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Strategies for Student Success in the Online Classroom - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
*Deloris James is Director for
Women in Business and
Assistant Academic Director
for Business Administration
and Management Studies;
Claudine Weatherford and
Penny Ittner are adjunct
faculty for Business and
Management courses; Penny
is also the course chair for
BMGT 110.
Strategies for Student Success in the Online Classroom
Linda Smelser
Instructional Support Specialist
Non UMUC
Published: July-August 2008
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies
Introduction
According to the National Center for Academic Transformation, "Successful
completion of introductory courses is critical for first-year students, but typical
failure rates in these courses contribute heavily to overall institutional drop-out
rates between the first and second year" (Twigg, 2005). Core and introductory
courses play a special role, not only as the foundation of a specific major, but
also as the door to success for new students and the school in which they are
enrolled. BMGT 110, Introduction to Business Management, is one of UMUC's
core courses for business majors and a prime example of a high enrollment and
first course experience for students new to UMUC. Realizing the importance of
BMGT 110 in the Business Administration and Management Studies Program, Deloris James, Penny
Ittner, and Claudine Weatherford* designed a Toolkit that explains how to use effective strategies and
practices to engage learner interest and maximize successful course completion.
Online Course Toolkit
The Toolkit offers faculty a step-by-step plan for designing and organizing courses that provide
students with a higher level of engagement with the content, the instructor, themselves, and their
peers. By following the framework described in the Toolkit, faculty can make a greater impact in
assisting their students. The tips and examples show ways to reach out to the motivated students as
well as those who tend to fall between the cracks—often because of their lack of experience or
confidence as a learner. Deloris, Penny, and Claudine developed strategies that take into consideration
students who are not only new to UMUC, but also new to the online environment.
The Toolkit provides tools and examples for designing activities and facilitating discussions that are
structured yet flexible and student centered. By using these tools as a checklist throughout the
semester, faculty can design courses and course activities that provide a higher level of student
engagement and result in a higher degree of student success. Note that the strategies provided here
work not only for introductory / core courses, but they also are appropriate for all courses across the
curriculum. Student success and retention is an ongoing concern as well as an opportunity for faculty
and directors to make a difference.
BMGT Toolkit
Instructional Strategies: Examples:
Course Objectives:
Make students aware of the
In the introduction to the course, have
students review the course objectives and
Strategies for Student Success in the Online Classroom - DE Oracle
relationship between the course
structure and course goals /
objectives.
develop questions for them to answer.
Include specific course goals in assignment
instructions.
Create and post a matrix to clarify course
goals with space for students to fill in
additional text chapter objects and subject
matter examples.
Course Structure:
Make students aware of the
relationship between the course
structure and course modules.
Organize conference topics by course
modules. For instance, set up a conference
entitled "Module 2 – The Structure of
Business" and assign discussion topics on
such things as mergers / acquisitions,
entrepreneurship, etc.
Expectations and Grading:
Use assignment rubrics to clarify
lesson goals and expectations for
learning success.
Post holistic or analytic rubrics under the
conference assignment link or other
accessible location. Require students to
review the rubric and make comments. You
may want / need to prompt them with a few
discussion questions.
Flexibility:
Allow for flexibility and provide
clarification. Students appreciate
the opportunity to make choices
that reflect their interests.
Allow late assignments with set penalty
points.
Offer assignment topic choices (e.g.,
require 6 out of 8 writing assignment
options).
Offer conference discussions, study groups,
or debates with longer, multiple-week
timelines.
Assess Understanding:
Use elements within the course /
assignment that provide
feedback to both instructor and
student(s) that show level of
understanding of course and
assignment details, instructions,
and procedures.
Devise a syllabus quiz by creating questions
on the most important components such as
grading information, project descriptions,
and course schedule. For incentive, award 2
points or include a General Online
Participation grade for getting all questions
correct.
Create conference topic(s) that ensure
clarity by using a "read and respond" topic
to require positive indication of
understanding about requirements. For
instance, use "Ask the Professor" topic(s) to
facilitate clarifying questions on
requirements and expectations.
