Frustration sets in this week as I reevaluate the purpose of my Master's program. Struggling to identify my priorities and the stress retaliating on the revelation of how can "synchronous courses" be truly effective? After thinking the amenities of distance learning and then reflecting on the "adult learning" perspective on the expectations of synchronous learning has grasped me in the direction of my true objective of this program and that is to look deeper into the behaviorism of distant learning.
Davidson-Shiver and Rasmussen (2006) explained that modeling and practicing behaviors in an online environment is important to clone a normal virtual classroom in order to make learners feel effectively heard as individuals. The fact that learners choose to enroll their skills into an online learning atmosphere is considered when they may be too ill to join "real sessions,"or the fact they work full time can play an important role in distant learning. However the argument for distant learning is that critical thinking is imperative in order to create a highly ordered thinking classroom....one to jog its potential. The other argument is to get an expensive education with as little interaction as possible for the means of it being strictly convenient and effective. Behaviorism plays an important role in considering these arguments. Depending on the atmosphere of the virtual world, interaction is key as a behaviorist approach to distant learning. Making sure students are effectively communicating and satisfying one's needs in a virtual classroom atmosphere is a necessity. Positively reinforcing behavior while still relying on participation is effectively important in a distance learning community. Shea, Picket, and Li (2005) addressed the implication that the faculty that gave critical criticism, responded to emails promptly and had high levels of interaction were the most effective for their online learning environment. Making sure students that are distant create a connection that will allow them to participate effectively in a synchronous learning atmosphere. Considering the expectations by the student as well as the community needs to be flexible, which could have a negative effect on the class. Hilta, Shea and Eunhee (2004) have addressed , taking in consideration of the argument for adult distant learners in different time zones. Behaviorism is bar none for distant learners because they strive for community but also consideration of one's schedule and time zone. The weakness of behaviorism is that we strive for community but at our convenience. In conclusion, setting a community through interactions is wanted by most individuals.
Hiltz, S. R., Shea, P. & Eunhee, K.(2004). Using Focus Groups to Study ALN Faculty Motivation.
Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks 11(1): 107-124.
Shea, P., Picket, A. & Li, C. (2005) Increasing access to higher education: A Study of the diffusion of
online teaching among 913 college faculty. International Review of Research in Open and Distance
Learning 6(2).
I believe this is the big topic when it comes to online learning. Some people still have a bad taste in their mouth about students and professors not being face to face in a physical room. In the past a lot of people have looked at online learning as less than face-to-face study. I think as time has passed and the popularity of online learning has risen this stigma has begun to fall away.
ReplyDeleteThe main reason that online learning is so popular is that we have such busy lives. This plays into the weakness of behaviorism that you mention, people want their cake and to eat it to. We long for relationships and connections but do not want to sacrifice our time for the ability to have those relationships.
Thanks for the great post.
J. Aaron Hurd
You are so right! Thank you for having a great perspective on this post!
DeleteWhat an amazing reflection, Maggie! Thanks for your candor!
ReplyDeleteDo you find that being able to text and email me is helpful in support of your education? What other supports might be in place to help the distance learning experience?
Looking forward to your thoughts!
Dr Courduff
Hi Dr. Courduff,
DeleteI think having a personal email account is helpful because liberty's email is Outlook and I can't get it to my phone. I think texting was really helpful and I appreciate the fact that was an option. I even was at my kids soccer practice while meeting with my team on Google+. I love technology for this but it was being tested this week by G O D;=)
Thank you for your post. You are not alone. I wonder about synchronous courses as well. Being in a completely different country makes the time difference a significant factor. I decided to take my Masters program online because one there isn’t one offered over here for me to take in a traditional classroom and two I really like to work at my own pace and in my own timeframe.
ReplyDeleteI agree and disagree with the ideas that it is important to “clone” behaviors. I wanted to read what Davidson-Shiver and Rasmussen had to say about this but couldn’t find the article. Can you please post the article name or a link? However, from what I gathered I agree with the idea that is important to act appropriately no matter what learning environment you are in. You act as a role model for your students whether or not you are face-to-face. I disagree with the idea that our behaviors will need to be the exact same in an online learning environment as in a traditional one. There will be different experiences filling the “clean slate” (from the behaviorism theory) that will lead students to act differently online then in a traditional classroom. Due to this, the teacher will have to adapt and respond differently in these online situations.
