Online learning, student engagement, and transmedia education

[AlexReid]

I'm going to pull in a couple different pieces of information here, including material from this week's Jenkins reading, and connect back to our discussion thread on education and social media.

First, a new report was issued this week from the National Survey of Student Engagement. You can read the full report at http://nsse.iub.edu/NSSE_2008_Results/. The entire report is about 20 pages and is an easy read. I'd be interested in your thoughts on it. Part of the report deals with online learning, where the survey concludes

Controlling for student and institutional characteristics, the percent of first year courses primarily delivered online was positively related to active and collaborative learning. Though this result seems counterintuitive, the online setting may offer more opportunities for collaboration and faculty who teach online courses may be more intentional about fostering active learning experiences, such as asking questions or participating in discussions. For both first-year students and seniors, the percent of courses delivered primarily online was significantly related to level of academic challenge. Online courses seem to stimulate more intellectual challenge and educational gains. This suggests that integrating technology-enhanced courses into the curriculum for all students might have some salutary benefits. On the other hand, it is also possible that faculty who are incorporating new technologies are inherently more inclined to provide engaging experiences for their students, regardless of how content is delivered.

The evidence would seem to suggest that at the very least online courses are at least as effective if not better than FTF courses in terms of engaging students (at least in the ways this survey examined). I would note that SUNY Cortland was one of many schools that participated in this survey. I haven't seen what our particular results were. I want to avoid looking like I am trying to fish for compliments here, but I am curious about your general experience with online courses. Please note no one is suggesting that ALL courses should be taught online or that FTF classes do not also have benefits. The question instead is: are there particular benefits, specifically in terms of "student engagement," that should lead us to consider whether online courses or significant online components of courses should be part of every student's college experience?

In thinking about how that might function, I want to turn to Jenkins' discussion of transmedia storytelling, which is the focus of chapter three. Jenkins defines transmedia storytelling as "the art of world making. To fully experience any fictional world, consumers must assume the role of hunters and gatherers, chasing down bits of the story across media channels, comparing notes with each other via online discussion groups, and collaborating to ensure that everyone who invests time and effort will come away with a richer entertainment experience" (21). Jenkins uses the example of how the Matrix story is told through major release movies, video games, a DVD of animated shorts, and comics. The vast majority of consumers who engaged with the Matrix world probably only saw the Hollywood movies. They were able to enjoy the world on that level, but there was more out there for fans who wanted a richer experience.

Now try to turn that thinking toward the classroom, especially in light of what we said in our earlier discussion about the importance of students taking a more active role in their learning. In this class, you can complete the assigned readings, respond as required on the class discussion, turn in your assignments, and get a complete experience that would be analogous to watching the primary Matrix movies. But there is a far deeper level of engagement and rich media to encounter.

• videos the have been posted
• podcasts uploaded to iTunesU
• many wiki pages
• your classmates' blogs in Ning
• many links to web resources
• Second Life and the social media sites you investigated
• continuing discussions here

Of course you are not required to do engage with all these things. And likely there is no one, including me, that will see every single piece of content produced in this course. That rich world is out there for every course you might take in the sense that there is always more to read. I would think that the broader world is a little more accessible here. And here you might have more opportunity to participate in creating that broader context for the course.

The flip side, as many of you have reported, is the challenge that places on you as a learner. Jenkins notes that transmedia storytelling asks consumers to be "hunters and gatherers." Consumers, and I think students, are more used to being waited upon. They expect the content to be brought to their table. After all, that's the way it has conventionally worked in the classroom. As a hunter-gatherer you can never be sure that you have found all the resources. In fact, you can be fairly certain that you haven't. You also can never know if you've found the richest sites (the best fishing hole, the most plentiful berry patch). Collaboration helps here, as hunter-gatherers know. But maybe more importantly, the lesson you learn is about how to hunt and gather information. That's more valuable than getting "all" of the content for a course, which is only ever part of a larger body of information anyway.

