Plagiarism Detection and Prevention

Turntin, Playscan, Checkforplagiarism.net, iThenticate are just a few software resources available to online instructors or any instructor for that matter.  But even with all of these resources there are still gaps in the system.  I remember when paying to have a company write a paper was the “in” thing to do.  I don’t know how even with all the check systems we have plagiarism is still such a big issue.  I think one thing that does make jobs easier for professors is the ability to check things quickly with the online resource.  I think that by giving students choice you allow them the ability to express themselves and not feel pressured with something that you as an instructor are familiar and comfortable with.  Of course as with anything you have to ensure that all students are aware that plagiarism is not tolerated under any circumstances and that there will be consequences for violators.  One helpful tool would be for instructors to allow for checkpoints in assignments that require heavy references.  I know when I was getting my Master’s Degree one portion of our capstone was just the references, I think this kept everyone focused and made us really do our research and the flag of awareness was up that plagiarism would not be tolerated.  I personally think that models of good student work and poor student work can help reduce plagiarism.  A lot of what students go into college knowing about research and plagiarism is little to none.  And that maybe something education has to start looking at and that is incorporating more well developed research resources for students in high school, so that when they get to college it becomes somewhat second nature because research is a big part of college education.

Impact of Technology on Adult Learning

Technology has a great impact on adult learning it allows us to collaborate and stay in instant contact with each other at all times.  Before incorporating technology into any online learning environment instructors should ensure that they have provided students with the opportunity to become knowledgeable with navigating online systems if they’ve never done so and make a checks and balance sheet for what students do and don’t know.  By knowing what students already know, faculty can design experiences to ensure an accurate knowledge structure and growth of that structure (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010, p. 24).  It is very important for adult learners in online courses to have full usability and accessibility to online access.  A number of online adult learners are already in demanding careers and have families, so the flexibility of being able to log-in and talk to classmates, the professor or a help desk from anywhere and at any time is very important.  Nurturing a learning community as part of an online course is almost as important as being a significant presence.  A learning community in a face-to-face environment often develops spontaneously as students generally have more opportunities to get to know one another and develop friendships outside a particular course.  More explicit nurturing and planning is required in the online environment for a learning community to develop (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010, p. 38-39).  Ipads are very appealing for teaching online classes the technology allows a student to do everything from research to connecting for collaboration and even sharing information in real time.  The assistance that this technology brings to students is unbelievable being that we are all spread out all of the country.

 

Boettcher, Judith, V. and Conrad, Rita-Maria (2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Internet-Based Multimedia Resources for Online Learning

For this assignment I chose the following two sites.  There is a wealth of information on the internet and educators have to make sure that it aligns with their instructional goals.  In addition to what a learner has to master with the Universities online site educators also have outside expectations of their students and must keep in mind that exploring a school’s site can be the first time that an online student has engaged in an online program therefore lots of direction and student monitoring could possibly be needed. By involving cyberstudents in activities that utilize games and simulations, real-life skills can be enhanced and learning can be made fun (Conrad and Donaldson, 2011, p. 101).

Google Docs http://docs.google.com

Google Docs is a Web-based word processing, presentation and spreadsheet program offered by Google.  This software is similar to the Walden online website and most online educational websites in that students can connect from any device that is internet accessible.  With this technology adult learners are able to collaborate on group projects at the same time by tracking and updating data, take quizzes, check grades and form discussions all on line.  I selected this technology because it’s free it does not require the need to sign up for any license.  I would use this technology to specifically allow multiple students to work outside of the classroom in groups several would be able to collaborate on one document as a group assignment then present as a group in addition I would build on conversations via discussion board and/or blog. 

 

Reading Companion http://www.readingcompanion.org/ReadingCompanion/testimonials.jsp

This speech recognition technology assists with teaching students to read.  A reading monitor reads information to the student and then the student is afforded the opportunity to read the information back.  If the student is successful he/she receives positive feedback if not the user is able to try again.  As the students reading skills improve the monitor reads less and the student reads more on their own.  I selected this technology because ELL students need lots of practice hearing accurately spoken words and being given the opportunity to practice for accuracy and understanding on their own.  I would use this program in the classroom during instruction so that the students could revisit the material in class and at home.  I would also set up online tutorials for the student to utilize at home over the weekends and breaks.

