Virtual Learning Communities Becky Haugen Instructiona Learning Technology

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Synopsis
Instruction in e-learning, interactivity in virtual learning communities and technologies utilized in virtual learning communities. The product was developed and delivered by Valerie and I.

Problem Statement

Knowledge of the current trends and issues in instructional design is essential to success in the industry. Our team needed to deliver an instructional product to provide the opportunity for student exploration of trends and issues in the areas of corporate training and adult learning environments. Virtual Learning Communities (VLC) is one current trend that is important to become trained and obtain knowledge. Our topic was Virtual Learning Community (VLC) - A Study in Interactivity and Technology in Virtual Learning Community Environments.

Analysis

The goal of this instructional product was to identify and research trends and issues that may effect our profession. Inherent in instructional design strategies is the issue of designing for virtual learning environments and creating learning. Specifically, we chose to explore trends which included e-learning, interactivity in virtual learning communities and technology utilized in virtual learning communities. Our research in the topic would provide the knowledge to deliver the presentation and help the learners to begin to understand and examine this topic to later use in their own instructional design strategies.

Learners
Students enrolled in The University of Colorado-Denver's (UCD)Information and Learning Technology (ILT) program must be well informed about the latest technology and educational and evaluation trends. The learners are graduate students enrolled in UCD's ILT program. Most of the students have taken at least twelve semester hours of ILT courses and are halfway through the Trends and Issues course. All of the students have access to the community conference area (CEO) and can use threaded discussion, chat and teleconferencing.

Learning Background
In the Trends and Issues class the Corporate Cohort has had the opportunity to read articles on VLC and on-line learning. Additionally, guest lecturer Patti Shank held an on-line threaded conversation based on writings for on-line collaborative learning. In both of these learning experiences the students were able to explore virtual communities and on-line learning. The foundation in building community in on-line learning provides a unique opportunity to create additional learning for the cohort, specifically using technology for on-line learning and virtual communities.

The class has not had an opportunity to explore in-depth in a constructivist approach the instructional design strategies or technologies used in virtual learning communities. Class discussion has touched on building interactivity into instruction for on-line learning. The cohort students have not had the opportunity to specifically discuss and explore what instructional design methods can be used to increase interactivity in on-line adult learning environments. Additionally, the cohort students have had varied experiences with alternative delivery systems of virtual learning environments. In order to facilitate the ILT student's learning about virtual technologies we will work with the existing cohort community to create the virtual environment for learning. Within this virtual learning environment, we will ask the students to use their technology to learn in a virtual method.

The use of technology as adult learners can add or take - away from the learning experience depending on the learning styles and the experiences of the students. Technology plays an important role in teaching virtually. There are several ways to explore virtual learning communities using the mediums of synchronous online chats, threaded discussions or conference calls. We intend to provide new learning experiences by using the virtual learning technologies of phone, threaded conversations and chat to enhance the student's learning and firsthand experience using virtual learning technologies.

We conducted a learner assessment to determine our learners preferences and learning styles. The rationale for the questions on the learner preassessment are as follows: View Learner Preassessment

1. Learning Styles: The three methods for organizing the virtual learning groups are based on only two learning styles: auditory and visual. The chat and threaded groups will rely on visual. The telebridge has the opportunity to read the materials and listen to the group and work through the learning assignments using the auditory. This group is the only group that qualifies for both auditory. This question helps to assess which groups would be appropriate for the learner depending on their learning preference.

2. Self-Directed Learner: The virtual learning group is a self-directed learner exercise. The collaborative nature helps the learner to organize and manage their learning. The learning in the threaded group needs to be very motivated as a self-directed learner and students who acknowledge they are less skilled as a self-directed learner will be selected for chat or telebridge.

3. Knowledge of instructional design (ID)for VLC: This question taps the learners understanding of ID for VLC. This is a measurement that will be reused at the conclusion of the assignment to measure how much more they have learned from their virtual learning group and assignment in this trend.

4. Technologies: This question provides learner feedback. It is helpful to know what technologies the students have experienced This question can also help to define virtual learning groups. The design of the class is to give the learners firsthand experience in VLC using different technologies. If a student has already experienced chat and thread and shows the learning preferences for telebridge, this question will be a good way to determine how to place the student for their VLC.