[Bwhisman]

Online classes: I think they can go either way. I took an online science course in high school once that had a webcam with the instructor, an interactive whiteboard for the whole class to see and a chat room - type atmosphere. For a science class it can be extremely difficult (and it was) to teach something not F2F. I think some online courses can be very beneficial. Writing intensive courses are very good online classes. Any class that discusses technology is also a good class to have online. I really think it all boils down to the content.
Also, another concept that wasn't brought up was the Hybrid-type classes Cortland offers. I am in a class like this that meets once a week and then the rest is online. I enjoy it because it deals with writing and not so much interaction, however the class meetings get very confusing because we don't know whether to hand in assignments, bring them to class, or hand them in electronically through the classes website. I think either classroom setting can be beneficial however, like I said before, it has to be the right content.

Content in the classroom can be very minimal. I agree with the comment that a lot of times students just expect everything handed to them without much thought. I also like the concept of the "hunter and gatherer". I really like this way of learning because it helps me in my research skills as well as not falling into expecting information to fall into my lap. I had a class at my community college a couple semesters back in a music studio and whenever the teacher had a question with the equipment, he would tell us to look it up on the Internet. We had to do instant research on learning how specific tools worked in the studio. This is a great example also about how powerful the Internet can be and how useful it can be when people come together and build information about certain topics. Collaboration is exceptional and I have used this process in many classes and other areas in my life!

[Vinny Thide]

Prof. Reid, when you say that you think students are used to be "waited upon" and that they "expect the content to be brought to their table" is a very true statement. In the defense of students though, because in our years in school prior to college, most of us were taught to "test." What I mean is, teachers are under the gun to get their students to perform well on standardized tests and NY state regents exams. Students are forced to learn facts to pass a test. Students are not taught to be hunters and gatherers of information. They need to know the correct answers and they expect that the teacher will give them the right ones so they pass the tests that are mandated. I know this makes the teachers angry and it makes the students bored. How can this type of learning experience be engaging unless interaction takes place? It's a catch 22 here.

I have taken several online courses and have found them very engaging and I think it is because I've had to learn to be the hunter/gatherer. I've had to do more research on my own for these classes and have learned quite a bit from them. On the other hand though, just because they are good for me doesn't mean they are good for everyone. We all have different styles of learning and what is best for each student is what is most important. So it is a choice a student should be able to make. Online learning should be an option but not a requirement.

As far as student engagement in online classes, I've seen things go well and things go not so well. In this class everyone for the most part gets the work posted in a timely manner and that allows participation by the rest of the class to get accomplished. On the other hand, a couple of online courses had requirements that you had to make 2 posts each week and respond to 2 posts each week. The teacher might specify that the week ends on Friday. I prefer to get to work and would make my posts early in the week to get them out of the way but would find that most of the other students would wait until Friday night to make their contributions. This was a pain because the requirement of responding to 2 other students became impossible because there was nothing to respond to. Then in another class I took, the teacher would show up with comments on a very limited basis so it was truly a self taught class. I hated that.

While reading Jenkins' book I found this one passage to be so connected to what we are discussing with technology and education. On page 127, Jenkins writes:

Children are being prepared to contribute to a more sophisticated knowledge culture. So far our schools are still focused on generating autonomous learners; to seek information from others is still classified as cheating. Yet, in our adult lives, we are depending more and more on others to provide information we cannot process ourselves. Our workplaces have become more collaborative; our political process has become more decentered; we are living more and more within knowledge cultures ased on collective intelligence. Our schools are not teaching what it means to live and work in such knowledge communities, but popular culture may be doing so.

Keeping this passage in mind, many teachers of today, the ones who are still teaching to test, or the ones who don't want to adjust to the collaborative culture of today should take note of this passage. Mark Bauerlein, who believes we are the "dumbest generation," believing that technology is making us stupid, is one of those teachers who feels students need to be taught to test. Just because a student can't rattle off facts or dates in history does not mean they are stupid as Bauerlein believes. Memorization is a thing of the past and Bauerlein is the dumb one for not realizing this! Let the students of today think and work together and allow them to collaborate information just like they will be doing in their adult lives. The transmedia approach appeals to the young so let them use it in the classroom. Teachers should encourage them to think and search (hunt) and gather information, not memorize dates to pass a test.

