail Google Docs or other collaborative document

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PBWorks or other wiki tool Yammer Twitter Other Comments How satisfied were you with the tools you used to complete Project #2 in EDLT 528/628? Didn’t use | unsatisfied | somewhat unsatisfied | somewhat satisfied | satisfied Adobe Connect Skype Blackboard Discussion Blackboard Chat Blackboard Mail Gmail Google Docs or other collaborative document PBWorks or other wiki tool Yammer Twitter Other Comments How did the tools you used to complete Project #2 impact your overall learning in EDLT 528/628? negative impact | neutral or no impact | positive impact Adobe Connect Skype Blackboard Discussion Blackboard Chat Blackboard Mail Gmail Google Docs or other collaborative document PBWorks or other wiki tool Yammer Twitter Other

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Comments How did the tools you used to complete Project #2 impact your success in EDLT 528/628? negative impact | neutral or no impact | positive impact Adobe Connect Skype Blackboard Discussion Blackboard Chat Blackboard Mail Gmail Google Docs or other collaborative document PBWorks or other wiki tool Yammer Twitter Other Comments There was a process for the group work including a group work and communication survey, group sign-up, group work form, learning plan template, group reporting, group presentations. The following questions are about this process. How satisfied were you with the group work process for completing Project #2 in EDLT 528/628? unsatisfied | somewhat unsatisfied | somewhat satisfied | satisfied | Comments How did the group work process for Project #2 impact your overall learning in EDLT 528/628? negative impact | neutral or no impact | positive impact Comments How did the group work process for Project #2 impact your success in EDLT 528/628? negative impact | neutral or no impact | positive impact Comments Final comments box

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APPENDIX E Percentages for tool use prior vs. helpfulness of tool for group work Tool Percentage of student use

prior to this course

Percentage found helpful

Adobe Connect Never used – 65% Moderate use – 24% Frequent use – 12%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 18% Somewhat helpful – 18% Helpful or Very helpful – 64%

Skype

Never used – 18% Moderate use – 35% Frequent use – 47%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 0% Somewhat helpful – 0% Helpful or Very helpful – 100%

Blackboard Discussion Never used – 6% Moderate use – 18% Frequent use – 76%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 30% Somewhat helpful – 6% Helpful or Very helpful – 65%

Blackboard Chat

Never used – 18% Moderate use – 65% Frequent use – 18%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 71%% Somewhat helpful – 12% Helpful or Very helpful – 0%

Blackboard Mail

Never used – 0% Moderate use – 18% Frequent use – 82%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 12% Somewhat helpful – 12% Helpful or Very helpful – 76%

Gmail

Never used – 35% Moderate use – 24% Frequent use – 41%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 6%% Somewhat helpful – 24% Helpful or Very helpful – 70%

Google Docs or other collaborative document

Never used – 41% Moderate use – 29% Frequent use – 29%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 0% Somewhat helpful – 6% Helpful or Very helpful – 94%

PBWorks or other wiki tool

Never used – 65% Moderate use – 24% Frequent use – 12%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 36% Somewhat helpful – 18% Helpful or Very helpful – 47%

Yammer

Never used – 76% Moderate use – 18% Frequent use – 6%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 47% Somewhat helpful – 6% Helpful or Very helpful – 47%

Twitter

Never used – 65% Moderate use – 29% Frequent use – 6%

Didn’t use or Not helpful – 53% Somewhat helpful – 18% Helpful or Very helpful – 30%

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APPENDIX F Percentages for Student Satisfaction of Tools used to Complete Group Project Tool Tool satisfaction Adobe Connect Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 18%

Somewhat satisfied – 12% Satisfied – 71%

Skype

Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 0% Somewhat satisfied – 6% Satisfied – 94%

Blackboard Discussion Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 18% Somewhat satisfied – 24% Satisfied – 59%

Blackboard Chat

Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 59% Somewhat satisfied – 18% Satisfied – 24%

Blackboard Mail

Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 18% Somewhat satisfied – 18% Satisfied – 65%

Gmail

Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 6% Somewhat satisfied – 29% Satisfied – 65%

Google Docs or other collaborative document

Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 6% Somewhat satisfied – 12% Satisfied – 82%

PBWorks or other wiki tool

Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 24% Somewhat satisfied – 18% Satisfied – 59%

Yammer

Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 42% Somewhat satisfied – 35% Satisfied –24%

Twitter

Didn’t use, Unsatisfied, or Somewhat unsatisfied – 48% Somewhat satisfied – 35% Satisfied – 18%

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APPENDIX G

Percentages for Impact of Tool Use on Student Overall Learning Tool Impact of tool on overall learning Adobe Connect Negative impact – 0%

Neutral or no impact – 29% Positive impact – 71%

Skype

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 0% Positive impact – 100%

Blackboard Discussion Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 35% Positive impact – 65%

Blackboard Chat

Negative impact – 6% Neutral or no impact – 71% Positive impact – 24%

Blackboard Mail

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 47% Positive impact – 53%

Gmail

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 18% Positive impact – 82%

Google Docs or other collaborative document

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 6% Positive impact – 94%

PBWorks or other wiki tool

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 41% Positive impact – 59%

Yammer

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 65% Positive impact – 35%

Twitter

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 71% Positive impact – 29%

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APPENDIX H

Percentages for Impact of Tool Use on Overall Student Success in Online Course Tool Impact of tool on overall learning Adobe Connect Negative impact – 0%

Neutral or no impact – 35% Positive impact – 65%

Skype

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 0% Positive impact – 100%

Blackboard Discussion Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 24% Positive impact – 76%

Blackboard Chat

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 76% Positive impact – 24%

Blackboard Mail

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 29% Positive impact – 71%

Gmail

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 12% Positive impact – 88%

Google Docs or other collaborative document

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 6% Positive impact – 94%

PBWorks or other wiki tool

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 47% Positive impact – 53%

Yammer

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 65% Positive impact – 35%

Twitter

Negative impact – 0% Neutral or no impact – 65% Positive impact – 35%