Plagiarism, Detection and Prevention

Plagiarism is becoming more common in the online learning envrionment everday. As a result, the challenge of preventing plagiarism is becoming more difficult for online universities. This blog will address a series of questions related to plagiarism, detection and prevention.

1. What plagiarism detection software is available to online instructors?

One of the most widely known and used programs for detecting online plagiarism is Turntin. I am very familiar with this program becasue the online University I am enrolled in presently uses this program (Walden University). This company operates under a cloud-based program that provides several services such as checking for originality, managing submissions, evaluation of student papers online and providing writing services. After submitting a paper, the program will cross-match any submission with previous works and provide a comparison of the similarities of other work. 

2. How can the design of assessments help prevent academic dishonesty?

Todays learners are being prepared to work in all types of environments and situations. Therefore, it would be beneficial to design assessment that discourage cheating. Two suggestions for that would be to allow open-book tests or collaboration on assessments. It is important to make assessments as authentic as possible and keep in mind that traditonal exams are not the best assessments to issue in an online environment (Laureate Education Inc., 2012).

3. In an effort to reduce the opportunity for plagiarism or cheating, what facilitation do you propose to use as a current or online instructor?

It is the facilitator’s role to educate learners about copywright, fair use and plagiarism, therefore, as an online instructor I would create an activity that would assess how much learners know about plagiarism and use it as a needs assessment to determine what specific things need to be taught related to plagiarism. I would also suggest using the online libraries and writing centers that most online universities provide to students to help them with properly citing other writer’s work.

4. What additional considerations should be made to help detect or prevent cheating and plagiarism?

As an instructor it is important to get a clear understanding of the learner’s definition of cheating. Most leaners don’t consider copy and pasting from a website or reusing material from previous work plagiarism; when indeed it is. It would probably be beneficial to provide examples of what plagiarism and cheating looks like so that the learner will have no excuse if cheating occurs. 

References:

http://turnitin.com/en_us/about-us/our-company

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Plagiarism and cheating. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Impact of Technology on Adult Learning

There is much to be desired about the traditional way of learning. However, the impact of technology on adult learning has transformed the way learners receive and output knowledge. For example, Web 2.0 Technologies (technology that makes use of user generated content and enables collaboration among users) is now the most common way to incorporate technology into online classes. Examples of Web 2.0 Technologies include YouTube, Facebook, Wikis, Blogs and even Skype. Requiring the learners to incorporate these technolgies into their learning experience enables the instructor to provide instant feedback and allows the user to assimilate into the world of collaboration .

Online instructors must take many things into consideration when implementing technology into the adult learning setting. Learners come from all across the globe. In some areas (rural) connections may be slow and students may not have full access to the technology needed. Therefore, online technologies should be implemented only when they support the learning objectives, not just because they are available. Instructors should also make use of Aggregators that allow them to tract postings and updates to multiple technologies efficiently. It would be very cumbersome to review student’s work by going to each person’s blog or wiki to assess information.

Some of the technologies that I find most interesting are:

1. Blogs – they offer an opportunity for discussion that carries over from course to course. This blog is actually a combination of two graduate level courses

2. Wikis – they allow students to build a project together and can be edited by anyone in the group

3. Voice thread – allows students to incorporate audio discussion around a graphic, picture or video.

Reference:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Enhancing the online experience. Baltimore, MD: Author.

 

Internet-Based Multimedia Resources For Online Learners

Using Internet-Based multimedia resources for online learners is crucial for adult learner success in any course. Engaging the learner in games and simulations allows the instructor and students to communicate using a differnt platform other than the typical discussion board.

However, as an instructor it is very important to know the experience level of your students when implementing such practices into the online experience. Burns & Gentry (1998) reminds us that “all learners may not have prior experience with experiential learning so instructors need to be familiar with each student’s knowledge level and experiences in order to introduce games or simulations in a manner that will redue the potential for student discouragement” (p. 133-151). One online activity that will give the instructor and other students a chance to learn about each other is the Johari Window activity (http://kevan.org/johari). The Johari Window maps personality traits as that person sees him/herself and how others see that person. This website allows a person to take the test and then send the link to others who will in turn select personality traits that they think fits that person. The person then has the opportunity to see if any of his/her selections match the ones chosen by friends, co-worker, relatives, etc.  In the online setting, the results could be posted to a “Get to Know Me” discussion boar. One of the most important lessons learned from this simulation is that others may see you differently than you see yourself and it has the potential to teach you about who you are. 

