Reflective Report

Leonardo Langaro

One of the requirements to complete the module Support Virtual Communities is to reflect on
our learning acquired during this module, considering our personal gains and contributions
from this online interaction. From the options presented, I chose three points to be developed
in my reflection: "With Hindsight", "Role Player" and "To Summarise." These themes were
selected as I believe that they encompass my personal experience gained in this module and
my projects for the development of my future professional activity. At the end of this
reflection, I included the references cited during the text, and an appendix with my annotated
bibliography.

With Hindsight
One of my most significant posting into the Discussion Forum, during this module, was my
justification on the choice of the Salmon’s model to apply in my group activity. After I
studied more deeply on this model and practiced during our group activity, I could rewrite it
like this:

The Salmon’s model can give us an important support during our group activity. An
online collaborative activity is a very complex process and needs to be supported by a
consistent and straightforward model. Following the stages indicated by this model,
we could guide our activity in an efficient and systematic way. Despite our group
activity have been based in a print-based and face-to-face activity, following the steps
from the Salmon’s Five Stage model we could design an excellent online activity and
with a good chance of having done an important activity. Using a how-to guide style,
this model can allows even inexperienced e-moderators like us to create a successful
elearning activity.

This model emphasizes the social based aspects of elearning as a key to reach the
expected outcomes (Salmon, 2003). The activity that we have to develop has a strong
social base since aims the interaction among individuals, from different parts of the
world, focused on a unique project for learning, where the exchange of experience
and knowledge are a fundamental part of this process. Salmon's model stands as a tool

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 that emphasizes the social aspects as a basis for learning in an online community, and
highlights the opportunities for interaction that elearning can support, when linked
with the social cognitive theory. This model uses the fundamental premise that the
ability of an individual to learn online goes beyond the limits of technical expertise,
and includes a pillar based on the principles of social learning, where the learner have
an important role in this interaction with the guiding hand of the e-moderator
providing knowledge and efficiency to support learning (Bandura, 2006). The
Salmon's model also includes the perspective of a social learning according the
communities of practice theory, reinforcing the assertion that “learning can not be
designed: it can only be designed for – that is, facilitated or frustrate” (Wenger, 1998).

We could consider, further, those mentioned, the presence of Vygotsky's theory, in

the Salmon’s model. When the e-moderator acts as an initial scaffold that gradually
shifts the responsibility for the development of the learning community under his
guidance, and learners are instigated to develop their own scaffold, based in their
relationships with many within the community and possibly beyond the community
(Vygotsky & Cole, 1978). For these reasons, I believe we should use the Salmon’s
model as a framework and guide for our activity. I believe that through this model we
can build a consistent activity and could certainly replace the currently used face-to-
face process.

Essentially, the main contribution of the Salmon’s model, directly connected with my
experience in creating a collaborative activity was the implementation of an online activity
idealized in many of our discussions. This model served to conduct me in building this
activity in a clear and objective path, providing a significant learning on this topic. Linked
with my professional development I could consider the learning on Salmon’s model provided
me an upgrade in my skills gave me the knowledge of a valuable tool to apply during my
professional career as an eLearning Developer and Instructional Designer.

Role Player
I was chosen to act as e-Chair in my group, although not initially aspire to this role. I firstly
was apprehensive to accept this role, not by the fact to have insufficient necessary skills for
this function but because I preferred act as a researcher in my group. However, later I realized
I could work efficiently through my organizational and planning skills. According Salmon
(2003) an e-Chair is a useful personage when we need to meet goals within strict deadlines.

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The skills are similar to those requiring for a face-to-face Chair, adding complexity and
asynchronicity. The e-Chair role involves more a democratic decision-making and
consequently more time than usually required (Salmon, 2003). I initially sent to my
teammates a schematic summary of the activities that we should implement, including its
objectives, the main arguments on we had to focus, the tasks that we should to perform, and
deadlines to be reached. I knew that the main role that I should pursue would be the controller
of deadlines and tasks, and the verifier of the activities being conducted. Salmon (2004) also
indicated that we can explore another structures of effective work teams and specific roles.
She cites other roles in addition to the e-Chair such as resource finder, recorder, summarizer,
reviewer, critic and timekeeper. In addition to exercising the role of e-chair, I also acted in
other functions, together with my teammates. Besides act as summarizer and timekeeper,
organizing our goals and deadlines, I also exercised roles of reviewer and critic, changing
sentences and suggesting arguments that could defend our position.

