In a learning management system, an educator can assess students based on:
How many times they log on,
How many hours they spend online,
How many hours they spend in group related activities,
How many posts they contribute (Siemens, 2008)
Participation in a collaborative learning community should be assessed equitable and fair. I personally like the rubric. A rubric is a scoring tool that lists the criteria for what is expected on a project, performance, or task. The rubric lists the expectations of the students with a score or rating for what is expected. A rubric will help a student self reflect as well as self assess. It is a great communication tool between the professor and student. It is a very fair tool because students know what to expect before working on a project or task. They know the criteria for getting a perfect score verses getting a moderate score. I looked up an online rubric for discussion board.
If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community, they should not take the course. Collaborative communities can be challenging for many students (Siemens, 2008). I remember the last class that I took online. There were several students in that class that are not in this class. I talked with a student, and he said that online classes were not for him. He stated that he needed face to face interaction with the professor. There are things other members of the community can do to get students to participate. They can have them role play, participating in a high functioning learning community (Seimens, 2008). The instructor must create a mix of individual and community based environments (Seimens, 2008). Collaboration and cooperation are the keys to successful online communities.
Siemens, G. (2008). Assessment of collaborative learning. [podcast]. Laureate Education, Inc. Baltimore: Author.
Siemens, G. (2008) Learning communities. [podcast]. Laureate Education, Inc. Baltimore: Author.
Tracy
I agree that collaboration in an online community is imperative. I love that we are able to collaborate through our blogs, wikis, the discussion boards and email. When I obtained my undergrad degree I was enrolled in a traditional university. Collaborative projects were incorporated into several of my classes and I didn't agree with that. Students had to meet with group members outside of class time. I had a huge problem with this because I communted an hour each way and left classes and immediately went to work. I feel that if collaborative projects are required, there should not have to be face to face interaction. I am happy with the format of distance learning!
ReplyDeleteI also agree that collaborative learning community should be assessed fair and adequate. I also like the idea of a rubric because it gives you a clear understanding of your expectations. Rubrics improve learners end products and therefore increase knowledge. Rubrics are important and vital when involving assessment and education. They both drive quality which make collaborating and working together more meaningful and effective. Most importantly, rubrics help improve student performance by making expectations clear and by showing students how to meet those expectations. It also help students become more thoughtful judges of the quality of their own and others' work and provide students with more informative feedback about their strengths as well as areas in need of improvement.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Collaborative communities can be difficult for many students particularly online. I agree that if it is not for them, they should not take the course! The professors should not have to make special circumstances if a student chooses not to collaborate.
ReplyDeleteIts interesting that you had classmates that quickly realized that online learning was not for them. So often it is hard for people to accept when they are not meant for something.
Rachel