5. Technologies: This question clarifies the commitment to any one of the VLC's. The definitions are available for the student to self-select. This question will help to bridge the challenge of assigning VLC's by technologies.

Comments: This preassessment is being conducted to help assign VLC and assist the learners to establish an appropriate group. The comments on the bottom of the survey allow the student to understand what the next phase of the assignment is and to recognize this learning content when the email is sent by the facilitators.

Learner Survey Results
The survey results provided adequate information on the learners to establish the three learning groups. The students were grouped according to learning styles and technology preferences. Many of the students did not voluntarily choose the conferencing (bridge) for their instructional learning medium. We selected this group by identifying students who chose this medium as their second choice and demonstrated audio/visual as their preferred learning style.

Constraints
By choosing to use a virtual learning community for delivery of learning we are taking a risk with regard to the student population. There is no guarantee the learners will participate and engage in their learning community. The groups are organized into three small learning groups. The students that would normally be observers and non-participatory will stand - out more in the VLC group than in a regular classroom environment. The group is suitable for using the virtual learning environment, but most likely will not have the organic or natural way of self-organizing that a true virtual learning environment would need to self-generate. By using the natural community that already exists in the cohort we are taking advantage of a community that already provides many of the learner supports a new community would need to create.

Rationale
Learning Goal Statements
1. To further explore VLC trends and issues.
2. To create a learning experience for the ILT students to personally explore interactivity in instructional design for on-line learning.
3. Experience virtual learning using different technologies
4. Create instructional design strategies for virtual learning communities
5. Work collaboratively in vlc with other ILT students.
All of the students are capable of using the technology necessary to complete such things as an online chat or synchronous chat.

The Learner Task
Based on the results of the survey, the learners are divided into three groups. The three formats are threaded discussion, synchronous chat, and tele-class. The students will receive the written instructions on their group activities and assignments. See Artifacts. In order to help the group be on-task we suggest the group select a facilitator (the person who will keep the group on-task and make sure the questions are completed.) We also wanted evidence from the group of their learning session, so we asked each each group to select a person to keep notes of their session. The findings for the group were to be posted in the Trends & Issues folder for in-class review. A group folder was established in CEO in the Trends & Issues folder marked VLC. This folder would provide learning evidence and an opportunity to share with the entire class the experiences for all of the groups.

The assignment was to read / review the two urls related to Instructional Design for Virtual Learning. The groups were to discuss the articles and were given some focus questions to help articulate the virtual learning. The groups were reviewing the same articles, but were all using different technologies to learn in their virtual communities. The groups would create notes from their sessions, providing evidence of their learning and a physical way to document their session. These notes would also provide the facilitators an opportunity to measure the learning objectives.

We attempted to provide solid learner supports for each of the three groups. The learning instructions provided in the email were the same for all three groups. The documentation for their learning technology was specific to their group and provided full instructions as well as a tools for helping the learner use the technology. We started the process of communicating with the teams very early to assure the learners had both coverage of the information and the time to implement their learning community.

We planned to use the in-class time to do a verbal sharing by the groups to both review learning in the VLC. We created four focus questions for sharing at the beginning of the class. Each group had 5 minutes to review the questions as a group. The groups would share their answers, providing feedback for the facilitators and the other groups on their learning experiences as a virtual learning group using their particular medium. The sharing groups would also reinforce whether the topics were covered and met the learning goals.

Learner Assessment Relative to Learning Objectives
The instruction was organized in a way to provide three levels of verification of learning. The first level was the facilitators would participate in the virtual learning communities as observers. The second level of assessment was having the groups self-report by providing notes of their sessions in the VLC projects folder. The final assessment level was the in-class sharing. Through all three of these assessment levels we would be able to see the evidence of learning.

In these settings the learners will discuss the assigned articles and case study. When the class meets on the 18th, the students will share their findings with the rest of the class. After each group has shared their findings, we will shift the class focus to discuss the learning experiences of the different vlc formats. Since all three groups will be using the same articles and case study but, different technologies they will have some unique insights to share with the rest of the students. We expect the students to have some observable experiences to share in reference to instructional design and using this method or technology to improve VLC. Students will be asked to review the class and the performance of Becky and Valerie. Since this class is a one-time offering, the evaluation will be used as feedback for Becky and Valerie.