Donnelly (2008) detected some potential problems that could emerge among participants
from a virtual involvement. I could consider two problems that happened during our practice
in a collaborative environment. Firstly, some participants had a significant resistance to
change their convictions and consequently did not accept any interference in their writings.
Another problem that arose in the virtual group was an unequal relationship caused by a
participant with a dominant behaviour for being the author of the original course in which we
developed an activity. This participant did not accept any attempt to change any sentence of
his prior work. Aware of this reality, the other participants decided not to pursue the conflict
and used the strategy of no more trying to modify his/her work but only include new ideas for
improvement. This attitude followed Donnelly’s assertion that “relationships are a key aspect
of any vCoP”, and that they also “determine the motivation and the legitimization of the
members, which in turn determine the identity and trust and confidence of the members”
(Donnelly, 2008). Fortunately, this strategy had a good result, avoid prolonging the conflict.
This fact led me to reflect on the complexity of being an e-moderator and the need to be
aware of subliminal signals between the lines in any participant’s post. I believe that conflicts
should be strongly avoided and the group should take preventive measures during the process
as a whole. Even in the case of comprehensive group agreement has been done corrective
action often becomes necessary. This is a further testimony that the e-moderator should have
adequate experience and profound knowledge on any online activity.

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To Summarise
The first and probably strongest thing that makes me reflect during the module was the
complex role of the e-moderator in an online course. Salmon (2004) stated that the main
preoccupation of the e-moderator is to engage the participants so that the knowledge they
have built can be used in new and different situations. The purpose of the online e-moderator
is to encourage "meaning making" instead of a simple transmission of content (Salmon,
2004). The discussion environment allowed by this kind of learning is valued by the students
for offer “the opportunity to learn from others mistakes and insights and for the sense of
community it offered” (Laurillard, 2002). Peters (as cited in Laurillard, 2002, p.147)
advocated that “the digital learning environment will probably be the most efficacious
enabler of independent and self-determined learning”. Nevertheless, the importance of a
competent and well-prepared e-moderator is paramount for the full success of this learning
process. As Laurillard stated, “the pedagogical benefits of the medium rest entirely on how
successfully it maintains a fruitful dialogue between tutor and students, or between students.
This is determined to a great extent by the role the tutor plays” (Laurillard, 2002, p.148). The
main role of the e-moderator is evidently multifaceted, requiring professional and personal
characteristics, and an intensive training. According Salmon (2004), the qualities and
competencies which the e-moderators should acquire through training and experience are
basically three: understanding of online process, technical skills, and online communication
skills.

Over the four weeks that comprised this module, I could perform the roles that make up an
online discussion and an online collaborative activity. Through this experience, I acted both
as participant and as moderator, too. The multiplicity of matters that add up seemingly in an
uncontrollable way does the work of the e-moderator a challenge. At the same time, the e-
moderator should follow the discussion and managing them, motivating students who are not
participating, opining on relevant issues and adding the necessary knowledge. Among a series
of features, McConnell (2006) listed that the e-moderator helps to organize the group, has
good group development and intervention skills, ensures the group engagement in the
learning design, and provides relevant resources to the participants.

The group activity was another very positive experience. It encompassed the experience of a
deep online collaborative work and served to experience the nuances of this type of
interaction. McConnell set the kind of relationship that takes place among the members of a
e-learning group as an important learning aspect, suggesting that learning is a way of being in

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the social world. He accentuates that, “the cornerstone of online learning communities lies in
the presence of socially close, strong, intimate ties, the development of trust, and shared
values and social organization.” (McConnell, 2006), p.189)

Personally, issues concerning the deadlines for completion of projects, and discussions
relating to decision making for a certain theme, were those that generated more anxiety and
tension. In these situations, you have to manage your preoccupation and to comprehend that
there are different levels of motivation, understanding and knowledge amongst the
participants, and that each one react in your own way against adversities.

