Move Your Work Forward with SITE

Note this conference update from this Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education and, in particular, the special interest group focused on K-12 distance, online, and blended learning (and also the sponsor the Journal of Online Learning Research).

Take your research to the next level! Use your SITE Interactive 2023 experiences to submit a proposal for SITE 2024 in Las Vegas, March 24-29. Submit A Proposal Proposals Due: November 3 Present & Publish Your Research Connect with Colleagues to Collaborate on a Combined Project Establish New Collaborative Partnerships Plan a Workshop to Share Your Practical Expertise

If you registered for SITE Interactive 2023, receive 20% off your registration to SITE 2024 in Las Vegas. Save up to $90 on full price registrations! Register

Copyright © 2023 Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you asked to receive updates for new posts to AACE Review. Our mailing address is: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education PO Box 719 Waynesville, NC 28786

SITE Interactive 2023 – Applying R2D2/C3PO, a Research-based, Validated Instructional Design Model in Teaching Practice

As you may have seen yesterday, I mentioned that SITE Interactive 2023 was happening and that I had looked through the schedule to find the K-12 distance, online, and blended learning session.  The final one I wanted to blog about was:

Applying R2D2/C3PO, a Research-based, Validated Instructional Design Model in Teaching Practice

Collaboration ActivityID: 62746

1. Ann Armstrong
   Northcentral University
2. Jessica Schoumaker
   National University
3. Kathy Tummino
   National University

Abstract: Out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the precipitous move to remote learning, new approaches to online and blended learning are becoming increasingly accepted and demanded by teachers and students. New instructional design models, instructional strategies, and learning activities are being put into practice in schools. These approaches provide for the ability to simultaneously teach students in the physical classroom and online. New professional development models help teachers effectively deliver online learning fostering student engagement in a collaborative environment. Significant gains were made in understanding how to design and deliver online synchronous, asynchronous, and blended learning based on teacher experiences during the COVID-19 shut down of traditional classes. Researchers are now able to leverage the lessons learned with new and updated research models, such as Armstrong’s R2D2/C3PO, being applied in practice that will help optimize future education.

Topic

• Beyond Emergency Remote Teaching: Supporting Learning and Engagement in Online and Blended Environments

There were two more I was trying to hit during the same slot, so I was able to make it back from the final 15 minutes.  When I arrived in the room, they had participants in breakout rooms and were already half way through the activity.  Within three or four minutes they brought everyone back and began to debrief from the activity they had been doing.  As I wasn’t there for the breakout instructions, I didn’t fully appreciate the comments back in the debrief.  One observation that I made was that almost all of the comments were focused on higher education or learning with adults.

Once they got back to the slides, they talked a bit about the critical incident technique and had the participants respond to a series of questions about the model that they had just undertaken.

At the end they shared this article – https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/r2d2c3po-video-conferencing-instructional-strategies-and-learning-activities/315812 – which it seems that the presentation was focused on.

SITE Interactive 2023 – Is Quality Matters sufficient for supporting learning and engagement in online environments across all disciplines?

As you may have seen yesterday, I mentioned that SITE Interactive 2023 was happening and that I had looked through the schedule to find the K-12 distance, online, and blended learning session.  The tenth one I wanted to blog about was:

Is Quality Matters sufficient for supporting learning and engagement in online environments across all disciplines?

Virtual Poster/Presentation ExhibitID: 62752

1. Melanie Shores
   The University of Alabama Birmingham

Abstract: Using Quality Matters (QM) standards and rubrics to review, revise and improve online courses has proven to be successful in online course development. If this is the case, then why are there so few courses that have earned QM approval within higher education? What are the obstacles that faculty face when using QM? Are there other programs designed to better assist faculty in multiple disciplines? Is QM sufficient for supporting learning and engagement in online environments across all disciplines?

