Facilitators Guide to

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow. -Anthony J. DAngelo

Kelley Dudoit ETEC 622-E-Learning Theory & Design, Dr. Bert Kimura UH Manoa, Fall 2012

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Table of Contents
Context
Introduction Objective Target Audience Course Prerequisites Learner Outcomes

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3 3 3 4 4

Implementation
Course Format Course Schedule

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5 6

Research
Introduction Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Technology Tools Conclusion Bibliography

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8 9 9 12 13

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A. Context
Introduction UH Google Suite 101 is designed to assist students and employees of the University of Hawaii (UH) system to utilize the tools available to them to maximize their productivity. The course will introduce participants to basic features of UH Gmail, Calendar and Drive.

Objective In Fall 2011, the UH system converted their electronic mail (email) host to Google mail (Gmail). Traditionally, students and employees used their mail systems exclusively for email communication. The robust nature of the Google suite is not something employees or students were formally introduced to leaving many of the tools underutilized.

This training aims to build relevancy for students and employees and assist them in developing meaningful connections to how these functions can be used to enhance their performance.

Target Audience The UH system consists of seven community colleges and three university campuses sprawled across six of the Hawaiian Islands. In addition to a physical presence in the islands, distance education programs provide instruction to students across the world. In Fall 2012, the system enrolled a total of 60,295 students and employed approximately 8,000.

All UH employees or students are encouraged to participate in this course. Serving this demographic of learners, who are located in various locations throughout the state of Hawaii, presents a challenge. Therefore, the utilization of technology is imperative to deliver equal

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training services across all sites. The massive open online course (MOOC) platform is ideal for this situation.

Course Prerequisites To be successful in this course, participants should possess basic computer skills and the ability to navigate the internet and online applications. While no background with the Google suite is necessary, participants should be familiar with the applications Microsoft or Open Office counterparts (i.e. MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint).

Learner Outcomes Upon the successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

Navigate the various composition options in UH Gmail Customize basic setting features in UH Gmail Utilize the labeling system for organizing electronic mail Setup message forwarding and be able to explain the process to others Initiate a chat and utilize the feature for interagency communication Customize the theme on their UH Gmail home page Create calendars and navigate the system including the submission of events, tasks and reminders

Customize Google Calendar to meet individual viewing preferences Explain the use of Google Drive applications including Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations and Sites

Utilize collaborative features embedded in Google Drive programs Upload and explore files in Google Drive

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Utilize the folder system for organization and collaborative purposes Explain the benefits of cloud storage

B. Implementation
Course Format All modules (except the course introduction) will follow the same format: 1. Video Tutorials (Web Based)-Tutorials will be posted at the beginning of each week on the course site. Participants are encouraged to watch the videos and practice the concepts prior to the live demonstration. Videos will be broken into segments to allow time for participants to practice the tasks being covered in the tutorial.

2. Blackboard Collaborate (Synchronous)-A 90 minute Blackboard Collaborate (BBC) session will be held at the end of each week where the course instructor will do a live demo of the concepts and answer participant questions. A facilitator will be present to collect questions via the chat box and keep the session moving a timely manner. Link to BBC vroom: http://bit.ly/Sq9n87.

3. Lore.com (Asynchronous)-Participants are encouraged to visit the course site, www.lore.com/uhgs101 on a regular basis. Weekly practicing exercises will be posted there and the site can be used to ask questions and communicate with peers. The discussion portion of the board will be the primary means for course communication.

4. Assessment (Web Based)-Formative assessment will be completed at the end of each BBC session using an online polling system called www.polleverywhere.com. Based on the companys website, Poll Everywhere works internationally with texting, web or

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Twitter. Participants will be asked to provide responses using their computer or mobile device to questions surrounding their comprehension of the content and the value of the material. Responses will assist the course instructor in determining the pace of the course and will alert the necessity for any instructional changes.

Summative data will be collected through an end of course evaluation using Google Sites. The link to the assessment will be provided to students in the final BBC session and on the course site. If necessary, the link will be emailed as a follow up to students registered for the course.

Course Schedule Course introduction-A 60 minute BBC session introducing group participants to the MOOC will be conducted during week one. The session will provide a brief overview of the course schedule and the different online platforms for course communication. Participants will be encouraged to introduce themselves on the course website and provide peer responses to explore the diversity amongst participants.

