How Big is the Manual?

Two weeks ago, ENG 271W learned about writing usable instructions. We analyzed this manual for usability. Because it’s an online class, I needed a way to demonstrate the size of the manual. Size and design of a document or manual contributes to the usability valuation (in that it either subtracts from or adds to usability). So, I showed these pictures:

Compared to a LEGO Star Wars action figure, the manual is theeeeeeeeeeeees beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeg!

And if you live under a rock and don’t know how big a LEGO action figure is, the manual is about the height of a pink crayon (Crayola. slightly used).

Students were mildly amused.

Mildly amused is a huge win. Students relaxed and were able to respond and engage with the material. It was a successful lecture.

What feels like stormy weather?

You know what feels like stormy weather? When a class you’re taking does not go as well as you had hoped. Maybe you took so many credits, you just couldn’t keep up. Or else, you didn’t count on your roomate/best_friend/sister/spouse walking out on you and sticking you with the rent–so you’ve had to pull double the hours at work each week just to get by. Well, these things happen when you’re in school, and sometimes, your school work suffers. And, once you get behind, it can be difficult to catch up.

It's definitely going to rain. Lots. Just a matter of when.

Here is the text from an email I typically send during the week before the last day to drop the class (and have a “W” on the transcript). BTW, when I say “typically,” I mean “starting now.”

My goal in sending this email is to support the student who does not wish to withdraw and encourage withdrawal for the student who does. I also hope to encourage the student to make an honest assessment of their ability to continue productively in the class. Most students who are struggling at this point in the class are struggling because they did not do the work and fell behind. I regularly reach out to struggling writers and offer extensive remedial help. So, if they’re in this situation, it’s usually a workload management issue. Also, students in this situation have typically heard from me several times over the course of the semester in other intervention attempts.

Most of this text is modeled on my own experiences and advice from my friend/colleagues, Jennifer Veltsos and Gretchen Perbix.

***************************************************

Hi (student’s name),

As we near the end of the semester, you may be wondering whether you pass ENG 271W.

Today, your grade is F   45%

You have earned 234 points out of a possible 475 points

The last day to withdraw from ENG 271W is Friday, April 6^th. Withdrawing from ENG 271W will preserve your GPA and allow you to focus on getting better grades in your other classes.

I noticed that your most common reason for low grades on specific assignments is not turning in the work.

Here are the assignments left in the course (500 points still left to earn):

• Technical presentation discussion post = 5 points
• Usable instructions assignment = 100 points
• In-class work 04/05 = 20 points
• In-class work 04/12 = 20 points
• Social media, blogs, wikis, etc. discussion post = 5 points
• Technical presentation proposal = 50 points
• Technical presentation annotated bibliography = 50 points
• Technical presentation slides = 75 points
• Technical presentation = 75 points
• Final exam = 100

Can you still pass? Maybe.

Try figuring out what grade you would earn if you turned in all the assignments on time and achieved at least 95% on all of them. Are you willing and able to make the commitment to work at that level?

Try figuring out what grade you would earn if, in addition, you completed the missing assignments (see the late assignments grading rubric in the syllabus). Are you willing and able to make the commitment to work at that level?

Please consider talking with your academic advisor, a trusted friend, or a parent/guardian about your situation and your workload.

If you choose not to withdraw, let us discuss. I am always available to discuss your situation.

If you choose to withdraw, and you are in my class next semester (I’m teaching ENG 271W in summer semester), I’ll help you along as much as I can.

Warm regards,

Julie Stella

Moby Dick

I probably don't need to tell you, but this is *not* Moby Dick

I usually review fiction books on Goodreads, but I want to review Moby Dick as I read it, and I’m not sure Goodreads is the best place for that because it associates only one review with each book.

The mister and I are reading Moby Dick together in our fake book club. It’s fake because we don’t have deadlines or meetings. We just pick a book, and we both read it. Or, more likely, *I* read a book, love it, recommend it, and then he reads it. We don’t usually have  formal discussions about the books, but it’s fun when we have a common connection through books. For example, I can talk about a big bug in the laundry room and say, “there’s a big old Underland spinner in there (see Gregor the Overlander), so look out.” I think we’re just too busy to set aside time for a formal discussion, but if we’ve got 20 minutes to ourselves (never), we might talk about how a book we both read relates to real life or to our own hopes and dreams or whatnot. So, books are a good connection for us, and who needs the extra pressure of deadlines and meetings, right?

So, besides books, the mister and I enjoy science fiction in any form–movies, books, games, le tube of life, etc. We’re not obsessed to the point where we’re seeking out sci-fi themed hotel rooms , but we do enjoy a little space_travel/rocket_ship/little_green_men. Doesn’t everyone?

The journey is a common theme in the sci-fi genre. It’s certainly not the only theme. There are futuristic societies (Martian Chronicles, Hunger Games, Year of the Flood), government intrigue (Zoe’s Tale), giant bugs, of course (the Overlander series), and don’t forget mutants (Shipbreaker) and many, many other common elements. But journeys, epic adventures, and the pioneering spirit themes really speak to me right now because we’re fully in this big life journey–we’re in it to win it, fully engaged, and there is really no way out (also, no do-overs), so we might as well be all self-conscious about it. If nothing else, it helps to know nothing is getting past us.