Implementation Strategy

Administer Pre-Class Survey
Assign Groups
Distribute Group Assignments & Communicate VLC Learning Goals
Review class blueprint and refine course
Monitor Three VLC's groups (Attend all three virtually as silent observers)
Facilitate In-Class Review and Knowledge Sharing

Instructional materials
Group Assignments
Group Instructions for technology
Readings: URLs
Technology: Chat/CEO, Discussion/CEO, Conference/Phone with Long Distance carrier.
Scheduling time: synchronous or asynchronous
Email Supports & learner communication by facilitators
In-class debrief questionnaire

Results

For the most part, the implementation was a success. Two out of the three groups were able to self-motivate and assign a facilitator and pick a time to discuss the articles. Moreover, the virtual learning groups figured out how to use the technology without much hassle. Those two groups met virtually for about an hour and had great conversations about the articles. The threaded discussion group was not able to self- organize and ended up not meeting virtually to discuss the articles.

The groups had two weeks to implement and did wait until the last minute to self-organize. The facilitators were largely self-selected to make sure their group fulfilled their learning responsibilities. These facilitators organized the time and schedule for the synchronous events and made sure the learning objectives were fulfilled. The chat group had all learners participating. The telebridge group had two members attend the call. The group interactions were lively and were engaging by all of the learners present. All of the learners contributed to the group learning and shared valuable learning experiences to make the experience meaningful. The chat was by far the most successful group with all of the goals and learning requirements fulfilled.

The debrief session was utilized as both an informal assessment of learning and a sharing of knowledge. We hoped to engage the learners to share their experiences and particular challenges with the learning environment and technologies. The sharing was a fun and lively conversation filled with interesting observations and a knowledge sharing between the three groups.

The groups were required to discuss their experiences and share information about their specific technologies. Each group, even the group that did not participate in the virtual discussion, had a lot to say about designing effectively for VLC. The knowledge sharing was a useful way to bridge the different learning environments in a way that made the experiences and information available to all of the learners. The students had some good observations about their shared technologies and ways they could implement these strategies into their instructional designs.

Value

Based on our observations during the virtual learning discussions and the in-class discussion, it was obvious that many of the students learned a lot from the training. The learning goal was twofold. First, we wanted the learners to become familiar with the different types of virtual learning communities and technologies by actually having them experience being a part of a VLC. Secondly, we wanted to use the articles as a way to facilitate conversations about designing for VLC.

Did people learn?
By observing the two discussions, we discovered that the two groups that were able to self-organize and actually participated in the virtual discussions did gain a lot of knowledge from the training. Because the learners were asked to participate in a VLC, they were forced to become familiar with the different technologies used. The threaded discussion group did not self-organize and ended up not participating in a discussion about the articles. It was obvious that they did not learn a lot about the articles; however, we believe they gained a lot of information about the components of a successful VLC and different ways to design for VLC. The other two groups had great discussions about the articles. In addition, they had a lot to say about the actual technologies used during the in-class debriefing. The learning tools were effective and in several instances the students acknowledged the reading assignments as being useful tools and good references for designing on-line learning.

Were the learning objectives met?
The learning objectives were met as evidenced by the in-class discussion and the group session notes. We were satisfied with the outcomes of the group learning. As mentioned before, the two groups that did participate acquired a good deal of information about VLC, technologies and designing for VLC. The learners successfully analyzed the articles and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the different technologies used and strategize on how they will use these . The chat group provided their final notes which provide evidence of successful fulfillment of the learning objectives. Additionally, the in-class review provided evidence that the learning goals had been met with the groups that were able to self-organize and complete the virtual learning.

Reflection

What did I learn?
I learned a lot about VLC, but more importantly I gained knowledge about designing effectively for VLC. Using the three different technologies was a great way to discover more about their strengths and weaknesses as well as when and how to use these technologies within instruction. We also learned tricks and tips about designing for VLC via the articles. Moreover, I will continue to use the articles as a reference.