Unit
Module 1

Content
Composing Formatting toolbar Images, links and emoticons Invitations Attachments Drafts Settings (General) Profile photo Signature Vacation responder Labels Creating Organizing Deleting Forwarding Setup

Practice Exercise (Example)

Screen Shot Challenge: Capture a screen shot of a fancy message you have composed using some of the composition and attachment features you have learned this week. Post the photo to our course discussion board. The person with the most likes wins.

Module 2

Chat Challenge: Exchange UH usernames with someone in the

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Options Chat Initiation Availability Settings Theme Customization

Module 3

Creating Calendars Multiple calendars Sharing Events Reminders Guest invitations Permission settings Recurring events

Module 4

Tasks Creating Check list Viewing options Month, week, day Print calendar Settings Customization Home page overview Creating and naming files Documents Main tool bar Chat Commenting Spreadsheets Main tool bar Collaborating Sharing options and settings Files shared with you Presentations Main toolbar File Export Options Forms Basic information

Module 5

course and use the chat feature in your UH Gmail account. Work together to write a reflection statement on the experience and post it to the course discussion board. Include pros and cons of the chat feature and how you would use it in your work as an employee or student to be more productive in your work. Team with the most likes wins. Event Invite: Exchange UH usernames with someone you have not worked with before in this course. Create events and exchange them with one another. Play with the reminder and permission settings. Work together to compose a reflection statement on the experience and post to our course discussion board. Did you discover any new features that were not discussed in the course? Group with the most likes wins. Craziest Week Ever Challenge: Upload your events for the week into your Google Calendar. Create a separate calendar for your personal and work activities. Take a screen shot of the week view and post it to discussion board on our page. The craziest schedule for this week with the most likes wins. Whats Up Doc: I will create a Google Doc and post the link in our course site. Log in and add something to the document (no large image files please). While you are in there, check to see if any other collaborators are available to chat. I will post the final doc (which will look like a course collage) at the end of the week. Our goal for this activity is creative collaboration. Excellent Export Challenge: Create a doc, spreadsheet or presentation in Google drive. Export the file as a PDF and post it to our course discussion board. The person with

Module 6

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Question types Editing, deleting or duplicating questions Changing the look Distributing survey Collecting data Uploading docs to your drive File Folders Organizing Sharing Customizing Cloud storage Desktop application the most likes wins.

Module 7

Sell the Cloud Challenge: Use your imagination, and the knowledge you have gained from this course, to develop a product that encourages individuals in the UH system to work in the cloud. Post your product to the course discussion board. Person with the most likes wins. The winners product will be distributed system wide.

C. Research
Introduction In Fall 2011, the University of Hawaii (UH) system transitioned to Gmail as their sole means of electronic communication. This change occurred system wide and was mandatory for all students and employees. With the transfer to Gmail, came the advent of an entirely new system featuring additional applications with sophisticated features.

Since then, no formal training has been developed to address the learning curve associated with navigating a new system. This has resulted in some frustration for both students and employees who have had difficulty utilizing the new features. This situation is duplicated throughout many companies. Tarafdar, Tu, Ragu-Nathan and Ragu-Nathan (2011) coined the term technostress and examined the contributing factors to this new phenomenon surrounding the increased use of information systems in the workplace. Technostress has a dramatic impact on factors including work productivity and satisfaction.

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To remedy the tension that has resulted, and to encourage the utilization of the enhanced

features, UH Google Suite 101 was developed. The course will comprise of a total of eight (8) modules that will cover a basic course introduction, UH Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive.

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform was selected because of its ability to reach users on all ten UH campuses located throughout the state of Hawaii. Vardi (2012) attributes the popularity of the MOOC model not to the use of technology, rather to the cost effectiveness. Given the current economy, many learners are finding themselves in a position where they can no longer afford formal training and MOOCs have lent itself as an affordable alternative. This supports the selection of this model as an effective training solution for the UH system. Considering the cost entailed in attempting to implement a face-to-face training across six (6) different islands is prohibitive.

Discussion amongst participants will be highly encouraged and imperative to the success of the training. Kop, Fournier, and Mak (2011) explain the value of creating a community of trust and confidence that encourages social interaction between participants. This component is vital to the success of a MOOC where the role of the community of learners is just as important, and in some cases more important, than that of the instructor.

Technology Tools A blend of technology tools and methods were used in developing the training product. According to research by Rhode (2009) learners in a self-paced course thrive in a flexible online environment where they are encouraged to interact meaningfully with content, the instructor and

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other learners.