I agree with you that we must “create a highly ordered thinking classroom.” The question then becomes what is the best way to accomplish this task? You mention that in an online learning environment one way to accomplish this is to have students effectively communicate with each other. Do you think it is better to do this in a synchronous or asynchronous environment? I believe that it can be achieved using either or but that the teacher has the responsibility to facilitate this as in the constructivist theory.
Part of the behaviorist model implies that student’s learning is contingent on the reinforcements given for behaviors. So back to the students effectively communicating with each other, besides their grade, what other consequences are there for adult learners that do not participate? In the mobile learning environment, behaviorism does have a place. Since students respond to stimuli in this theory, every prompt that the teacher provides provokes a response from the students, which is great for distance learning (i.e. discussion post topics).
Again thank you for your post, it was really thought provoking.
I too agree that the virtual classroom should mimic a traditional classroom, however, its a much harder task to do that when students/learners are working on their own timeframe and pacing their studies to fit their needs and schedules. I became an advocate for distance learning when I got tired of switching schools when I moved and having to take additional classes or the same classes over in order to complete school. Distance learning as one your other responders stated, that it leaves a bad taste in some people's mouth because they believe that face-to-face interaction is a must. I have experienced quite a few people who will only take traditional classes.
DeleteMy take on it though, which I have brought to the attention of one in particular is that since he is a new teacher, student, father, caretaker for his mother and in multiple ministries at church while trying to maintain a relationship has no time for all of that. He takes two classes per semester simultaneously and complains that he never has time to do the things he wants to do. However, the professors at the school have in my opinion mentally brainwashed the students in that department telling them that they would not amount to anything basically with an online degree, yet the school is moving in that direction with some of the departments and ironically in the Education department which is the department that he is in. I did some research by asking higher ranking individuals at the district level, what were their thoughts on online degree programs. While some say they are frowned upon they still state that it depends on what a person wants to do with that degree. If you wanted to teach at a Research 1 school, a student quite possibly would never even make it past the applicant screening. However, if you wanted to instruct K-12, community college, tech school, etc. it would not be an impossible challenge. So I asked that person, who teaches middle grades math and science, "Do you plan on teaching at a Research 1 school?" Imagine his response, now imagine mine. Why worry then. The other thing that my acquaintance has not looked at is that, the school that he is attending, formerly Augusta State University, is transforming into a Research 1 level school because of its merger with formerly MCG to Georgia Health Sciences University, now all Georgia Regents University Augusta may be listed as such, but it has nothing to do with the Education department in itself. When I did a little more digging, Liberty Universities Education program is accredited with all the same accreditations as ASU. Therefore, my theory was justified. "I'm learning on the same level as you." or at least the accreditation committee believes such.
The main thing that needs to be realized in a distance learning course, is that there is effective communication between the instructor and students, participation is key, pertinent information is provided and studied, and the sense of community exists. This class for one has made it almost impossible not to conform to a sense of community and it is challenging and exciting all at once. Great post Maggie!
Here is the link from the Davidson-Shiver and Rasmussen (2006) article:
Deletehttp://www.sicet.org/journals/ijttl/specialIssue/lpliu.pdf
Flexibility is essentially why I chose Liberty Online. I take a personal responsibility in participation when responding to email, discussion boards and blogs. When I choose not to participate in the discussion, then I give up my ability to be flexible. Maddox reports that “even if we hold that community can take place when people are not physically present, the online learning community cannot fully replace all human interaction” (2010, p. 13). I disagree.
ReplyDeleteReference
Maddox, M. (2010). Online learning communities: The heart of online. Common Ground Journal, 10-15.
Thanks Leigh for the insight and the flexibility this week!
DeleteI believe that online learning is not for everyone and it does require one to be flexible and self motivated in order to be able to keep up with the classes. At times I myself have to have it written down to make sure that I am able to meet the requirements and assignments in order to get a good grade. And let us not forget that without communication for the instructor it will feel like you are out in the world without a net. Online classes require some kind of feedback to help the students feel like in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteVery true Lauretta!
ReplyDeleteThanks