 

Another online activity or game that I found while browsing through the internet is a game called PsychOut. This is an interactive game that sends the user (psychiatric patient strapped in a straight jacket) through various padded rooms. The patient must use the up,down, forward, and backward keys on the key pad to obtain the key to freedom. The game gets progressively harder. One of the things I found myself doing was repeating the same actions and getting the same negative result. The game requires you to use critical thinking skills and make decisions that will determine your success or fate.  I can see how this game can be used in subject-specific online courses that deal with problem-solving, psychology, or collaborative projects. Adult learners could post their results and discuss the challenges they had completing the course and some kind of way relate it to real life situations.

 

http://www.kongregate.com/games/funcrow/psychout

References:

Burns, A.C., & Gentry, J.W. (1998). Motivating students to engage in experiential learning: A tension-to- learn theory.  Simulation and Gaming, 29, 133 – 151.

Setting Up Effective Online Experiences

For online learners, the first two weeks are the most critical. There are several things you can do that will ensure that online experiences are effective. Some of these things include:

1. Asking students to post a personal bio during the first week of class. This will give the instructor and other classmates an opportunity to get to know the different personalities of their colleagues. 

2. Instructors can aslo make sure to use students’ names in his/her comments and responses. This makes it personal and ensures that all learners are recognized

3. In the case when some students may be hesitant to share information about themselves, an instructor can ask probing questions or make individual contact. Another way to encourage adult learners to share is to have them find an image that represents their personality or physical appearance and explain how it represents them.

It is very important to communicate clear expectations to online learners because learner’s expressions can snowball into conversation that is not related to the goals of the course. Boettcher & Conrad (2010) suggest that “planning questoins in advance helps the course to have more internal integirty and coherence withthe desired performance goals, skills and behaviors” (p. 86). 

4. Icebreakers are another way that instructors can ensure effective online experiences. Icebreakers should not only be implemented in the beginning of an online course but throughout the course to revitalize the learning experience. 

Some of the considerations that instructors should take into account when setting up online experiences are:

1. Students should be able to feel comfortable with you. Posting your credentials creates unwanted space between the instructor and the student. Instructors should post things that they won’t mind their students knowing. For example, stories about pets, or traveling, vacations, etc. 

2. As mentioned above, all students may not be comfortable with sharing personal information so instructors should give students alternatives

3. Because online settings can be so diverse, instructors should look at methods like using multimedia or video to introduce themselves in an effort to promote diversity in the classroom. Students respond well to hearing a voice or looking at a video. This is sure to encourage them to maybe do the same. 

References:

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Launching the online learning experience.Baltimore, MD: Author.

 

Online Learning Communities

For most Americans the traditional learning setting has always been the norm. However, as time moves on and technology becomes more embedded into our daily lives, online learning can swiftly take the place of sitting in a classroom. One of the things that online learning communities do is “create a dynamic where facilitators and learners are equal participants” (Laureate Education, 2012). Hopefully, in this type of environment, the instructor is not the focus of attention and most students feel safe and comfortable.

Most successful learning communities focus on the people, purpose and process. When using learning communitites in context the learner and the instructor may want to set guidelines for online learning. How will learners engage? How often will learners participate and what type of institutional policies are there that has been mandated by the school? These are all questions that should be addressed when developing successful learning communities.

One of the problems with the process of online learning is that people try to transfer their tradtional practices to online learning. This cannot happen simply because of the dynamic of online learning. Such challenges as isolation on the student and instructor’s behalf can be problematic without the right practices in place. Therefore it is everyone’s responsibility to create a successful learning community.

There are several strategies that can be implemented to assimilate the adult learner into the online world of learning. Going through the course management system is not enough. Some online institutions require students to complete a session that introduces the student to the online tasks however, an online orientation module would allow students to get to know each other and orient students to the philosophy of online learning. Another strategy is to create forums within the management system where adult learners can interact with each other, discuss issues, share ideas and present content. It is also important on the instructors part to keep it simple and gradually build technology so that it soesn’t become overwhelming for the adult learner. Some adult learners are reintroducing themselves to higher education and may not be as technologically savy as their younger couterparts.

