Open Source Video

Ok. Here it is. This is my first video and it sure took a lot of time, but it was fun working on it. I hope you enjoy it.

Content, Collaboration, and Communication

Module 3 Assessing Collaborative Efforts Assignment

Students in a collaborative environment should be assessed differently than individual assessment. Their are different models in which assessment can occur in the collaborative learning community. Peers can evaluate or assess each others work. The student receiving information can rate if it was helpful or not. Receiving feedback from peers is an excellent way to provide collaborative learning and receive help with a project before the teacher gives their main evaluation of the total picture. The varying level of skills that students bring to a course should be assessed based on the amount of growth.

If a student does not want to work collaboratively, it is mostly because they are not familiar with this type of learning environment. Other members of the group can help students to feel comfortable if they discuss their experiences with collaborative learning. The instructor has the role to help these students understand what is fully expected of them from the course. The instructor can also help by role playing a scenario to help the students get a feel for what is expected. Siemens states, the impact on the assessment plan for the teacher would be to design it to have a "mixed" environment (2005).



Palloff, R. M. & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating Online; Learning Together in Community; John Wiley & Sons Inc., Published by Jossey Bass

Siemens, G. (2008). Assessment of Collaborative Learning; Laureate Education Video presentation

Module 2 Discussion

The collaborative classroom began in the orginal brick and mortal schools with students collaborating face to face. The internet has broadened the horizon with students persuing online degrees through collaborative interaction on university portals, blogs, wikispaces etc. Online tools that help students collaborate include: email, conferences, shared documents, videos, blogs, wikispaces, skype, etc. Any type of tool that can help students research, discover, and improve their skills would be considered collaboration.

In viewing the video "Distance Education: The Next Generation," I can see why there wold be a need to evolve distance education if critical mass has been reached (Simonson, 2008). When critical mass of any type of product is achieved, people start to look for the next best thing. Now that online education is found to be respectable and has reached many developed countries, we look for ways to perfect or improve what we have already built in distance education.

"The multitude of possibilities outlined in this three part series illustrate that there are opportunities to evolve and to grow the field of instructional design in many directions" Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008). The possibilities of improving online education are endless, but the goal stated in the three articles were to suit the needs of the learner. In making the online learning more viable to all learners, we must find a way to differentiate learning toward the way people learn. I think that people know if they are visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners and should have all those options available to succeed in distance education. Some problems for distance education is that people are not disciplined enough to stay on course. "Younger students may be less successful online learners. Cavanaugh et al. (2004) stated that younger students require more supervision, simpler instructions, and a more extensive reinforcement system than older students" (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008).

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of
distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3:
K12). TechTrends, 52(5). 63-67. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=107&sid=e3808034-2dac-4387-8afb-b60b02fd15ba%40sessionmgr103


Simonson, M. (2000). Making decisions: The use of electronic technology in online classes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 84, 29-34.http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3476918&Survey=1&47=4723987&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1