 

 

Conrad, R.M. and Donaldson, J.A. (2011). Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for 

Creative Instruction. San Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass.

Effective Online Learning Experiences

Week 3:  Setting Up Effective Online Learning Experiences

The steps for setting up an effective online learning experience for adult learners should not be that much more different than that of a face-to-face adult class.  The most important thing should be the instructor’s connection with the content.  Does the instructor have a wealth of background knowledge and experience with the course to help direct and support learning adults or no different than children when it comes to learning we need someone to learn from to.  This helps to set up the learning environment and what is expected of students.  Learning online only takes place when the instructor and students are engaged in the material and one another. 

Online learners depend on each other to build knowledge based on constant feedback from each other.  While in a face-to-face class students take notes, take a test and write papers and experience a great deal of interaction with the instructor and peers.  With online classes there is this notion that independent discipline is a must.  Students must make it a point to read and re-read for understanding how to navigate an online university from the course page to the resources of the course and the university’s library.  Students answer discussion questions, post papers and as in this course create blog pages.  A lot depends on the clarity of written communication because online is in a sense not in real time.  If there’s a question you have an area you can email the instructor for assistance or call during normal business hours (keep in my online means students from all over the world with different time zones).  But for the most part there’s a technology support line to help with technical difficulties.

In planning a face-to-face course, many faculty devote significant time to creating and developing lectures.  For online teaching, the time spent in preparing lectures transforms into preparing short text, audio or video introductions or mini-lectures, developing and managing threaded discussions, and monitoring other student spaces, such as forums on the course site (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010, p. 65).  The instructor should always keep the discussions interesting, because they have an advantage with communicating with students that face-to-face instructors don’t have.  Investing time in developing good questions for the discussion boards and planning out the scoring rubrics and evaluation of the discussion boards makes a real difference in how quickly a learning community starts to form in a course (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010, p. 66).  I think online students are willing to respond and share more not only about the course but also about themselves opposed to in a face-to-face course.     More simply put just keep in touch with students and provide them with as much feedback that fosters positive learning as possible.

Aubrey

 

Boettcher, J.V. and Conrad, R.M. (2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and  

      Practical Pedagogical Tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Week 1: Online Learning Communities

When I reflect on my experience as an online learner I have to agree with Dr. Palloff and Dr. Pratt with online learning the Instructor can’t be the focus of attention is not a face-to-face show where all eyes are on the instructor, but rather students and their ability to communicate with one another and build conversations that foster feedback and learning from each other.  Students cannot be passive knowledge-absorbers who rely on the instructor to feed information to them.  In an online course, it is imperative that they be active knowledge-generators who assume responsibility for constructing and managing their own learning experience (Conrad and Donaldson, 2011, p. 5).  There has to be a sense of accountability for students taking ownership of their learning by actively engaging with their peers and instructor every step of the course.  The involvement of the learner in the course, whether one calls it interaction, engagement, or building community, is critical if an online course is to be more than a lecture-oriented course in which interaction is primarily between the learner and the content or the learner and the instructor (Conrad and Donaldson, 2011, p. 4-5).  Online learning gives every student the opportunity to have a voice and grow academically with their fellow classmates at the same time.  Online offers students the forum to communicate openly especially those learners who are reserved to speak out in face-to-face classes.   Often times in face-to-face classes only a few students participate in discussions, but online every student participates in some way whether it’s with personal experience or building off of the experiences of others.  Online learning communities can be sustained by instructors making learning student centered, engaging in discussions, providing feedback, ensuring that the course is learner friendly without millions of navigations and posting places, making sure the technical help is available 24/7 and access can be from anywhere.  The relationship between community building and online learning is that the curriculum should be designed to promote individual and group activities that enhance continuous learning.  They should be real world applicable as possible.

Conrad, R.M. & Donaldson, J.A. (2011). Engaging the Online Learner:  Activities and

      Resources for Creative Instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

 

 

Welcome To Aubrey's Blog Page

Hello Fellow Classmates!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to my blog page.  This is my second certification course with Walden University.  I must say I have truly learned alot the last 8 weeks ~ I had no idea that there was so much to this big world of technology.

I look forward to learning and growing with each of you!

Aubrey