Discussion, cooperation and collaboration: group learning in an online translation classroom

The study is an empirical investigation into the implementation of a variety of grouplearning structures in an online translation classroom. Drawing on the academic literature in the fields of translation didactics, social constructivism and e-learning, it describes the design and implementation of an online module in economic translation at Dublin City University during the academic years 2003/4 and 2004/5. The main body of the work evaluates the comparative strengths and weaknesses of three group-learning structures implemented in the online module. These are labelled 'discussion groups', 'cooperative groups' and 'collaborative groups' respectively. A case-study approach is adopted in the study, with transcripts of online discussions representing the main data source. These are analysed using the 'Community of Inquiry' Model, a content analysis model derived from the research literature on Web-based learning. Findings from this analysis technique are triangulated with numerical measurements of student participation and online interaction, and with qualitative evaluation of student perceptions, in order to establish which task structures are most effective in promoting learning on the basis of group interaction via text-based computer conferencing. In addition, the study draws conclusions about the methodologies available for the study of group learning in an online environment, the advantages of Web-based translator training, and the disadvantages and challenges arising from such an approach. The study has a contribution to make on a number of fronts. It explores the implications of designing translation instruction for Web-based delivery, it adds to the literature on online group-learning structures, and it presents a model for instructors and researchers to investigate the quality of the educational experience in an online translation classroom

Blended Learning: Teacher Vs. Student

Project Description – Blended learning: Teacher vs. Student Blended Learning is commonly referred to as “a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through the online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path and/or pace” (Horn & Staker, 2012). This means that learning can take place virtually anywhere with increased supervision at a coffee shop, a public library, or any other educational setting that allows connectivity to the internet. The constant development of technology permits the inclusion of content through various forms of blended learning and online delivery techniques in both K-12 and higher education. Effectively arranging various methods of online learning involves considerations that traditional instruction may not require. As institutions of higher education, state departments of education, as well as K-12 educators become increasingly familiar with innovative blended learning initiatives, the need for modern strategies to design and deliver quality instruction is evident. Therefore, educators capable of implementing successful online instructional strategies are becoming increasingly essential to the field of education. The blended teacher. I designed an asynchronous learning module about online teaching for Content Teaching Academy participants at James Madison University. To do this, I used gamification strategies as the framework to not only keep learners engaged, but to also enable participants to gain tools to successfully incorporate gamification into their own instruction. As the Instructional Designer, I analyzed potential needs based on the intended audience and designed unique instructional materials to accommodate for a diverse set of learners. Each concept provided in this module allowed learners to gain access to cited research, definitions, examples (using videos or images), and provided opportunities for further content exploration. A variety of strategic materials were developed which allowed content within each module to offer instruction based on various aspects of planning, implementing, and evaluating instruction. The blended student. This international, distance-education internship with Bath Spa University allowed me to collaborate with a faculty member, to redesign a module in Blackboard VLE (Minerva) intended for blended learning use. This experience enabled me to effectively redesign a Graduate level course, while collaborating with a real client, (via e-mail or Skype) on a weekly basis. As the Subject Matter Expert (SME) and the instructional designer, I immersed myself in the contents of each topic to develop appropriate course materials for international, graduate students. After conducting thorough planning procedures using the ADDIE model, not only were Instructional Design Principles applied, but effective visual design and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles were addressed as well. Various forms of multimedia were used to create seamless, engaging content to ensure learner success. Some examples of this included: creative PowerPoint presentations, Microsoft Mix, videos, and even interactive simulations. In these cases, modules were utilized to increase the rigor of learning content using diverse learning activities. These collaborative experiences empowered me to conduct my final research project based on the topic of blended learning

Teaching Environmental Management Competencies Online: Towards “Authentic” Collaboration?

Environmental Management (EM) is taught in many Higher Education Institutions in the UK. Most this provision is studied full-time on campuses by younger adults preparing themselves for subsequent employment, but not necessarily as environmental managers, and this experience can be very different from the complexities of real-life situations. This formal academic teaching or initial professional development in EM is supported and enhanced by training and continuing professional development from the major EM Institutes in the UK orientated to a set of technical and transferable skills or competencies expected of professional practitioners. In both cases there can be a tendency to focus on the more tractable, technical aspects of EM which are important, but may prove insufficient for EM in practice. What is also necessary, although often excluded, is an appreciation of, and capacity to deal with, the messiness and unpredictability of real world EM situations involving many different actors and stakeholders with multiple perspectives and operating to various agendas. Building on the work of Reeves, Herrington and Oliver (2002), we argue that EM modules need to include the opportunity to work towards the practice of authentic activities with group collaboration as a key pursuit. This paper reports on a qualitative study of our experiences with a selected sample taken from two on-line undergraduate EM modules for second and third year students (referred to respectively as Modules A and B) at the Open University, UK where online collaboration was a key component. Our tentative findings indicate that on-line collaboration is difficult to ensure as a uniform experience and that lack of uniformity reduces its value as an authentic experience. Whilst it can provide useful additional skills for EM practitioners the experience is uneven in the student body and often requires more time and support to engage with than originally planned

Experiences of learning through collaborative evaluation from a masters programme in professional education

This paper presents findings from a collaborative evaluation project within a masters programme in professional education. The project aimed to increase knowledge of research methodologies and methods through authentic learning where participants worked in partnership with the tutor to evaluate the module which they were studying. The project processes, areas of the course evaluated and the data collection methods are outlined. The findings focus on key themes from evaluating the effectiveness of using a collaborative evaluation approach, including: enhanced student engagement; creativity of the collaborative evaluation approach; equality between the tutor and students; and enhanced research skills. Discussion focuses on the outcomes and effectiveness of the project and tutor reflections on adopting a collaborative approach. This paper highlights lessons from the project relevant to those interested in staff-student partnership approaches and those facilitating postgraduate learning and teaching programmes and educational research courses

Tutor roles in collaborative group work

Collaborative assessed group work can create challenges for both students and tutors. Both the benefits and challenges of assessed group work are discussed with particular reference to the context of teacher education. The relevance of action research, the concept of living theory and the ethical nature of tutor practice in relation to group work are considered. The concept of 'role' is used to analyse aspects of tutor practice based on outcomes from an extended process of action research. A description of one role system of different tutor roles is given as a prompt for reflection and self-study

Inquiry-based learning in the arts: a meta-analytical study

This report summarises learning about inquiry-based learning (IBL) in the arts and humanities disciplines at the University of Sheffield during the period in which the Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences (CILASS) has been in operation. It draws upon impact evaluation data from curriculum development projects that have been funded by CILASS in departments in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities