Biblical Worldviews and Online Learning - A Newsletter for Teachers

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1 A Newsletter for Online Indiana Wesleyan University May 2012 Volume 1 Number 2 The Link Promoting a Biblical Worldview in an Online Learning Environment In a recent article, Quinn, Foote, and Williams (2012), described a process for integrating a biblical worldview into online learning...with a particular focus on the adult learner. They begin with the following assumption: Although one could assume the integration of faith and a biblical worldview at a Christian college, theways and means of providing such are often ambiguous to students and teachers alike. Students often come to the academy immersed in an individualistic worldview that celebrates self-centeredness and ignores larger questions of meaning. These ideas are not only unbiblical, but also counterproductive to a Christian academic ethos. This idea of faith integration and worldview formation within the Christian academy is important to the discussion of course development, as course design determines the kinds of ideas students will engage, influences the kinds of learning experiences will have, and affects the psychological underpinnings students will carry with them once they leave the academy. (p. 164) The authors go on to describe a Four Lens Model through which faculty can view the process of exploring and promoting a biblical worldview within the context of online courses: The Learner Lens - This lens focuses on the learner and the personal characteristics that an individual brings to the learning environment. Within the College of Adult and Professional Studies and the School of Nursing, for example, this lens would be focused on the needs of adult learners. In this area we might think about ways to engage these adult learners in an examination of their current beliefs and practices related to God and the Bible. The Process Lens - The process lens is an emphasis on the ways in which adult learners are engaged in transformational learning. In online venues, this lens often takes the form of discussion forums and interactions related to ethical dilemmas. How might each of us, as faculty, see ourselves as facilitators of transformation? Do our responses to student work and their positions on topics promote this process and deeper levels of thinking? The Educator Lens - Here we are interested in the varied roles that faculty members perceive for themselves as they interact with students. In the online environment, this lens takes the form of the level at which faculty are prepared to engage with current technology. Additionally, this lens also asks each of us, as faculty, to examine the ways in which we use the tools of technology to promote content learning and faith development. The Context Lens - This element is particularly important for the adult learner. The research on adult learners emphasizes their ongoing interest in applying and contextualizing newly acquired information. Discussion forums provide a great mechanism for connecting course content, the daily lives of students, and intentiona long-term applications. As you think about your interactions with students in an online venue, how do these lenses become part of the learning experience for your students? How might you be more sensitive to these elements of teaching and learning? Quinn, M. E., Foote, L. S., & Williams, M. L. (2012). Integrating a biblical worldview and developing online courses for the adult learner. Christian Scholar s Review, 41(2),

2 Volume 1 Number 2 2 What are the Practices of Exemplary Online Faculty? A recent article by Edwards, Perry, and Janzen (2011) identifies several of the prevailing characteristics of of an exemplary online educator. To identify these characteristics, graduates were asked to share descriptive stories exemplifying the online faculty members who created an exceptional moment of learning (p. 106). Through a qualitative analysis of the derived data, the researchers identified three themes that are common to exemplary online educators, as they are challengers, affirmers, and influencers. Challengers Faculty that are perceived as Challengers have high standards and expect excellence in the performance of their students. A student observed: My best experiences with instructors were those where the instructor challenged my thinking or perspective. A couple of the instructors were particularly good at questioning my assumptions and pointed out other views to broaden the perspective of the students (p. 107). Affirmers Affirmers are those faculty members who look for opportunities to encourage students and let them know that their efforts are greatly appreciated. These faculty are sensitive to the potential of individual students and work to help them achieve their goals. Affirming faculty are prone to promote a student s sense of self-worth and to make extra effort to build relationships with students. Influencers Faculty of influence are those that are known both for their technical expertise in the academic discipline as well as their strong online presence. This element of exemplary online faculty points to the role of both content (i.e., well aware of the content being taught) and process (i.e., keenly aware of student needs and the elements of learning). Which of these is most like your approach to online teaching? How would your students respond to this question about you? Edwards, M., Perry, B., & Janzen, K. ((2011). The making of an exemplary online educator. Distance Education, 32(1), The Link A publication of The Center for Learning & Innovation and the Online Region Editors: Mark Alexander (mark.alexander@indwes.edu) Brad Garner (brad.garner@indwes.edu) Indiana Wesleyan University 1900 West 50th Street Marion, IN 46953

3 Volume 1 Number 2 3 Blackboard Tip of the Month with Stephen Anthony Center for Learning and Innovation Proactive Course Management using Blackboard To succeed as a faculty member, you need to know what is happening inside of your course on a daily basis. As an online faculty member, you have already developed a pattern for opening and viewing your courses. This article will highlight two Blackboard features that you might consider including in your daily patterns: What s New on the Course Home Page and Smart Views in the Grade Center. What s New (on the Course Home Page) When you open your course, the default entry point is a page called Course Home. One of the red boxes on that page is called What s New. Once your course has opened and students are participating, you will see a list with the number of new discussion board posts, journal entries andother interactions. The What s New module allows you to see them at a glance, eliminating the need to navigate to each tool to find out if there are new messages. By clicking an item on the list, the entry will expand and give you a link directly to the new content. Just follow the link and read the student content Smart Views (in the Grade Center) Many of IWU s courses offer the same kind of at-a-glance functionality in the Grade Center. They are called Smart Views. Needs Grading: The most common and helpful smart view simply lists all of the submitted assignments in a course that need grading. You will find it in the Control Panel under Grade Center. It eliminates the need to scroll across the grade center grid looking for the Needs Grading icon. Again, you can click the link to the directly to the student attempt and grade it as normal. Other Smart Views: Many of the newly formatted courses also include a smart view for a workshop. To learn more about the Needs Grading Page, view this getting started guide: Other Bb tools for Proactive Course Management: These are just two of many features in Blackboard that will allow you to proactively track and interact with your students contributions to the course. As with everything worth the work, learning and integrating these tools takes proactive work on your part. To explore other tools and capabilities in Blackboard visit the On Demand Learning Center.