Initial Communication:
Send a welcome letter to your
students the week before class
Send e-mail greeting to students, reminding
them about the pre-Week 1 access to
WebTycho and encouraging them to
Strategies for Student Success in the Online Classroom - DE Oracle
starts. introduce themselves. This is a good
opportunity to emphasize the regular and
frequent online participation and
communication.
Introductions that Enhance
Connection:
Provide creative ways for
students to introduce themselves
to the class by posting an
introduction conference.
Post a structured set of questions designed
to draw out students; learn preferred
names / nicknames; provide a "learner
portrait" based on sharable background,
academic and personal goals, family and
community accomplishments, and
involvements / hobbies. This activity builds
clear communication channels and good
working instructor-student and student-student
relationships.
Respond to each student individually,
spotlighting one or two pieces of
information shared by the student. Noting
common background ("I'm from Chicago,
too!") or connecting a student's job or past
course experience to the forthcoming BMGT
110 assignments will help students feel
more connected to the class.
Maintain samples of introductory responses
for use as a quick reference and customize
responses that show instructor awareness
of individual student needs, especially in
case retention issues arise.
Time Management Strategies:
Help students understand time
management issues by creating
a discussion topic on strategies
and practices for the adult
learner.
Encourage students to share tried and true
time management approaches that lead to
successful course completion.
Stress the importance of maximizing the
ability to plan ahead for all course
assignments at the beginning of the term
by entering deadlines on the calendar, PDA,
or the MyUMUC calendar feature.
Debriefs of Assignments:
Create assignment debriefs to
provide reinforcement of learning
subject matter and / or concepts.
After due date, post the grading key, an
exemplary student sample, or discussion
questions on how students came up with
concepts for their project / report.
At-Risk students:
Keep in touch with no-show or
at-risk students.
At the end of the second or third week
(depending on course assignments and
policies), compose a friendly yet firm
reminder about the importance of regular
and meaningful participation, including
meeting assignment requirements, goals,
Strategies for Student Success in the Online Classroom - DE Oracle
and deadlines.
Class Announcement
Reminders
Students need reinforcements
and reminders about upcoming
assignment deadlines. They also
appreciate frequent participation
and positive feedback from the
faculty.
Use the Class Announcement area for
assignment reminders and to encourage
students to continually check the Course
Schedule to stay on track (e.g., "Writing
Assignment 3 is due 6/1. Check the Course
Schedule and designated conference for
details").
In the beginning of the semester, send
students reminders via e-mail as they get
acquainted with the classroom layout.
Class Participation:
When students are new to online
discussions, they need
reinforcement and explanations
of what to expect and what is
expected of them.
Reignite interest and participation in
sagging discussions by posting new
provocative questions or references about
current events or late-breaking news (e.g.,
Congressional debate on immigration
reforms and employers' needs).
Deliver liberal "pats on backs" whenever
justified (e.g., for improved work, increased
interactivity, peer support, etc.).
Actively engage with low participation /
at-risk students who are not successfully
completing the course. For instance,
develop stock yet customizable e-mail to
use when communicating with late-entry /
low-level participants.
Consider telephone contact as appropriate.
Reference:
Twigg, C. A. (2005). Increasing success for underserved students: Redesigning introductory courses.
The National Center for Academic Transformation. Found at:
http://knowledgecenter.completionbydesign.org/resource/382
(http://knowledgecenter.completionbydesign.org/resource/382)
About the Author(s)
Linda Smelser has been an instructional support specialist in the Center for Support of Instruction (CSI) since September
2006. She enjoys working in a team environment and is excited that "there's so much to learn and do with the variety of
projects CSI handles." Linda is also an adjunct faculty for UMUC, teaching EDCP 100. Previously, Linda was an instructional
designer in the health field while finishing her MA in Instructional Systems Development at UMBC. From 2002-2004 she was
an academic advisor for UMUC's School of Undergraduate Studies. In her spare time, Linda enjoys mountain biking, zydeco
and swing dancing, and traveling to California and Philadelphia to visit her children and grandchildren.
