24th Annual TCC | Online Conference | April 16-18, 2019

Sustainable Learning, Accessible Technologies, & Diverse Contexts

tcconline2019

Virtual reality applications: Is it feasible in an online learning environment?

Session Description
Virtual reality applications such as Second Life have been used in the online classroom for many years. And although the literature is mixed on the learning outcomes of using virtual reality applications, the popularity among students is quite high. In fact, according to a study conducted by Johnson, Corazzini, and Shaw (2011), “for distance and online education students, virtual environments help create a sense of belonging, an academic home.” Much of the literature supports the use of virtual reality applications with learning theories such as behaviorism and constructivism. However, a more appropriate correlation might be the theory of Connectivism. This theory was first introduced by George Siemens in 2004 and is defined as “the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and complexity and self-organization theories.” The theory of Connectivism has also been applied to the emerging technologies put forth in Web 3.0. These Web 3.0 technologies are more of a back-end upgrade not completely visible to learners but contain “smart” technologies that will continue the connection in operability between front-end virtual applications such as Second Life and other web sites. With this in mind, educators and decision-makers should consider the feasibility of implementing virtual reality applications, the learning outcomes, and desirability of students. It is clear that the desire from students for more virtual reality learning options in the online classroom is there. This presentation will explore the feasibility of using virtual reality applications against the theory of Connectivism, emerging Web 3.0 technologies, and learning outcomes in the online classroom.
Presenter(s)
Lori Brooks
Lori Brooks, University of Phoenix, AZ, USA
Dr. Brooks is currently a full time faculty member at the University of Phoenix teaching undergraduate introductory courses. She also teaches graduate courses in Education. Dr. Brooks holdsa PhD in e-Learning Leadership and a Master of Science in Management. She has over 15 years of experience in the online learning environment.
Judy Drilling
Judy Drilling, University of Phoenix, Tempe, USA
Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
Novice

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Party of One? Fostering Faculty and Staff Professional Development

Session Description
Learn how two lonely instructional technology librarians from different small liberal arts colleges collaborated to develop workshops, learning communities, and programming at their institutions with limited resources in an effort to help faculty, staff, and students develop their digital literacy skills.
Presenter(s)
Christine Iannicelli
Christine Iannicelli, Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA, USA
Christine Iannicelli is the Instructional Technology Librarian at Ursinus College.
Hailey Wyman
Hailey Wyman, Westminster College , New Wilmington, PA, USA
Hailey Wyman is the Instructional Design and Technology Librarian at Westminster College.
Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Going Open: A Textbook Replacement Design Case

Session Description
This paper reports the design case of a shift from a traditional textbook to OER. Reporting on the initial needs analysis through the formative evaluation of the beta version, this case documents the design and development decisions that were made. Findings show that students were more likely to engage with the OER than the traditional textbook. Lessons learned focus on the conceptualization of book and how to design with the 5 Rs of open in mind.
Presenter(s)
Vanessa Dennen
Vanessa Dennen, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Lauren Bagdy
Lauren Bagdy, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Blue Mars: Contemplative Learning in Space

Session Description
Join us as we explore the design of an online learning game on Mars. Blue Mars is a Virtual Harmony simulation for playing extensible 3D immersive learning games. The concept is based on the Mars Expedition, our $25,000 grand prize winner in the Federal Virtual World Challenge. The first game blends space exploration, security puzzles, and moral, ethical, and survival challenges to develop critical thinking skills, contemplative practices, and values-based leadership. It features open source software, data from NASA, tributes to science fiction, and an extensible design. Blue Mars integrates data analytics, a Web ontology for classifying game behavior, feedback, and an AI mindset.
Presenter(s)
Cynthia Calongne
Cynthia Calongne, Colorado Technical University, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Cynthia Calongne is a Professor of Doctoral Studies at Colorado Technical University. Prior to teaching, she served as a software engineer for Air Force Space Command. Since 1995, she researched usability in virtual environments and pioneered 52 university classes held in virtual worlds. In 2017, she received the Thinkerer Award for lifetime achievement from the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education, and her team won the $25,000 grand prize at Defense GameTech for their space simulation, the Mars Expedition Strategy Challenge. She collaborated with Will Wright’s team to design Bar Karma, a television series. Under her avatar, Lyr Lobo, she conducts research in virtual world simulation, education, and game design.
Session Type
45-Minute Interactive Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Promoting Critical Thinking in the Online Classroom

Session Description
The question has been asked in countless faculty meetings, “How can I get my online students to be critical thinkers?”

Critical thinking is an active learning process that requires students to study, think, and learn through processes such as reflecting, questioning, challenging, exploring, alternatives, reflective skepticism synthesizing and analyzing. In face-to-face classrooms, the professor can be actively involved in this process of encouraging students to think critically, but is it possible in the online classroom to do the same? The answer is YES!

This workshop will focus on specific teaching strategies to promote critical thinking in students taking online courses. Critical thinking activities will be discussed for both asynchronous and synchronous activities in online courses. Critical thinking online activities to be discussed will include critical thinking in reading and writing, online discussions, group activities, seminars, project-based learning, virtual field trips, online service learning projects, and connecting the online learning experience to real world applications. Workshop attendees will gain practical skills and participate in critical thinking activities that they can incorporate in their online classroom.

Presenter(s)
Julee Poole
Julee Poole, Purdue University Global, Foley, AL, USA
Dr. Julee Poole earned her Ph.D. in Psychology with a concentration in Family Psychology from Capella University – and was a professor for of Psychology for 15 years before going into administration. She has taught several universities during her tenure as an adjunct faculty member. She began teaching at Kaplan University, now Purdue Global University in 2007 She became the academic assistant chair before becoming the academic chair of the Graduate Psychology program in 2013.

She has been a nominee for the Kaplan Way (now Purdue Global) award and outstanding leader. Dr. Poole has presented at many national and international conferences. She is the author of two books on child witnessing of domestic violence, The Cryin’ House: A Story for Children Who Witness Family Violence and When Hitting Hits Home. She has published in a variety of journals to include the Family Guidance Journal and PsycCritiques. Dr. Poole has research interests in the areas of family violence, self-esteem and defense mechanisms, service-learning projects in the online classroom, best practices in online educational programs, and the use of technology in the online classroom.

At Purdue Global, Dr. Poole has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in Psychology. As the academic chair of the graduate psychology program, she is responsible for the ongoing improvement and development of the program, and providing oversight to the graduate psychology faculty in the delivery of exceptional online instruction in five specific psychology concentrations.

Susan Zukowski
Susan Zukowski, Purdue University Global, San Diego, CA, USA
Susan Zukowsk teaches various graduate psychology courses in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She joined Purdue Global first as an adjunct faculty member and later as a full time adjunct faculty member in the online program. Previously, Zukowski has worked in health care supporting research, program development, data analytics, and building organizational leadership, performance improvement initiatives, and overall organizational success. She has taught a variety of courses in psychology, research methods, lifespan development, organizational effectiveness, leadership, prejudice and discrimination, strategic planning, business management, and project management for undergraduate students and master’s students at a school in northwestern Wisconsin.
Session Type
45-Minute Interactive Session
Audience
All Audiences

A recording of this presentation is available.
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