Final Project Hypertext and the Online Class By Melody Anderson

The Premise  The pinnacle of teaching with technology would be an online class.  Ideally an instructor would incorporate multiple tools, such as the ones used in this class, however for this project, the focus is Hypertext.  As we’ve discussed, technology is not always useful. Often times it can be for the sake of itself and not the lesson.  This can be a particular problem when it comes to online classes.

Conflicting Views College Classes in your Pajamas “Using your computer to get an online degree is really smart and easy.” Education Connection Student Perceptions “The online technology allowed more reflection than what might occur for some individuals in face-to- face classroom discussions” Improved Online Learning

The Questions  Can teachers replicate their classrooms in a completely online environment and still facilitate the same kind of learning?  Does moving a class to an online format make it less challenging?  How much is lost/gained and how does this difference impact learning?

Problems  Teachers have little control over the order.  Hard to maintain focus.  Difficulty facilitating meaningful discussion. Solutions  Creating lessons where order doesn’t matter or directing students to what they need to know first.  Time is not a factor so distractions only hind the student not the class.  Blog posts or student initiated posts

The Experiment  Put an entire short story on a wiki page and create a lesson through links, questions, mini assignments, blog discussions and a final reflection paper.  Can I as an instructor still push, encourage and challenge my students without being physically present in the class room?

The Example

The Explanation  The first link is usually the first one students will click.  They are brought to a list of questions that set up the discussion. (Much like an opening exercise)  They are aided by a link to the definition of the word in case they have difficulty getting started. (Prompting)  This establishes the pattern of the lesson as well as providing a context to enter the story.

The Conclusion  This is an experiment and therefore all suggestions are welcome.  I have made use of other tools I believe complement the hypertext.  Images: Visualize moments or context  Comments: Pointing out interesting or important moments by adding questions.  If this experiment is successful I hope to continue with this project and make it a part of my final thesis.