Conclusions
All these reflections helped me to conclude that I still have a long learning path to walk
before I could consider myself an e-moderator in the true sense of the word. I certainly must
read deeply on this area, and I believe that would help me a lot whether I establish a routine
of writing on this topic. Moreover, the assisted practice will provide me with necessary
experience and wisdom for developing a truly effective online activity. The need to develop
my online communication skills has also become evident after this module. I plan to increase
these skills through my wiki-use research, where I should get along with students and
educators, both in Ireland and in Brazil, among two different languages and cultures.
Certainly, it will be a challengeable pleasure.

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References

Bandura, A. (2006). Psychological Modeling: Conflicting Theories. New Jersey: Transaction

Publishers.

Dawson, S., & Berg, L. (2002). Vol 8: Using online chat to enhance peer learning while on
fieldwork placements. CAL - laborate, 8.

Donnelly, R. (2008). Learning communities of practice for teachers and academic developers
- an irish higher education perspective. In C. Kimble, P. Hildreth & I. Bourdon (Eds.),
Communities of practice: creating learning environments for educators (Vol. 2, pp.
67-88). Charlotte, NC: IAP.

Laurillard, D. (2002). Rethinking university teaching: a conversational framework for the

effective use of educational technology (2nd ed.). London: Routledge Falmer.

Mathiasen, H., & Schrum, L. (2008). Web 2.0 and social software: challenges and complexity
of communication in education. In A. Holzinger (Ed.), HCI and usability for
education and work (pp. 97-113). Graz, Austria: Springer.
McConnell, D. (2006). E-learning groups and communities. Maindenhead: The Society for
Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.

Salmon, G. (2003). E-moderating: the key to teaching and learning online. London: Taylor &
Francis Books Ltd.

Salmon, G. (2004). E-tivities: the key to active online. London: Routledge.

Vygotsky, L., & Cole, M. (1978). Mind in society: the development of higher psychological
processes: Harvard College.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity. UK:

Cambridge.

West, E. (1999). The big book of icebreakers: 50 quick, fun activities for energizing meetings
and workshops. New York: McGraw Hill.

West, J., & West, M. (2009). Using wikis for online collaboration: the power of the read-
write web. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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Annotated Bibliography

Coghlan, M. (2001). eModeration - managing a new language? Paper presented at the

Net*Working 2001 Conference, Brisbane, AU.

This paper, presented at the Net*Working 2001 Conference in Brisbane-AU by

Michael Coghlan analyses what he describes as a change of focus in what constitutes
a good online pedagogy, from delivering content to the creation of online
communities which include e-moderation. He affirms that the communication
management process in an online environment took the centre of the stage. He
describes various kinds of online communication such as forum, email or chat, and
explains how teachers and learners deal with it. This presentation was based on raw
data from various online situations and highlights what is considered a facilitating
online successful. It also examines the theoretical models that attempt to explain the
best strategies used by e-moderator and makes a comparative connection among them.
This article is a functional source of information to educators who desire realistic
examples of communication online and its features.

Collis, B., & Moonen, J. (2007). The contributing student: philosophy, technology, and
strategy. In J. Spector (Ed.), Finding your online voice: stories told by experience
online educators (pp. 19-32). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.

This is a chapter from the book entitled Finding your online voice: stories told by
experienced online educators, edited by J. Michael Spector. The author of this
chapter, Dr. Betty Collins, was a professor at University of Twente, Netherlands and
currently retired. She emphasizes in her book the value of the experience in an online
environment. The reason is that the importance of the communication and the voice
tone during an activity. The voice you use when you are giving instructions for
contribution activities, expectations about performance, assessment procedures should
be formal, she says. The voice you use to monitor and stimulate students to participate
is like a personal coach. Here the tone is personal, warm, friendly, and the more the
students are contributing, the more we can make our coaching an opportunity for
positive reinforcement. She explains the differences in communication among face-to-
face discussion and an online discussion and the importance and recommends blended
courses as an opportunity to contact personally people. This book chapter is an
interesting investigation on the student behaviour inside online communities.
Particularly will be an important source during my wiki-use research.

Donnelly, R. (2008). Learning communities of practice for teachers and academic developers
- an irish higher education perspective. In C. Kimble, P. Hildreth & I. Bourdon (Eds.),
Communities of practice: creating learning environments for educators (pp. 67-88):
IAP.

