Building a Virtual Learning Environment

   

 

Building a Virtual Learning Environment
Participants will understand: 1. The importance of discussing and sharing practical learning strategies with colleagues. 2. Sharing interpretations of concepts and or processes with others often helps to clarify and deepen understanding. 3. A virtual classroom can be useful for providing a visual representation (similar to a story board) of course content and expectations for student‐to‐student, student‐to‐instructor, and student‐to‐content interactions. 4. A virtual classroom provides an alternative platform for presenting course content that can be utilized as a supplement to face to face instruction. Related Misconceptions:
1.    Online learning environments cannot effectively facilitate learning.  2.    Students and teachers cannot effectively communicate in a virtual learning environment.  3.    Issues surrounding technology management tend to make its use more distracting than  beneficial. 


 

Essential Questions
Overarching Questions: 1. How can the increased use of social networks be used by educators to build virtual learning communities?

Topical Questions: 1. How can a virtual learning environment be used to supplement the face‐to‐face learning experience? 2. How can designing and organizing a virtual learning environment facilitate instructional design?





 
 

     

Performance Task Create a Virtual Learning Environment (individual/paired activity)
Designing Performance Assessments – GRASPS Model
Goal: Participants will recognize the value to both students and teachers of collecting resources in a virtual classroom for greater accessibility by students. Role: The participant’s role is to observe the learning environment from both the student and teacher perspective. Audience: The target audience will be the students assigned to an active class section. Situation: The challenge is to create an effective virtual learning environment. Product Performance and Purpose: The product will be the learning environment built by the participants during the workshop. Focus will be on determining essential elements and a list of learning objects to be added in ongoing development. Standards and Criteria for Success: The environment should be user friendly (easy to navigate, free of careless errors (i.e. dates)); provide alternative accessibility to classroom resources generally provided during face‐to‐face interaction. The performance tasks address the following standard(s): Communication and Collaboration Use of digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. a. Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

 

Six Facets of Understanding 

The performance tasks address the following facet(s) of understanding: Application – use LMS tools to build an effective virtual learning environment Interpretation – consider the design elements required for an effective learning environment Perspective – evaluate the learning environment from both student and instructor viewpoints Empathy ‐ give careful consideration to meeting the student’s needs. Self‐knowledge ‐ reflect on the virtual learning experience

   

 

The rubric included will be used to assess the following performance tasks:   Managing Course Content

 
Performance Task:
 

   

1. Based upon the content generally made accessible to students in your face-to-face class section, develop a list of essential course content that you would like to make accessible in a corresponding online classroom section.

 
2. Using the designer tools” provided in the Learning Management System (LMS), select the tools that are best suited for displaying or presenting each of your content items.
 

 

3. Submit your list in a simple 2-column format displaying a brief description of the content item to be posted and the selected tool required to make it accessible in your online section. Submit your list to the instructor as an email attachment.   Creating & Posting Discussion Questions

 
Performance Task: Set up a discussion area in the LMS section of your personal class section. Include at least 1 discussion question that is similar to what you would typically use in face-to-face discussion.

 
Creating & Posting Assignments

 
Performance Task:

 
1. Based upon the assignments generally assigned to students in your face-to-face class section, create an assignment and post it in your online class section.

 
2. Include the name and a brief description of the assignment.
 

 

3. If necessary, attach a file containing the details of the assignment using the attachment option in the LMS.
 

       

Creating a Unit Overview Page

 
Use the LMS to create an HTML/web page Performance Task – Create a Unit Overview Page:
1. In your personal class section, create a unit overview page (an html/webpage) which briefly outlines the unit content, goals, objectives, and directions to the students. In other words, imagine that you are the student and present the information in a way that you think your students will be able to easily follow. 2. In the header area, it is best practice to always include class/section specific information (i.e. course name, section number or class time, and instructor’s name. 3. Add links to any instructional resources. 4. In the footer area, you may want to always include contact information (i.e. office location, office hours, classroom, email, and/or phone)

(Discussion icon) Journal Activity (Self-Reflection) – In the workshop section, post your response to the discussion board topic "Do the benefits offered by providing online resources to support face-to-face instruction make it worth the time investment?
 

 
*Participants have the option of working individually or in pairs. Review the assignment rubric to ensure that all criteria are met.

 
 



       

 





 

0
Unwilling to experiment using an online communication platform.

1
Exhibits a willingness to   try using a virtual learning environment as an alternative platform for presenting/sharing ideas.

Score

       

   
Technology Skills

0
The final product demonstrates a lack of effort to effectively use a LMS tool.

1

Overall

Creating a Virtual Learning Environment

2

3
The final product   demonstrates an ability to effectively use 3 or more LMS tools.

Score

The final product The final product demonstrates an ability demonstrates an ability to to effectively use 1 LMS effectively use 2 LMS tools. tool.

 

 
Content

1
Participant included elements but with no clear instructional objectives.

2
Participant demonstrated critical thinking in determining essential elements to be included in the learning environment.

3
Participant demonstrated critical thinking in determining essential elements to be included in the learning environment. Elements are included that intentionally address multiple learning styles.

Score
 

 
Effective Presentation

 

1
Participant does not recognize the value of evaluating user experience.

2
Participant demonstrates an ability to evaluate user experience from the instructor perspective.

3
Participant demonstrates an ability to evaluate user experience from both the student and instructor perspectives.

Score
 

 

                         

 
Grammar/Spelling

0
Numerous errors found in grammar, spelling or usage that distract the reader.

1
A few errors found in grammar, spelling or usage that distract the reader.

2
No errors found in grammar, spelling or usage that distract the reader.

Score
 

 

Total Score

/12