Presence in the Classroom

Week 2: Blended Interactions

As I read through Week 2: Blended Interactions reading it reminded me of a book we read "Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching" by Rosemary Lehman and Simone Conceicao. The way presence relates to instructor to student interaction and student to student is that these interactions let the student know that they are not alone in this online environment. The quote I'd like to pass on to my instructors is:

• High impact activities, where students interact with faculty and peers about substantive matters, increase learner engagement and result in greater success in learning. (National Survey of Student Engagement, 2007)

I specifically want to use this for faculty that do not want to include student to student interactions in their hybrid/online courses.

In game design there is a constant tension between what is enough scaffolding to get players motivated and able to pursue the mystery and how much can be left open-ended for players to learn on their own. Too much scaffolding can easily feel “school - like” and procedural, taking away from players’ initiative to tinker around to discover things on their own. Too little scaffolding may leave players lost and disengaged." (Asbell-Clarke et. al., 2012, p. 53)

I am particularly interested in this quote because I am currently being asked to learn more about gamification and game based learning. It is something that I need to keep in mind when designing for courses using either of these concepts. How much instruction am I needing to give to students in order for them to progress through the course and how much is too much that I inundate them.

Notes to myself:

Two arguments against minimal guidance learning (related to bad design)

1. How do the students know what to do?
2. How will learners make sense  of information that is fragmented and distributed (ex course that uses articles instead of text), rather then well organized as textbooks

Personal Learning Environment

• environment where people and tools and communities and resources interact in a very loose kind of way.
• ex. MOOCs

 Role of Educator

• minimal or guided & instructivism or constructivism
• Models of educator and learner roles and interaction
1. studio or atelier (Jon Brown 2006 & 2013)
• students learn from fellow students as well as instructor
• activities of students can serve to guide, direct and influence each individuals work
• instructor observers work and can direct students to someones innovative approach
• Good Tool: Blog
2. network administrator (Fischer)
•  instructor assist learners in forming connections and creating learning networks
• as learners encounter new information sources, they critically evaluate the sources suitability as part of the holistic and diversified learning network
• Gaps in the learning network are dealt with by both instructor (through evaluation) and student (through self reflection)
3. Concierge (Curtis Bonk)
• instructor directs learners to resources or learning opp. 
• Provides soft guidance (times lectures other times allow students to explore on their own)
• pr
4. Curator: Expert Learner (George Siemen)
• Creates spaces where knowledge can be created, explored, and connected.
• through displays, concepts and artificats
• Learner is also free to explore