Understanding Instructional Designs and Teaching Strategies of Massive Open Online Courses
American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting – Chicago, Illinois (April 18, 2015)
Presentation of a research paper: “This study examined instructional designs and teaching strategies of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), with a focus on the activities and expectations for students to complete the courses. It is hoped that such an examination will help in the development of a course taxonomy which will help learners set better expectations before they take college-level courses. This effort will also provide guidance for instructional design and technology choices beyond MOOC settings in a global learning environment, since emerging designs such as MOOCs are often designed for learners who would otherwise not having an opportunity to learn. Therefore, this taxonomy could be helpful to learners from different cultures, due to differences in language backgrounds and cultural experiences of learning.”
(co-presented with Dr. Lin Lin)
Lessons Learned While Designing and Implementing a Multiple Pathways xMOOC + cMOOC
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) 2015 conference – Las Vegas, Nevada (March 5, 2015)
Brief paper presentation: “While most Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are typically divided into xMOOCs and cMOOCs, a few instructors are already combining the two paradigms. This paper will discuss the issues surrounding the design and implementation of the edX Data, Analytics and Learning course. This course combined the instructivism of xMOOCs with the connectivism of cMOOCs. The goal of this design was to allow students to choose from multiple pathways through the content and activities. This paper focuses on lessons learned as well as how to proceed in shaping the future of this emerging course structure.”
(co-presented with Justin T. Dellinger)
Microlearning as a Tool to Engage Students in Online and Blended Learning
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) 2015 conference – Las Vegas, Nevada (March 3, 2015)
“This best practices session focuses on exploration of the topic of using microlearning in both online and blended learning environments. The session will provide a definition of microlearning as well as the creation and location of microcontent, drawing on key ideas and principles from Theo Hug (2006; 2010). According to Hug (2010), microlearning overlaps theoretically and in practice with the topic of mobile learning. Microlearning experiences, for instance, can include short bursts of asynchronous learning such as brief readings of digital text(s), a brief video segment followed by a 2-3 question quiz, or a micropodcast. Instructors can use microlearning in flexible and fluid ways within, or in addition to the regular course content. Concrete examples of microlearning from across subject areas will be explored; teaching ideas and handouts will be provided.”
(co-presented with lead author Peggy Semingson and Justin T. Dellinger)
Social Interaction and Peer Mentorship at Universities in a Post-Course Future
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) 2014 conference – Jacksonville, FL (March 19, 2014)
Presentation of brief conference paper: “While the predictions of the death of the University are premature and mostly unfounded, one of the foundational units of learning at universities – the course – may be changing. As learning becomes more student-centered, multimedia and interaction are being leveraged in deconstructed open courses to form peer mentorship networks, also known as personal learning networks. This paper will examine how these networks could be an important foundational step in moving towards a thriving student-centered, post-course future at universities. Emerging college systems that leverage personal learning networks based on interaction and multimedia will be examined.”
Leveraging Sociocultural Theory to Create a Mentorship Program for Doctoral Students
Cognition and Exploratory Learning in Digital Age (CELDA) international conference – Fort Worth, TX (October 23, 2013)
Presentation of conference paper: “This paper details a proposed doctoral student connections program that is based on sociocultural theory. It is designed to assist new students with starting their educational journey. This program is designed to leverage social interactions, peer mentorship, personal reflection, purposeful planning, and existing resources to assist students in navigating a department’s doctoral program culture.”