Multimedia Interview

Producing a Multimedia Interview: 

The Learning Journey Continues

I am a fortunate learner.  Working at a community college gave me many options for choosing an interviewee for this assignment, but when I reviewed the criteria, and thoughtfully considered what I wanted to accomplish, my choice became an easy one.  

 My interviewee, Prof. Patricia Szobonya, has an office right next to mine. Although we work in different divisions of the college, we share a similar work ethic and often reach out to each other for support. So, when I approached Patricia about helping me complete this project, her response was an immediate "YES!" 

Patricia has a wealth of experience integrating technology into her course through Collaborative Online International Learning (C.O.I.L.).  I've known of Patricia's technology use, and of her travels to foreign lands (She's off to visit Egypt and Morocco in a few weeks), but, prior to this interview, I never knew exactly WHAT she did with technology.  I learned a great deal (about C.O.I.L and making a multimedia presentation), and enjoyed the process much more than I thought I would. 

I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to share my learning with you. Thank you for watching.

NOTE: I've gotten feedback that the audio is difficult to hear. You may want to grab a pair of earbuds if you are watching on a laptop. Sorry for any inconvenience! 

Wikis for Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Construction

Hopefully, in addition to enabling me to construct my own knowledge, this assignment will enhance my self-confidence and provide me with a solid foundation for using technology to design technology-based learning activities for students in my program. 

Integrating technology into the curriculum of my courses is a task I frequently contemplate, but always shy away from due to my lack of experience in this area. I teach the introductory course in our occupational therapy curriculum. At this level, students are building knowledge regarding the history, philosophy, ethics, and other basic tenets of the profession. This new knowledge provides the basis for the critical thinking, analysis, and application to the real-world required by the upper level courses in the curriculum (West & West, 2009; Hofmann, 2014).

Title

WIKI PROJECT -   Occupational Therapy: Founders of the Profession

Target Audience

24 learners in OCC101- Introduction to Occupational Therapy

Learning Objectives- Collaborative Learning/Knowledge Construction

Upon successful completion of the Wiki activity, learners will be able to:

1) Summarize the biographies of the founders of the profession 

2) Describe the events that led to the development of the OT profession
3) Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with other learners

This Wiki project aligns with the following accreditation standards set forth by the American Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA):
Standard B.21  Articulate an understanding of the importance of the history and philosophical base of the profession of occupational therapy.
Standard B.8.2  Effectively locate and understand information, including the quality of the source of information. (AOTA, 2011)

Rationale

Based on my experience with my millennial students, they are adept at using technology, and prefer engagement and group work to passive activity (West & West, 2009). Wikis provide a means for students to actively engage, share ideas, and enter into a collaborative decision-making process (Hazair, North & Moreland, 2009) while using technology for educational purposes. This collaborative, participatory process will enhance their learning while providing a foundation for their future careers within the collaborative environment of the OT profession.  

Wiki-related Learning Activities
Working in groups of 3, students will create an interactive Wiki page focused on the biography of an individual involved in the early development of the occupational therapy profession.

Week 1:
Distribute survey/ questionnaire regarding comfort level with technology and group work (Wiki teams will be formed based on results)
Introduce Wiki assignment
    -  Sample Wikis
    - Demonstrate Wiki use via sandbox (available to all students)
    -  Review Wiki Etiquette

Week 2:
Assign Teams
Teams collaborate to choose their OT founder from a prefabricated list
HOMEWORK: Teams collaboratively frame their "Timeline for project completion" and design their team "Rules and Etiquette" for the Wiki project.

*Week 3:
Wiki creation begins.
In addition to the asynchronous component of the Wiki, in-class time will be provided for team work and discussion. Instructor will be available to groups or individuals to discuss concerns and provide assistance and encouragement as needed.

*Week 4:
Wiki creation continues. In-class time provided.
Students complete Week 4 questionnaire regarding their experience with Wiki content, collaboration, and technology to date.
 
*Week 5:
Wiki creation continues. In-class time provided.