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2008 CIP Symposium_ Presented in Second Life - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Keynote Address by James Boyle in Second Life
2008 CIP Symposium: Presented in Second Life
Jack Boeve
Instructional Technologist
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: September-October 2008
Category: » University-showcase » Classes-programs
Background
Since 2001, the Center for Intellectual Property (CIP) has hosted its Annual Symposium on Intellectual
Property, providing professional development for nearly 1000 individuals. While the great majority of
participants have represented a spectrum of interests in higher education, the symposia have also
drawn participants from the nonprofit sector, business and industry, and the legal community.
Everyone in the Sandbox
This year, in addition to a face-to-face audience and a
live webcast for individuals and institutions across the
country, the CIP was inspired by its symposium theme—
Copyright Monopoly: Playing the Innovation Game—to
offer an additional symposium venue that would bring
the face-to-face and online participants closer together
in a networked learning community. We thought that an
excellent way for both the CIP and its program
participants to explore playing the innovation game was
to do so within a metaverse, an environment rich with
innovation and creativity. Thus, the CIP presented its
unique symposium program in the virtual world of
Second Life (SL).
Over three days, the CIP synchronously streamed the
keynote addresses, panel presentations, and Q&A sessions occurring in real life to online participants
from across the U.S. and abroad, represented by avatars in SL. The program agenda also included
roundtable discussions on topics related to the symposium theme. While real-life participants gathered
in small group discussions, SL participants met concurrently with fellow avatars in small group
discussions—one of which was facilitated by Kathleen Puckett from UMUC's Center for Support of
Instruction (CSI). Through text chat in SL and facilitators in both SL and real life, we were able to open
channels for dialogue between the two worlds during Q&A sessions and reporting out from the real-life
and SL roundtable discussions. One result of the roundtable sessions will be a Best Practices Document
composed of all the contributions from roundtable participants in both SL and face-to-face
environments.
The Experience
Two large projection screens in the physical conference room occasionally displayed the live action from
SL so that real-life participants could see the SL participants and occasionally themselves on the screen
in SL. Camera views in real life were able to pan to bring images of the speakers, presenters, and other
real-life participants to the SL audience. SL participants could, at times, also see themselves on the
2008 CIP Symposium: Presented in Second Life - DE Oracle
Keynote Address by Georgia Harper in Second Life
screen in SL when the cameras captured the images from SL being projected on the screens in real life.
The entire experience had a definite "wow" factor.
CIP's invaluable partner in this endeavor was the
New Media Consortium (NMC). In addition to
providing the secure, participants-only online
conference environment and the means of streaming
into SL, NMC also provided within its conference
center multiple virtual signs displaying CIP images
(e.g., symposium graphics, free virtual t-shirts) and
links to resources for both the symposium (e.g.,
readings, agenda) and the CIP more generally (e.g.,
publications, RSS feed of the CIP blog). For the
roundtable sessions, NMC created whiteboards in two
smaller classroom settings on which were projected
the discussion questions for each session. In
addition, NMC personnel conducted two orientation sessions for participants a few days prior to the
event to acquaint participants with SL and the conference center so that everyone would feel more
comfortable moving about and engaging during the actual symposium. Finally, NMC provided in-world
support via avatars, a virtual help desk, e-mail, and a toll-free phone number.
Look, Ma!
The CIP had a camera crew in the real-life conference room, which provided a live feed to the Internet
for webcast viewers and also provided a video stream to a computer in the room managed by Laddie
Odom of CSI. Combining the video stream with an audio feed from the Marriott house audio, Laddie
used streaming server and broadcaster software to send the feed to a server hosted by NMC, which in
turn streamed it live onto a projection screen located in the Babbage Amphitheater within the NMC
Conference Center in SL.