Fortunately, all across the country there are K-12 institutions that are now requiring studnets to take online courses while engaging in traditional learning. This will better prepare the next generation for online learning communities and relieve some of the fear and stress of learning online.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Online learning communities. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Open and Distance Education Technologies

This week’s blog focuses on Open and Distance Education Technologies

Simonson (2012) states that “when we talk about what distance education is and we talk about what it has been, it’s begun to evolve into a– not different education, as some people would like to define it, but education as we know it. It’s just practice when the
learner and the resources of learning and the teacher are often separated” By this definition it becomes easy to understand why distance education is becoming more popular 

The Open Education Technology that I will feature is Open Education Resources (OER). OER provides learning and teaching from professionals all over the world who collaborate and provide support for those interested in a variety of subjects such as arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, applied sciences and technology and mathematics and statistics. New content is added everyday by contributors around the globe and resources are provided as well. All one has to do is access the website and go from there http://www.oercommons.org/. I can see this being a great resource for teachers who want to engage in Professional Development and adminstrators as well. 

 

When it comes to distance learning adult learners have a plethora of options to choose from. Most colleges offer online degree programs that give adults the opportunity to maintain their everyday lives while engaging in online learning. I myself am enrolled in Walden University’s online graduate degree program. Walden University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs for adult learners. Students are provided opportunities in a variety of fields that interest them and are provided resources that are comparable to any type tradtional university. This type of distance learning has helped me tremendously in my field as a Master Teacher as it relates to the facilitation of groups, technology and professional development 

 

 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2012). [Video webcast]. Distance Education: The Next Generation. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

 

Games, Simulations and Virtual Environments for the Adult Learner

Adult learners have been assimilated into the age of technology for the last decade or so but how do games, simulations and virtual environments enhance the adult learning experience? This blog will explore at least two of these areas and how they contribute to the potential enhancement of adult education.

Ted Talk : TED (Technology, Education and Design https://www.ted.com) is a global virtual community whereby experts of a large variety of professions, cultures, life experiences, ethnicities, etc.  provide facts, opinions, advice,  and inspiration to those who seek a deeper understanding of the way the world works. The main focus of the organization is to spread great ideas. Adult learners can greatly benefit from a virtual environment such as this one especially when there is a need for critical thinking and discussion. Users search for various topics they are interested in and choose videos from a collection of discussions related to the specific interests they’ve chosen. The good thing about Ted Talks is that it is spread all across the world in hopes of changing attitudes and lives.

PhET Interactive Simulations: This is a great interactive tool for science teachers to use in an effort to connect with their students in a technology driven society. Phet provides interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena for free. Users choose simulations related to their interests and use problem-solving and thinking skills to learn information. Most teachers don’t take the time to learn how to operate such simulations but it can be a great teaching tool for them as well as their students. 

These two tools were chosen because I can see the potential benefit for the adults that I presently work with. The groups that I facilitate on a weekly basis could use these two tools as an extension in their classrooms in an effort to increase school scores. 

Referecces: 

http://www.ted.com

http://phet.colorado.edu/

Mobile Technolgy For the Adult Learner

Mobile devices have become the most commonly used form of technolgy within the learning setting of children and adults across the world. Years ago the ability to enhance the learning experience in such a convenient and speedy fashion was not possible. This blog will explore two mobile devices that are sure to provide a positive learning experience for adults all over the world.

iPad: Apple’s iPad is a mobile device that has been at the forefront of technology for about the last five years or so. In the classroom, the capabilities of the iPad are almost limitless. Learners can download educational apps, books, videos, podcasts, and interactive textbooks that will aid the student in completing projects, research and allow a successful line of communication with colleagues and teachers. Ensor (2012) discusses in her article, Teaming With Technology: “Real” iPad Applications, just how easy it is for teachers to collaborate. When describing the Evernote app she states “through Evernote we share lesson plans, websites, and videos; organize information by subject into “notebooks”; and access this information from an iPad, computer, or phone whenever it’s convenient for each of us” (p. 193).

