Learning management systems: are online students at a disadvantage?

Learning management systems are the wave of the future. With distance education on the rise, many learning management systems such as Vista and Blackboard Learn (BBLearn) have allowed for not only distance education to have its own classroom but also allowed for hybrid students to become familiar and aware of the possibilities of online education.

For some schools, learning management systems are not widely used; however, instructors are creating websites and using them to present information to students. Other schools have adopted using a learning management system such as Vista, BBLearn, or their own type of Virtual Campus. Whether a school chooses to use an instructor made website or popular learning management system, there are pros and cons.

I have been fortunate enough to experience the best and worst of each online learning environment. During my undergraduate studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio, I had instructors use their own personal websites to share class material and as a collaborative learning area for students wanting to continue discussion outside of class. This being my first introduction to any form of online learning, I was hesitant to jump in and take charge of my own learning. Neither was it a requirement nor as established form of collaboration with other students and the instructor in order to pass the class. It was simple enough to download class materials, print, and take it to class when needed, but when it came to collaboration, postings were similar to leaving a comment on a blog. Very few of my instructors looked toward hybrid learning as a teaching method, and thus my experience with online learning was cut short.

After graduating with a BA in English in 2005, I entertained the possibility of returning to school for a higher degree, but at the time, local universities were not offering a degree in which I was interested. I began to weigh the pros and cons of the degree I really wanted to the degrees in which I has access and came across a revelation: distance learning. Online universities such as Walden and University of Phoenix were widely advertised, but to me, they did not seem credible. After many hours of online research, I was able to come across a distance learning program at Northern Arizona University. NAU offered everything I wanted: my degree of choice and the time and flexibility to attend class from the comfort of my own home (especially since I live in Texas). With this new experience I was introduced to Vista as my classroom. In the beginning, I was nervous to learn in an online environment with a system that I was unfamiliar with no orientation or how-to guide. I needed to explore the system and learn how to use the classroom on my own. Thankfully, I am a self-learner and am determined to learn on my own terms. But, it makes me think about students who are not familiar with Vista—did I not have a “how-to” guide because I was a distance learner? Do students enrolled in a hybrid class have an orientation on how to use the system? In my opinion, students are put at a disadvantage for not being given instruction on how to enter their classroom. From the beginning, unless you are familiar with Vista, you, as a student, are already at a disadvantage.

NAU has since stopped using Vista as their main learning management system and has switched to BBLearn. In many ways, this system allows for better group collaboration with the use of chat rooms, but at the same time, the class toolbar is set up by the instructor. Instead of an easy click on the toolbar for My Grades or Mail, many pages need to be scrolled through unless the instructor has placed this on the toolbar.

Distance education is on the rise all across the world and it is important for everyone to have the knowledge and expertise in learning management systems prior to enrolling in an online class. Vista and Blackboard Learn seem to be a fundamentally and commonly used management system across higher education. With that, intuitions should have “how-to” guides for students first enrolling in online education. Without the technology of how to work the classroom, the potential to succeed becomes limited.

Benefits and challenges to personal websites and electronic portfolios in the academic and career field

I work for an art and design career college where students can earn an Associate of Applied Science or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design or Fashion Design and Merchandising. Students are required to take a portfolio class where they fine tune their work for presentation to possible employers. In the past, Graphic Design students only had to present fifteen of their best pieces in printed form while the Fashion Design students needed only to have photos of their designs ready to be shown. Now, all students—Graphic Design and Fashion Design enrolled in either the Associate of Applied Science or Bachelor of Fine Arts program—are required to not only present their best pieces in printed format and photos but also have a digital portfolio available for possible employers on a CD and through a website that students must create and maintain. As a current student, and even after graduation, the school offers free web space for the student to use. The domain name will include the name of the school and students are highly encouraged to purchase their own domain name and find web hosting of their own to better advertise their work. Students who do not successfully complete a digital portfolio and maintain a website with access to their portfolio but have all the other necessary requirements receive a failing grade and are unable to graduate. In some cases, this seems like a harsh punishment for students, but in reality, if students graduate with a weak portfolio it not only puts students at a disadvantage, but it also makes the school look bad. Employers will begin to wonder why a student was able to graduate if he/she is unable to present their work in a presentable manner.