The CIP, and, by extension, those in SL, experienced no problems in transmitting or receiving the
symposium, with two exceptions. First, a small issue arose one morning before the program began
when a few avatars experienced being temporarily blocked by SL from access to the conference
location, but this issue was quickly resolved. Second, we experienced a larger technological issue
during one panel session when we attempted to have an individual panelist from within the SL
conference center join the other real-life panelists by bringing live audio from SL into the physical
conference room over the house audio while showing the avatar on the projection screen. The difficulty
was an audio feedback loop being generated and multiplying as the audio from SL and real life
mixed. The culprit, we believe, may have been inadvertently having open microphones or audio
sources across the multiple computers in the chain. Unfortunately, time and circumstances did not
permit a second attempt to bridge the two worlds in this more significant manner or a move to an
alternative for bringing the avatar's audio into the real-life conference room. As a result, the two
audiences regrettably missed an opportunity to feel that much more connected to each other, with the
real-world audience not being able to hear the SL panelist and interact with him via Q&A, and the SL
audience not being able to have the program happening directly in front of them and to feel as though
they were in the primary venue instead of watching it remotely.
All in all, though, and without question, using SL as a venue for the symposium worked very well and
generated enthusiastic responses and questions from participants all around. This inter-world
symposium was engaging for attendees in both locations, and perhaps especially for those of us
privileged to stand on the technological bridge between the two and observe what was happening in
and between the two worlds. Whether we consider that we helped forge connections between
participants in real life and SL or that we facilitated forming connections between real lives in the real
2008 CIP Symposium: Presented in Second Life - DE Oracle
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world via the SL platform, the 2008 symposium in SL was a first attempt at education in a new
environment—one which we certainly do not anticipate being the last.
Second Life at UMUC
The UMUC Second Life Evaluation Committee is in the process of reviewing how SL enhances learning.
The committee consists of members from across the UMUC community who are evaluating policies and
best practices to determine the direction of SL at UMUC. For more information on the committee's
findings, contact Loyce Pailen (mailto:[email protected]) , Associate Provost for the Office of Instructional
Services and Support.
About the Author(s)
Jack Boeve is the Project Specialist with the Center for Intellectual Property at UMUC.
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The Fifth Annual UMUC July Writing Conference - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
The Fifth Annual UMUC July Writing Conference
Linda Smelser
Instructional Support Specialist
Non UMUC
Published: September-October 2008
Category: » University-showcase » Papers-studies
Introduction
I had the good fortune to attend the Fifth Annual UMUC July Writing Conference
on July 25 and 26, 2008. As an adjunct faculty for EDCP 100 and an instructional
support specialist in the Center for Support of Instruction, I found the conference
sessions both practical and informative. The conference took place at the Inn and
Conference Center and was hosted by the Department of Communication, Arts,
and Humanities and The Writing Program at UMUC. The conference planning
committee decided that this year's conference would include presentations targeted for—and presented
by—faculty from across the disciplines. This was a bonus for me as an instructor who does not teach
writing or English but is expected to provide effective feedback to students on their academic writing.
The two-day conference offered three plenary sessions—two of which were panel discussions—and 18
presentations. I found it difficult to choose which presentations to attend as they all sounded like just
what I needed to learn! A refreshment room was also set aside with publishers' exhibits available for
review. The committee did a wonderful job of providing a variety of sessions and presentations that
were thought provoking, insightful, and of particular interest to the UMUC community.
Plenary Sessions
The plenary session on the first day was presented by Dr. Jeanne Fahnestock, a professor in the
Department of English at University of Maryland College Park. She is the author of Rhetorical Figures in
Science (1999/2002) and co-author of A Rhetoric of Argument (3rd edition, 2004), serves on the Board
of Directors of the Rhetoric Society of America, and directs the Professional Writing Program at College
Park. Her presentation, Cueing Coherence, provided the audience with an awareness of the patterns
and signals to improve students' overall rhetoric skills.
The second day began with a panel session entitled Teaching and Learning Content Through Writing:
Students and Professors Share Their Perspectives on Writing Assignments in UMUC Classes. The panel
was facilitated by Linda Di Desidero and Lisa Zimmerelli. It included four professors—Sabrina Fu, ENMT
305; Diane Finley, PSYC 305; Lucia Worthington, BMGT 364; and Betty Ring, IFSM 300—as well as four
of their students: Kevin Davis, Peter Hamm, Jamine Martin, and Nerrissa Ali-Aziz. The panelists were
asked a series of questions concerning the management and influence of their instructors' feedback on
their writing. Learning how these professors view their role for providing feedback and how students
respond to it provided listeners with good insights.
