Welcome to the Jul/Aug/Sept 2007 edition of the
Learning
Exchange - FKA's learning and performance
newsletter.
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Learner Interaction - Online and Otherwise
Many of you will be familiar with FKA's insistence
upon incorporating interaction into your instructional
design and facilitation efforts. We have long used an
acronym -VIVE- to represent our beliefs in this area.
The acronym stems from the French word 'vive'
meaning lively. In short, lively, engaging instruction
embodies:
Variety Interaction Visuals Examples
Respecting the specific theme of interaction we've
recently read an interesting article and want to share a
review and our thoughts with you.
The article, entitled The Importance of Interaction
in Web-Based Education: A Program-level Case
Study of Online MBA Courses 1
presents a
literature review and research study that explores the
importance of interaction in web-based education.
The comprehensive literature illuminates the "messy...
confusion" between interaction and interactivity that
has resulted from the rapid development of computer
and Internet technologies into the world of teaching
and learning. In general the confusion stems from
the fact that some people use the terms
interchangeably where others make a distinction
between them. The distinction that is drawn,
uses 'interaction' to describe more process-oriented
activity that is focused on dynamic issues (e.g.,
questioning or group work) and 'interactivity' to
describe more feature-oriented activity that is
dependent upon technology (e.g., answering polls,
participating in chat). We favor the approach with
distinction.
With definitions in place the article then reviews the
types of interactions that occur in teaching and
learning environments2. The very
familiar three part
interaction scheme is presented:
learner-instructor,
learner-learner, and
learner-content.
These have
long been central themes in our design workshops
and, of course, we practice the facilitation of all three in
our basic and advanced instructor training
workshops. The research cited supports the view that
learner-instructor interaction is "essential and
desirable by many learners"; that learner-learner
interaction is desired by learners; and that learner-
content interaction, while well recognized, garners
less discussion in the literature. We will continue to
support all three themes in our workshops.
Most interestingly, the article presents from the
literature a type of interaction that is not as widely
discussed: namely, 'vicarious interaction'. Instructors,
of course, are very familiar with the vicarious learner
who chooses not to overtly engage but who clearly
performs at the knowledge or skill level. The research
says that these vicarious learners do interact but they
do so internally by silently responding to questions or
by internally reflecting on discussions that they hear.
In the face-to-face environment there are universal and
well practiced communication techniques that allow
us to identify and respect the vicarious style -
sometimes ''drawing-in' less participative learners,
and sometimes not. When these vicarious learners
move into the online environments they do not change
their interaction styles - choosing, for example, to
observe rather than actively participate in online
discussions and debates, or choosing not to access
the questioning functions or to participate in chat. In
online environments (both asynchronous and
synchronous) vicarious learners are sometimes
pejoratively labeled as 'lurkers' even though their style
(reading and reflecting on others' input) is no different
online from what they practice in the face-to-face
environment. What is different online, of course, is
the absence of two-way visual cues to guide facilitator
actions and, the technologies that available in the
software. The report points to bandwith improvements
supporting the increased use of streaming video and
video conferencing to help in this area. We look
forward to further research.
With respect to technologies that aid the general
learner population the research shows that while
there are numerous technologies available to promote
interaction, the overall lack of training and preparation
for online instructors means that many of these
technologies are not being used. Aggravating this
lack of formal training is the tendency of online
instructors to "translate more often than to transform"
when they move online. In effect this attitude - which
says "this is what I do in the classroom, so how do I
repeat that in the virtual environment" - limits the
learning experience. Encouragingly, the research also
notes innovative encouraging exceptions to this
general rule and points to the use of virtual office
hours, online cafés, expert chats and online
introduction forums as examples.
Overall though, and accepting the inexorable growth in
online learning, the research calls for increased
support for formal instructor training and preparation.
FKA, through our Facilitating e-
Learning and
Presenting
Over the Web workshops, has been
contributing to the development of online instructors
and presenters for several years. Additionally, we
have migrated several elements of our methodology to
an online format in both asynchronous and
synchronous formats making it possible for us to offer
our design workshops in a blended format. Most
recently we've been offering our Effective
Assessment
workshop online and efforts are ongoing to develop
online offerings of the Needs Identification phase of
our instructional systems design methodology. We'll
strive to be innovative with our designs and look
forward to updating you on these new offerings in the
near future.
1.
