The advantages of e-learning and group assignments
As a recent online graduate, I found working with groups and corresponding electronically had many advantages. Because many of us were in different time zones, we found it helpful to post the times we would be online. This allowed for those who could "chime in" to do so. Another advantage was we worked together to divide up sub assignments for group assignments and assigned a specific time in which we were to have our individual contributions in. This constant logging in allowed our instructor to see who was really participating and who was not. Third, I learned how to work cooperatively with people I have never seen before. If you can do well in this type of arena, imagine what you can do face-to-face.
LaTunya,
I agree with you 100%. Having been an online instructor I too believe that all of the benefits you mentioned are key to a successful online learning environment. For example, our conversation now! I believe that live time is a constraint and virtual time allows for much more free communication.
P.S. Congrats on your graduation!
Teya
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us LaTunya. Please share your thoughts with us on the foundation of this Discussion Forum:
Question
Would you lose the ability to really get to know your students in an e-learning environment? Provide a rationale for your answer.
Satrohan
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us LaTunya. Please share your thoughts with us on the foundation of this Discussion Forum:
Question
Would you lose the ability to really get to know your students in an e-learning environment? Provide a rationale for your answer.
Satrohan
Teya:
Thank you for sharing your viewpoints on communicating in a virtual learning environment. Please reflect on the question below and share your thoughts on it with us.
_______________________________________
Are there some courses that cannot be effectively taught online?
______________________________________
satrohan
The course that I would say that might and probably difficult to teach in an eleraning environment are courses that require lab assignments where the students are to be monitored.
Agreed, LaTunya. Other courses, the learning objectives of which are task-oriented and represent the skills of on-the-job situations are also not suitable for total instruction in an online environment. Thanks for continuing to share your thoughts and opinions with us.
Satrohan
I agree with LaTunya that there is a lot to be learned from online group assignments. I also have had a positive experience with an online group project. I was fortunate to be part of a team where all members contributed equally and had the same level of desire to do well. However, I know that always doesn't happen.
What is the best way as an online instructor to address a group member that is:
Causing friction in their group because they are not pulling their weight.
Or they are not contributing the level of quality work the group desires.
Nori:
The best way I can think of is for the Instructor to addess the low level of participation with the student on an individual basis. E-mail or a direct phone call are the best methods. Once the desired level of participation has been made well known to all members of the group, the Instructor has the right to advise the student of the consequences on an undesired level of participation.
Satrohan
LaTunya,
I also completed my master's in the online environment. I had both good and bad expereinces with group work. As a whole, I would say my experiences were positive. Working together, many times, from different parts of the world helped me to be adaptable in a demanding area.
I am a stickler for meeting deadlines and many times I had to relax as one of my team mates was in a different time zone. I even had a classmates who was 12 hours ahead of me. That made for interesting conversations and collaborations.
Kim Verneuille
Kim:
If I were to be given the option of not participating in a group assignment, I would gladly accept. When I completed both my Bachelors and Masters degree, I was assigned to group projects plagued by non-participation, low-levels of participation etc all of which resulted in me receiving a poor grade. As a matter of fact, things got so worse that at the graduate level, to provide me with thedepth of knowledge I sought in some areas of concentration, I had to persuade some faculty members to take courses on a one-on-one basis with them. And I did four of these.
Group projects are an excellent learning experience when everyone pulls his or her own weight.
Satrohan
Not necessarily, because on-line communications can have certain advantages. It may help focus the user on the “true self,” thus leading to heightened self-awareness by focusing the user on his or her inner feelings. Through this chat interaction may ''cyberself'' emerge. Computer-mediated communication may foster the development of an introspective and/or reflective state of mind since it is often undertaken in a quiet room as a solitary activity.
People are aware that they are one type of person in social settings but have unexpressed qualities and abilities that they feel unable to present to others (the “true self”). The internet constitutes as unique opportunity for self-expression, and that we can expect a person to use it to express the “true self”: those aspects of self not often or easily expressed to others. Often people are better able to express their "true selves" over the Internet than during face-to-face communication.
Josefer:
You have made several propositions which I find to be quite intriguing; especially the concept of the cyberself. I ask other students in this course to offer their opinions on the theoretical constructs you have proposed. I guess ones interpretation of your conception highly depends on how one defines the true self. Of course, this could lead to a highly philosophical discussion.
Satrohan
I agree that group projects can become a very rewarding experience...or a horrific one, depending on the participation levels of the members. As an instructor, I include a peer evaluation tool that helps keep students motivated to do their part. Students evaluate each other's performance in several different catagories. These evaluations are then included in each individual's project grade. In most cases, this is an effective method of ensuring heightened participation even from less motivated students.
Dee:
I share your purpose in implementing the peer evaluation strategy. It is certainly a good measure to promote participation, on condition that students conduct the peer evaluations. In my academic experiences,and in graduate school, the Professor was absent on the day on which I did my presentation. The topic was on Entailment Mesh as a knowledge representation technique. Only four of fifteen students in the class that day completed the peer evaluation on which 20% of my final grade was anchored.
Satrohan
Hi LaTunya: You make a good point when you say "This constant logging in allowed our instructor to see who was really participating and who was not." I have been using group projects for many years in my online classes and I find that I have a greater knowledge of each student's contribution online than in a face-to-face class because the instructor can see every contribution that is made in an online class. The instructor has to make sure students complete all their work within the CMS, not by phone or external email, but this can be easily accomplished with a course announcement. Thus, online group projects can work quite well and the instructor can be sure about each stduent's contribution to the final product.
I would also think that having group assignments would help to not only help to have the students get to know each other and get comfortable with one another but to also engage the students in class discussion which could lead to a dynamic discussion during class time.
Yes, I agree that having group assignments can break down the some of the barriers and allow students to get to know each other better. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject Kenyon.
I have never taken online courses myself, but the online courses I teach in one school requires group projects. I can tell you it is the most difficult part for both the students and myself.
Most online students are working full time with family responsibilities also. Some of them may be deployed overseas. Also, the time zone differences. It is very difficult for them to find time to work together. A lot of students usually do their work during the weekend. So, a lot of times, one or two students will end up doing most of the work, and the others just ride along. And a lot of times, each member end up doing his/her own work.
But I do have some groups that work perfectly among the members, it is really amazing.
As an instructor, I do not like group projects in a online coures!
thanks,
Jingxi
