Upload
lisa-bunkowski
View
751
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Effective Group Work in Online Classes. Presented at the 2012 Texas Blackboard Users Group meeting. Presented by Lisa Bunkowski and Rob Worley.
Citation preview
Effective Group Work in Blackboard
Lisa Bunkowski, Ph.D. & Robert Worley, Ph.D.Texas A&M University Central Texas
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Agenda
Topics: Reasons for using Groups and Group ToolsCreating shared student workspaces in
BlackboardExamples of Group Activities & Grading Rubrics Getting the most out of your studentsChallenges & Suggestions for surmounting
themDiscussion, Q & A
Effective Group Work in Blackboard
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Reasons for using Groups and Group Tools
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Reasons for using Groups and Group Tools
Create online learning communities
Facilitate Team, Groups, Peer Review, and similar assignments
Foster “connected” learning styles
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Notes:
As suggested by Steven R. Aragon in his essay 2003 essay “Creating Social Presence in Online Environments,” my course begins with a welcome message and includes discussion threads as well as a more structured, collaborative learning activity to “increase learner-to-learner interaction.”
Steven R. Aragon. “Creating Social Presence in Online Environments.” New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education Winter 2003: 57-68.
Notes:
Elizabeth Hayes and Daniele D. Flannery have noted that much of the literature on women and learning concludes that “women tend to prefer learning in ways that allow them to connect new concepts to personal experience; to integrate cognitive and affective learning; and to engage in communal as opposed to solitary knowledge-building.”
Elizabeth Hayes, and Daniele D. Flannery. “Adult Women’s Learning in Higher Education: A Critical Review of Scholarship.” ERIC Speeches/ Meeting Papers; Information Analyses 1995: 1-14. ERIC Digest.
Notes:
Online courses, according to David M. Anderson and Carol J. Haddad “permit – and often encourage – dialogue and connectedness,” and thus they complement this “connected” learning style. Of particular importance is their assertion that the online course environment provides students “with opportunities for self expression that role socialization may inhibit in the face-to-face environment.”
David M. Anderson, and Carol J. Haddad. "Gender, Voice, and Learning in Online Course Environments." JALN March 2005: 3-14.
Creating shared student workspaces in Blackboard
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Creating Groups
Making use of the Blackboard LMS
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Setting up the Group Parameters
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Select the Group Tools & Members
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Alvarez, TaylorBunkowski, Lisa (Instructor)Cook, PhilippaLopez, SarinaMatthews, DavidSmith, JohnZeng, Michael
Add the Group link to the Course Menu
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Examples of Group Activities & Grading Rubrics
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Group tools used:DiscussionCollaborateFile ExchangeEmail
Sophomore-level Course:
History & Culture of Latin America
Collaboration on a Research Project
Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics
Collaborative Research Project:
• Each group will research the independence movement of a specific country in Latin America.
Your group will work together to produce a multimedia presentation and text component. This presentation will be shared with the class during Week 8.
You group will moderate a discussion of the project.
Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics
Each person will work on a different aspect of the topic. Your grade is based on your contribution. You will NOT be penalized if others in your group fail to complete their assigned tasks.
Each person is responsible for the following: Five-page examination of their part of the topic (decide as a team, which
members will cover which portions). This material will be shared with the class during your Collaborate presentation.
Two (2) images that illustrate your topic, to include in the Collaborate presentation, properly cited.
Three (3) annotated sources for the group bibliography which will be shared with the class. (You may use web resources, but the must be academic/scholarly sources).
Use the group File Exchange to share your completed individual work, and use your group discussion forum to discuss the project.
Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics
Grading Criteria/Rubric for the Project
Participation in Group Discussion (10 pts possible): Discuss assignment of individual topics, share work, compile completed group project for instructor to share with class.
Presentation Contribution (40 pts possible): Content and format of your presentation materials, relevance of the information you included, proper format (grammar, punctuation, spelling, originality, full citation information, annotated sources), posted in time for group members to review (no later than Sunday of Week 6), participation in Collaborate session by discussing your portion of the project.
All Class Discussion (10 pts possible): Respond to student questions about the project, and actively participate in discussion of the other student projects.
Total Possible: 60 points
Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Graduate-level CoursePeer Review of student
workGroup tools used:
DiscussionChat (now
Collaborate)File ExchangeEmail
Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Notes:
Criteria discussed in the Peer Review:
The student's discussion of author's thesis: clarity, importance
The student's discussion of the author's use of evidence: relevance, strength, credibility
The student's organization of their critical review essay: clarity, arrangement of ideas, guiding the reader
Mechanics of the student's essay: spelling, grammar, punctuation
Overall effectiveness of the student's essay. What did you learn from reading this critical review?
Getting the most out of your students
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Challenge Your Students
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
More complex, challenging tasks can be accomplished by a group effort
Challenge Your Students
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Students can find engagement with each other, the course materials, and the instructor through group activities
Challenges & Suggestions for surmounting them
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Challenges and Suggestions
Playing Referee!Students working in groups
can generate conflict – making you feel like a referee.
Suggestion: make sure you are enrolled in each working group. Monitor their progress, and step before it becomes a crisis. Often just knowing you can see their progress will help the less active to step up their game.
Have a clear grading rubric!Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Notes: The “slacker”
I occasionally find that a student will “slack” while others do the work. His or her peers will often tattle on the offending student.
Notes: The “slacker”
By being enrolled in each working group, they all know that I can see what is going on – who participates in the group’s discussions and other activities – and who does not.
There is no need for them to “tattle” – and the grading rubric makes it clear that these folks will not negatively affect the grade of their group, nor will they benefit from work they have not done themselves.
Challenges and Suggestions
Putting out Fires!Things do not always
go as planned.Suggestion: be
prepared with a Plan B; be creative and flexible! Monitor group progress and step in with the new plan, the back-up files, or the creative solution before it becomes a 3-alarm fire!
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012
Notes: The site is down!
My example: I had a class working with an external web site of WWII memoirs. The site is based out of Russia.
While I was attending a conference, the site went down and students could not access the database to work on their projects.
Notes: The site is down!
I turned to the Internet Archive to find a cached copy of the web site. I copied their research materials, and posted these as pdf’s to the file exchanges of each group.
This was a serviceable work-around to keep the groups on track until the site came back up.
Lisa M. Bunkowski, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of [email protected]
Robert M. Worley, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Thank you for joining us!
Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012