4 Volume 1 Number 2 4 Ten Ways to Get Students Not to Hate Your Class with Mark Alexander Regional Dean for Online 1. Answer their questions! Be sure to acknowledge all public requests in a similar fashion. For instance, if they ask about a personal grade in the Faculty Forum, you probably don t want to discuss it there. Send them an but acknowledge that in the FF by posting a brief message. For example: Thanks for your diligence and concern, Joe. I can speak to general grading concerns here, but for your specific concern I followed up via a private to you. If it didn t come through, please let me know here. Thanks again for your commitment to your education. 2. Respond quickly! Whether they sent an , posted in the Faculty Forum, or listed a prayer request, you must respond within 48 hours. Not only is this our contractual expectation for faculty, but it reaffirms your connection to students. If possible, respond within 24 hours. Because of the accelerated nature of our courses, a day seems like forever and bridging that time gap can really lessen anxiety on the part of students. (Hint: Set up important forums to allow Subscriptions...Look for this topic in an upcoming edition of The Link) 3. Grade assignments! Nothing is as demoralizing to a student as spending many hours on an assignment and clicking in to see their grade with 100%. Good work! Be sure to actually grade their assignment. Use the rubric from the syllabus and copy/paste that rubric into the end of the paper and fill it out. Use Track Changes to make suggestions and comments. Be sure to upload this graded paper back into Blackboard. Grading comments sent only via should be avoided if possible. Lastly, be appropriate in your grading. If all fifteen of your students received a 100% on that five-page paper, you might want to review your grading methods. (If you don t, we probably will review them for you!) 4. Engage students! Take advantage of the Discussion Forums and Instructor notes in the grade center. Respond to students concerns or questions. Encourage them as they post. If you do not post anything in a Discussion Board, students don t think you were there, even if you do say that you read every post. Show them you are there! (Students believe that substantive post applies to you, too!) 5.Be proactive with group work! Students don t usually like group work, so help them see the positives. Do your part to assist with that. Don t assign groups by alphabetical order. The instructor before you probably did that. Mix up teams, allow Blackboard to randomize the structure, or allow students to selfselect (if allowed). I like to assign team names to keep it fun (i.e. Team Red/Team Blue or Team Apple/Team Orange, etc.). Unless otherwise noted in the syllabus, be sure to communicate at the beginning of class that differentiation in grades among team members is allowed based upon performance, contribution, etc.

5 Volume 1 Number 2 5 Ten Ways to Get Students Not to Hate Your Class (Continued) 6. Keep things tidy! Is your grade book current? Has attendance been submitted? (Is it accurate!?) Are you returning grades within 7 days of submission (i.e. before the next workshop starts)? Are final grades submitted within 7 days of the close of the class? Keeping on top of these tasks helps students and it helps to remove any guilt or anxiety you have about the course, which is reflected back to students. 7. Be America s Next Top Model! In the classroom, that is. Model the behavior you expect students to exhibit. If you penalize students for misspellings and poor grammar in their papers, be sure your posts and responses are properly spelled and constructed. You would have disconted this newsleter if it had lots and lots of misteaks. Write? Let s model the behavior we hope to see! 8. Remember Alexander s Law of Online Instruction! If your message (discussion, announcement, ) can be interpreted in one of two ways, assume it will be taken in the worst way. The corollary of that law is also helpful: If another person s message (discussion, announcement, ) can be interpreted in one of two ways, assume it was meant in the best way. Let s be careful not to cause offense. Likewise, let s be careful to not assume the worst of intentions either. 9. Be clear and consistent! Good online learning consumes a great deal of time, whether you are the student or the instructor. Take care in explaining nuances of the syllabus or workshop documents; be careful not to contradict them or cause more confusion. 10. Impact students and their walk with Christ! Indiana Wesleyan University is an educational institution, but our goal is also to effectively communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of our students are in the midst of heartbreaking situations. Be sensitive to students needs and do not allow opportunities in the forums or on papers to pass without comment. Remember to direct students to our online chaplains for assistance. We Want to Hear From You! As one possible avenue to improve communication, I have created a private Facebook group for online instructors. This allows us to communicate in a common fashion and share tips, tricks, concerns, and needs. Interested in joining the 23 that are already there? Visit: and request to join. I ll approve you and we can interact and you don t even have to friend me!! I look forward to the dialogue! -Mark Alexander