Teaching Convergence in 21st Century Undergraduate Agricultural Communication: A Pilot Study of Backpack Multimedia Kits in a Blended, Project-Based Learning Course

Twenty-first century agricultural communication students are expected to have an increasingly diverse set of skills when they graduate.Expertise is expected in: writing, editing, design, marketing, media relations, event planning, interpersonal communication, digital development, e-publications, online video, mobile applications, podcasting, and social media.This expansion of needed skills is due in no small part to the proliferation of communication channels and convergence of media platforms today. In order to continue preparing students for professions in agricultural communication, it is imperative that the curricula reflect current industry needs and available technology. In this article, one approach for expanding curricula to incorporate these newer technologies by implementing backpack multimedia journalism kits for science communication is discussed. The kits were developed to address these criteria: 1) students needed opportunities to gain a variety of broad technological skills, 2) the technology had to be mobile and cost effective, and 3) the technology needed to be able to produce a variety of content across a variety of platforms. The mobile multimedia kits included iPad-minis and video accessories. Through an agricultural communication blended-learning, project-based undergraduate course, the authors tested the effectiveness of the kits, as well as researched students’ perceptions and experiences with the course design and mobile communication technologies. The results of the study showed students valued the selected technology and gained targeted video production skills. Although students’ liked the course design, they experienced challenges with course requirements, time management, and using the technological audio recording components

An Expert Instructor’s Use of Social Congruence, Cognitive Congruence, and Expertise in an Online Case-Based Instructional Design Course

Promoting and sustaining effective discussion—that which contributes to learning—is a skill that eludes many instructors (Darling-Hammond, 2008; Ge, Yamashiro, & Lee, 2000). This study explored the role and strategies of an expert instructor in an online advanced instructional design (ID) course that utilized a case-based learning (CBL) approach. Discussion posts, as well as interview data, were analyzed and coded to explore how the instructor utilized three strategies noted as being critical to students’ learning during problem-centered discussions: social congruence, cognitive congruence, and content expertise (Schmidt & Moust, 1995; Yew & Yong, 2014). Results showed that facilitation choices were made with course goals in mind: modeling the case analysis process and improving students’ ID problem solving. All three strategies were used frequently during discussion facilitation. Strategies tended to be implemented in clusters, with social congruence strategies appearing in every post but four. Implications are discussed for utilizing a combination of these facilitation strategies, in a dynamic manner, within a case-based context

Beyond the foundations: the role of vision and belief in teachers' preparation for integration of technology

Discussion of the successful adoption and use of information technology in education focuses on teacher's personal philosophical beliefs and how they influence the successful integration of technology. Highlights include beliefs and teacher behavior; changing teachers' beliefs; and using technology to affect change in teachers' visions and beliefs

Online courses: models and strategies for increasing interaction

[Abstract]: Online courses may appear to be similar to one another because they use a common set of tools to present material in web pages and provide facilities for discussion. However, the ways in which the tools are used can result in quite different experiences for course participants. This session will draw on experiences from the Master of Education program at the University of Southern Queensland and the Education Technology graduate program at Purdue University. Examples of different course models - print plus, substantive conversation, performance coaching, virtual seminar, online conference and simulation - that can be created using the common tools will be presented and discussed. Strategies for initiating, sustaining and concluding meaningful online discussions in the contexts of these models will also be presented

Commentary for the Special Issue: PBL Scholarship: Building on the Educational Vision of Howard Barrows

In this commentary, I discuss each of the seven articles included in this special issue, which, as a collection, honor the impact of Howard Barrows’ vision on the scholarship and practice of problem-based learning (PBL). Collectively, these articles represent a variety of contexts, content areas, delivery formats, and structures in PBL implementations and research. Each article is examined and evaluated for specific information that practitioners and researchers may use in their future PBL efforts

Jumping the PBL Implementation Hurdle: Supporting the Efforts of K–12 Teachers

While problem-based learning (PBL) has a relatively long history of successful use in medical and pre-professional schools, it has yet to be widely adopted by K–12 teachers. This may be due, in part, to the numerous challenges teachers experience when implementing PBL. In this paper, we describe specific hurdles that teachers are likely to encounter during the implementation process and provide specific suggestions for supporting teachers’ classroom efforts. Implementation challenges relate to 1) creating a culture of collaboration and interdependence, 2) adjusting to changing roles, and 3) scaffolding student learning and performance. By supporting teachers’ initial and ongoing efforts, we anticipate that more teachers will recognize the potential of PBL as an effective instructional approach for developing learners who are flexible thinkers and successful problem solvers