Showing papers by "Michael K. Barbour published in 2012"

The Landscape of K–12 Online Learning

Abstract: Distance education at the K-12 or primary and secondary level has a history that is almost as long as distance education within higher education (see Chapter 35 in this volume for a fuller history). K-12 online learning is a more recent phenomenon. In the United States the fi rst K-12 online learning program was developed by the private school Laurel Springs School’s online program around 1991, followed in 1994 by the Utah Electronic High School and the fi rst cyber charter school, Choice 2000 in California (Clark, 2003; Darrow, 2010). Th e fi rst entirely online schools were the Virtual High School Global Consortium (VHS) and the Florida Virtual School (FLVS), both created in 1997 (Friend & Johnston, 2005; Pape, Adams, & Ribeiro, 2005). Th ree years later Clark (2000) reported statewide virtual schools in Florida, New Mexico, and Utah, and three more in the planning stages (i.e., Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan). Th e following year Clark (2001) indicated there were at least 14 states with existing or planned virtual schools. Th e growth in students participating in K-12 online learning increased in a similar fashion. Clark (2001) estimated that there were approximately 40,000 and 50,000 students-representing less than 0.001% of the K-12 student population-enrolled in one or more K-12 online learning courses during the 2000-2001 school year. Ten years later Watson, Murin, Vashaw, Gemin, and Rapp (2011) reported K-12 online learning activity in almost all 50 states, while Ambient Insights (2011) indicated that there were approximately 4 million students-representing approximately 6% of the K-12 student population-enrolled in K-12 online learning courses during the 2010-11 school year.

“Everybody is their own island”: Teacher disconnection in a virtual school

Abstract: Virtual schooling is a recent phenomenon in K-12 online learning. As such, the roles of the online teachers are emerging and differ from those of the traditional classroom teacher. Using qualitative interviews of eight virtual high school teachers, this study explored teachers’ perceptions of their online teaching role. Teachers expressed a sense of disconnection from their students, the profession, and their peers as a result of limited interactions due to significant institutional barriers. Researchers discuss the implications of this disconnection as well as future avenues for research.

Training Teachers for a Virtual School System: A Call to Action

Abstract: Online learning at the K-12 level is growing exponentially. Students learning in supplemental virtual schools and full-time cyber schools, using a variety of delivery models that include and sometimes combine independent, asynchronous, and synchronous instruction, in almost every state in the US. In some instances the knowledge, skills, and abilities required by teachers in this technology-mediated environment is consistent with what they learned about face-to-face teaching in their teacher education programs, while in many instances, the two are quite different. Presently the lack of empirical research into effective K-12 online teaching limits teacher education programs. However, teacher education programs still need to better prepare pre-service and in-service teachers to design, deliver, and support students engaged virtual schooling.

It's Not That Tough: Students Speak About Their Online Learning Experiences

Abstract: K-12 online learning is growing in Canada and elsewhere in the world. However, the vast majority of literature is focused on practitioners and not on systematic inquiry. Even the limited published research has largely excluded the perspectives of students engaged in virtual schooling. This study examines secondary student perceptions of components of virtual schooling that were beneficial and challenging. Students largely enjoyed their virtual school courses and found the synchronous classes, the technology, and the ability to control their own learning as positive aspects of their experience. Students also found the lack of a sense of community, working during their asynchronous class time, and the asynchronous course content to be challenging; and made suggestions for improvement to each, along with advice to future virtual school students.

Virtual Schooling through the Eyes of an At-Risk Student: A Case Study.

Abstract: While much of the growth in the popularity of virtual schooling has involved at-risk students, little research exists on the experiences of these students in this largely independent setting. This paper describes a case study of an at-risk student in a rural school in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador who was enrolled in an online course as a means to graduate on time. Data from interviews and video observations were analyzed to reveal several themes. The student was good at prioritizing and understood what students needed to do to succeed in an online environment, yet he often did only the minimum needed to pass the course, and his productivity during synchronous and asynchronous sessions declined as the hour progressed. We also found that the student was limited by the lack of proper technology at home. Based on a single case, we are unable to generalize beyond this one student. However, since the attitude of taking the path of least resistance may have taken hold in earlier grades for this particular student, research into improving virtual schooling for at-risk students may be ineffective or counterproductive by reinforcing rather than reducing those attributes; at least in this instance.

Homemade PowerPoint Games: Game Design Pedagogy Aligned to the TPACK Framework

Abstract: While researchers are examining the role of playing games to learn, others are looking at using game design as an instructional tool. However, game-design software may require additional time to train both teachers and students. In this article, the authors discuss the use of Microsoft PowerPoint as a tool for game-design instruction and the philosophical justifications for its use. They examine the research that has been conducted using homemade PowerPoint games in the classroom and detail how the implementation of the games has evolved in a manner that reflects the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework.

