A New Voice for Discussions?
19 Oct 2011 6 Comments
in Discussions
At various times throughout this program, we have talked about the importance of the three types of interactions in online learning: learner to learner, learner to instructor, and learner to content. If you think about it, the weekly discussion board allows for all three of these types of interactions. This week we discussed collaboration and the importance of discussions but does the traditional discussion board need to make way for something new?
If you are familiar with VoiceThread, you already know that there is another possibility to consider regarding carrying on an online discussion. If you are not familiar with VoiceThread, please use the following link attached to the logo for a brief introduction to what it has to offer.
After exploring VoiceThread, please post your thoughts on the use of this technology. Reflect on the following questions as you compose your post:
- Does VoiceThread open a new door for discussions?
- What possibilities do you foresee for VoiceThread in online learning?
- Does VoiceThread offer any advantages over text-based discussions?
- Are there any drawbacks to VoiceThread?
Please post your ideas as to whether or not you think VoiceThread offers a viable alternative to the traditional discussion board. Cite additional resources to support your views.
Discussion Rubric
|
|
A: Exemplary |
B: Good |
C: Poor |
F: Unacceptable |
|
Contribution to Community |
Learner is very responsive to classmates’ posts and respectful of others’ opinions. |
Learner does a good job of responding to classmates’ posts and being respectful to others. |
Learner is not particularly responsive or has trouble being respectful. |
Learner is not engaged in the discussion and/or disrespects classmates. |
|
Timeliness of Postings |
Initial post is submitted by Wednesday and responses follow soon thereafter. |
Initial post or responses are slightly late. |
Initial post is late and responses are done at the last minute. |
Initial post and responses are done at the end of the week. |
|
Quality of Expression |
Learner displays strong analytic skills and fully supports his/her position. |
Learner displays some analytic skills and responds to the discussion question but could offer a little more support. |
Learner’s post contains only superficial analysis with little to no support for position. |
Learner’s response is incomplete or vague and offers no support to his/her position. |
|
References |
Cites references for most if not all posts |
Cites references for many posts |
Cites a few posts |
No references cited |
|
Number of Responses |
More than 4 |
4 |
2-3 |
0-1 |
Oct 24, 2011 @ 19:39:18
Discussion Reflection
My goal with this discussion question was to open up a conversation on how to take online discussions (“traditional” online discussions?) to a new level and hopefully create an exchange of ideas as to different ways VoiceThread could be put into practice. It was very gratifying to learn that my classmates who visited my blog were new to VoiceThread and found its potential just as exciting as I do. It was especially rewarding to see them exploring ways that they could make use of this tool. Magda suggested ways she could use it in teaching her Spanish classes and Dreana stated that she was going to include it in her technology toolbox. To me, this is the best part of collaboration. Someone presents an idea and others build on it from there. In the end, the result truly is that everyone succeeds together (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).
In the future, one of my goals will be to present online discussions that prompt learners to look at something familiar in a new way. Since we are dedicated to presenting traditional educational materials in a new way, we are constantly looking for ways to re-purpose and reinvent approaches to learning that will be interesting, exciting, and motivating for our students. One of my favorite quotes from a Disney book on creativity is “you won’t find your new ideas hanging around your old ideas” (Disney Imagineers, 2005). To me, that’s a big part of what instructional design is all about — getting away from the old ideas and looking for new ones. It is wonderful advice!
Reference
Disney Imagineers (2005). The imagineering workout: Exercises to shape your creative muscles. New York: Disney Editions.
Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Oct 22, 2011 @ 00:01:24
Hi Leslie,
The use of technology for collaborative learning expands to all kinds of possibilities. I have explored http://www.voicethread.com for the first time and while doing so, I was imagining the different ways I could use this tool for my second language classes!
Activities such as vocabulary building and practice come to mind as well as for turning in oral presentations. Presentations might be done individually as well as in groups. Using VoiceThread presents advantages over text-based discussions such as the use of embedded images to which everyone might comment on, the different ways in which learners might participate in discussions (orally or text) and the fact that learners are able to interact with the images presented.
Overall, using VoiceThread provides for a more active learning experience than merely writing messages. Discussion boards might be more engaging and effective with the use of this tool.