Week 6:
Wiki project due
Wikis open to all class members
Discussion/Questions begin

Week 7:
Wiki wrap up
   -  Distribute final surveys/questionnaires
   -  Informal class discussions regarding process and learning outcomes

Week 8:
Surveys/questionnaire due

*Class time will be provided during Weeks 3,4,5 for group collaboration, but it is strongly suggested that groups find additional ways to meet and collaborate on their project (prior to class, study hours, FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, etc.).

Required Wiki Contents: 

1. Title of Wiki
2. Table of Contents
3. Biographical information regarding the founder 
4. History/Societal norms of the time. What was happening in the world at the time? WHY did your individual become involved in promoting health and wellness through OT?
5. Significant contributions to the OT profession. Other contributions to society? 
6. Links to additional information
7. Discussion section for peer comments/questions 
8. References

Grading

The Wiki is worth 25 points. Grading will be based on the following:

CONTENT: 10 points

Content from at least 5 sources, relevant to history, and the founders life and contribution to the OT profession. All sources must be properly cited using APA format. Proper spelling, grammar and punctuation is used, along with professional terminology. Wiki is organized in a manner that makes it easy to follow, and creates a learning opportunity for those who read it.  

VISUAL APPEAL: 5 points

Wiki page should be well- organized and visually appealing.  Hyperlinks should be used to direct readers to additional information.  The use of graphics, pictures and videos should be used to enhance content and make the page more interesting. 

COLLABORATION/TEAM WORK: 5 points

All students are expected to contribute equally to the Wiki project.  Participation will be assessed by Wiki page tracking and peer evaluations. All students need to be involved in the creation of the Wiki page and the interactive discussion component. Each student will complete a survey/questionnaire regarding their Wiki experience, including interactions with team members. Results of the survey/questionnaire will be used as part of the grading process.

DISCUSSION: 5 points
Students are responsible for reading each Wiki page and posting a comment or question for the authors. Comments and questions are related to the Wiki content, provide constructive feedback, and/or ask questions to enhance learning. Wiki page owners are responsible for answering each comment/question within a 24 hour time frame.

References 

American Occupational Therapy Association (2012). Accreditation council for occupational therapy education (ACOTE) standards. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66(6), S6-S74

Hazari, S. North, A. & Moreland, D. (2009). Investigating pedagogical value of Wiki technology. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20(2), 187-198

Hofman, J. (2014). Using Bloom's digital taxonomy to flip the classroom and create the best blend. In E. Biech (Ed.) ASTD handbook: The definitive reference for training & development (pp. 9-34). Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press

West, J. & West, M. (2009). Using Wikis for online collaboration: The power of the read-write Web. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

l

Wiki Learning:  Pros and Cons for Adult Learners 

 My Personal Experience

My first thought when I was required to create my first Wiki page was “Oh no!” As an older adult learner, I did not feel comfortable using technology to collaboratively create a document that would count heavily towards my grade.  The process was overwhelming, and I was grateful to have only one Wiki partner – who was just as nervous and concerned, but also just as motivated to earn a good grade. Franz’s (2012) statement that asynchronous learning tools are often managed best when the groups are small was frequently echoed by my Wiki partner and me as we relied heavily on each other, and found comfort in the fact that we could count on each other to do a good job. Our virtual teamwork was enhanced by what Rains, as cited in Franz (2012, p. 267 -268), terms equal participation, equal control, and equal influence over the outcome of the project.  In the end, our project facilitated critical thinking skills (King & Cox, 2011; West & West, 2009), helped us build the skills required for teamwork and idea sharing through technology, and greatly enhanced our social interaction (Hazari, North & Moreland, 2009).  Beyond providing us with a product we could use in our portfolios (Hazari, North & Moreland, 2009), the Wiki project was the genesis of a small, collaborative team that continued to support each other throughout the course – and beyond.