[Deanna]

I think the idea of students being used to getting waited on is exactly right. As a student, i feel like for the majority of my career, i have been waited on. Everything that the teacher wants, or needs, is put right out in front of me. In high school, you never had to question anything, or "gather" or even "hunt" for any information that wasn't necessary because you knew exactly what the teacher expected, and you knew that doing the bare minimum was acceptable. There was not a question as to if you had enough resources, or enough information because the teacher most likely would give you the information, or tell you exactly what you need to know. Classes mostly in NYS at least are taught to the test. I think the worst case of this can be seen for AP examinations. AP classes are supposed to be for students who excel in school. Generally, this means students who should be the ones that want to be "hunter-gatherers" should be taking these classes. I can not tell you how opposite, from my experiences this is. In my AP classes in high school, i was handed exactly everything we needed to know for the final AP exam. Teachers were more worried about preparing us for the test, than allowing us to use our brains and gather on our own. Down to every last test, it was formatted and set up exactly how we would see the AP at the end of the year. Maybe this is necessary for us to do well on the exam.. but if that is the case, what is the point of the class and exam? In my opinion AP classes should be used to make students into a model "hunter-gatherer" and teach them to use their brains and attempt to learn more than what is being placed in front of them. How to do this? I am not sure.

As far as online classes go- I have never been engaged in a class more than I have been in this class. I am pretty quiet generally, and do not like to willingly talk in class. I think online classes are good because they allows students to discuss and participate with one another on different levels, as well as more than one at a time,like you would get in a normal class setting. Online classes, in my opinion, definitely engage students 100 times more than regular classes do. (unless you just don't respond to the posts or discussions of course). Even in classes where participation counts, it is still always hard to get your voice heard and thoughts recognized. For example, in a regular class, 20% of our grade is participation- but- there are the same 3 people that talk about every issue. I find the professor engaging the same 3 people every class. Not everyone gets an equal chance to participate, even if you raise your hand. Online courses give students the ability to engage with the professor as well as other students equally. It is up to the student to engage, and not the professor. Instead of sitting in class, waiting to be called on, it takes more responsibility for the student to actively get involved and participate in an online class. Participation in an online class is not mandatory, you don't have a professor there calling on you to ask your opinion - it is up to you to engage and make the class however you want to make it. Online learning, I think, engages students in ways which real classes can't possibly do.

[Vinny Thide]

Deanna, I tend to be one of those quiet students in the classroom too. Being in an online class allows me to think my thoughts through a little better and I have the opportuinity to edit what I've written before I actually add my reply. Sometimes in FTF classes I don't always come out with the right words at the drop of a hat to make my point. In this class as well as the other online classes I have taken, I feel that my participation level is and was much higher than in typical FTF classes. I guess this type of learning is good for me. Some FTF classes are necessary though. For instance, I would not have been able to learn camera work live stream webcasting by sitting in my room at my computer. Hands on is important for that kind of learning.

[Ed Blackford]

I am quiet in some of my classes too where we have to discuss stuff. I dont want to say the wrong thing and sound stupid in front of everyone. In the same sense I don't want to write something stupid and sound like an idiot online. I don't really like to read what everyone has to say online either because it is time consuming which is what I like about FTF classes. Listening to someone ppl say something is easier than reading 4 pages of content.

