Hello

I have no experience with adult education.

We have to remember that they sure they know everything, and you have to arise an interesting in them, like breaking a famous myth. Then they will cooperate much more

I think its the expectations you have for you class.  In my class I can have a pirate come into speak on the synchronous activity and there will be grumbling but thats all...:-)  Setting expectations up front that everything is not set in stone is good - I also reinforce it at the first meeting.

You should know that, your evals will suck BUT a year from now the students who complained the most (may/will) be your biggest supporters.  For me in particular they were like - you are crazy and then they went to get jobs and they were the only ones prepared..:-)

Camille

Very interesting though not unexpected. You have to remember that many adult learners draw on experience in their learning. Your usual way of teaching via comments on issues had, therefore, become a part of their experience. Though not exactly the same variable, I had a similar experience. With a group of teacher trainees, I had relied on group discussion  to facilitate the learning of particular aspects of lesson delivery. However, I felt that the lessons were not being adequately learned. I, therefore introduced micro teaching with self and peer reflection. Of course, there was a near-riot initially. The key for solving this is concretising the learning outcomes generated through the new strategy. In my own case, learning developed from peer and self reflections became key. I would say that the first step towards cracking this is to make the rationales for using the strategy very clear. Let them know what the additional strengths might be. As rationale beings, they are likely to see the benefits. As your activity is mainly online, I wonder if there is any opportunity for a one-off face to face during which the usefulness of the approach can be demonstrated.

Gordon:

Thanks for sharing your experience and insight, which has been very helpful in relating to my own experience. Yes, there is such an opportunity for a one-off F2F session as the course is blended. I truly appreciate your suggestion, which I think would help in them understanding the usefulness of the approach.

Many thanks,

Debra

Managing student expectations is important in moving to a change in the way a discussion forum might be conducted. Clear guidelines are important, but then key driver to the design should be that the design aligns with the outcomes aiming to be achieved.

For example,  we know that discussion forums can be successful or unsuccessful learning experiences. Relevant research shows that discussion forums can promote interactions which are largely social interactions (e.g. "I am.... and it's good to interact with others"); low level subject matter engagement comments (e.g. "I like that idea"); and require rules (e.g. comments need to be respectful).

More recent research suggests the importance of immediacy in online learning - http://ben.upc.es/butlleti/innsbruck/416-032.pdf.

The following are useful:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14780887.2015.1008906#preview

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074756321500268X

Debra:

I don’t know if you are familiar with a technique for running meetings called Open Space Technology (OST). It is described by Harrison Owen in “Open Space Technology: a User’s Guide”, 2nd ed., San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1997.

I’ve used it extensively, both F2F and in blended learning environments, and the results have always been immensely rewarding.

If you never came across the technique, I’ll be pleased to send you additional information.

Kind regards

Antonio

Antonio:

It's new to me and I'd like to learn more about it, so please send the additional information.

Many thanks,

Debra

I am talking about Philippine experience in the plethora of teaching technologies that ranged from simple to web-based. In Philippine experience, there seems to a big divide yawning between young learners and adult learners. The young learners seems so pliant and can easily adapt to changing approaches and much more to web-based approach. 

However for adult learners, there seem to be a stumbling for adult learners. They seem to be more attached to previous and familiar ways that exploring new ones is an effort. This is very pronounced if the approach is web-based.

However, there is not much landmark studies that discloses this.

I have been using Moodle Forum for years and I still do at both under- and post- graduate level. It demands from me time (I do not let technology to hijack content) and, the experience so far has been positive.

Changes definitely occur among my students. They tend be quite during the face-to-face sessions. Moodle Forum allows those shy Asian students to express themselves; exchange knowledge; perform a small research following the initial open ended question I post; they make critique and questions among themselves.

I have only carried out debates F2F with my adult students, but not online. We had deliberations on tele-conference calls with them when they are at dispersed sites (mostly when I am away from station), during late hours after 9.30 pm during project coordination exigency meetings.

I prepare myself (more) on scenarios that would arise and positioning to moderate without affecting their flow and aim for a successful session. Planning is more required before we attempt debate with adult learners (as my students are working executives and well positioned), more than being my students they are in the HR fraternity and I am also alumni of the institution.

