Plagiarism Detection and Prevention

 

What plagiarism detection software is available to online instructors?

Online tools like plagiarism checkers, video proctoring, lockdown browsers and IP tracking can't stop academic dishonesty but can be used to keep students from cheating (Haynie, 2014). Turnitin.com is a common plagiarism detection tool used by instructors however, others include plagiarism checker and Safe Assign (which is used by my current institution).

How can the design of assessments help prevent academic dishonesty?

The design of assessments can help to create authentic learning experiences and thus eliminating academic dishonesty. With this being so, authentic learning experiences can be created by reducing the number of assessments assigned. Rather than assigning one big learning assessment, instructors can assign other activities throughout the course to assess learner knowledge. Students will feel less pressured, more prepared and less likely to feel the need to cheat. Meaningful learning experiences will also be created. 

What facilitation strategies do you propose to use as a current or future online instructor?

Students who are determined to cheat will find creative ways to do so in any course delivery format. However, as a future online instructor, I propose to use the following facilitation strategies that would support me in preventing plagiarism and cheating:

1. Help students to recognize the value of authentic academic work and model academic integrity

2. Highlight the consequences for cheating and dishonest behavior

3. Create lower incentives for cheating and

4. Make it more difficult to cheat (Strategies to address cheating, n.d.). 

Reference 

Haynie, D. (2014). Think twice before cheating in online courses. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved on June 16, 2016 from: http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2014/06/17/think-twice-before-cheating-in-online-courses

Strategies to address cheating in online courses. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://teaching.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Instructional_Contiunuity-Strategies_to_Address_Cheating_Online.pdf.  

 

The Impact of Technology & Multimedia

 

When designing and setting up an online course, it is important to consider the learning management system and technology tools that will be implemented in the online course to provide engaging and meaningful learning experiences. In this blog, I will outline multimedia and technology considerations for setting up an online learning experience. 

What impact does technology and multimedia have on online learning environments?

Various digital technologies which include computers, iPads, smartphones, etc. are often used in online learning courses to deliver learning content. Multimedia tools such as audio, video, and hyperlink documents nested in PowerPoint slides present learning materials that stimulate the attention of students and encourage their thinking process (Kumi et al., 2020). Technology and multimedia can impact online learning environments by influencing the level of interaction, providing cross-cultural collaboration, and allowing learners to develop a clear understanding of information.   

What are the most important considerations an online instructor should make before implementing technology?

Eiland and Todd (2019) stated that technology can assist with active learning sessions in the classroom to increase student engagement with a subject, provide immediate and meaningful feedback, and to clarify new concepts or review previously taught material. However, before implementing technology, online instructors should first consider the software that will be used and computer and device hardware limitations.

What implications do usability and accessibility of technology tools have for online teaching?

Learning tools and technology enable students to develop effective self-directed learning skills. Usability and accessibility are intrinsically linked.  Usability should play an important role in accessibility testing, since a resource presenting usability difficulties will generally present significant accessibility problems for users (Cooper et al., 2007). The lower the level of accessibility of a resource for an individual, the less usable it will be for them. Adequately addressing accessibility  and usability avoid barriers in the way of students accessing their learning.

What technology tools are most appealing to you for online teaching as you move forward in your career in instructional design?

To enrich learning in a meaningful way, some of the technology tools that are most appealing and ones that I have enjoyed using include:  

·       Kahoot

·       Prezi

·       Microsoft PowerPoint

·       Story board

·       Go Noodle

·       Padlet

·       Class Dojo

·       IXL

·       Nearpod

Reference

Cooper, M., Colwell, C., & Jelfs, A. (2007). Embedding accessibility and usability: Considerations for e-learning research and development projects. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ815341.pdf 

Eiland, L. S., & Todd, T. J. (2019). Considerations when incorporating technology into classroom and experiential teaching. The journal of pediatric pharmacology and therapeutics : JPPT : the official journal of PPAG, 24(4), 270–275. https://doi.org/10.5863/1551-6776-24.4.270

Kumi-Yeboah, A., Sallar, A.W., Kiramba, L.K., & Kim., Y. (2020). Exploring the use of digital technologies from the perspective of diverse learners in online learning environments. Online Learning, 24(4), 42-63. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i4.2323

Setting Up an Online Learning Experience

Setting up an Online Learning Experience 

A good online course consists of many elements which may consists of student accessibility, instructor presence and appropriate feedback. How the instructor formats and interacts with the class will ultimately determine the student’s learning experience. With this being so, when setting up an online learning experience, one of the most important tasks that an instructor must consider is how they will get to know their students. Dr. Palloff (2010) mentioned that similar to a face-to-face course, instructors can get to know their students through the personal bios given in the first week of class and often refer to them to make informed comments and responses.

What is the significance of knowing the technology available to you?

Knowing the technology available is an essential component of success in an online course. Being able to navigate technology allows learners to not only complete the course, but it gives learners the opportunity to explore a variety of information and deepen their understanding of different concepts.

