Final+Heuristics

__Final Heuristics__

At the end of next week (Week 6), please post your 4 heuristics (with a brief explanation for each). Nathan Weaver - Heuristic Statements   Heuristic statement One: Promote motivation and learning by limiting stimuli that are not necessary for student learning Heuristic statement Two: Expansion of online learning environments require an ongoing approach to professional development Heuristic statement Three: Online learning activities must have a clear purpose and be authentic in nature to engage students Heuristic statement Four: Being there for the student is as important in the virtual classroom as it is in the face-to-face classroom.   //**Asynchronous learning networks allow students the freedom to learn in their own time, and do so in a higher-order learning environment.**//
 * Heuristic 1**

//**Incorporate** ** authentic activities and you will give your students the freedom they need in a collaborative online learning environment.**//
 * Heuristic 2**


 * Heuristic 3**
 * //Contract learning is one strategy that can increase motivation levels in an online classroom.//**

//**Online learning promotes information overload but it can be overcome.**// 
 * Heuristic 4**

 

  

//Support and engage your online students by regularly monitoring your discussion forum.//
A discussion forum, also known as a bulletin board, is an asynchronous communication tool, which allows for student to student and instructor to student communication. Records of those communications are available for all students to view. Typically, the discussion tool is used through the University’s Learning Management System (LMS). Software such as Moodle Blackboard, Janison and others are commonly known brands for LMS, as the underlying software to deliver topics online. The LMS provides the instructor with an online space that incorporates a set of tools and that allows content and tasks to be structured in ways to support students in their learning, whether fully online, or as a complement to the face-to-face delivery of topics.

(read the full heuristic here)

// Consider a range of options to effectively monitor online student discussion forums. //
A constructivist understanding is that learning is a social process. As peer teaching and learning is valued, special provision needs to be made within online courses for the development of community. Dawson (2006), cites several studies, (Bielaczyc & Collins, 1999; Rovai, 2002) which suggest that students’ “sense of community” is a reliable indicator of cognitive learning, as well as indicating increased student satisfaction and higher retention rates (Dawson, 2006, p.496). Numerous studies have explored the quality of student discussion postings by coding keywords and measuring the number of posts and message length.

(read the full heuristic here)

//You must have good technical support structures in place for delivering courses online.//
Online delivery of higher education courses is increasing. This is due to a variety of pressures, for example reductions in government funding in higher education, increasing demand by students for more flexible delivery, often due to financial pressures of part-time work and full-time study (Oblinger, 2010). Lockyer and Bennett (2006) describe in detail their process of moving from face to face delivery to online delivery of the //Information Technology in Education// course run at the University of Wollongong. (read the full heuristic here)

//**The student’s perspective of their learning is the most important aspect when evaluating and improving your online topic.**//
It takes time to develop a course for online delivery. Often the move online is driven by circumstances beyond the control of the teacher or teaching team. Agostinho et al describe the steps they took, to redesign, implement and evaluate their course, //Evaluation and Implementation of Technology-Based Learning.// The redesign was guided by constructivist learning principles and care was taken to ensure that appropriate research guided all decisions about the learning tasks. A scenario based task and resource repository was developed which aimed to maintain complexity, encourage collaboration, and provide scaffolded support (Agostinho et al, 2005). The scenario was fictitious, and included a CEO who provided the tasks to the students who took on the roles of new employees. The teacher’s role was of //Academic Advisor//, providing scaffolded support to the new employees (students). This course was extensively evaluated using evaluation frameworks developed by Philips et al and Reeves and Hedberg (cited in Agostinho et al, 2005). The purpose of the evaluation was to find out whether the redesign was successful and whether any improvements could be made. Teachers were satisfied with the work produced by all of the students, however, without evaluation from students it is impossible to gauge whether the course met their needs. (read full heuristic here)







Nicholas Schneider Final Heuristics

Sorry for taking so long to post my heuristics! **1. An effective community of learners can only be established when tasks set provoke discussion and communication between learners. **

**2. Authentic learning tasks are time consuming to set up but can reap rewards for students in understanding complex issues **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">3. For ICT to be successfully embedded in the curriculum the purpose of the task needs to be aligned with the technology used, using ICT for the sake of using ICT is not an effective teaching tool! **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">4. Teachers must see the development of their ICT skills as a long-term ongoing process to effectively teach **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Regards ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"> Sarah Woodcroft


 * Tony Edwards Final Heuristics**

Heuristic 1:
The school’s intranet resources have to be inclusive and accessible for everyone. Close attention should be paid to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

**Heuristic 2:** Teachers must change their role from that of content repository and generator to that of session facilitator and moderator

**Heuristic 3** If you build it, //__will__// they come? The end game of learning online is to enrich and augment the learning experience but there needs to be a clear purpose and defined outcomes.

**Heuristic 4** If a question can be answered by Google, then you are asking the wrong question. Online lessons do not obviate the need for thorough planning.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Liz Fassone - Brief Heuristics