Reflections OMDE610

Week 1: Getting Started - Introductions and Planning

Objectives:

Set up a class portfolio and learning journal.

Discuss the history, influence, and meaning of the Community of Inquiry Model of Online
Teaching and Learning.

Establish personal and professional goals for the class.

This was the first week of class where we set up our class portfolio and learning journal. I
would consider this to be a skill builder since I have never set it up in an online class, this
is considered to be an online resume. I consider it to be a sophisticated electronic resume,
this is the new trend of the future for resumes. Also I was having a few technical issues
with LEO and my computer. Some of the links are not working in the content area.
I read the Overview and Content area for the class and started to establish personal and
professional goals for learning in this class.
The class discussion was focused on Garrison, Anderson, & Archer (2010) The First
Decade of the Community of Inquiry Framework: A Retrospective. This was a
challenging week with all the readings and setting up my e-portfolio, I learned that I have
my work cut out for me in this class and it will be very challenging. I used
www.weebly.com to set up my Learning Journal and e-portfolio that will be used for two
classes and since this is my first time setting up an online journal I really dont have any
experience doing it and weebly is hard to navigate at times, while setting it up I see that it
does not let you download some files as easily without wanting you to pay for certain
provisions of the site. I am using weebly any way since I dont have a lot of time to
ponder with all the work ahead of me. Ill probably change to another site in my next
class or semester. I am already getting frustrated with LEO and my computer not being
compatible. It is very slow to pull up my classes when I log into campus.umuc.edu. I
hope this is not the beginning of a bad semester using technology. So far my two classes
this semester have been the most class work and assignments I have ever had since going
to undergrad or graduate school. Its unreal.

Weeks 2 -3 Module 1: Historical and Theoretical Foundations

Objectives:

Define Learning Theory and be able to identify the most influential learning theories of the
20th and 21st centuries.

Understand the role of learning theories in epistemology.

Explain how learning theory can be useful in informing pedagogy, policy, and technology
choices.

Identify the contribution of distance education theory and practice to online teaching and
learning.

During this module we discussed and defined learning theory and how the most influential
learning theories have changed Distance Education. Harasim, 2012, explains the roles of the
theories of the 20th century and 21st century. Saba, 2003, discusses the potential for chaos in
distance learning and how technology constructs paths that lead to dis-equilibrium and/or
equilibrium. In the Anderson article (2008) he points out the advantages of theory and we had a
discussion on our own beliefs of what type theory makes the most sense to us. I like the use of
OCL theory with a constructivist approach. All of the past theories have to be used in order to
have a successful online platform.

Weeks 4-5 Module 2: Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Rubrics

Objectives:

Define behaviorist and cognitivist theories of learning and explore their strengths and
weaknesses for online teaching and learning.

Demonstrate how behaviorist and cognitivist theories can inform pedagogical and
technological choices.

Exercise Best Practices in the creation and implementation of rubrics for assessment.

During this module we talked about behaviorist and cognitivist theories strengths and weakness
and how the apply to online teaching and learning. Harasim, 2012, explains that a behaviorist
theory focuses on which is observable as it pertains to how people behave, change or elicit
particular behaviors that emphasize two major conditions: classical and operant conditioning.
The cognitivist theory focused on stimulus and response an extension of the behaviorist theory.
We had a chance to pull up the Quality Matters Rubric Standards and reviewed the website along
with the Rubric for Online Instruction. The class discussed the importance of each type of rubric
and how we would apply it to our own teaching and learning online class. We later used the
rubrics for our assignment activity, it was very interesting to apply either rubric into our
assignment to explain and justify our learning activity. I chose the cognitivist learning activity.

Weeks 6-7 Module 3: Constructivism, OCL, and Social Media

2

Objectives:

Define constructivist and OCL theories of learning and explore their strengths and
weaknesses for online teaching and learning.

Outline the Community of Inquiry Model and discuss its relationship to

collaborative and constructivist approaches to learning.

Demonstrate how constructivist and OCL theories can inform pedagogical and
technological choices.

Outline ways that Social Media technologies can affect/influence/contribute to

online teaching and learning.

For this weeks module we learned about constructivist and online collaboration theories. The
elements of constructivism is aimed at a learner-centered model for the design of e-learning
activities (Koohang, Riley, Smith & Schreurs, 2009). Learners should be encouraged to develop
their own goals and objectives in solving problems explains (Koohang, et. al, 2008).
A learner centered model should include: Individual assessment, team collaborative assessment
and facilitator assessment. I chose to write an essay assignment that focused on OCL activities
for K-12 learning using www.edmodo.com an online classroom that promotes online
collaboration with classmates in order to write blog posts and analyze websites where students
can share, write and reflect on their new knowledge, this activity promotes literary structure for
High school Language Arts students. I enjoyed working on this project.

Weeks 8-9 Module 4: Connectivism, Communities of Practice & MOOCs

Objectives:

Explore the range of what community means in the field of online teaching and learning.

Define connectivism and discuss how connectivism and the open educational resources
movement has contributed to the development of MOOCs.

Discuss the current state MOOCs (xMOOCs and cMOOCs) and describe how they may
affect the current and future roles of instructors, learners, course designers, and
educational institutions and other stakeholders.

Discuss structure and choice in the context of how students learn and how instructors,
course designers, and institutions may (or may not) effectively facilitate that learning.

In this module we explored and discussed MOOCs and what they mean for online teaching and
learning. This was one of my favorite projects and I chose to do a power point presentation that
3

focused on Online Communities of Practice. Harasim, 2012 explains that OCoPs is the
voluntary association of online professionals, practitioners, scientists and other interest groups
that come together intentionally on a regular basis sharing a common background to build
knowledge in an implicit or explicit way.
In this power point presentation I reported on an OCop that is a social network for teachers.
Classroom 2.0 is a web based platform that promotes community online knowledge building and
sharing for educational professional development. It is a peer-to-peer virtual network where
teachers may engage one another in topics that concern their educational endeavors. It was a
good project but adding the audio presented some problems, but a great skill builder for my
future professional endeavors as well. Also, the theory of MOOCs was discussed and some class
members signed up on a MOOC website in order to review and explore the site. I do think that
MOOCs will affect the future of how we view online education, its structure and context of how
we facilitate learning in the future.

Weeks 10-11 Module 5: Best Practices: Theory, Policy, and the DE Organization
Objectives:

Discuss the range of best practices in online teaching and learning as theory moves into
practice.

Discuss how theory does (or does not) inform policy in the DE organization.

Create a set of best practices in online teaching and learning that is informed by theory
and is appropriate for a specific educational organization.

In applying Best Practices models for online teaching and learning the appropriate specifics for
any educational organization should be: (Harasim, 2012) Chapter 8

To meet the needs of the target group of students;

Offer a wide range of courses that may not be available in the traditional format;
For K-12 offer advanced placement or college-based courses;
Permit students who failed a course to re-take that course again;
Reduce scheduling conflicts that will permit course availability at all time

The pedagogical best practices should be promoted as the teacher serving as a facilitator, in a
learner-centered course context with fully online and blended courses (Harasim, 2012).
In this module I will do another power point presentation implementing the Storyboard
presentation as an outline for Best Practices.
I will continue to add my reflective thoughts for this Module after I submit my final presentation.