[Bryce Urbany]

It all goes back to the subject and the material it covers and the content it contains. First and foremost, if the subject isn't interesting enough for someone, in this case a student with an online class, then the engagement and participation in the class is going to be limited compared to someone who is interested in the subject. Of course someone could just interject and ask why would the student take the course if they weren't interested in the subject? Ok well what if it's required? In my situation, with this class as an example, I am in love with this subject of the digital world so I can get over that hurdle with ease. The subjects and discussions that take place in this class are things that I participate in my free time so visiting this site and contributing to it in my spare time just seems like any other activity I do throughout the day. Compare this to Jenkins' example of the Matrix content it is exactly the same situation for me. I love the movies and play hours of video games in my spare time. Once I heard they were going to be making video games based upon my favorite movies I jumped right on board. I read in magazines that these alternate mediums would connect to the movies and create a better story for fans, this was only a plus. I also learned early on that if there is something I want to learn further about such as references to historical figures and events in television shows and movies all I have to do is go online and sure enough 9 times out of 10 there is a group or groups of people talking about the particular fact that I am seeking.
Once you get over the first hurdle, if the material isn't engaging enough then people will loose interest very quickly. What this class succeeds in is revealing new content in the digital world that most individuals will never experience in their normal lives. At the same time this material is interesting, at least for someone who is interested in the subject. This is primarily up to the professor so if he/she isn't doing their job well that will leave a direct result on the students lasting experience with the class as well as their education. As for the content, if it isn't in depth, this will again effect the student's education and learning experience.

My overall opinion on online classes is what and if there are any benefits for meeting online as opposed to the classroom. There were a number of classes that I took that could have easily met online as opposed to in a classroom and I would of taken away the exact amount of information, if not more, if I took it online. An example are those classes where hundreds of students meet in a lecture hall to be spoon fed the information by the professor from videos and slide shows. The students would either take notes or catch up on their sleep. From there the students had assignments from the text or off of the lectures. A number of quizzes or tests are then administered throughout the semester. All of the said could easily been done online and if this was the case it would give students a way to possibly share their thoughts on the class or subject with the other students as we are doing with this class. We could learn a lot more from students that normally don't have their voices heard in the large lectures and they could create engaging discussions for all to participate in. Not only is it easier on the school and professors to do it this way but maybe by making the students do more work to prepare themselves for the tests they might learn more by hunting and gathering the information on their own rather than having it be served to them.

[AlexReid]

I want to be clear here that I do not put the primary blame on students in this situation. As I try to suggest above, students have been conditioned to behave in passive ways in the classroom. Teachers are also conditioned for certain behaviors. I guess the point isn't really about holding anyone to blame for the situation but simply taking responsibility for what will happen next.

[Bryce Urbany]

Well isn't that what students are primarily graded upon? What their expectations are upon in a subject? What will their further opinions are on in the fields they are studying in? How are these expectations any different from an institution education from an online education? In my opinion, the ultimate goal is still the same.

[AlexReid]

It's an interesting question actually Bryce. Initially I would say yes, the expectations of an online course and a FTF course are the same. That is, the same course taught in different formats might have the same general expectations. The point of the survey is that the online format seems to result in better student engagement. Now the survey doesn't go so far as to say that the result is caused by the technology; it simply makes the observation that online courses seem to succeed in this way.

The question of goals however is a little more tricky. Let's say I taught this course three different ways: as a lecture with 150 students, as a FTF seminar with 15 students, and in an online class like this with 20-25 students. Would those courses have the same goals? Could they? At some point, you'd have to say that since a lecture and online class have different affordances (i.e. different capabilities) that eventually they would lead to doing different things in different ways. On a general level they'd have the same goal (i.e we're going to learn about "writing in the digital age") but the specific goals of what I would hope to achieve as a professor and what I'd want students to achieve would be different.

[Brooke Alden Hoffman]

Haha well if you are fishing then let me give you something to eat. I have never taken an online course before. This class scared me. I looked at the syllabus and wanted to cry. I am afraid of what I do not know. It is called xenophobia and I have it, and technically try to avoid the unknown. Unless its forced down my throat like Aunt Bertha's fruit cake during holiday dinner. This class turned out to be one of the most beneficial and self gratifying classes that I have ever taken. Not only have I overcome my fear of things that are unfamiliar to me, but I have figured them out and explored them almost completely by myself. It is different when you are in a normal classroom and you can mooch off of other student's knowledge to better understand the material. But I didn't know anyone in here. So far I have benefitted in the following ways from writing in the digital age:

I created a page on the digitalage.ning.com website

I joined 6 other social networks

I learned how to record and upload a podcast to itunesU (by myself I cannot believe it) and and and I learned how to incorporate powerpoint and music! (ok ok with the help of someone working at the front desk at the library but still)

I learned all about PBwiki and created my own page and commented on others (which seemed really impossible in the beginning but it allllll happened)

and I learned all about second life; a world unknown to me before PWR 209. I went to clubs within second life, music concerts, support groups. All things I never would have done on my own.

