Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary Students and Challenges Encountered in Online Learning
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Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary Students and
Challenges Encountered in Online Learning
21 May 2016
Presented by Diana T. Mackiewicz, M.EdEagle Hill School, Hardwick, Massachusetts, US
www.ehs1.org
Dynamic Teachers, Motivated Students
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Blended Online instruction provides a strong and reliable method for development of computer readiness and student-professor relationship building.
This is especially important when instructing emerging secondary and postsecondary students.
Diana T. Mackiewicz, M.Ed.
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The Study• Students were first observed in my 2014-
2015 Blended Online class on Terrorism Counter-terrorism (TCT) for their overall computer readiness skills to:
• organize, • efficiently handle, • cope with deadlines
within a blended online course model.• The study was then planned and in 2015-
2016 it was carried out on 33 students enrolled in the TCT Class.
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary Students and Challenges Encountered in Online Learning
What is Blended Online?
• Blended Online classes are face-to-face supervised instruction and remaining course material is completed online. This model has progressed into the: Flipped classroom, Station-Rotation, and Lab-Rotation Models. In all the above models, the student is supervised in class and completes less supervised work online.Image from
http://www.globalenglish.com/why_PEBS/blended_learning 4
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Distance Online and MOOC
• Majority of online class experience is done through a school or university as the support for the class.
• Classes are presented synchronously or asynchronously contingent upon instructor and the curriculum
• MOOC: Massive Online Open Course, offered by hundreds of universities worldwide and are usually free to low cost to the public; EdX, Coursera, Future Learn
• MIT pioneered Open Course Ware and were the first largest university to sponsor MOOC, by 2012 MIT built the renown EdX MOOC program.
MOOC in Mexico
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Challenges Encountered in Online Learning
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Telefonica: largest e-learning company in Spain, first in the world.
Banco Santander allied with Universia and Telefonica for eLearning.
Universia, largest network of university cooperation for eLearning in Latin America.
Three major companies listed above have allied to work with MiriadaX, second largest MOOC platform in the world, and the first one in Spanish; 56 universities in 11 countries, over 305 courses located on the platform. http://noticias.universia.net.mx/educacion/noticia/2015/10/16/1132531/telefonica-santander-impulsam-
educacion-digital-mexico.html
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Student Decisions• Eligibility requirements• “Personal Readiness”• Access to Internet: 24 hours or less, wi-fi, satellite ??• Personalized Learning Needs, • Quality content relevant to their studies• Quality choices based on providers for the
content material• Overall assessment and accountability for
the classes
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Student learned how to identify: • Labels, • Symbolism, • Analogy, and• Irony
then write a meaning for the cartoon. All information was written in a Word or Google Doc. Student directed to save each cartoon in their digital folder for the TCT class, and then send assignment as an email attachment to instructor. Students were reminded once weekly on the school portal (website) each week.
21 Day Independent Project : political cartoons about ISIS and terrorism .
The Study at Eagle Hill School
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The other part of the study……
In order to compare student independent work, they also had to complete a one night homework assignment.
• Reading for one night.• Answer 5
comprehensive questions about the reading.
• Submit answers through DROPBOX located on school website.
What do you think were the results?
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16 12th graders
6 11th graders
6 10th graders
5 9th graders
Primary Diagnosis Students per diagnosisADHD 10ADHD-Inattentive 14ADHD-Combined 4Dyslexia 2Mixed Receptive Expressive Disorder 1Specific Learning Disability 1General Anxiety Disorder 1
Total 33 Students enrolled in classes
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Breakdown of 33 students involved in the study
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary Students and Challenges Encountered in Online Learning
Diagnosis Class ONE Class TWO Class THREE Class FOUR Class FIVE
ADHD 3 1 3 4 1ADHD-Inattentive. 4 5 2 1 1ADHD-Combined 1 2 Dyslexia 1 1 Mixed Receptive Expressive Disorder
1
Specific Learning Disability
1
General Anxiety Disorder
1
Total 7 8 6 8 4
Class breakdown by student learning diagnosis
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Early Submittal
On-Time Submittal
1-Day Late 2-Days late Partial Completion
13.79% 55.17% 20.69% 20.69% 3.45%
4 students 16 students 6 students 6 students 1 student
Results for 21-Day Project given in % and student amount*These results are from total population of N=33
The 21-Day Project indicated for 55.17% that they could (1)organize their work time, (2)complete assignments on time and (3)email documents as attachments.
All students managed emails and attachments, which take more time to achieve and keep organized.
All students received the same weekly reminder.
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary Students and Challenges Encountered in Online Learning
ADHD (10 Students)
ADHD-Inattentive (14)
ADHD-Combined (4)
Dyslexia (2)
Mixed Receptive Expressive Dis. (1)
Specific Learning Diagnosis (1)
General Anxiety Disorder (1)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
6
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
21 Day Independent Project Results
Partial Assignment Completion
2 Days Late
1-Day Late
On-time
Early
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Results for One-Day Homework assignment in % and student amount*These results are from total population of N=33.
On-Time Submittal
1- Day late 2- Day late Never Completed HW
82.76% 17.24% 6.90% 6.90%
24 students 5 students 2 students 2 students
The One-Day Homework Assignment indicated for 82.76% that they could (1)complete the homework and (2)submit it through the DROPBOX (online submittal).
The results indicate further that there was a fast turnaround on homework that required less time to organize; and simpler cognitive functions involved that required reading and answering questions for comprehension.No time to procrastinate on a one day assignment.
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary Students and Challenges Encountered in Online Learning
ADHD (10 Students)
ADHD-Inattentive (14)
ADHD-Combined (4)
Dyslexia (2)
Mixed Receptive Expressive Dis. (1)
Specific Learning Diagnosis (1)
General Anxiety Disorder (1)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
6
11
3
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1- Day Homework Results
Never completed HW
2 days late
One day late
One day HW/on-time
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Conclusions on StudyThe Blended Online class provided a learning platform to observe students and their potential computer readiness skills. Success requires a student to develop and cope with the following issues:
1. Time, 2. Technology, 3. Advocacy, 4. Completion and an ability to 5. Communicate with the instructor via email in a
timely manner and to contact instructors during office hours, etc.
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Students at Eagle Hill School displayed a growing propensity and interest for an online class and possibilities for future success in this learning environment.
The role of the learner was paramount to their success.
Students challenged by (1)organization and (2)completion of schoolwork and assignments with a (3)lack of commitment to time management will need further practice.
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Recommendations:Student’s learning style reviewed in relation to relevant factors of an online class.1. Novice students may want to hold off on
entering an online class until their computer readiness skills are improved.
2. Students that feel stronger in a class where there is a face-to-face presence with faculty and peers may consider not taking an online class.
3. Reinforce the importance of time-management skills when enrolled in an online class.
Consider online classes of low credit value but high computer experience value: MOOC, Khan Academy, etc..1.Ready to invest the time but not the
money, then consider the MOOC options in your area and language: Coursera, largest MOOC in the world followed by MiriadaX, 2nd largest and in Spanish; EdX out of MIT; Future Learn from the UK, etc.
2.Consider the MOOC classes an investment in building the skills needed to manage an online class successfully.
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Encourage students to use all devices for schoolwork and not just cellphones.