Using Web Conferencing to Promote Ownership in Distance Education Coursework

This paper discusses the use of World Wide Web-based conferencing in the Collaborative Teacher Education Program (CTEP) at Indiana University. The CTEP, a program offering distance education coursework to in-service teachers in rural communities throughout southern Indiana, is described, and some of the obstacles and limitations involved in promoting ownership in courses delivered at a distance are considered. Alta Vista Forum, a World Wide Web-hosted, asynchronous, text-based conferencing system that incorporates two key elements for discussion--"forums" (collections of related information or resources that allow learners to interact on key issues and course concepts with other class members) and "teams" (shared environments in which select groups of class members can work together on designated tasks) --is described. Some features of Alta Vista Forum that are critical to promoting ownership are highlighted. Applying Web conferencing to distance education is addressed, focusing on the following three kinds of interaction required of CTEP students: posting examples from assigned projects, discussing course content, and consulting with peer teams. (Contains 12 references.) (AEF) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Using Web Conferencing to Promote Ownership in Distance Education Coursework Haejin Chung: Special Education, Indiana University, U.S.A., [email protected] Paul Rodes: Curriculum and Instruction, Indiana University, U.S.A., [email protected] Dennis Knapczyk: Special Education, Indiana University, U.S.A., [email protected] Abstract: Distance education has traditionally been most effective with students who show exceptional levels of motivation, self-confidence and autonomy. But the real challenge for distance educators is to encourage these qualities in more typical learners. By adding a webconferencing component to our longstanding rural distance education program, we are able to promote a greater degree of interaction and ownership among the teachers who take our courses. The article describes our use of Alta Vista Forums in our courses and highlights the ways this technology helps improve the level of participation and control exercised by class members. Distance education has traditionally been most effective with students who show exceptional levels of motivation, self-confidence and autonomy. But the real challenge for distance educators is to encourage these qualities in more typical learners. By adding a webconferencing component to our longstanding rural distance education program, we are able to promote a greater degree of interaction and ownership among the teachers who take our courses. The article describes our use of Alta Vista Forums in our courses and highlights the ways this technology helps improve the level of participation and control exercised by class members. One of the most important developments in education in recent years is a shift in focus from what teachers are doing to what learners are doing. Increasingly, educational research and practices are moving from a didactic model of instruction toward a student-directed model. Wagner and McCombs [1995] described student-directed instruction as "a conceptual framework for describing how a learner understands his or her world and approaches the process of learning inside and outside of school." A basic principle of studentdirected learning is the fundamental importance of students' taking ownership for their own learning. Promoting ownership--encouraging learners to make choices and take responsibility for the direction of their own education--is an essential component of effective instruction [Langer & Applebee 1986]. Ownership is closely linked to "students' sense of personal goals and products" [Langer & Applebee 1986]. Many terms have been used to describe the attributes of ownership, such as goal setting, selfmonitoring, self regulation, learner control, critical thinking skills, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, communication skills, and personal autonomy [Honebein et al. 1993, Oliver & Reeves 1996, Pintrich & DeGroot 1990, Risenberg & Zimmerman 1992, Savery 1996, Steinberg 1989, Zimmerman & Schunk 1989]. Whatever the specific focus of each of these terms, their application to learning shares a common premise: understanding and optimizing the factors that support and encourage students to learn for themselves is a crucial element of successful instruction. A strong sense of ownership is an especially critical factor for students in distance education settings. Learners who are not in close physical proximity to their instructors must often work more independently than students in traditional settings [Kember 1995]. In fact, many distance educators attest that independence and a strong sense of ownership are essential predictors of success in distance education students. As Riddle [1994] has observed, instructors describe the type of students likely to be successful in distance education settings as adults who are comfortable with less personal attention from instructors. Such students can more easily overcome the discomfort caused by the lack of direct instructor contact by means of their own intrinsic motivation to succeed [Riddle, 1994; Wagner & McCombs 1995]. But distance education must also cater to the needs of students who may not have such a strong natural inclination to ownership and self-sufficiency. Students who enroll in distance education courses do so because of considerations of schedule, location or availability, not because their learning styles or motivation make them good candidates for distance learning. Thus, instructors and instructional designers must make a deliberate U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY 0 This document has been reproduced as received from the person or orgarfization G. H . Marks (IS originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. 0 Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official 0E81 position or policy. 2 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." effort to promote and encourage ownership among students, especially for those who may be used to teacherdirected instruction where they make few choices for themselves. The ability of a program to build ownership may well mark its ultimate success or failure among the learners who do not present exceptional levels of independence and self-sufficiency. Web-based conferencing is an internet tool that has enormous potential for increasing ownership and self-sufficiency among students, as it helps move course content from teacher-focused technologies such as twoway video to a cooperative learner-centered environment. We are incorporating web-based conferencing into our long-running distance education program to improve the participation and self-direction of students who have traditionally felt isolated or uninvolved in remote courses. In the next section we describe our program and discuss some of the obstacles and limitations involved in promoting ownership in courses we deliver at a distance. Then we describe the use of a web-conferencing tool, highlighting some features that are critical to promoting ownership. Description of the Collaborative Teacher Education Program For the past ten years the Collaborative Teacher Education Program (CTEP) at Indiana University has been offering distance education coursework to in-service teachers in rural communities throughout Southern Indiana. Cohort groups of 15-35 teachers meet for weekly classes at a central location, usually in a local high school or school corporation building. The instructors in CTEP remain at the university and provide real-time coursework through distance education technology. Over the years, the communication technologies we have used have advanced from speakerphones and the U.S. Postal Service, to computer-based audiographics and fax machines, to multi-point videoconferencing and e-mail. But one challenge that has remained constant is building ownership and personal involvement among the students in our classes. From the start, our program has made an effort to make coursework learner-centered and applicable to teachers' everyday work situations. Teachers in our classes participate in weekly practicum activities in which they apply course concepts to the needs of students at risk in their own schools. We encourage teachers to work in school-based teams or partnerships to build a support network that does not rely on the presence of the instructor. We have structured class sessions to be learner-directed whenever possible, having teachers act as on-site facilitators to lead discussions and present material from the text rather than having the campus-based instructors do these tasks. A typical class period involves several small-group work and discussion activities, with remote instructors acting as consultants more than as presenters. Despite such practices, many in-service teachers in our program still feel a greater degree of isolation than they are used to in campus-based coursework. Without the opportunity for casual talks with instructors after class or in the hallway, or for face-to-face consultation during office hours, the teachers at remote sites often have difficulty expressing their needs and obtaining assurance and guidance about the work they are doing. More importantly, some teachers feel isolated from their peers, especially when they do not come from the same school districts as others in the class. Without the chance to meet with others outside of class to go over homework and discuss ideas, these teachers are unlikely to fully engage the course content and often do work that is cursory or misdirected. In fact, unless they quickly establish social relationships with others in the class, the teachers tend to drop out of the program altogether. For learners who do not adapt well to such circumstances, distance education can be a frustrating and disappointing experience. Web-based conferencing offers a powerful tool for creating a more interactive and less isolated experience for distance learners. Because it promotes content-based discussion among students, it allows learners to share their concerns and develop their ideas in a low-stress environment that they can control themselves. By adding this technology to our distance education courses this year, we are able to expand and deepen the role that teachers in our program take in directing their own learning.