Assessment #6

This student did not develop the idea of the learning community.  The student has the opportuinty to see other students ideas and maybe develop a more concrete understanding.

When teaching and learning leave the classroom

                With the growing interest in online classes, education in some forms is leave the classroom and going to the virtual classroom. There are many different advantages to online classes, but at the same time there are the disadvantages that are a part of online learning. Some of the major disadvantages is the issues of it being online. There are many issues with the online world that can be a concern for students getting their work done and not wondering and getting distracted (Palloff pg. 6-7). There are also many advantages to this new form of education with the biggest one being the flexibility. There is also the chance to be exposed to this new technology and having different forms of communication. This is an issue that is going to be an individual opinion for everyone, and it is going to take some getting used to. It is also going to take the learning of some new skills (Palloff pg.19-20).

One of the biggest topics that come up when discussing online classroom is the topic of interaction. Interactive in online learning is not face-to-face, but it does exist. Each and every student and teacher play a big part in that. The teacher creates the opportunity for everyone to have interaction and discussion. With the advances of technology the teacher can use a variety of different types of communication such as chats, discussion threads, and even video chats. So through these interactions everyone has the opportunity to benefit from online learning because they can engage in these conversations, they have more freedom in when and where they discussions take place, and they have the opportunity to really think about response so they are deeper and more reflective (YouTube - Traveling Techies: Online vs. Traditional Classrooms). 

                When moving learning from a traditional classroom to an online classroom, one of the main factors is the creation classroom. That is the responsibility of the instructor. “When teaching and learning leave the classroom, it is up to the instructor to create an effective container within which the course proceeds by posting goals, objectives, thoughts, and questions to kick off discussion, and assignments to be completed collaboratively.” (Palloff pg. 19) It is also important to use the different forms of communication so that the class is united as one through discussions and getting to know each other. It is also important that the students have the chance to not only interactive with the teacher, but with their fellow students. There needs to be a place where discussion, not necessarily associated with the class, can take place.

                This whole transition is something that will take some time and it will continue to grow.  It is just going to take the effort and desire of people who want to learn the new technology, and who want to try something new with the online learning.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Score
Discussion Topics	The student did not complete the discussion questions.	The student answered each question, but there were not many details and grammatical errors.	The student answered each question and brought good ideas with each discussion post.	3
Responding to Students Discussion	The student did not respond to any other discussion posts.	The student responded to some discussion posts.	The student responded to all required discussion topics.	3
Assessment Information	The assessment did not cite the book or the presentation.	The assessment cited either the book or the presentation, but not both.	The assessment brought ideas from both the presentation and the book.	3
Assessment Structure	The assessment was not clear and hard to understand.	The assessment was unclear in some parts.	The assessment was easy to follow and understand.	3
Learning Community	The student does not acknowledge the learning community.	The student mentions the learning community, however does do not develop the concept.	The student describes and understands the importance of building a learning community in an online classroom.	2
Learning Process	The student does not acknowledge the learning process.	The student mentions the learning process, however does not develop the concept.	The student describes and understands the learning process in an online classroom.	3
Total Score				17/18 = 94%
Comments Great Ideas.  Your discussions were insightful.  What is the purpose of the learning community?  How do the learning process and learning community relate?   Please see my blog for other student’s ideas.