The last session of the conference kept audience members engaged and on the edge of their seats with
a provocative discussion about The Changing Nature of Text and Rhetoric: Web 2.0 and Its Potential
Impact on Online Education. Panelists Theo Stone, Kimberly Bonner, Mark Parker, Deloris James, and
James Robertson and facilitators Andy Cavanaugh and Beth Mulherrin talked about the impact of
interactive Web 2.0 technologies and how they have changed and will continue to change the way
The Fifth Annual UMUC July Writing Conference - DE Oracle
students view text, authorship of documents, and interactivity on the Web. Also discussed by both the
panel and audience members were the legal, ethical, and pedagogical issues concerning the way
interactive technologies impact the institution, our faculty, and our global student population.
Presentations
The presentations were geared for faculty across the disciplines and provided much practical
assistance, covering a variety of ways to provide effective feedback on writing as well as strategies for
being an overall effective instructor. A number of speakers discussed the importance of being a mentor
and encourager by not only assisting students with their writing skills but also making sure that they
understand the content of the discipline. Overwhelming students with too much feedback about their
writing can sometimes be a detriment to their understanding of concepts related to the discipline. One
presenter explained that it is important to focus on grammar and style as well as to encourage and
acknowledge when students show that they understand the content. It is a balancing act—an art,
really—to be able to provide the kind of feedback that deals with all aspects of the students' intent and
how they are able to communicate it through writing. The presentation titles and brief descriptions are
listed below:
Day One Presentations
Enhancing Writing Skills and Scaffolding Difficult Texts for Adult Learners, by Cynthia Davis,
examined Judith Langer's model of “envisionment building” and its four-step approach to help students
engage the text, relate the text to their experiences, construct meaning, and critique the text.
Second Life: Should It Be Your First Choice?, by David Taylor, discussed the use of Second Life
(SL) by universities in the United States and around the world. David examined the basic operations of
SL as well as some of its advantages and disadvantages.
Teaching Grammar and Style without Teaching Grammar and Style, by Stan Dambrowski, noted
that grammar and style are among the toughest areas to address effectively. Stan explained how his
approach facilitates a focus on communication without needing to present a large amount of
grammatical terminology.
Use of Animations and Virtual Laboratories for Enhancing Information Literacy as a Prelude
to Writing about Science, by Frank Portugal, discussed how students in the real world are
increasingly engaged in visual rather than written formats, how visualization appeals to certain student
learning styles, and the downsides of adding visual sites to enhance information literacy.
Writing Center Belles Letters: Asynchronous E-Tutoring as a New Model of Dialogue, by Lisa
Zimmerelli and John Whitcraft, discussed asynchronous online tutoring and teaching as a model of
dialogue operating within a new paradigm of writing center theory and pedagogy.
Assessing and Grading Students on Their Writing, by Emily Richardson, provided practical tips on
essay exams, review questions, requirements for written responses, and offering students information
on writing the research paper early in the semester.
Responding Effectively to Student Papers Across the Disciplines, by Linda Di Desidero,
encouraged instructors to develop comments that are user-centered: usable, accessible, and effective
for students. Linda discussed practical ways to have students be reflective about their writing decisions
and how to communicate these decisions to their instructors.
The Web and the Rock: How Cognitive Theory on Writing Applies in the Online Classroom, by
Jim Booth, discussed connections that students explore between two cognitive experiences in the online
writing classroom, including gaining understanding of—and skill with—the writing process and how to
apply this understanding to the online classroom.
Resume Rules Changes Teachers Should Know, by Ed Sapp, summarized the changes to resume
The Fifth Annual UMUC July Writing Conference - DE Oracle
writing not recognized by current textbooks. Among other items discussed, resumes need to show
results and how potential employees are able to resolve problems.