So yeah, Moby Dick–a classic book about an epic journey commonly referenced in a wide variety of sci-fi fiction. If you read it, you can understand the secret sci-fi back-stories. You can get a Kindle copy for free at Amazon. Read it with me! It’s funny (I promise!).

Yay!

They are publishing my book chapter. Yay!

Squee! It’s my first official published work.

Interventions in Online Writing Instruction

I completed a chapter about interventions for a book on Online Writing Instruction (OWI). I was inspired to write about interventions because I feel they can make an impact in the lives of students and the success of OWI and other online programs. In teaching, I have found that interventions are best accepted by students when they are consistent, so it’s important to have a protocol or strategy for using them. That way, they are fair and non-judgmental. As well, it’s a good way to know you’ve done the best you can for a student. This is the abstract of the chapter. I’m not certain yet if it will be published in the book, but I have high hopes.

Abstract:

An intervention is a counseling action an instructor may use to support a student who struggles to work productively in an online writing instruction (OWI) course. Interventions may increase retention and graduation rates at institutions as well as increase student and teacher satisfaction (Allen, Bourhis, Burrell, and Mabry, 2002; Archambault and Crippen, 2009; McCombs, Ufnar, and Shepherd, 2007; O’Dwyer, Carey, and Kleiman, 2007; Stein, Wanstreet, Calvin, Overtoom, and Wheaton, 2005; Sun, Tsai, Finger, Chen, and Yeh, 2008). In Moore’s (1993) Theory of Transaction Distance, interventions are called “advice and counsel,” and they are a crucial component of the program structure element in the theory. Many researchers recommend early identification and intervention for struggling students (Archambault et al., 2010; Simpson, 2004). Simpson (2004) found that early interventions following Keller’s (1987) ARCS model (Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction) were effective in helping students complete a course. As well, Simpson found that such interventions could be cost effective when they allow a university to retain government funds, but there are many open variables when calculating cost. As researchers and online instructors, my colleagues and I recommend early intervention activities performed by email at many opportunistic intervention points during the course of the instruction. As well, we advocate developing an intervention strategy prior to course beginning to assist in planning and preparation.

References:

Allen, M., Bourhis, J., Burrell, N., & Mabry, E. (2002). Comparing student satisfaction with distance education in traditional classrooms in higher education: A meta-analysis. The American Journal of Distance Education , 16 (2), 83-97.

Archambault, L., & Crippen, K. (2009). K-12 distance educators at work: Who’s teaching online across the united states. Journal of Research on Technology in Education , 41 (4), 363-391.

Keller, J. (2004). Development of the ARCS model of instructional design. Journal of Instructional Development , 10 (3), 2-10.

McCombs, G. B., Ufnar, J. A., & Shepherd, V. L. (2007). The Virtual Scientist: connecting university scientists to the K-12 classroom through videoconferencing. Advances in Physiology Education , 31, 62-66.

Moore, M. G. (1993). Theory of transactional distance. In M. G. Moore (Ed.), Handbook of Distance Education (2nd ed., pp. 22-38). Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates.

O’Dwyer, L. M., Carey, R., & Kleiman, G. (2007). A Study of the Effectiveness of the Louisiana Algebra I Online Course. Journal of Research on Technology in Education , 39 (3), 289-306.

Stein, D. S., Wanstreet, C. E., Calvin, J., Overtoom, C., & Wheaton, J. E. (2005). Bridging the transactional distance gap in online learning environments. The American Journal of Distance Education , 19 (2), 105-118.

Sun, P.-C., Tsai, R. J., Finger, G., Chen, Y.-Y., & Yeh, D. (2008). What drives a successful e-Learning? An empirical investigation of the critical factors influencing learner satisfaction. Computers & Education , 50, 1183-1202.

Open Source Higher Education: What Is It and Who Is It For?

These are my notes from a livestreaming event , which occurred on February 7, 2012 from 10:00am – 11:30am

Attendees and Panel

Introductory remarks:
Louis Soares, Director, Postsecondary Education Program, Center for American Progress

Keynote speaker:
Martha Kanter, Under Secretary of Education

Featured presentation:
Steve Carson, External Relations Director, MIT OpenCourseWare

Featured panelists:
Nicole Allen, Textbook Advocate, Student PIRGs; Director, Make Textbooks Affordable
Michael Carroll, Professor of Law, American University’s Washington College of Law
Sally Johnstone, Vice President for Academic Advancement, Western Governors University

Moderated by:
Rebecca Klein-Collins, Director of Research for the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

Kanter Remarks

Managing costs is one of the reasons for pursuing open source higher education.

• Research may provide alternative ways to reduce costs by doing things differently (presumably instead of just cutting labor or infrastructure—my words).
• Open source higher education artifacts are available for continuous peer review, so developing quality products is an ongoing process.
• If a market with broad distribution is created for these resources, public and private use may keep costs low and quality high.

A valid question about open access resources (OAR) is how do we use the new social networks of professors, graduate students, and students to make delivery of these open resources better and better?