Another mobile technology device that has taken off in the adult education setting the is the smartphone. Smartphone use is not only for leisure activity. The advances in smartphone technology allow students to execute a variety of practices that make the learning experience a great deal easier. Ranieri & Bruni (2010) suggest that a strength of using smartphones is that “it enables linkage of different learning contexts: when cell phones are used in formal learning situations, it becomes possible to capitalize on the skills acquired by individuals in their daily lives, and enhance them in new ways” (p. 42). Therefore, adults are able to learn and use a variety of skills and apply them to their learning in and out of the classroom.

These two forms of mobile technology were chosen to be featured on today’s blog becasue personally I can see the potential for this type of implementation in Professional Learning Communities in school settings for teachers.

References:

Ensor, T (2012). Teaching with technology: “Real” iPad applications. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 56(3) November.

Ranieri, M. & Bruni, I (2010). Mobile learning in adult education: Lessons learnt and recommendations. Retrieved from http://www.mymobile-project.eu/IMG/pdf/Handbook_Lessons-Recommendations.pdf

Social Networking Technologies That Enhance Adult Education

In this fast paced social society the potential for social media to aid in the enhancement of adult education is ever present. There are several types of social networking technologies that help adult learners increase their academic abilities. This blog will highlight two of them; Pinterest and Blogs.

Pinterest is a social media website that allows people to visually collect, organize and display creativity. Users create boards related to a specific topic and organize pictures that coincide with that specific area of interest. For example, a teacher may want to visually display vocabulary strategies that she uses in the classroom. He/she would create a board, give it a title (“Vocabulary Strategies”) and “pin” pictures of those strategies to his/her board. When others view the pictures, they have the option to “repin” them to their pinterest board or pages and before you know it, someone’s idea has spread all across the world. This technique can be used many ways in the classroom. Castro-Lewandowski (2013) suggest that “the platform’s particular affordance of storytelling through the use of digital curation, as well as its collaborative opportunities, not only encourages human creativity, but can promote critical thinking, too” (p. 1). Educators could have learners create boards that visually display stories, and develop intense discussion about its contents.

 

Another social networking technology that can enhance adult media is the blog. This particular blog is part of a requirement for a technology class I am taking related to using technology in the adult learning setting. Therefore, it is evidence of how learners can use this form of media to communicate with others the opportunities that technolgy provides for enhancing adult education. Blogs, which were initially used as personal journaling tools, “have facilitated the formation of online communities and have extended to more extensive uses in education (Wang & Hsua, 2008 p. 81). Educators all across the nation assign students to keep blogs related to specific content. It can also aid in increasing writing skills and critical thinking

References:

Castro-Lewandowski, Athena (2013). “Pinterest in the writing classroom: How digital curation and collaboration promotes critical
thinking.” The common good: A sunny plattsburgh journal on teaching and learning. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.plattsburgh.edu/commongood/vol1/iss1/3 .

Kwei, Shiang-Kwei & Hsua, Hui-Yin (2008). Reflections on using blogs to expand in-class discussion. Tech Trends. May. vol 52 number 3.

Applications or Multimedia Resources That Will Enhance Adult Education

One of the most trendiest multimedia resources used in adult education today are classroom clickers. Clickers provide the opportunity for learners to learn actively in the classroom. The possibilities are endless. Answering surveys, taking quizzes, collaboration and presentations are just the tip of the iceberg with this resource. In addition, the educator and the leaner have the opportunity to engage in immediate feedback  with each other. Margaret Martyn (2007) suggests that “Although these systems are becoming increasingly popular in higher education, most research has targeted their affective benefits, which include greater student engagement, increased student interest, and heightened discussion and interactivity.” 

 

One other application that is sure to enhance Adult Education is “Dropbox.” This awesome digital application allows learners to store several types of files without the hassel or use of a flash drive. Learners can upload Dropbox to several devices such as his/her desktop computer, laptop, tablet, and cell phone with instant access to any file he/she wishes to use. It is a very useful application for both the educator and the learner in that it provides instant access and files can be sent or shared with others to make learning convenient and timely. 

 

Reference:

Martyn, Margaret (2007). Clickers in the classroom: An active learning approach. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/clickers-classroom-active-learning-approach