Bringing Students Beyond LIBS 150 and WRTG 101, by Beth Mulherrin and Andy Cavanaugh,
reviewed the skills and strategies that students are taught and expected to achieve from these two
courses and how instructors can follow up with their students based on what they have learned.
Addressing Student Readiness when Assigning Writing: "The Discovery Assignment," by
Natalie Kimbrough, showed how instructors can provide their students with an assignment that
addresses integrating the components of an academic paper while not taking on the role of an English
composition or grammar instructor.
Teaching Reading and Writing Contexts in Relation to Critical Thinking, by Chris Nank,
demonstrated some of Chris's own techniques for teaching context to first-year writing students and
how the techniques relate to fostering critical-thinking abilities.
Facilitating Productive Interaction in the Online Context, by David Ramsey, showed how the
online classroom provides a learning community through encouraging substantial and productive
student-student interaction.
Day Two Presentations
Integrating Surface-Feature Strategies into Writing across Disciplines, by Margo Coleman and
David Ramsey, introduced faculty in disciplines other than English to strategies and methods for
improving students' cognizance of surface-feature concerns, allowing them to edit their own
compositions.
Making the Most of the Marvelous Macro, by Catherine Flynn, provided step-by-step instructions on
how to use Microsoft Word to build macros for use in reviewing student writing. The presentation also
provided feedback examples.
Essay Responses to Test Questions: Uses and Abuses, by Judith Vandegriff, analyzed the types of
sentences found in a short essay, elements of a long essay, and key words to look for as a guide to
developing feedback.
How to Make Make Welcome Videos for Your WebTycho Classroom, by David Taylor, showed
participants how to record audio and video using Audacity and CamStudio, both freeware tools.
A Plethora of Plagiarism—What Can We Do About It?, by Patricia Harden, explored the
importance of integrity, respect, and responsibility of academic writing as well as strategies for dealing
with plagiarism when it occurs in group assignments.
Conference Planning Committee
The conference planning committee—Andy Cavanagh, Cynthia Davis, Linda Di Desidero, Liz Enriquez,
Beth Mulherrin, Matthew Prineas, Sharon Rice, Lisa Zimmerelli, and Terry Zukowski—did a wonderful
job of providing a variety of topics that met the needs of the audience. The participants came away
with a binder full of new and thought-provoking ways to communicate with their students. If
participants utilize even just a few of the recommendations that were presented at the conference, they
will increase the effectiveness of their student-instructor communications. For more information on the
2008 Writing Conference, please visit the Writing Conference Web site (http://www.umuc.edu
/writingconference/) .
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Responding Effectively to Student Papers Across the Disciplines_ An Interactive Approach - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Responding Effectively to Student Papers Across the Disciplines: An
Interactive Approach
Linda Di Desidero
Acting Director, Communication Studies & Professional Writing
School of Undergraduate Studies
Published: September-October 2008
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies
How can professors in all disciplines respond more effectively to student papers in the courses that they
teach? In this article, I briefly explore some of the challenges associated with responding to student
papers while suggesting that instructors adopt a new perspective on this endeavor. If comments are
viewed as integral to the dialogue about student learning in a particular discipline, then instructors can
change the way they comment on student writing. In particular, professors might ask students to be
more reflective about their writing decisions and to communicate these decisions and strategies to
instructors, thus forming the basis for effective and responsive instructor comments.
1. Ineffective Commentary
Instructors across disciplines approach the task of commenting on student papers in many different
ways, ranging from a single grade to a plethora of detailed commentary.
Instructors have a vast array of commenting tools available to them today. In addition to the
old-fashioned red-ink comments, these new tools include the use of word-processing aids such as
"track changes" and "insert comment." They include the use of simple or complex grading rubrics as
well as the use of audio files. But these tools are effective only if they are used well; that is, both
instructor and student need to have a clear idea of why an instructor is writing a comment and how a
student is expected to act on that comment. Even a well-designed grading rubric is ineffective if the
student does not understand or know how to use the information it contains.
