1 of 15

Connecting teachers with students using virtual resources

Rodolfo Fernandez

Full Sail University

2 of 15

Who am I?

Hi I’m Rodolfo Fernandez; I am an EMDT Master Degree student at Full Sail University Online. I worked as an Audiovisual Technician for 20 years with different A/V companies in Puerto Rico and in the United States. Currently I work as an Audiovisual Technician at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and as a Part time professor at the Center for Cinematography Arts and Television teaching Introduction to Audio theory, Basic Video Editing, Introduction to Computers and Introduction to Digital Systems.

The title for my AR project is “Connecting teachers with students using virtual resources”. The objective of this project was to motivate professors to use online resources in their classrooms, such as Web 2.0 tools, online video tutorials and learning management systems. For detail information about this project, you can access it at: http://rodolfofernandez.wordpress.com/

3 of 15

Objective

Why motivate professors and not students?

4 of 15

Reasons

What are the reasons of why professors are not motivated to use online resources? One of the reasons was connectivity. When professors and students had problems connecting to the LMS server, they distrusted the online style of learning. Professors also complained about laziness in students when working online. Perreault, Waldman, Zhao & Alexander (2003) explained students often complained about the lack of face-to-face interaction with professors in an online course, compared to a classroom, where they could interact with the professor at any moment. In addition to students’ complaints, there could be also the possibility of technical problems when working in an online environment, provoking anxiety and frustration to educators (Wang, Chen & Levy, 2010). Like technical issues, connecting to a server or any other interruption could interrupt the students’ learning process (Wang, et. al, 2003). “Managing a live online classroom can be technically, pedagogically and psychologically demanding as text- based, oral and oral–visual interactions all happen at the same time” (Wang, et.al, 2010, p.279).

5 of 15

Reasons

6 of 15

AR Focus Statement

7 of 15

Methodology

My target audiences for cycles 1 were seven professors from the Department of Sociohumanistics studies from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, especially from the Spanish department. These professors were gathered in a training room where they were instructed on the use of emergent technologies and how to integrate them in either face-to-face classroom environment or in an online environment.

For cycle 2, my target audiences were professors from the School of Arts and Science from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. They were gathered in a training room where they are going to be instructed on the use of computer applications and how to integrate them in either face-to-face classroom environment or in an online environment. Five professors participated in cycle 2. There were two professors from the Mathematics department, one professor from the Language department, one professor from the Science department, and one professor from the Sociohumanistic department. All participants are teaching on a full time basis.

8 of 15

Methodology

I started my cycle 1 implementation by preparing a survey on Google docs that gathered quantitative and qualitative information on their course specialization, computer skills, use of computer for class purposes and their views on technology. After I showed them the benefits of working with emergent technologies Web 2.0 tools, I administered the survey on the computers at the Computer Center of the Faculty of the School of Arts and Science. Through the survey I found out that most of the professors from the Mathematics and Physics Department use technology on their classroom by using the Learning Management System (Blackboard) for showing their content in their classrooms using PowerPoint. English professors were using Blackboard for support for their course content, some of them are already teaching online. That left me with the professors from Spanish department, which they did not had, courses built in Blackboard. One of the professors suggested to me to focus my Action Plan on this group of professors, since they are few (7) and because they needed more technical assistance on how to work in the Learning Management System.

9 of 15

Methodology

10 of 15

Methodology

Groovin' with Web 2.0

11 of 15

Results

Based on the results from the cycle 1 survey, professors were reluctant to teach completely online. Although most of them have the necessary (computer) skills to work online, they feared that once they have a course online, technology will be a substitute to them. Other professors did not trust in the university’s computer infrastructure, since other professors and students complained about having problems connecting to the university’s server from time to time. Also, some of the professors, especially from the Math department, expressed that students do not like to be taught online, since the online course lack of the human factor or connection with the professor in case of questions or doubts. Connection problems and lack of interactivity were two of the problems that were mentioned on my Literature Review.

Based on the results from cycle 2, professors needed developing or improving their computer application skills. Once they finished the Basic Microsoft Excel workshops, professors were motivated, since they could use the aforementioned application to create/work on their electronic grade books. At the end of the workshops, professors were motivated to practice what they learned and to participate in more computer application workshops, such as Movie Maker, PowerPoint, Word and Email.

12 of 15

Conclusion

13 of 15

Conclusion

14 of 15

Conclusion

15 of 15

Resources

Perreault, H., Waldman, L., Jensen Zhao, M., Alexander, M. (2003).

Overcoming barriers to successful delivery of distance-learning courses.

Journal of Education for Business. 84(4). 313-317. Retrieved from Academic

Search Premiere database.

Wang, Y., Chen, N., Levy, M. (2010). Teacher training in a synchronous cyber

face-to-face classroom: Characterizing and supporting the online teachers’

learning process. Computer Assisted Language Learning. 23(4). 277-293.

doi 10.1080/09588221.2010.493523

All images, music and clips are used for educational purposes only