Topic

• Beyond Emergency Remote Teaching: Supporting Learning and Engagement in Online and Blended Environments

The basis of this session was looking at whether QM was appropriate regardless of discipline or was it better suited for certain disciplines than others.  Unfortunately, the session was focused solely on higher education – as the potential is that this kind of study could be just as applicable for subject areas in the K-12 environment.  While the QM review process, there is supposed to be a disciplinary expert on the QM review team…  However, some faculty feel that even though there was someone from the same field, because they hadn’t taught “their” course that some of the standards didn’t fit.  It was at this point that the presenter lost me (and maybe I’ve just had enough of dealing with faculty today), but if some with similar disciplinary training as you looks at your course and finds is lacking based on a validated and reliable rubric, just because they have never taught “your” course, it doesn’t matter.  What you are doing isn’t that special that someone in your field can’t understand or appreciate it.  Sorry for the normal curmudgeon perspective.

SITE Interactive 2023 – In the wake of COVID-19: A discussion about higher education teacher preparation programs’ strategies to meet practicum requirements for student teaching

As you may have seen yesterday, I mentioned that SITE Interactive 2023 was happening and that I had looked through the schedule to find the K-12 distance, online, and blended learning session.  The ninth one I wanted to blog about was:

In the wake of COVID-19: A discussion about higher education teacher preparation programs’ strategies to meet practicum requirements for student teaching

Virtual Poster/Presentation ExhibitID: 62750

1. McKenzie Brittain
   Marshall University
2. Laurie McCormick
   Marshall University

The global pandemic brought many challenges to the field of education, leaving school districts and higher education institutions to quickly address the ways in which curriculum was delivered (Piccolo et al., 2020; Quezada, et al., 2020). Student teaching or practicum experiences, which prior to the COVID-19 pandemic were typically held in a face-to-face format, transitioned to virtual settings. Investigating the challenges faced by an online practicum experience, Ozturk and Gangal (2022) found “…limited experience causes a lost practice process and may cause a lack of professional skills and competencies in pre-service teachers (Kidd & Murray, 2020; Stephen & Curward, 2021)” (p. 450). Following the move to fully remote teaching, we encountered challenges with designing a practicum course that allowed our candidates to garner a comprehensive student teaching experience while also experiencing the move to online learning within their own classrooms. In our virtual presentation, we will share our personal experiences with navigating the initial move to remote learning in a practicum course, while also expanding on strategies and techniques we continue to establish to meet the needs of our practicum requirements. Through sharing our experiences with these challenges in the practicum classroom, we hope to encourage further discussion around strategies and techniques for online learning in a practicum course. The remaining abstract is in the uploaded proposal file.

Topic

• Beyond Emergency Remote Teaching: Supporting Learning and Engagement in Online and Blended Environments

Once I was able to leave my on campus meeting and get back to my office, these presenters had already begun.  As I entered the room, the presenter was just finishing up this slide.

 

I was only in the Zoom room for a minute or two before she moved to this slide.  But since I missed the first roughly half of the session, I wasn’t able to follow much of the conversation.

The presenter finished with this slide, which I believe are reasonable questions that all teacher education programs should be asking.

SITE Interactive 2023 – From Lesson Plans to Journal Submissions: Maximizing Collaboration for the Journal of Technology-Integrated Lessons and Teaching

As you may have seen yesterday, I mentioned that SITE Interactive 2023 was happening and that I had looked through the schedule to find the K-12 distance, online, and blended learning session.  The seventh one I wanted to blog about was:

From Lesson Plans to Journal Submissions: Maximizing Collaboration for the Journal of Technology-Integrated Lessons and Teaching

Collaboration ActivityID: 62734

1. Cecil R. Short
   Emporia State University
2. Craig Shepherd
   University of Memphis

Abstract: This workshop aims to guide teachers and teacher educators in transforming their technology-integrated lesson plans into detailed manuscripts suitable for submission to the Journal of Technology-Integrated Lessons and Teaching. By providing participants with the necessary information and resources, this workshop seeks to encourage active engagement, facilitate collaborative opportunities, and ultimately increase the chances of publication in this openly licensed, peer-reviewed journal. The workshop format is designed to encourage participants to make commitments toward completing and submitting manuscripts, potentially leading to publication by the end of the year.

Topic

• Developing the profession: Growing in leadership, academia, and teaching practice

Unfortunately this was scheduled against another session that I wanted to attend (and since I know Cecil and Craig well, I assumed they’d could brief me later if need be).  But if anyone was able to attend, please leave your thoughts in the comments below.