Why is it essential to communicate clear expectations to learners?

Communicating clear expectations fosters a sense of community. Students will know when expectations are reasonable or not. They will also quickly identify any perceived double standard associated with class expectations (Learning and Teaching Community, 2011). Clear communication should be clear and concise, proactive, prompt, frequent, authentic and supportive.  

What additional considerations should the instructor consider when setting up an online learning experience?

When setting up an online course, an instructor should also keep in mind the feel of the course and the experience. Ultimately, a good online course has elements that do not singularly exist, but rather has integrated elements that build upon one another. A good online instructor works to ensure that each element of the course builds upon the course objectives (Hathcock, 2012).

Reference

Communicating High Expectations: Increase Student Success, Reduce Teacher Stress (2011). Retrieved from https://learningandteaching.byui.edu/perspective-magazine/communicating--high--expectations--increase--student-#:~:text=Expectations%20give%20the%20students%20an,work%20required%20for%20the%20course.

Hathcock, D. (2012). Mapping success: Essential elements of an effective online learning experience. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-course-delivery-and-instruction/mapping-success-essential-elements-of-an-effective-online-learning-experience/

Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2010). Launching the online learning experience [Video file].

EIDT 6510- The Significance of Online Learning Communities

 

The Significance of Online Learning Communities 

As outlined by Dr. Palloff and Dr. Pratt (2010), in online learning communities, the goal is a sense of co-created knowledge and meaning through learner-to-learner engagement. One of the challenges of online learning relates to students feeling disconnected to their classmates and instructor which can significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction (Gray & DiLoreto, 2016). In a similar topic of discussion that I have recently engaged in, I have expressed the importance of instructors providing topics and content that are relevant to current issues where students can connect practical and professional experience. This is essential as an element to building and sustaining an online learning community because learners may become more invested in course discussions, assignments and their colleagues.

Furthermore, establishing community building and effective online instruction helps a group of learner’s bond and work well together and is important in online courses given the potential for students to feel isolated and alone (Major, 2015). Community building and effective online instruction is more than participation; it requires moving from participation to engagement, involvement, and action.

The usability of a course is correlated to student satisfaction and learning. As I learn to become an effective instructor in the future, I will aim to develop quality courses that provide opportunities for interpersonal interaction. The following image below outlines ways to promote community in an online course. 

Reference

 

Major, C. H. (2015). Teaching online and instructional change: A guide to theory, research, and practice. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2010). Online learning communities [Video file].

Gray, J., DiLoreto, M. (2016). The effects of student engagement, student satisfaction, and perceived learning in online learning environments. NCPEA. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1103654.pdf

 

Analyzing Scope Creep

Scope creep is a dreaded thing that can happen on any project, wasting money, decreasing satisfaction, and causing the expected project value to not be met (Larson & Larson, 2009). In this blog, I will discuss a project in which I experienced issues related to scope creep. 

Recently, I took on a home improvement project with my aunt in helping her to re-paint her home office. A project that was originally planned for three days took two-weeks to complete. We first wrote out a plan in which day one, we would go out to shop for paint, day two, we would begin to paint the room and day three, we would paint the ceiling. We were on track with our plan until we later realized that painting over a dark colored (red) wall with lighter paint was a challenge.

After buying the desired colored paint and painting half of the office, we noticed that the dark color was peeking through the new color. Well, we knew that this wouldn’t be ideal, so we stopped and spent the next few days researching and reconstructing our plan.

Our new plan consisted of spending one day prepping and priming the walls good. As first-time painters, silly of us to have thought that we can buy paint and paint a wall. It wasn’t that simple as we missed two important steps (prepping and priming). After, we spent two days painting and we were able to successfully complete the home office. What a long two weeks! 

This scope of this project was not clearly defined, and the expected timeline was altered due to poor goal setting. If a project skips detailed decomposition and requirements analysis, the scope of the project remains ambiguous (Larson & Larson, 2009). Because my aunt and I had no experience with painting, we were unaware of the steps and materials needed to effectively paint a wall. A work-break down structure (WBS) should have been created as a guide for this project. With this being so, trial and error allowed us to later sit down to reconstruct our plan.

Scope creep is sometimes unavoidable due to unforeseen occurrences. When scope creep happens, the project manager must work to protect the baseline of the project and define the scope change. Looking back on this project, I could have given myself time to research and educate myself on how to effectively paint a room, the materials I would need and the cost, and an accurate estimated time needed to complete the project. Abramovici (2000) stated that, no matter how well organized a project is, uncontrolled scope creep can break it. It is the project manager's responsibility to avoid scope creep or manage the implementation of the new scope into the project in the best possible manner.

 

Abramovici, A. (2000). Controlling scope creep. PM Network, 14(1), 44–48.

Larson, R. & Larson, E. (2009). Top five causes of scope creep and what to do about them. Project Management Institute. 