For many students in the art and design field, a digital portfolio is a must, but what about students majoring in Science or English? Can websites and electronic portfolios really assist these students in finding a job? In some ways, I think they do, but in other ways, I think they can hinder someone in finding a job. For example, what would a Biology major include on their website? Unless they have completed research and include links to their published work, what else would they include? An employer many not be as impressed at a Biology major having an electronic portfolio or website. I can see benefits for an English major having a website to promote their writings if they were looking to be published; however, this can lead to people possibly stealing their work and publishing it themselves.

For academic purposes, I feel that having a professional website is important. For students enrolled in distance education, instructors will be able to get a feel for who a student is and can build a rapport with a student through the student’s website. Other students and classmates can also learn more about each other by viewing past work and current work; however, this may also lead to plagiarism opportunities. When the internet is involved, contributors and participants need to be cautious about what is presented and available. Some universities that ask students to have an electronic portfolio or a website offer free web space and only allow those on the specific network to gain access to the a certain electronic portfolio/website. In some ways this is great—especially for those weary of putting their work online—and in other ways this does not allow the world to see what you are capable in your line of work.

One large challenge that needs to be overcome is fear of the internet. The internet is a great invention that will open the door of opportunity for you in many ways. Once you come to that realization, media avenues such as electronic portfolios and personal websites can help you achieve your career goals.

Hybrid learning; bridging the gap between the past and future

As a teacher, I have been faced with many different challenges in the classroom, but I have yet to experience the joys of teaching an online class. I have been fortunate enough to experience distance education by earning a Master of Arts in English degree entirely online, and I am lucky enough to work on a second Master of Education in Educational Leadership online. Without distance education, I would not have had the opportunities to learn in a non-traditional way. I have obtained experiences through my distance learning experiences that have taught me the dos and don’ts of online learning. If students are not ready to take an entire course online, he/she should be given the opportunity to experience distance education through the means of a hybrid class. By definition, a hybrid class is a blend of both worlds: face-to-face and online instruction. Students are given the opportunity to learn about their unique learning style and learn what is best for them.

Hybrid learning is a learning experience not just for the student but also for the teacher. A portion of class instruction needs to occur online which means reduced interaction in the classroom. As a result, it is important for instructors to be fully prepared with answers to questions from students that may arise through the class. Complete online learning is a scary concept to many students, but with the creation of hybrid learning, students are able to experience the online environment without the fear of being completely lost in a sea of names in an online class.

At first, students may be skeptical about online learning; therefore, it will be essential to slowly introduce online learning aspects of a class to students. Students who need a teacher-centered learning environment may feel over-whelmed and scared about the lack of teacher support in the virtual classroom. With technology on the rise, more and more higher education institutions are leaning toward distance education and more and more primary and secondary schools are looking toward the internet to help introduce collaborative learning in the classroom. Younger students are better prepared to learn via technology than current students enrolled in a higher education institution. In order to help pave the way for a transformation of distance education in the future, hybrid learning should be a requirement not online in higher education institutions but also in secondary education.

Veteran instructors are skeptical about the effectiveness of online education, but in reality, they are skeptical about their effectiveness to teach in an online environment. With the creation of the internet and other technological advances, education will be constantly changing. With that, education for those educating our future needs to have the proper education not only in their subject matter but also with technology and its ever changing status. In order for this to be achieved, time and money need to be invested in continuing education for current teachers as well as in the technology that will be used in the classroom.

Hybrid learning is the current gateway to opening the doors to the future. In the not so distant future, distance learning will outweigh traditional learning methods. In order for teachers and students to be familiar and comfortable with the idea of online learning, hybrid learning needs to have a more significant role in the classroom. Hybrid learning is the bridge that will get us to the new advancement in education: distance learning.