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Learning Management System The integration of social media in learning environments is a recent development in online education. There are many ongoing discussions surrounding the effectiveness of this approach. Poellhuber and Anderson (2011) observe the importance of transparency in building personal connections in an online environment. Social media platforms allow online courses to engage learners in a more social way negating inhibitions and encouraging new avenues for enhanced student communication.

With the growing number of proponents in education supporting social media formats, it is no surprise that learning management systems are being developed to model social media sites. This training course has been designed on Lore.com to test the effectiveness of a highly social classroom environment.

Asynchronous Asynchronous communication for the course will occur via the selected learning management system. The course site is, www.lore.com/uhgs101. Discussion boards will be utilized for instructor-student and student-student dialogue. Research by Nandi, Hamilton and Harland (2012) supports the purpose of discussion areas in asynchronous course environments as a means for students to ask questions and provide answers to peers. This exchange is pertinent to the learning process and allows participants to explore the concepts thoroughly and gain a broader understanding.

While asynchronous learning management systems are criticized for the inherent limits to their

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design, they serve many fundamental purposes essential to any learning environment. Exclusively asynchronous course formats restrict dialogue. Diversifying the methods for course communication is paramount to addressing different learning styles and providing an effective course structure for students.

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Synchronous Synchronous communication in distance learning settings has emerged as an essential component of online course structure. McBrien, Jones and Cheng (2009) in a study that observes the impact of synchronous tools in education, states the importance of dialogue in the learning experience and the explicit challenges presented to instructors to create the opportunity for online conversation.

Blackboard collaborate will be used in UH Google Suite 101 as the means for synchronous communication. Weekly sessions will be held to provide a live overview of concepts for the week and time for questions and answers. Considering the massive student base, it is impossible for all questions to be adequately addressed during a synchronous session. Therefore, multiple means of exchange will be offered to course participants.

Web-Based Content Providing various methods for accessing the learning material is an important feature of this course. In addition to asynchronous and synchronous course mediums, web based instructional material will enhance the overall training.

Short tutorials featuring the content for each module will be developed using a live screen recording web based program such as Screenr. Sargent (2011) studied the use of online video

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tutorials and their effect on student success. The study revealed that including this method of supplemental instruction had positive effects on student performance and retention.

In addition to the video tutorials, web based content will be offered as additional means of training. Supplemental training tools will be added to the course site, www.lore.com/uhgs101, in the resources section.

Assessment from participants will be collected through web based mediums. Formative and summative evaluations will be administered as a way of maintaining the effectiveness of the course and for allowing participant feedback.

Conclusion Upon completion of the eight (8) module training, participants should feel comfortable incorporating the Google applications into their work as students and employees. The university will benefit by increasing the productivity of its workers. In addition, students who are familiar with the basic features of these applications are more likely to use them as tools for success along their academic journey.

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Bibliography
Kop, R., Fournier, H., & Mak, J. (2011). A Pedagogy of Abundance or a Pedagogy to Support Human Beings? Participant Support on Massive Open Online Courses. International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 12(7), 74-93. McBrien, J., Jones, P., & Cheng, R. (2009). Virtual Spaces: Employing a Synchronous Online Classroom to Facilitate Student Engagement in Online Learning. International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 10(3), 17. Nandi, D., Hamilton, M., & Harland, J. (2012). Evaluating the Quality of Interaction in Asynchronous Discussion Forums in Fully Online Courses. Distance Education, 33(1), 530. Poellhuber, B., & Anderson, T. (2011). Distance Students' Readiness for Social Media and Collaboration. International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 12(6), 102-125. Rhode, J. F. (2009). Interaction Equivalency in Self-Paced Online Learning Environments: An Exploration of Learner Preferences. International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 10(1), 23. Sargent, C. R. (2011). Improving Retention for Principles of Accounting Students: Ultra-Short Online Tutorials for Motivating Effort and Improving Performance. Issues In Accounting Education, 26(4), 657-679. Tarafdar, M., Tu, Q., Ragu-Nathan, T. S., & Ragu-Nathan, B. S. (2011). Crossing to the dark side. Communications of the ACM, 54(9), 113. doi: 10.1145/1995376.1995403 Vardi, M. Y. (2012). Will MOOCs Destroy Academia?. Communications Of The ACM, 55(11), 5. doi:10.1145/2366316.2366317