Gonzalez, D. & St. Louis, R.. (1996). Autonomy in the industrial laboratory: The dilemma revisited. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 7(1), 61-78. doi:10.1016/S1047-8310(96)90015-2
Oct 23, 2011 @ 21:46:36
Hi Magda –
Your ideas sound exciting to me. My first introduction to VoiceThread was by a high school French teacher who was using it in her classes. I agree with you that it could add a nice dimension to text based discussion boards. The ability to express oneself using multimedia opens up more doors than merely reading textual comments. Recently, an online instructor told me he heard that online courses were predicted to move beyond the LMS. I think that with tools like VoiceThread, to a certain extent, courses are already extending beyond the typical learning management system. There are so many more ways to collaborate online and it is our jobs as instructional designers to seek them out and find new ways to use them.
Oct 21, 2011 @ 16:10:44
Hi Leslie’s
I like your approach to this application discussion because you decided to use one of the Web 2.0 technologies; voice-thread, which is a collaborative multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos. It also allows learners to navigate slides and leave comments in five different ways including text, audio files, telephone, microphone, and webcam. Learners are able to interact and collaborate with each other during discussion in an online environment using voice-thread. Thus, voice-thread enhances teaching and learning in an online environment.
This week’s resources are about assessing interaction and collaboration in an online environment therefore, the voice-thread comes handy and I am glad you brought it up. I also deduced from our resources that online environment provides additional valuable opportunities for instructors to assess learning. Pacansky-Brock (2011) shared example of her voice-thread that she created for her online History of Photography students in the link provided. According to her, she used the voice-thread for part of her content and part of the formative assessment. Her formative assessment was demonstrated through the slides following a video that incorporate objective and subjective oriented questions for assessing higher and lower order levels of learning. She shared the above information to help other teachers understand the importance of using voice-thread in their classroom.
I will definitely include voice-thread in my “Technology Toolbox”.
Reference
Pacansky-Brock, M. (2011)Voice-thread example: instructional video + formative assessment. 21st century teaching and learning. Retrieved on October 21st, 2011 from http://mpbreflections.blogspot.com/2011/08/voicethread-example-instructional-video.html.
Oct 23, 2011 @ 21:51:53
Hi Stella –
The mobile capabilities of VoiceThread are also very exciting! I have it installed on my iPhone and can check and threads out that I participated in. It is also nice to receive an email any time the VoiceThread has been added to by someone else.
Oct 20, 2011 @ 18:38:17
Hi Leslie
I like the fact that your discussion allows the student to explore a new technology that would be beneficial to them as an ID. In replying to the discussion the student will be able to decide whether this technology is an item they would wish to add to their toolbox.
As a student looking at your rubric, I can clearly identify the criteria required to complete the assignment. The use of your rubric, once presented to the student before the assessment, will allow them to understand the criteria for assessment before they attempt the assignment (Oosterhof, et al, 2008).
However, the row for the Number of Responses may cause some confusion in grading especially if the discussion rules require you to respond to at least two (or three) of your colleagues posting. I say this because you have not posted clear rules for the discussion forum in terms of how many postings are required. A question that can be raised is at what number (more than four) do I have to contribute to gain an “A” in the discussion. Having a well-designed rubric for an online course is the same as having an effective communication tool which emphasizes the important skills or concepts the student has to demonstrate. The criteria for evaluation will assist the online student in clarifying assignment requirements and advise them of the grading process.
Oosterhof (2003) expressed concerned over the consistency of scoring and reliability of assessing authentic tasks. To minimize this problem he suggested scoring analytically by breaking down the desired response into different components and using checklists or rating scales to calculate scores. He also suggested holistic scoring which can be done using a rubric which uses descriptions of performances that range from higher to lower (Oosterhof, 2003).
Again, excellent discussion topic and introduction. I believe it is one what would have given you a number of responses.
References
Oosterhof, A (2003) Developing and Using Classroom Assessment, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Merril, Prentice Hall
Oosterhof, A., Conrad, R., & Ely, D.P. (2008). Assessing Learners Online Upper Saddle River. NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.