Distance learning...friend of foe?

Distance education is a great advancement in education today. It allows for busy students to have the opportunity to earn a degree on their own time. It also allows students to enter a new realm of education, allowing them to meet new people from different walks of life. One great thing I love about distance education is the freedom to complete my work on my own time—there is no need to drive to campus, battle other students in the parking lot for a great spot, or to sit in class for hours on end for 16 weeks. Instead, I can log into class while sitting in bed in my pajamas at 2 in the morning free from the judgment of others. I live in Texas, and the local universities did not have a graduate level degree in which I wanted to study. Thus, I made my way to the computer and found Northern Arizona University (NAU). I have already completed one Master degree with them and am working on my second. With a full-time job and a 17 month old daughter, distance learning is the right fit for me. Now, there are some disadvantages to distance education. For starters, I have no idea who my classmates or instructors are. To me, they are just a name—I have no face or voice to put with it. Even though I tend to be a very shy person, this disadvantage is not necessarily a bad one. Online, I am more open to stating, or shall I say writing, what I feel and think. In the classroom setting, I tend to not speak up and present another point of view in fear of conflict, but online, I am willing and ready to get my point across.

When I first started my online education in 2007, many people asked me two things: (1) Will I earn a real degree and (2) are the assignments I submit actually my real work. Of course I would be earning a real degree. NAU is not a degree mill—in fact, I was thrilled to attend the campus for graduation in 2008 and was able to put a face to a name (finally) with many of my instructors and classmates. How could anyone believe that I could get sucked into an online degree mill scam? The thought of it was highly outlandish. This is not to say that degree mills are not out there because they are, and many people receive a degree from them believing they have an authentic degree from an accredited degree granting school.

To this day, I could not even imagine completing an online degree, or any degree for that matter, using someone else work. How would I be able to live with myself if the work submitted wasn’t created by me? But as this question was being asked to me on several different occasions, the thought that people out there completed an online degree in this manner became more and more apparent. The internet has a plethora of information at our fingertips allowing easy access for students to find and use information to their advantage. Thankfully, sites like Turn It In help instructors identify non-original work.

The student population is increasing on a yearly basis, and online education is a means to help control over growth of college campuses. Adult learners are eager to earn a degree but have many job and family obligations making it difficult for them to attend class on a daily or bi-weekly basis. Online learning may require significant amounts of technology skills and, in the end, take up more time for the learning process, but it is an option that students have rather than the traditional method of learning. Distance learning is not for everyone, but for those to which it appeals, it is one of the greatest advancements in not only technology but also education.

Collaborative Learning and Technolgy

One of the challenges for today’s teacher is how to engage a student in the learning process. Teachers are encouraged to use real world examples as an engagement tool. While such engagement is a product of the industrial era, today’s teacher is expected to use social media such as Twitter and Facebook as well as instructional technologies as Smart Boards or iPADs.

The concept is a simple one: such engagement permits all students to contribute to not only their learning process but also the community’s. For example, in a traditional classroom, a teacher would call on a student. If a class is 50 minutes and you had 20 students, then you would have two minutes of one-on-one student engagement with each individual student (40 minutes total) leaving 10 minutes for other activity. In comparison, collaborative learning would bring the entire class up-to-speed without leaving anyone behind. Likewise, getting feedback through the use of a Responder (for an example, see http://www.itate-solutions.com/edu-solutions/iresponse-classroom-responder-system/) allows for immediate feedback from every student. A responder system can include the use of an internet service: the on-line quiz is available to all at any time. Hence, the teacher is able to involve those who could not make it to class.

An additional feature of using social media is feedback to the student. At a click of the button, the student is also able to get feedback. Likewise, the student is able to use resources without leaving the classroom. Rather than being limited to the local library, the student now has the advantage of using resources from additional sources. The caveat is that the student must validate the resource rather than accepting that everything published on the WWW is authentic.