This is the chapter four of the book mentioned above and is resulted from research
and experience in the HE environment in Ireland during five years. The aim of this
study is to discuss how a problem-based learning virtual community of practice was
developed and supported in the academic context. It is based in an interest in

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 designing e-learning courses by a group of academic staff, supported by learning
technologies. The author attempts to establish an analysis concerning to the available
communication tools. This study investigates on the use of these technologies to
support vCoP, and the interaction among educators and students into these
communities. This case study is an excellent source of information for those who
support or are in process to support academic staff in universities or colleges both in
blended or online activities. This research includes valuables information on how to
conduce a learning environment, and analysis on participation and group’s efficiency,
quality of conversations, and potential problems that can appear in a virtual
community. It is an important source of research for educators that are looking for
additional information about a practical experience involving the management of a
vCoP in a higher education field.

Hepplestone, S., Parkin, H., Irwin, B., Holden, G., Thorpe, L. & Burn, C. (2010). Using
technology to help students engage with their feedback. Sheffield: Hallam University.

Produced by the Learning and Teaching Institute of the Sheffield Hallam University,
this sixteen pages pdf-guide is based on the outcomes of a research project undertaken
in 2008 which undergraduate students explored their experiences of receiving
feedback. The best practice recommendations for the use of technology were
considered to help students engage with their feedback. This guide is aimed at
academic staff to improve the use of feedback practices as an integral feature of
effective learning. The authors highlight that the use of feedback can be one of the
most powerful ways to enhance and strengthen student learning.
The guide describes some traditional feedback practices still used that are no longer
effective, as to give feedback just at the end of the module, e.g. They encourage staff
to use a tool to publish feedback throughout the duration of the modules they are
currently studding. There are innumerable advices and tips to help online educators in
using feedback, always followed by testimonials from students. The main content in
this guide pass through the online publication and grades, the adaptive release of
grades, the link between feedback to assessment criteria, the Blackboard Grade
Centre, and an assignment handler. This guide is an important source of staff
reflection about the importance of the feedback to increase the expected students’
outcomes.

Higgison, C. (2000). Online Tutoring e-book H.-W. U. a. R. G. University (Ed.).

http://web.archive.org/web/20040610143330/otis.scotcit.ac.uk/onlinebook/. Accessed
in 14th May 2010.

By means of an e-book format, this source of information is a user-friendly source of

information on online tutoring. This work was produced by lectures from the Heriot-
Watt University and the Robert Gordon University. The e-book consists of nine
chapters, each one written by different author, including the main knowledge that an
e-tutor should know. The content includes learning outline, the tutor’s role, building
an online learning community, new assessment methods, evaluation, culture and
ethics, institutional support, staff development, and quality assurance. Every content
is subdivided in subsections, which cover the relevant aspects of an e-tutoring activity
such as strategies and techniques, feedback and assessment, case studies, learning
styles and models of learning. The last chapter includes a useful search engine to
browse along the Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) database. It is a

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 valuable and quick reference guide to help learners or even experienced e-tutors in
their day-by-day practice.

DeVries, J. and Lim, G. (2003) Significance of Online Teaching vs. Face-to-Face:

Similarities and Difference, E-LEARN 2003, Phoenix, Arizona, USA, November 7-
11, 2003. [PDF at http://bit.ly/d3OpyK]

This paper has the aim to compare face-to-face and online teaching modes, its
similarities and differences, and its strengths and limitations. The authors attempt to
explain clearly the features of the two modes to encourage educators in applying a
teaching online mode. They compare the online and face-to-face teaching and
highlight its communication features and differences, and what is expected to be an
efficient online teacher. The authors try to convince a beginner in online education
environment that he can already have the majority of the necessary skills to act as an
online teacher. This work is an important source of argumentation in a comparative
discussion between the two modes.

Klemm, W. R. (1998). Eight Ways to Get Students More Engaged in Online Conferences.
The Journal. http://thejournal.com/Articles/1998/08/01/Eight-Ways-to-Get-Students-
More-Engaged-in-Online-Conferences.aspx?Page=1 . Accessed in 23rd May 2010.