The Importance
of Interaction
in
Web-Based
Education: A Program-level Case Study of Online MBA
Courses; Bude Su, Curtis J. Bonk, Richard J. Magjuka,
Xiaojing Lui, Seung-hee Lee, Journal of Interative
Online Learning, Volume 4, Number 1 Summer 2005
(ISSN:1541-4914) 2.While the perspective is an online
perspective we
do note that elements of the literature review preceded
the 'on-line explosion' and that many of the on-line
interaction 'types' have been appropriated from the
traditional face-to-face environment. This, in turn,
reminds us of other research that shows that teachers
and instructors, rather than approach the on-line
strategy creatively, tend to simply transform their
familiar face-to-face methods to the online
environment. But that's a subject for another
newsletter perhaps.
NEW!! - Effective Assessment Workshop
Online or Face-to-Face
We have always held that the minimum standard
against which Instructional Designers ought to
measure themselves is the validity and reliability of
the Level 2 assessments that they create for their
learners. One way of putting that into perspective is to
ask: "When my learners return to the workplace will
their managers perceive them to be prepared to
perform to the agreed standard?" Over the last few
years, again in response to client demand, we have
piloted and refined a dedicated Level 2 knowledge
and performance workshop. A detailed description of
the workshop can be found at the following link.
The workshop is available in both public and on-site
venues.
Tip of the Month
Promoting Interaction in Facilitated Face-to-
Face or Online Lessons
We all know that interaction is the goal of instructional
design and delivery. If it is so obvious, can we assume
it will happen automatically? Of course not!
Instructional designers and facilitators must always
keep this goal in mind. This is especially true for
online lessons where more planning may be needed.
We created the following tips for online lessons, but
many of them apply to the traditional leader-led class
as well.
Design Tips:
Variety - Plan a variety of methods and
materials and change them frequently to keep the
learners' attention. Try to use presentation methods
that support interaction, e.g., brainstorming instead of
lecture.
Interaction - Include as many types of
interaction as possible: Learner-Facilitator, Learner-
Learner, Learner-Content. Design questions that
maximize learner involvement.
Visuals - Plan visuals to: clarify difficult
concepts, add interest and aid retention.
Examples - Include relevant workplace
examples so learners know why it is important and
how they will be able to use it back on the job.
Engaged learners will be more actively involved.
Plan small group activities to promote
Learner-Learner interaction and add variety. Make
sure you understand all the features and functions of
the technology so you can take full advantage of
them.
Delivery Tips:
Establish interaction early and make it the
norm.
Make learners comfortable with the
technology and establish ground rules for interaction.
See below.
Respond positively to learner-generated
interaction.
Ask questions that allow learners to
participate in building the content. In other words,
capitalize on everything learners can offer: facts, ideas,
opinions, experiences/previous knowledge and
examples.
Use a variety of technical features,
depending on the situation. Do you want learners to
be able to respond anonymously? Individually? All at
once? In text or voice? See figure 1
and figure
2.
Establish learner motivation early and
keep reinforcing it.
Ground Rules for Interaction
Consider establishing ground rules for the
following:
In response to a question or instruction from the
facilitator. See figure
2.
Final Thoughts by Michael Nolan
Our newsletter this month deals with
learner interaction -- online and otherwise. FKA
continues to work closely with our customers to
ensure that the types of interactions they use during
training, lend themselves to achieving the learning
objectives of the program. Then with the appropriate
bridging strategies in place the learners will also
achieve the final performance objectives.
Our
experience, however, suggests many organizations
unfortunately assess learners during the training
program at a lower level of skill and knowledge than
perhaps is required back on the job. During training,
we frequently see that learners are asked recall and
recognition type questions that only assess basic
knowledge and comprehension. Back on the job they
must actually be able to apply the skill and knowledge
to various situations; use it to analyze new situations;
synthesize it with old and new information; or even use
it to evaluate other processes and ideas.
For learning
programs to be effective, they must ensure that
learners leave with the requisite skills to perform
successfully on the job. In short, if at the end of
training we want to be able to predict success back on
the job, we must include in our final assessments
questions that more closely align with the final
performance objectives.
Michael Nolan
President
Recommended Resource
No time for a workshop, or just need to brush up
on
your classroom delivery
skills? Use FKA's Trainer Certification Coach. This
robust CD-based
learning tool combines real classroom video with an
interactive interface
showcasing the skills and competencies of excellent
instructors. View two
different styles of lesson, as well as pre and post
training activities! A self-
assessment guide is also included. Regular price
$99, special Learning
Exchange price of $49.95 (plus shipping and
handling). Click Coach to order today!
Other Items
Become a member! Join other savvy learning and
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f r e e, and it gives you access to the special
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loaded with tips, tricks, articles, forums and more.
Become a member today!
http://www.fka.com/megabbs/register.asp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attention meeting planners: looking for dynamic
speakers for your upcoming company event?
Consider an FKA expert. We can speak on a
wide variety of training, learning and performance
topics in an interactive and
learner-centered format. Call us at 1-800-352-5585
or 613-829-3412.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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