Debra:

You can obtain a light introduction to OST at http://www.grunt.ca/engage/assets/OST.pdf

and some additional information at Owen, H. (1998). Opening space for emerging order. Open Space World.

http://www.openspaceworld.com/brief_history.htm

and Owen, H. (2008). A brief user’s guide to Open Space Technology.

http://www.openspaceworld.com/users_guide.htm

Although OST has been used for almost thirty years in organizations, its use in education is relatively recent and has required some adaptations to shorten the duration of the sessions.

You can find about its use in blended learning in some papers we wrote, such as:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261479043_Promoting_motivation_and_participation_in_higher_education_A_b-learning_experience

or

https://www.academia.edu/4324856/Extending_Open_Space_Technology_for_Blended_Learning

We keep working on the use of OST in education and in the generation of “collective intelligence” in educational environments. To this end, we are exploring OST learning environments as complex adaptive social systems. 

I hope you find this information useful. OST is based on principles we are not used to in education, so you may find it quite disturbing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is really amazing. 

Kind regards

Antonio

Conference Paper Promoting motivation and participation in higher education: ...

Dear Debra,

I have used Voice Thread for comments and online debate. I too had to set a number of times they had to comment in the debate. But I think that debates on line loose intonation and therefore can sound too critical. This is why I selected the Voice Thread because they do it in voice and in in text and it can be done LIVE or recorded to be viewed or listened to later. 

However that being said, I agree with Krishnan Umachandran of NELCAST that F2F is much better. Mainly because I grade them on decorum as well as logic and thought process. 

1. Present their case

2. Listen to opposing Views

3. Argue their case against the opposing view[s]

4. Defend their case against opposing view[s]/Answer questions

5. Give opinion whether the opposing view has some merit or not, and if so would they incorporate part or all of it in a change? If they would change it, HOW? 

6. Rewrite their paper/presentation on their case, with considerations of ill logic or suggestions made by the opposing view[s]

7. Re-present their case and admit verbally/orally to those with opposing view[s] what they did or did not accept in their reconsideration/rewrite and why/why not.

8. Listen to the opposing view groups opinions of their re-submission.

9. Receive anonymous critiques and score 0 to 10 [10 highest] of their work at original and at re-submission presentations. [does not affect my grade] . But they must learn to take criticism and learn to give constructive criticism.

This worked out well. But was BEST when done in person. People in general are more apt to be 'tell all' and 'not hold back' in the online situation, where as in the F2F,  they stay more refined or limit what they say or how they say it, keep composure and decorum. 

IF the problem is getting students to participate, using a Rubric to outline exactly what you expect from them in order to get a specific grade will motivate them to participate and with the decorum and frequency that you desire. 

The above is for groups of three. I have not tried this with individual debates and projects. Perhaps I have had some success because they are not 'alone', but with a group and felt more comfortable in supporting each other for their group work. 

Hope this helps,

Respectfully,

Jeanetta Mastron

Colleagues:

Thank you for your insightful comments which I will use to improve on the use of "Debates" in teaching.

Best regards,

Debra

Dear Debra.

This topic is not over yet. Assessment  of Online Forum  activity is an interesting research area. I find different approaches used by my colleagues.

Some lazy (or hyper-busy) ones give a grade by number of posts; they are proud that the 'machine' is doing a fine quantitative assessment, so they now have more time for formative assessment. I am skeptical about it.

The Online Forum for me is a highly demanding work. Perhaps it is due to my character, but I cannot sit and watch a Forum discussion as a spectator.

Debra,

F2F debate to me is as good as online debate. They both should implement those 9 decorum of a debate. However, for some F2F debate is usually dominated by the so called seniors or those who are ignorant to the fact that no one comes to be employed at universities come as clean slates or novices.

At least someone has some idea about the issue of debate and should be given the chance to air their views. after all that is what a debate is all about. remember 'A debate is a formal discussion' and none should be seen as a dominant figure.

I love a good debate. As of late, I have been unable to experience significant debates in BSN or MSN courses. In my opinion, during a f2f debate you don't have to open several screens to compose your answer. You don't have to worry about APA formatting or losing the data for your debate. Generally the online debate begans and ends like this...thank you for your post. It was really great. Ghandi (XXX) states, "post like this are great (pp. xx).

APA reference....

Most of the time people are only interested in getting their required posts. I believe Universities must elevate the user interfaces in order to substantiate online debating requirements.