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Distance COLA:
Collaborative Online Learning Algorithm
Interactive learning can occur any time with two or more people. Before our electronic era, most professors engaged learners in discussion within our small classroom groupings. (Try to make separate points for emphasis/clarity?) Two-way radio and interactive television opened additional vistas with participation from widely separated home communities. However, learning from conversation is one thing while learning from reading what others say is quite another, since ideas in writing allow re-reading and reflection over time, while talk is often mis-remembered. In early days, written work was copied and exchanged within one classroom, taken home, read and considered for later class discussion. With distance learning radio and television sites, the fax machine and photocopier allowed similar though more costly and cumbersome swapping.
The dam broke with interactive online software as floods of new options became available for those willing to get wet anytime, from anywhere, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My syllabi, readings and assignments are now online or linked to my website [see below for URL address]. This summer 250 students posted thoughts on their assigned readings, commented on each other's posts, and updated their written thoughts at least three times a week for ten weeks. As we end the course, there are 12,000 posts, or an average of 48 per student, well above the required 30. As expected, none are fully alike in length, style or quality, but their number and solid content reveal extensive, enthusiastic engagement and some clear indications of definable learning. Frequent practice at repetition-variation over time is vital in developing growth in online skills.
I offer two types of courses: Comparative Arts and Ideas, in which we examine one story through the varied ways it is told in many distinctive art forms at different times, and Regional Arts and Cultures, where we explore many different arts in development from one cultural region. In both I set up a dozen areas to consider in an order of ascending complexity. All students interact over those in the required three online steps after reading the assignments. The courses are each different, but the teaching-learning pattern remains similar.
First, each learner writes an explanation of the posted assignment as they understand it. Second, they read each other's initial compositions, and learn how others perceive variously, select different items as important, and see what others miss and vice versa --- no one gets it all, even on the third time around. Each learner then considers the many differences, and writes an update expanding on their earlier view. Third, they repeat that step, read many expanded updates and write another. They also keep notes on what and how they learned, paying attention to their learning preferences, ways and styles. I ask them to consider how they may take charge of their future learning with a goal of self-direction in learning for the rest of their lives.
I use six learning models in my courses:
1) How Change unfolds;
2) Aspects of Bias;
3) Components and Techniques within the specific subject areas;
4) A Ladder of many levels for inquiry into a topic;
5) Evaluating Information Sources and Authors;
6) Schools of Thought and how they shape interpretation. All six models interrelate and build on each other, as becomes ever-more apparent through the course.
We begin the first weekly step with the Change Model called the Hexadigm. We examine change through Cultural Sequences, Mutual Influences, Regional Diversities and Modernizing Technologies, considering effects upon our Expanding Comprehensions and Revised Interpretations as well as how these components continually and mutually interlace. Each learner writes three posts and comments on work by others, and in the process they develop acquaintance with each other's views and share personal information. This starts everyone off on the same foot, giving them a basis for focused discussion and precipitates interaction with a (cross out the "a"?) thought-provoking reading.
In week two each learner selects a topic to study for the semester: dance, sky stories, painting, history, trade, religion, animal lore, healing, and two-dozen others. They create an overview of their topic by imagining what happened within each of the parts of the change model, thereby establishing a deductive overview from their prior knowledge and reasoning around the six-part structure provided. They must not look anything up or research their selected topic until after they have taken this step. Some tell me they feared "getting it wrong" and "fudged a bit," even though they were amazed at how they could apply the model from prior experience.
During each subsequent week they individually and in group pursue their diverse topics using the assigned academic step. In week three they gather their information sources from library, web, interviews, museums and other diverse sources, gaining a wide spectrum of views and databases. In week four they examine the potential slants and biases of each of their sources and authors. In week five they look for several different levels of inquiry about their topic: literal, informational, structural, imagistic, cultural, symbolic, consequential, and so on. Week six focuses upon the topic through it various components, techniques and functions. Weeks seven and eight are devoted to analysis of the sources of information and various ways they explain the topic. The next three weeks explore their topic through early schools of thought, through 19th and early 20th century schools and with our global and post-modern schools.
Week by week and focused upon the assigned activity, the students present their findings about their topic. Thus all learn about many individual topics while coming to see the parallels and divergences academic inquiry across many fields as well as the differences and cultural contexts. They then develop a "talking play" in which six or more characters representing different Schools of Thought debate their respective views and interpretations on the topic --- this is clearly the high point of the course, with some works being highly imaginative, humorous and incisive, as well as enjoyable and clarifying.
Interpersonal interaction is extensive and demonstrates the high degrees of personal intimacy that can be attained online. In part this results from my having eliminated competition. I do this by giving each a grade of A at the start, which they then keep by showing development and growth weekly. The ten criteria I use are:
(1) knowledge,
(2) arts terminology,
(3) arts component relationships,
(4) information source skills,
(5) author and source evaluation,
(6) analysis and synthesis,
(7) explaining causes and relationships,
(8) writing and posting,
(9) online discussion, and
(10) constructive helpfulness.
There is no curve, which reduces pressure, focuses on improvement in learning, gives hope to those who have previously done poorly, creates a community which fosters mutual helping and encouragement, demonstrates trust and confidence in them as capable learners, and evokes pride, confidence and integrity in their efforts.
During the final weeks they summarize and synthesize for each other what they consider is important about their topic. They comment and respond to each other syntheses, and then evaluate the course, their own work and offer some predictions about where their topic may be going. This is accomplished interactively online, while collegiality and friendship develop among many who never see each other in person. As the professor, I read all new posts each day, respond to questions, comment where I feel it is necessary, intervene when I should, and generally stay out of the way so as to let students develop, make mistakes, regroup and move ahead.
We talk extensively about the processes. Students find it easy to distinguish between
(1) sitting at the foot of the master and being given the lesson (TEACHING),
(2) personally going out to find information through inquiry and tools (LEARNING), and
(3) conversing or debating with others on a topic leading to their individual and group insights or "AHAs"..... (INTERACTION).
We definitely get better at doing this year by year, and learners who return for additional courses with me leap online to help and encourage first-timers. I believe it will continue to develop as more become used to using computers for online learning. It is clearly the most rewarding and productive teaching or fostering of learning I have ever experienced as I begin my fifty-second year of teaching.
About the Author:
Guy Bensusan, Ph.d., Senior Faculty Associate for NAUNet, Online Learning and Interactive Television, and Professor, Department of Humanities, Arts & Religion, NAU-Mohave, 1971 Jagerson Ave, Kingman AZ 86401.
Phone: 928-757-0818; FAX: 928-757 0811; email: guy.bensusan@nau.edu
Cell phone: 928-606-4127
URLs: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~hgb/drguy.html, http://www.nau.edu/webct