And although I have only met with Professor Reid once, I have been able to learn all of this through the information superhighway. And it feels great. So do we really need institutions? Not as far as this class goes...

[Will]

I am a senior and have taken about 3 online courses including this one. The first class was a math course and I dropped it a week or two into the semester because I felt like I had to teach myself the material. Math and I generally do not get along, so teaching myself math was not an option. I also felt that I shouldn't have to teach myself math since I am paying someone to teach it to me instead of paying someone to say "Yes, you did it right" or "No, that is incorrect". I didn't feel sour about the experience, but I felt it wasn't a good idea to take a course like that online.

My next experience was this past summer, I took a finance course online. Not only was this online, but it was a condensed online class, only 2.5 weeks. We shrunk 15 weeks worth of material into 2.5, it was intense! It was intense, but I did enjoy it. I felt that the Professor was teaching us material, because she had power point presentations with verbal elaboration. In addition to the power point presentations, we held an informal review session before the summer began to familiarize us with the material. This was key to the classes success. I know that this is would be considered a "hybrid" method, but that meeting was not mandatory and as I said it was informal. I don't think that the course challenged me to go outside my comfort zone and explore more. Meaning, I don't think that the online format stimulated me mentally any more than a FTF course would have. However, I feel this course has.

I feel that Writing in the Digital Age has forced me, forced is a bad word, pushed me to go outside my comfort zone and figure some things out for myself. I think that the online format is partially responsible for pushing me to go the extra mile a little bit. I'm a member of Seesmic! I know people across the globe because of this class! I introduced my sister to it, and now we talk all the time, and she has friends all over on Seesmic! This course has definitely pushed me to realize my potential when relating to new technology and digital media.

This is one way that I feel I've "hunted" a bit more in this course. I found a great "fishing hole" and enjoy what I have found at Seesmic. And I feel when Professor Reid says, "Consumers, and I think students, are more used to being waited upon" that he is absolutely correct. I know I might be in the minority with my opinion, but I am paying for this education and I want the most out of it! If I'm going to spend 40k-120k on education, (a house in some areas), why the hell wouldn't I want it to help me! If you look at it in a concrete way, if I didn't spend money on college I would have spent it on a house (or at least a down payment). A house would provide shelter, comfort, and a sense of pride that it is MINE. I feel that our education should be the same way. Our education should shelter us from ignorance, comfort us with intelligence, and we should be damned proud of it!

[Tim]

I've only participated in 2 online course, including this one. I found the first one much easier, mainly because the class didn't involve so much technology and I wasn't working full-time. However, I think the technical difficulties I;ve encountered in this class have very beneficial for my understanding of the digital world. For example, when trying to upload my SL podcast (which took me nearly 3 hours!!) I learned how to use the microphone without the librarians assistance, how to combine images with my recorded voice, and how not to throw a lap top across the room. I wasn't a huge fan of SL, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. I'm certain that if it wasn't for this class, I never would've ventured down that road!

Online classes also offer freedom that FTF class don't. You don't physically have to go class. Instead you can sit on your ass drinking coffee while engaging in intellectual discussions. But I think, at least in my case, online classes can sort of slip down the totum pole of academic importance. What I mean by that is without the face-to-face requirement, students, like me, may tend to be more lax, thus falling behind.

The whole matrix chapter confused me. Maybe I was one of those people who didn't "get" the movie. I don't know....

I was really into the whole hunter/gatherer concept used in this forum. I think that's the perfect description of an online course. Rather than be spoon fed everything in a classroom, online courses force us to go out there and learn the stuff on our own.