Project Schedule and Estimating Activity Duration

 

Can you imagine starting a long car trip to an unfamiliar destination without a map or navigation system? Essentially, driving without any idea of how you're going to get there is the same as working on a project without a schedule. No matter the size or scope of your project, the schedule is a key part of project management (Project Schedule Development, n.d.).

When it comes to project planning and developing a project schedule, having the tools necessary for effective planning is important and may help project managers plan work more efficiently. In this blog, I will share two resources that may be useful in planning an instructional designer’s project schedule and breaking down a project’s task.

Resource #1- Instagantt

Project planning tools are designed to ensure teams can accomplish both short and long-term projects. Gantt charts may be used to track and allow organizations to manage and improve important projects (Instagantt, 2022). Gantt charts is a bar chart that shows the tasks of a project, when each task must take place, how long each task will take, and each task’s completion status.

To create a Gantt chart, ID’s may use a software called Instagantt. Instagantt provides an easy drag & drop feature to schedule tasks and follow each step of a project’s progress until the very last detail (Instagantt, 2022). Instagantt also makes a great place for stakeholders to collaborate in the project and stay informed with everyone’s work.

To access this software, click the link https://instagantt.com/. Additionally, if you would like to learn more about the software, click on the link to watch a 3-minute video.  https://youtu.be/fDraxzVpzX4 

Resource #2- Kissflow

Kissflow is a free project management tool/software for functional project managers and people who are new to project management. It is an easy-to-use and aesthetically appealing software that makes this one-stop solution an excellent choice for all types of organizations. It offers a well-rounded feature set for a variety of use cases. Some of the features include:

·       Ability to create sub-tasks and convert them to standalone tasks

·       Multiple ways to visualize projects (list, Kanban, and matrix views)

·       Custom fields and advanced filters to segment tasks

·       Detailed audit logs and complete activity history for every task

·       Ability to set due dates

·       Automated email notifications when deadlines near

·       Ability to assign team member roles

One thing that I found interesting about the software was that, it is very intuitive and new user friendly. This was important to me as a PM/ID with little to no experience with planning and scheduling major projects. A tool such as this would make project planning a breeze.

Reference

Instagantt. (2020). What is a Gantt Chart? [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/fDraxzVpzX4 

Project Schedule Development. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_71.htm

Top Gantt Chart Software for Project Management in 2022. (n.d.). Instagantt. Retrieved from https://instagantt.com/top-10-gantt-chart-software-for-project-management.

The Art of Effective Communication

 

The Art of Effective Communication

In this blog, I will observe a piece of communication in three different modalities. I will then interpret and reflect upon the communication in each modality and provide a synthesis of my thoughts.

 

Written Interpretation

·       Lots of grammatical errors

·       Seems as if Jane is requesting for a task to be completed as soon as possible

·       Tone of email is not as pleasant

Audio Interpretation

·       Tone of voice is better and perceived different from the email (sounds more empathetic). It is important to understand how to effectively communicate your ideas verbally to avoid misunderstandings and maximize interest while you speak (Types of Communication, 2021).

·       Jane seems to need help with a task that can possibly impact her work.

·       Jane sounds more polite.

Video Interpretation

·       The communication is clearer.

·       Jane comes off as polite and respectful.

·       Jane is putting urgency on the task she’s requesting; however, she seems to be reasonable and understand that Mark will get the information to her as soon as he can.

 

How did your interpretation of the message change from one modality to the next?

As I reviewed and analyzed each modality, my interpretation of the message changed. As I was reading the email, it seemed as if Jane was not as pleasant and could have been a little more considerate in her request regarding Mark’s work and time. As I continued to interpret the message through audio and video, the message was clear, and it seems that Jane was urgent about her request due to trying to reach a deadline that can negatively impact her work if not met.

What factors influenced how you perceived the message?

The grammatical errors and the tone influenced how I perceived the message in the email. As I continued to listen and watch the message via audio and video, the tone of voice and the body language of Jane allowed me to better perceive the message in a positive aspect.  

Which form of communication best conveyed the true meaning and intent of the message?

The exchange of information is vital to the success of two or more individuals working as a team (Fletcher & Major, 2006). Videos are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text. For me, the video form of communication best conveyed the true meaning and intent of the message. Body language paired with the tone of voice and choice of words helps me to better understand a message. I always tell people, if there is important information that I should know, call me rather than texting or emailing because I will perceive the information much better.   

What are the implications of what you learned from this exercise for communicating effectively with members of a project team?

The purpose of communication is often to clarify misunderstandings and to acknowledge the receipt of information and the establishment that mutual understanding has occurred between the listener and speaker (Fletcher & Major, 2006). This exercise helped me to understand that there is no one correct way of communicating but it is important to have awareness about what is appropriate in a situation. This is especially important when working with members on a project to avoid any misconceptions or misunderstandings.

 

Reference

Fletcher, T., & Major, D. (2006).  The Effects of Communication Modality on Performance and Self-Ratings of Teamwork Components. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00027.x

Types of Communication. (2021). U of People. Retrieved from, https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/types-of-communication-back-to-basics/