Distance education is becoming more abundant in today’s day in age. However, as a science teacher I am sometimes unsure how to bring in the effective components of a traditional classroom to an online environment. When looking through several articles about the best practices of distance education in a K-12 setting, I was excited to find that they mentioned that collaboration is still a key component of learning even at a distance. Peer collaboration is one of the many tools that are used to stimulate inquiry and deeper thinking (Smith, 2006). One way to collaborate is through communication using tools such as blogs, discussion boards, e-conferences, and emails. These methods can help a student feel connected to the instructor and their classmates and leads to an overall better online experience (Hammerling, 2012). When the student communicates their desires, there is a better possibility that the instructor can adapt the lessons to fit that learner’s specific needs. Another way to collaborate is by group projects. Wikis and Google Docs have made it possible for students to work together even when they are not face-to-face. EDUC 633 is a prime example of the benefits of working collaboratively. Throughout the course, we have used blogs and the ISD project to work with our peers. These interactions have brought about higher-level thinking and a better understanding of the course material. These experiences throughout the course will also help me to remember the concepts learned. Bower (2011) proved that students that participate in collaborative activities have increased student retention and knowledge. Collaboration has become so important in distance learning that it is now used in the development of new tools that will be used in online education (Greenberg, 1998). Students can also use their personal experiences to collaborate with their classmates. This can work in either an asynchronous or a synchronous learning environment. Collaboration fits with the theory of constructivism.
I personally follow the constructivist learning theory. When I was teaching in the classroom, I often encouraged students to work together to accomplish their learning goals. The constructivist theory stems from the ideas that participation and engagement in the lesson brings about learning. In additions, constructivism believes that students will learn through sharing their experiences and be able to use their prior knowledge to make connections. Therefore, when they would work in their student groups they could share ideas and encourage higher-level thinking. Collaboration allows the learner to see the information from a different point of view allowing more connections to be made. Through the research for this blog, I have found that the constructivist theory component of collaboration still applies at a distance. Ultimately, collaboration has proven to be a key element when developing a class and will continue to be used as a best practice in online education.
References
Bower, M. (2011). Synchronous collaboration competencies in web-conferencing environments - their impact on the learning
process. Distance Education, 32(1), 63-83.
Greenberg, G. (1998). Distance education technologies: best practices for k-12 settings. Technology and Society Magazine,
IEEE , 17(4), 36-40.
Hammerling, J. A. (2012). Best practices in undergraduate clinical laboratory science online education and effective use of
educational technology tools. Labmedicine, 43(6), 313.
Smith, L. (2006). Best practices in distance education. Distance Learning, 3(3), 59-66.
I personally follow the constructivist learning theory. When I was teaching in the classroom, I often encouraged students to work together to accomplish their learning goals. The constructivist theory stems from the ideas that participation and engagement in the lesson brings about learning. In additions, constructivism believes that students will learn through sharing their experiences and be able to use their prior knowledge to make connections. Therefore, when they would work in their student groups they could share ideas and encourage higher-level thinking. Collaboration allows the learner to see the information from a different point of view allowing more connections to be made. Through the research for this blog, I have found that the constructivist theory component of collaboration still applies at a distance. Ultimately, collaboration has proven to be a key element when developing a class and will continue to be used as a best practice in online education.
References
Bower, M. (2011). Synchronous collaboration competencies in web-conferencing environments - their impact on the learning
process. Distance Education, 32(1), 63-83.
Greenberg, G. (1998). Distance education technologies: best practices for k-12 settings. Technology and Society Magazine,
IEEE , 17(4), 36-40.
Hammerling, J. A. (2012). Best practices in undergraduate clinical laboratory science online education and effective use of
educational technology tools. Labmedicine, 43(6), 313.
Smith, L. (2006). Best practices in distance education. Distance Learning, 3(3), 59-66.