Transcript Document
The virtual student: Navigating the online learning environment Shelley Blundell, Communication and Information Naser Madi, Computer Science Graduate Student Orientation – Fall 2014 Welcome lifelong learners! Today’s presentation will cover: • Brief overview of online learning at Kent State. • Top 5 strategies of successful students in an online learning environment. • Technology tools that will help students incorporate these strategies into their daily graduate lives. • Useful technology tools for graduate students. Graduate Student Orientation – Fall 2014 Brief overview of online learning • Various types (100% online asynchronous, 100% online with some synchronous components, hybrid courses). • Platform – Blackboard Learn [BBLearn]. • Kent State HelpDesk student support. • Course requirements (assignments, chats, discussions, virtual office hours, etc.). Strategy 1: Self-discipline • Create a structured, daily/weekly schedule. • Check course correspondence via BBLearn email and @kent.edu account. • Take note of course requirements and how often they must be completed (e.g. twiceweekly discussion posts, etc.) • Plan your work, and work your plan! Strategy 1: Technology tools • Wunderlist (https://www.wunderlist.com/) • Flashnotes (http://www.flashnotes.com) Strategy 2: Time management • Balance is key in online learning – competing concerns (family, work, additional courses, etc.) should be factored into needs of course. • Asynchronous courses require extra rigor – refer to strategy 1, and read the syllabus. • Do not procrastinate with deadlines. • Build a schedule and stick to it. Strategy 2: Technology tools • RescueTime (https://www.rescuetime.com/) • Google Calendar (https://www.google.com/calendar/render?pli=1) Strategy 3: Staying on task • Consult the syllabus early and often – what is required daily/weekly? • For group work: Communicate with group regularly regarding assignments/projects. • Review sessions provided to make sure all tasks have been completed/covered. Strategy 3: Technology tools Storage and Cloud Solutions • Google Drive - http://drive.google.com • Dropbox - www.dropbox.com • SkyDrive - www.onedrive.live.com Group time scheduling • Doodle – www.doodle.com Strategy 4: Communication/interaction • Occurs in three ways in an online course: You/instructor, you/classmates, you/content. • Communicate/interact often, especially on discussion threads and during group work. • The more you communicate and interact, the higher your overall course satisfaction. • Practice good (n)etiquette. Strategy 4: Technology tools Group time scheduling • Doodle – www.doodle.com Group file/project sharing • Google Drive - http://drive.google.com • Dropbox - www.dropbox.com Strategy 5: Addressing concerns • Concerns are best resolved if addressed early – course may be 24/7, instructor is not. • Many F2F considerations apply online as well (e.g. SAS accommodations, etc.) – check before the course begins. • Tech help is available for BBLearn issues at 330-672-HELP. – Also, consult the “BlackBoard Tutorials” section of your Learn course for assistance. Strategy 5: Technology tools • BBLearn – learn.kent.edu • KSU HelpDesk – support.kent.edu General technology tools [1] Editing and Bibliography • Texmaker The universal LaTeX editor www.xm1math.net/texmaker/ Presentation and Design • Gimp (www.gimp.org) • Prezi (www.prezi.com) General technology tools [2] Online Courses • OpenCourseWare - http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm • Academic Earth - http://academicearth.org/ • Khan Academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/ Books and notes • Chegg (www.chegg.com) File Encryption tools • The GNU Privacy Guard (www.gnupg.org) • 7-Zip (www.7-zip.org/) Final thoughts • Teaching Scenario - Social Media – What do you think? – Any other thoughts/comments? Questions? • Shelley Blundell – [email protected] • Naser Madi – [email protected] References DeCandido, G. A. (2009). Ten things you need to know about online classes. Retrieved from http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/blogs/graceand/ ten-things-you-need-to-know-about-onlineclasses.html