Technology tools & strategies

Web conferencing software is an important tool for collaborative learning in this era. While it is possible to collaborate using audio output, students like to see who they are communicating with. Some people are visual learners and web conferencing will be very useful for their learning style. Peer sharing is very useful for working in small groups. It gives students the responsibility of co-operating and sharing information.
Threaded discussions, sms messaging , email and skype are common and popular communication tools used today. Skype and the web cam are popular today as well and they add another dimension to the process of collaboration. The visual image always appeals to the human mind. These tools are free for the most part and they do an excellent job.
Wikis and blogs are the most common way by which online students build knowledge. There are several other tools like study mate and sub-hub which are among the best applications for knowledge building.

Assessing Collaborative Learning

The whole essence of collaborative learning is to facilitate the acquisition and sharing of skills and knowledge while at the same solving complex problems. Sienmens(2008) speaks of the days of Geniuses being over and he is right. The world has become too complex for even the brightest among us to solve complex problems all by themselves and if they can, it will take so long to be done that it would no longer be useful. During collaborative learning people are required to contribute in various ways. Members of the group bring their expertise, experience and points-of-view to the table. All these contribute to the solving of problems and members should be rewarded once they contribute actively to the group. There are times when the topic suits certain members more than others because it falls along their lines of expertise and they may contribute much and the situation changes when the topic changes.

collaborative learning is wholesome and modern. Today, almost everything is done by teams of workers as we leverage the benefits of the division of labour. Just as it is easy to see who did what in the productiion of a car so must we be able to tell that each member contributed to the group activity. They must be tested also and at time peer-teaching could be a good way to teach a topic. The mark given to the group must be the mark that each gets. This will force the motivated ones to stick to the slackers until they make their fair contributiion to the effort. Course work is the most effective way to assess collaborative exercises.

Reference:
Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author

Collaborative Learning

Assessment of online assignments has been an issue that several persons have been questioning for some time now. How do we know if the student did the work? How do you assess online group work? Should the score for members of the group be the same?
The days of one-man knows it all are over. The world is not as simple as it was 100 years ago. We are now challenged by complex problems which require teams of persons to resolve. Specialization and division of labour has been used in business to enhance productivity and the same thing must be applied to education. Group assignments can be assessed by ensuring that the group activity gives each member a chance to participate and to bring his knowledge and experiences to solve his part of the overal problem and to contribute meaningfully to the group activity. Each student should be awarded a mark with respect to his part of the problem and the contribution he/she made.

The instructor needs to educate the students on the importance and value of collaborative learning by citing known examples. The course can be so designed that group-work carries a good percentage of the final mark so students are encouraged to work in groups. It can be a good idea to have bonus marks for group-work but those marks wont apply to individual assignment. This will encourage students to participate in group activities.
The important thing about groupwork is making sure everyone works well and that those who work are rewarded. Most times instructors are unwilling to give the group a score if they dont see work from every member. This is unfair. If three out of four persons did their work, then there must a way to reward them else the system will be flawed. One member should not be allowed to retard the progress of others.

Storyboard for Java Programming

The following is a story board which shows how I intend to run a two-week training course in Java Programming. Items 1 to 5 will be done in the first week while items 6 to 9 will be done in the second and final week.

Storyboard for Java Programming
1
Video Presentation on Java Programming and the structure of the course

2
Text presentation of course outline and course calendar

3
Video presentation on discovering computers, computer fundamentals and program design and assignment

4
Presentation of resources on web links. Students reading all prescribed materials. Presentation of practice exercises in text form

5
Video presentation on program control and brief assessment (test)

6
Video presentation continues on the Branch statement and iteration and loops

7
Presentation of resources materials on web links and text on classes, methods and objects

8
Group project to develop a small program written in Java and using the content which were covered in course

9
Presentation of more links and texts on arrays. Final examination
Video presentation to close project