The FarNet journey: Perceptions of Maori students engaged in secondary online learning

Abstract: This case study investigated the perceptions of Māori students in the Virtual Learning Network (VLN) on what constituted effective strategies for engaging them in online learning. The four secondary and five area schools in the FarNet cluster have around 63 students accessing the VLN. Around 80% of students, known as e-students, from the FarNet cluster receiving their education through the VLN are of Māori descent. The delivery of online classes have historically included a one hour video conferencing (VC) class, supported by hard copy materials and resources provided by the e-teacher or an online learning environment called a Learning Management System (LMS). The model that is now starting to emerge is a hybrid model which combines weekly VC classes, an LMS, a range of Web 2.0 tools and face-to-face meetings between student and teacher. Data collection included online surveys, the semi-structured interviews and the observation of the online classrooms with 23 students from nine school participating in FarNet. The data identified delivery models and Web 2.0 tools to engage students and the need for further instruction in order for students to be well prepared to work in this new learning environment. The data also suggested there were a variety of delivery models that students experienced, most supported by the LMS. While students identified a range of Web 2.0 strategies currently used by their e-teachers, they suggested that more opportunities to collaborate, communicate and discuss with their fellow e-students both in and outside of the set class time would further engage them, leading to a more enjoyable experience. The importance of building good relationships in an online environment was discussed. Based on these findings, we recommend professional development for e-teachers on using these emerging tools and better preparation of e-students for working in an online learning environment.

Odyssey of the Mind: Social Networking in Cyberschool

Abstract: K-12 online learning and cyber charter schools have grown at a tremendous rate over the past decade. At the same time, these online programs have struggled to provide the social spaces where students can interact that K-12 schools are traditionally able to provide. Social networking presents a unique opportunity to provide these kinds of social interactions in an online environment. In this article, we trace the development and use of social networking at one cyber charter school to extend the space for online instruction and provide opportunities for social interaction that online schools are often unable to provide.

Review of Overcoming the Governance Challenge in K-12 Online Learning

Abstract: Technological innovation has thus far had little impact on K-12 education. Public schools, their classrooms, and their methods of instruction work much the same today as they have for decades. Experts have predicted for some time that technology would transform schooling. But no transformation was wrought by television, computers, interactive white boards, or even the Internet. The reason for this is surely not a lack of need for improvement: Weak achievement in American schools is a longstanding issue. Nor is it a lack of suitable technology: Online learning and computer-based instruction have promising track records of raising achievement in K-12 schools as well as in higher education, where technology is already used extensively. The reason is the capacity of the public school system to resist innovation.

Tracing International Differences in Online Learning Development: An Examination of Government Policies in New Zealand

Abstract: In 2006 the North American Council for Online Learning surveyed the activity and policy relating to primary and secondary e-learning, which they defined as online learning, in a selection of countries. They found most were embracing e-learning delivery of education as a central strategy for enabling reform, modernising schools, and increasing access to high-quality education. While North American countries appeared to be using the internet as a medium to provide distance education at the secondary level longer than most countries, the lack of a guiding vision has created uneven opportunities for students depending on which state or province they live in. In New Zealand, the government has sought to provide a vision or guiding framework for the development of e-learning. In this article we trace that vision by describing three policy documents released by the New Zealand government over the past decade, and how that vision for e-learning has allowed increased development of primary and secondary online learning.

Student Perceptions and Preferences for Tertiary Online Courses: Does Prior High School Distance Learning Make a Difference?

Abstract: University students who had completed at least one distance education course were surveyed during their first and fourth year of postsecondary studies. When controlled for those who had previous distance education experience in high school, it was found that self-regulatory learning behaviors, which are frequently linked to positive experiences and outcomes in online and distance education courses, were equally apparent in all of the participating students regardless of whether they had previously studied online. These findings suggest that high school students do not gain independent learning skills and attitudes in an online environment regardless of what stakeholders, administrators, teachers, parents, and even students themselves believe.

Cyber Collaboratory-based Sustainable Design Education: A Pedagogical Framework

Abstract: from across the educational spectrum are faced with challenges in delivering curricula that address sustainability issues. This article introduces a cyber-based interactive e-learning platform, entitled the Sustainable Product Development Collaboratory, which is focused on addressing this need. This collaboratory aims to educate a wide spectrum of learners in the concepts of sustainable design and manufacturing by demonstrating the effects of product design on supply chain costs and environmental impacts. In this paper, we discuss the overall conceptual framework of this collaboratory along with pedagogical and instructional methodologies related to collaboratory-based sustainable design education. Finally, a sample learning module is presented along with methods for assessment of student learning and experiences with the collaboratory.