Paper published in the Higher Education Journal relating tactics that teachers can
employ to make students more active during online conferences. The author points
out the importance of an active student’s participation during an online conference,
emphasizing that learning is best accomplished when the learner are actively engaged
in the process. He describes some causes to a student be a “lurker” such as
psychological and social forces, and limitations of most conferencing software.
Klemm describes eight interesting and easy-to-apply solutions for a conference,
aiming to enhance the student’s participation, keep their attention, and increase
interactivity among participants.

McLeod, S., Dawson, S., & Berg, L. (2002). Vol 8: Using online chat to enhance peer
learning while on fieldwork placements. CAL - laborate, 8.

This paper attempts to analyse the use of online chat to intensify peer learning during
on fieldwork placements for the School of Community Health at Charles Sturt
University, Australia. Students are located in diverse cities around Australia and need
an academic support while doing their fieldworks. This kin of support has been
adopted successfully since 1999 even in other programs in Australia and overseas.
This paper emphasizes the importance of peer interactions, which provide
opportunities for mutual problem solving, brainstorms, and joint analysis. The author
shows a survey indicating that majority of students admits online chat is essential for
a successful fieldwork.
This paper is a good source of research to those who wants to know the advantages of
an online chat and its results in an academic application.

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Salmon, G. (2004). E-tivities: the key to active online. London: Routledge.

This second Salmon’s book focused on online activities was written to assist all those
who deal with an online environment. The book has the aim to customize the online
learning and teaching process regardless the subject area.
The first part of the book explores the Salmon’s five-stage model, helping educators
to design and implement an online activity. Salmon explain systematically how online
practitioners can collaborate with each other designing active and interactive
activities. She highlights e-activities are designed for efficiency and they are reusable
and recyclable, allowing it use either in combination with classroom activities or
printed-based distance learning.
The key principles to build effective and efficient e-tivities describe by Salmon are:
decide your expectations on both learners and e-moderators will do, establish clear
objectives for each e-tivity, plan your evaluation to reach your learning and teaching
purpose, motivate online learners, provide an e-tivity that makes taking part
meaningful, and create an authentic learning experience for your online learners. The
author also emphasize that is essential that the online educational environment must
establish an effective training system to sustain instructors as e-moderators. The
second part of the book offers a set of 35 online resources for practitioners, providing
a useful tool to apply into the design, developing and implementing stages.
I used this book throughout all this module and I recommend as an excellent source of
information and a guide to go along in your career. This is an essential book for all
who wants to overpass the barrier between a traditional teacher and an e-moderator.

Smith, C. (2008). Designing and implementing e-learning, from

http://designing.flexiblelearning.net.au/. Accessed in 24th May 2010.

This webpage is part of a project developed by the Australian Flexible Framework in

2004 and updated in 2008. There are many authors and the name described above is
the current project manager. The site provides direct answers about what is e-learning
and how you can do this. Through an organized range of different e-tours you can
easily look for your preferred topic. The e-tours are divided in: get started in e-
learning; explore e-technologies; plan an e-learning initiative; design an e-learning
course; and develop an e-learning plan. You can also choose to go direct to some
subject via tabs with the following titles: Home, galleries of strategies, learning
design, learning materials, assessing online inclusive e-learning and further
information. In all these related sources, you will find a series of links with new
useful information in relation to e-learning. The site catches the attention of it
attractive content presented and careful finishing. This website is not just a fabulous
source of information. It is a representation of how valuable information can be
delivered in a creative and attractive way to educators interested in creates an online
environment.

West, J., & West, M. (2009). Using wikis for online collaboration: the power of the read-
write web. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

This is a very interesting book for those higher education practitioners who intend to
ingress into the wiki universe as a sort of collaborative-based activity with their
students. The book presents a series of practical guidelines, tools, and processes for
integrating collaborative wiki projects into online courses. The author review the

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nature of wiki technology, explore the pedagogical foundations of online
collaborative writing, and present practical examples for wiki projects that support
knowledge construction, critical thinking, and contextual learning. The book is
designed to be a guide for integrating collaborative wiki projects into online courses.
The author kept theoretical material to a minimum, instead placing emphasis on
integrating online collaborative writing into instruction using sound pedagogical
practices.

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