The vast literature on instructor responses to student papers (see References) indicates that instructor
comments are frequently ineffective because they may be 1) difficult for students to read or
understand; 2) overly focused on word-level and sentence-level grammar; 3) unconnected to
standards and expectations that students clearly understand; 4) unclear in their purpose; 5) unclear
with respect to their connection to the course or discipline; and 6) overly pedantic or condescending in
tone. For these reasons (among others), instructor comments on student papers may even remain
unread!
Furthermore, the comments of even well-intentioned instructors may serve to diminish the student's
agency over the writing itself. For example, instructors who actually re-write passages for students or
who cross out a student's own writing are essentially removing a degree of ownership over the paper
from the students. When instructors substitute their own language for the language of student writers,
the purpose of the paper may become a bit more of an effort to please the instructor and a bit less of
an exercise in discipline-based thinking.
Ironically, I find that—both in my own experience as a faculty supervisor and from the literature on
instructor comments—it is often the poorer writers who receive more comments on their ideas, while
the better writers often receive numerous comments on minor issues of language usage and
mechanics. With poorer writers, there are so many language needs that instructors tend to make a few
Responding Effectively to Student Papers Across the Disciplines: An Interactive Approach - DE Oracle
general comments about the language—perhaps accompanied by a recommendation to the Effective
Writing Center—and they tend to focus on the larger issues of the essential argument of a paper and
the evidence that it presents. Better writers are often the recipients of less effective comments from
instructors. Because the better writers might have well-developed arguments with appropriate
evidence, instructors may respond with praise (nice, but not useful) as well as a disproportionate
number of comments about language structure. Such commenting can create for students an
inaccurate perception of the evaluation of their work and ideas.
2. All Instructors are Writing Instructors
Instructors in different disciplines are ‘writing' instructors in that they teach the language, values, style,
and expression inherent in their specific disciplines. What counts as evidence in a sociology paper may
differ from what counts as evidence in a computer science paper or a literature paper. The nature and
structure of argument in a scientific paper can be vastly different from that in a humanities paper.
While one goal of instructor comments on student papers is to justify grades, the primary and
long-term goal is to help students both to reach an understanding of content and to improve their
writing and thinking in that discipline (including their reasoning, use of evidence, command over
language and ideas, etc.). Not only do instructor comments need to be connected both to the discipline
and to class materials, but these comments also need to help students assess the effectiveness of the
expression of their own ideas. Students need to know how to apply comments on one paper to their
future writing and thinking in the discipline. When instructor comments help students develop their
understanding of how to express discipline-based knowledge and how to use evidence to create
academic arguments in the discipline, the comments actually help students develop and retain agency
over their own ideas and the ways in which they express these ideas.
3. Effective Comments are Usable
Instructors can write more effective comments on student papers if they adopt an idea from technical
communication: usability.
Usability is a feature of effective (technical) communication that measures the degree to which a text
can help users accomplish their goals. For example, instructions for how to install a firewall must be
driven by the needs of the user. If these instructions are not usable, the user will not be able to
understand the instructions and the firewall will likely not get installed properly. In organizational
communication, supervisors often communicate usable directions to employees in memos, for
example. If the supervisor cannot clearly communicate what the employee should do, in what manner
and to what extent, then the communication fails—it is not usable. When we read instructions from
software companies or memos from our supervisors, we expect that we will know how to act on the
basis of these texts. Comments on student papers should be no different.
If we view instructor comments as usable text, then we can more readily understand how we each
might want to change the way in which we write comments on student papers: Our purpose for the
comments and our view of how they should be written will change.