Book Review – The Publish or Perish Book: Your Guide to Effective and Responsible Citation Analysis

Abstract: Regular readers of the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning (IRRODL) will be familiar with the issues facing the field of distance education, the high number of online and open access journals in our field, and the difficulties getting indexed in traditional citation databases such as the Thomson ISI Web of Science and the Elsevier SciVerse Scopus. Terry Anderson, the editor of IRRODL, has even spoken of the trouble he has had getting IRRODL listed in these closed databases. It was with interest that I took the opportunity to review The Publish or Perish Book by Anne-Wil Harzing; it is a self-published book that is designed to accompany the use of her Google Scholar citation analysis tool of the same name. As such, the book is structured in a manner to introduce readers to the topic of citation analysis and to orient them to the Publish or Perish tool, providing a detailed guide on how the tool can be used. This is followed by an interesting discussion that is specific to academics on ways in which the tool can be used and to a lesser extent the ways in which citation analysis can be used by different types of individuals in the academy (e.g., faculty up for promotion and tenure, academic administrators) for a variety of purposes (e.g., judging someone’s scholarly record or the quality of a journal, making decisions about where to submit an academic paper, assisting in the preparation of a literature review). The book concludes with an examination of the strengths and weaknesses of Google Scholar and the Thomson ISI Web of Science as measures of scholarly rigour in the academy.

“Todo el mundo es su propia isla”: la desconexión del docente en la escuela virtual

Abstract: La ensenanza virtual es un fenomeno reciente en los niveles de preescolar a bachillerato. Ha surgido el papel del docente en linea, que se distingue del profesor tradicional. Mediante entrevistas cualitativas realizadas a ocho profesores de bachilleratos en linea, el presente estudio indago sobre de la percepcion de la funcion del docente en linea. Los profesores expresaron un sentimiento de desconexion entre sus estudiantes, la profesion y sus companeros como resultado de las escasas interacciones y de las barreras institucionales. Los investigadores discuten las implicaciones de esta desconexion y las futuras lineas de investigacion.

Design Research Using Game Design as an Instructional Strategy

Abstract: Game design as an instructional tool can be expensive and time-consuming, as new software requires not only capital outlay but also training for teachers and students. Therefore, researchers have looked at low-tech design platforms to accomplish the same educational goals. One such way is to use Microsoft PowerPoint as a game design tool. In the second iteration of a design study, we have changed the way a homemade PowerPoint game project is implemented in an environmental chemistry classroom by providing more structure and more opportunities for instruction and feedback on the elements of the game design. We compared the performance of between groups who created games and groups who did not on tests for two separate units. Both test results showed statistically significant differences: in favor of the control group on the first unit and in favor of the group creating games for the second unit. Further research needs to examine which factors led to the significant findings in both instances. The idea of using technology to allow students to create artifacts such as games has its roots in constructionist pedagogy, first championed by Seymour Papert (1991). Over the past few decades, computers have been used to create games using programming languages such as Logo, and later Alice and Scratch, to teach not only computer science but other content areas as well. However, there are several obstacles to using game design to teach topics other than programming. First, time can be an issue; not only do teachers need to teach content, they need to teach the programming language as well have the proper infrastructure in place (Rice, 2006). Similarly, teachers may not have the technical acumen to appropriately teach the programming language and troubleshoot when difficulties arise on the part of the student (Kafai, Peppler, & Chiu, 2007). Finally, while some of the educational programming languages are open source and free of cost, a school’s infrastructure and policies regarding software may prohibit their use (Barbour, Thomas, Rauscher, & Rieber, 2010). As a result, some researchers have begun to look at “low-tech” ways to apply game-design pedagogy. One way is through the use of Microsoft PowerPoint. While MS PowerPoint is clearly not game-design software, it can be used to create simple games. However, much of the research using these homemade PowerPoint games has shown no statistical difference in performance, which has led researchers to question the philosophical justifications for their use (Barbour et al., 2009; Siko, Barbour, & Toker, 2011). It has also led researchers to examine whether or not the design and implementation of the game design project can influence student performance. In this study, we will review the justifications for the use of homemade PowerPoint games and review studies involving the use of the games in K-12 classrooms. We will then discuss changes made to the project based on the results of a previous study and detail any changes in performance based on those changes. Finally, we will look at the implications of those changes, and discuss what further research still needs to be conducted.

Virtual Learning in New Zealand: Achieving Maturity

Abstract: This proposal describes a study into the development of virtual learning in New Zealand, specifically the obstacles that e-learning clusters face or have faced in their journey to sustainability and maturity through the lens of the Learning Communities Online Handbook. Using a variety of data collection methods, the researchers identified three common barriers, including a lack of a coherent vision, difficulty in securing the necessary funding and resources, and a lack of collaboration and cooperation within and between clusters. Based on these findings, it is recommended that individual e-learning clusters develop specific strategies to encourage greater collaboration between clusters and work towards greater consistency between their activities, including professional and organizational development and also of the approaches to virtual learning.