Module 4

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This Structured Online Learning Environment depicts a combination of methods and theories as offered by Anderson (2008), Moller, Prestera, Harvey, Downs-Keller, and McCausland. (n.d.), and Durrington, Beryhill, and Swafford (2006).

Structure:
The main structure shows that the student is the center of the structure but sits upon a strong foundation that has been built by the university, the community, and the facilitator (teacher).

Facilitator:
The role of the facilitator is as offered by Moller, Prestera, Harvey, Downs-Keller, and McCausland. (n.d.), that of a “guide, mentor, catalyst, coach, assessment-giver, and resource-provider” (p. 20).

Medium:
Once given guidance and a starting structure by the facilitator, the student utilizes current technological tools to achieve the outcomes of learning. The list of tools reads: Multimedia, blogs, wikipages, webpages, social networking sites, discussion boards, email, chat forums, synchronous methods, and ___________

The blank line denotes that even by the time this discussion is posted, a new technological advancement might appear and should be used in lieu of blogs or wikipages. The purpose of the “Medium” box is to demonstrate that technology offers many means to reach learning outcomes that were never before available and that educational outcomes should not be limited by platforms of the past.

Activities:
The activities represent the areas as outlined by Durrington, Beryhill, and Swafford (2006) and Moller, Prestera, Harvey, Downs-Keller, and McCausland. (n.d.). They include interaction and discussion with both peers and facilitators in various modes including guided discussions, generated discussions, and informal discussions/inquiry. As well, the activities include content knowledge building as discussed by Moller, et al. (n.d.) Finally the last piece of problem solving together with all the activities culminate in an application of learning project.

Note:
1. The arrows attempt to connect all phases and the flow runs both ways.
2. The diagram is meant to look a bit 3-D, lifted off of the page. This is a subtle representation of the idea of seeing “outside of the box” or in this case “off the page.”

References

Anderson, T. (Ed.). (2008). The Theory and Practice of Online Learning (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Durington, V.A., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190-192.

Moller, Prestera, Harvey, Downs-Keller, McCausland. (n.d). Creating an Organic Knowledge-Building Environment within an Asynchronous Distributed Learning Context. [Study notes]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3206859&Survey=1&47=5050260&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1 on January 21, 2009.