4-21-2000 was the beginning of MIT Open Coursework.

In building an educated workforce, it’s important to recognize that the DOE is not necessarily advocating college for every person, but the focus is on education and training for today’s skilled jobs. Also, the DOE hopes to create a climate of continuous education to allow change for every person—not just young people just graduating from high school. Open education resources make our workplace more flexible.

We need to recognize that there may be cost benefits for K-12 schools, community colleges, and 4-year institutions. President Obama sees OAR and new technologies as one way to reduce inequality in this country (so, it goes beyond just controlling costs). This vision encompasses a compelling, personalized learning environment for all students regardless of zip code, race, class, income, etc. Other countries are becoming involved as well. With this vision, there is a move forward with the important virtual infrastructure in community colleges. It’s important to understand that some risks must be taken to reduce expenses and costs to try this initiative.

Carson Remarks

Challenges are:

• Immature ecosystem:  Business or deployment model has not fully matured. There are parallels to the open software movement, but it’s not the same, so OAR cannot fully use their ideas and management models.
• Sustainability:  Models are not well developed to support sustainability moving forward. There are opportunities to support this program, but they are not yet fully developed.
• Incumbent resistance from universities and publishers: Transparency can be threatening, and it’s not included in tenure. SOPA and PIPA can also have a chilling effect on the development of OAR educational content.

OAR is at the cutting edge of how technology is changing education, and there are still open questions about the best way to leverage this idea and concept.

Discussion (Panel)

How do we have a quality control system when the source is so open?

• Peer crowd-sourcing and the social network is common at Western Governor’s University.
• There is no reason to equalize openness and quality. This is a matter of a failed market where the void might be filled with peer-reviewed content. It’s not definitional that OAR is “anything you can throw up online.”
• This issue speaks to the immature ecosystem Steve talked about. We need to develop systems where faculty can communicate with one another about where is the high-quality content.

What do you see as the role of government in terms of either supporting OAR? Are there policies that currently exist that are standing in the way of implementing this fully?

• We in the government see this as promoting the idea of shared responsibility.
• Three roles are important:  (1) Copyright is an author’s right, and some of these state initiatives are supporting the author directly instead of including the publisher. (2) Authors can be funded by competition. Also, open licenses can be reviewed constantly (post-publication peer review). (3) We need open business models that can create wealth around this OAR environment because there is no question that it’s where we’re headed.

Are there ways other countries are involved in the OAR movement?

• China is involved with an organization called CORE stimulated by the MIT Open Courseware movement.
• A lot of work has been done in Africa to share video content in healthcare information.
• There are many educational theories embedded in these materials.

What are some of the intellectual property and copyright issues that the OAR world is struggling with right now?

• Main proponent for copyright in the past has always been about education. It’s an author’s right so they can make a return on their investment, and the publisher benefits as well.
• You’re no longer opting in to copyright. Since 1989 in the US, you get a copyright whether you want one or not.
• OAR is struggling with auto/default copyright.
• We don’t have good business models to move forward with OAR because they are pre-internet and they create a barrier for students and teachers.
• The Internet has really changed the rules of the game, but industries are still static and pre-internet.
• The model for authoring textbooks does still include an incentive for financial gain, so any new OAR models should take care to recognize this.

Question and Answer Period

Audience question: There is too much cheerleading about OAR, and we need to recognize the struggles of other interests and accuracy of information.

Answer: Information that is changed is just part of a scholarly conversation, and in the open environment is more uncontrolled. It can also be a discouragement when no financial incentives are attached.

Question: What about financial sustainability?

Answers: (answers were various) OAR is continuing, even through the financial recession. Most institutions just fold the cost into their budgets. The answer is different in different places, but most institutions have already figured it out. It’s a shared responsibility among institutions, authors, and the government alike. But, the traditional publishing industry isn’t sustainable either, and this situation must be recognized as well.

Question: What about credentialing? How can learners use OAR toward some recognition, degree, or other award? Also, how can we make these resources available to students–open access?

Answer: The panelists suggested many different ways. For example, badges were suggested as a less formal credential. These conversations are welcome at the Federal level and through the MacArthur Foundation. Badges are a model for trying to understand what students know and can already do. This gives non-traditional students a chance to move forward in an innovative way. We need to look at new models to let new resources, new ideas, and new opportunities to flourish.

Goodreads

I read a lot, but I don’t remember a lot. I’m not sure why that is. I suspect it’s because I live, like everyone else, a distraction-filled life. If we can’t concentrate on things and put them into context, they are stored in short-term memory and never become a part of long-term memory (I wish I had a reference for that statement, but right now, I can’t remember where I read it).

I once bought a book about enhancing your memory called Super Memory, Super Student by Harry Lorayne. I’ll have to remember to read it sometime.

Right now, my best way of remembering what I read is to write about it. So, I write reviews of business and academic books here. But I also read quite a bit of fiction, and I review those books on Goodreads. I made a New Year’s resolution in January to write about every book I read, so fiction is on Goodreads, and non-fiction is here on my blog.

View all my Goodreads reviews