Fortunately, because my only experience with Wiki page collaborations has been within the K-State learning management systems, I have not experienced the negative consequences of unwanted or inappropriate editing and posting that one might find in a less secure online system (King & Cox, 2011).  However, I have found my attempts at editing and customizing Wikis to be frustrating, primarily due to the limited editing features inherent in the system (West & West, 2009), and my own lack of  technological proficiency.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3572/3480333872_9bf97338a6.jpg

On the whole, I have found that Wiki’s provide a positive learning experience. The Wiki creation process motivates me to elaborate, edit, and customize the page throughout the duration of the assignment. I would almost call it addictive.  I enjoy creating.  I enjoy learning.  So, while challenging, creating a Wiki page while learning about a topic is somewhat bizarrely fun.  And, because Wiki ownership is shared, and new ideas are integrated directly into the page, the process is very collaborative and dynamic – a definite positive for developing my problem solving skills (West & West, 2009).  And, since collaboratively creating a Wiki page also enhances my self-confidence with the use of technology, and cultivates my “voice and empowerment” (King & Cox, 2011, p. 25), the process becomes a win-win.

References:

Franz, T. M. (2012). Group dynamics and team interventions: Understanding and improving team performance. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Hazari, S., North, A., & Moreland, D. (2009). Investigating pedagogical value of Wiki technology. Journal of Information Systems Education. 20(2). 187-198

King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The professor’s guide to taming technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

West, J. & West, M. (2009). Using Wikis for online collaboration: The power of the read-write Web. San Francisco, CA: Jossey –Bass

Blogging: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

My alternate title - Blogging:  A Scary New World!

From my limited experience, I would have to say that blogging offers a very different learning experience than a discussion board.  From the get-go, blogging just seems more personal – perhaps because it is more personalized? The blog page is mine, it does not belong to a course or an institution- and, for reasons I can’t quite explain, this makes me feel as though I can express myself more openly (less formally?).  Carter (2011) tells us that blogging offers opportunities for communities of learners to engage in conversations, collaborations, and personal reflections. I agree, and feel the blog provides a link to other learners, a common ground of sorts -  on which you can share knowledge and build collegial relationships. And, by providing links to other websites and learning tools, the blog makes additional learning opportunities easily accessible and opens up the door to an endless supply of information.  In comparison, the discussion board felt static. Read to post. Read posts to comment. End of story. Even when the posts facilitated further discussion, that discussion was always held within the confines of a course, and, most times, it felt very rigid.

As an educator, I found Carter’s (2011) mention of using blogs for cross-disciplinary work very interesting. I am always looking for ways to use collaboration with other disciplines as a learning tool for my students. What can Nursing, Speech, Teacher Education, and Psychology students learn from each other? How can we, as faculty, promote a collaborative learning environment for these students? Well, today it hit me –a blog might very well do the trick! Carters' (2011) description of blogging participants becoming a "community of learners" makes me want to explore this idea further. 

 Witte (2007) proposes that blogs can help learners develop their “digital fluency” (p. 82). This may be true, but what about the learners who genuinely struggle to express themselves via the computer keyboard? While developing fluency is certainly a potential outcome, I feel there is also the potential to turn learners away due to their fear or frustration. If the learner does not embrace technology, their motivation may be negatively impacted--- thus impacting their participation and learning outcomes. As discussed by King and Cox (2011), I will have to consider my learners experience and fluency with technology and be ready to accommodate their readiness to learn (p. 12).  

I also realize some transformational learning has occurred while I’ve engaged in this, my first blogging experience.  Prior to reading the text and journal articles, and sitting down to put my thoughts together and write, I felt blogging was exactly as Santos (2011) describes it - “(…) the use of a blogs so far has been mainly for promotion, or informational, or even vanity” (p. 15).  I likened it to my feelings about many Facebook posts, and felt it was just another outlet for narcissism. Another way to say “Hey—look at me!"  But, I’ve learned a great deal this week, and now- through this blog- I can share my learning, and that’s not narcissism- it’s collaborating:)

References
Carter, T. (2011). Blogging as Reflective Practice in the Graduate Classroom. In Cox & King (Ed.). The professor's guide to taming technology: Leveraging digital media, Web 2.0, and more for learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. 

Cox T. & King, K. (2011). The professor’s guide to taming technology: Leveraging digital media, Web 2.0, and more for learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing

Santos, A. N. (2011). Blogs as a learning space: Creating texts of talks. Contemporary Issues in

Education Research, 4(6), 15-19.

Witte, S. (2007). That’s online writing, not boring school writing: Writing with blogs and the Talkback Project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(2), 92-96.