With the creation of the internet, the rules to research have changed: there is an unlimited amount of information at anyone’s finger tips; and this can lead to plagiarism. Students need to now learn how to research using the internet and learn what a trusted site is. Many students try to find the simple way out and use the first site in a Google search. More often than not, the first website available to students in a Google search is Wikipedia. Students, sometimes, need to learn the hard way that even though this site can provide logical and trustworthy information, this site should never be referenced in an academic paper.

If a teacher calls on one student, then that one student may or may not be put on-the-spot depending on whether or not the student knows the answer. In addition, such an engagement may be a positive or negative reinforcement practice. If I am an extrovert, then I may feel good about the learning process. If I am an introvert, then I may be less likely to enjoy the class. I may also have difficulty speaking in a group setting.

Collaborative learning allows students to build on each other’s strengths. For example, one student may know how to publish a video on the internet while another may know how to present the video’s theme using animation. Collaborative learning is enhanced in this manner by not only involving the group but also allowing individual creativity. Individual creativity can bloom a thousand times over when students are allowed to use technology to enhance their learning.

Collaborative learning through social media allows the boundaries of the classroom to either be local or world-wide. For example, a music score can be published with contributions from many students from many nations (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTOmYLTitGg. Uploaded by GlobalSeisun on Aug 1, 2009). In this case, 17 individuals from 7 nations made a “song” called Freilach. This type of collaborative learning not only takes place in the classroom but also allows for students to work with others around the world to enhance diversity and teach valuable team building skills.

With technology on the rise, it is no wonder that technology has a larger impact and focus in the classroom. It is important for students to learn how technology works but also to learn to be weary of the information presented. In the future, I believe technology will overtake the classroom and allow for students to become more diverse and tech savvy.

Technology Annoyances and Education

Since the day technology was created, it has been ever changing. There is always a new and better version of pieces of technology available. Case in point, I downloaded a new version of iTunes onto to my computer last week; today, I was prompted to download yet another new version of iTunes. How is possible for another new version of iTunes to be available within seven days? Was there something wrong with the previous version(s)? The question now arises: Do I really need to download this new version of iTunes in order for me to download music, sync my iPhone, and so forth?

I feel that Apple is one of the most annoying companies when it comes to upgrading technology (yet, I own an iPhone and an iPad). I know this seems like a contradiction, but it is what it is. Apple, every six months or so, is releasing new a new iPhone, iPad, iPod, or new iOS applications. Is this really necessary? And with every new upgrade, there is a line out the door of every Apple store and store that sells Apple products; but my question is: Is it really worth it?

I have a few family members that had to rush out and get the new iPhone 4S when it made its appearance and are not satisfied saying, the new the iPhone 4 was better. With every new Apple product that is released, there also seems to be a “glich” or some sort. Can’t the people at Apple perfect things before releasing them? What was wrong with the old iPhones anyway? What happened to the old adage: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?”

Until recently, one was unable to purchase insurance on their iPhone or other Apple products until recently. Until this new development, if the screen broke on your iPhone, one of the only solutions was to purchase a new one. With as many people vying to be a part of the Apple family, this was a great move for Apple and Apple carriers.

It seems that as technology advances, so do the viruses that can affect it just as human viruses evolve and worsen. Computer viruses are man-made and launched by man. For some people, the desire and want to take others down brings them pleasure and creating computer viruses and launching them fulfills that hole. You would think that with all the firewalls and virus protection scanners readily available, people would use them wisely, but often times, people still get the infamous blue screen or still open email attachments that hack their system.  In order for viruses to deteriorate and no longer exist, computer users need to be educated about viruses and put their new found knowledge to the test.

Technology is on the rise, and with it, more and more people should become aware of the dangers technology brings and should be knowledgeable of how to address technology related issues. Book stores may be going out of style, but those interested in technology should invest time in learning about technology before technology takes over our every day-to-day life.