The most important lesson I learned was about student motivation. It was very difficult to get the learners motivated enough to organize the groups. One group never made it. It's interesting to analyze what motivates learners: grades, self-enhancement, etc.? I still do not know the answer and realize that every learner is different in terms of motivation. However, I did learn that I should focus more on motivation within the front-end analysis of the instructional plan. Essentially, without student motivation, the best instruction in the world will fail.

What worked?
Generally, I was satisfied with the instructional design of our training. Next time, I would use the same technologies and split the groups up using the same pre-assessment. I thought the hybrid format worked well for this particular topic. Also, I would use the same four debriefing questions as a way to close the training. I thought it was helpful for all of the groups to reconvene and learn about the different technologies. I also thought the articles were good references for the future.

What would I do differently?
Motivating the students was our team's biggest obstacle. I would spend more time during the front end analysis on figuring out ways to get the learners motivated earlier. For example, I might make more of a point in class and possibly clarify the project scope in person. Also, I might encourage the groups to call or email questions in terms of coordinating the groups. It depends on the age of the students and the environment, but I might be more involved in the organization process and actually assign a facilitator based upon an added pre-assessment question.

Next Steps
If I were to present this material again, I would have to reevaluate some pieces based upon a new front end analysis/ learner analysis. At this point, our team does not have any plans to present this material again.

Responsibilities

#1: Continued improvement of professional practice that requires critical inquiry, professional development and reflective practice.

The VLC product required an in-depth review of developing training for learning communities and related research. Since this product was based on current trends and issues I reviewed learning magazines on-line relevant to the VLC issues and research on developing learning communities. In my research I was able to review list-serves, Internet sites, discuss the topic with people who have developed learning communities and examined sites that use learning communities as a part of their delivery system. The research was used to develop the knowledge base for the content and then design a training program to support the learners in beginning to experience and learn about VLC and related technologies as a part of their academic learning experience.

#2: Designs instruction or human performance strategy to meet the needs of learners

The Virtual Learning Community: Study in Interactivity and Technology in Virtual Learning Community Environments class was designed to meet the needs of the learners. With a front-end analysis and learner survey our team evaluated our learners and the instructional requirements for delivering this instructional product. We intentionally designed collaborative learning into the instructional product to encourage the experience of virtual learning communities. We designed the use of learner lead collaboration by requesting the groups self-define a facilitator for the group. The instructional strategies were designed consistently according to design methods for virtual learning environments.

#3: Uses a variety of multimedia
This instructional product was unique as the topic was based on exploring virtual learning communities and related technologies. The instructional content was delivered using teleclasses, chat and asynchronous threaded discussion. The use of web resources and downloaded documents provided the learning resources and learner supports for the instruction. We used an in-class review to share the experiences of the groups and conduct a group sharing of experiences and knowledge gained. The use of media for this instructional product was designed to be effective for the virtual learning community. Technologies specific to the virtual learning community were deliberately designed into the instructional product to encourage the use of technologies.

#4: Designs for the needs of the learners

A learner survey was conducted as part of the front-end analysis. By learning what the background, learning styles and learning preferences we were able to design the groups and use of technologies based on the learner survey results. The learners already familiar with one another, so building community using different learning environments was an asset which we capitalized on to build the learning communities. When the groups organized as virtual learning communities we were able to encourage collaboration and community learning based on the learning environment that was available to us for this product.

#6: Uses incisive and relevant assessment and evaluation techniques (e.g., product or project which uses formative and/or summative evaluations).
The product used several levels of assessment. First, the facilitators conducted a learner survey to assess the learning preferences and to gather information about the audience. This survey provided knowledge about the learners and was used to group and manage the style of learning the student engaged in according to their preferences.

The next level was for the facilitators to observe the teams in action. By being observers to the learning we were able to observe the achievement of the learning and completion of the learning goals. Another level was to have the groups create their notes to demonstrate the learning objectives and fulfillment of learning goals. These notes were posted in the shared folder in the class conference area used by the students in their academic programming. The final level of assessment was the in-class oral review. The knowledge sharing allowed the learners to extrapolate and share their experiences, provide reflection and validation of their learning experience.