4. Implications for Teaching: Goals and Strategies for Comments on Papers
For comments on student papers to be effective from the student's point of view, the instructor should
keep several goals in mind. Instructor comments should:
help the student build a deeper understanding of the content
strengthen student awareness of discipline-based style, language, and audience
help students develop criteria for self-assessment when writing in this discipline
increase agency of student writers
function as conversation or discussion, not only judgment
Responding Effectively to Student Papers Across the Disciplines: An Interactive Approach - DE Oracle
There are several types of strategies instructors may use to achieve the goals listed above. I briefly
describe a few suggestions here:
Student Planning Memo (Proposal):
Before they write a major paper, ask students to write a planning memo or a proposal addressed to the
instructor. In this memo, the students will interpret the assignment and plan how they will accomplish
it. Students may be asked to describe their writing goals, analyze the audience they imagine for this
assignment, and describe the strategies they plan to use in writing the paper. They may even describe
some of their sources or include a working bibliography. Instructors can respond to the students'
thoughts in the planning memos by encouraging their ideas, helping them to more clearly articulate
these ideas, suggesting research sources or writing strategies, commenting on the audience, etc.
Student Planning Memo with Request for Commentary:
This assignment is similar to the planning memo above, except that it is turned in along with the
student paper (or paper draft). In this memo, students describe their writing goals, their audience and
their needs, and the strategies that they used to write the paper. In addition, this memo would also
have a section that directly asks the instructor to comment on specific aspects of the paper (e.g., a
specific section or idea, the research, the way in which the research is integrated, the use of a specific
term, etc.). In this way, the instructor comments will directly address the concerns of the student.
Student Response to Instructor Feedback:
Students write a response memo to their instructor in which they summarize the instructor's comments
on their work thus far in the course and in which they respond to these comments (in terms of their
usefulness, accuracy, potential effect on their writing, etc.). When this memo becomes part of the
dialog about writing with students, instructors are ‘testing' the usability of their own comments. I have
done this activity at the mid-term.
Student Self-Assessment of Draft:
Students are asked to submit an analytical self-assessment of a paper draft, answering the question:
How well does the draft meet a specific purpose for a specific audience (as determined by the class
assignment)? The self-assessment might also include a list of questions or points for further
development. This assignment also opens the dialog with the instructor as it develops and asserts
student agency over the writing.
Student Writing Process Letter:
Students write a letter to their instructor and turn it in along with a paper. The letter describes the
student's process in writing the paper (including the interpretation of the assignment, the topic idea,
the research and note-taking process, drafting process, etc.). Assignments such as this help raise the
students' awareness of what they actually do when they write, thus helping them see how they might
approach things more effectively. Such letters also help instructors see how their assignments are
interpreted by students. They can also help instructors comment more specifically and more effectively
on the work of specific students.
Selected References:
Anson, C. (2000). Response and the social construction of error. Assessing Writing, 7(1), 5-21.
Anson, C. (1999) Reflective reading: Developing thoughtful ways to respond to students' writing. In C.
Cooper & L. Odell (Eds.), Evaluating writing: The role of teachers' knowledge about test, learning, and
culture (pp. 302-324). Urbana, IL: NCTE.
Anson, C. (Ed.). (1989). Writing and response: Theory, practice, research. Urbana, IL: NCTE.
Brannon, L., & Knoblauch, C.H. (1982). On students' rights to their own texts: A model of teacher
response. College Composition and Communication, 33(2), 157-166.
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Connors, R., & Lunsford, A. (1993). Teachers' Rhetorical Comments on Student Papers. College
Composition and Communication, 44(2), 200-223.
Dubinsky, J. (Ed.). (2004). Teaching technical communication: Critical issues for the classroom.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.
Elbow, P. (1993). Ranking, evaluating, and liking: Sorting out three forms of judgment. College
English, (55) 2, 187-206.
Fife, J.M., & O'Neill, P. (2001). Moving beyond the written comment: Narrowing the gap between
response practice and research. College Composition and Communication, 53(2), 300-321.
Haswell, R. (1983). Minimal marking. College English, (48)2, 249-268.
Kimball, M., & Hawkins, A. (2008). Document design. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins.
Lazar, J. (Ed.). (2007). Universal usability. West Sussex, England: John Wiley.
Smith, S. (1997). The genre of end comment: Conventions in teacher responses to student writing.
College Composition and Communication, 53(2), 300-321.
Sommers, N. (1982). Responding to student writing. College Composition and Communication, 33(2),
148-156.
White, E. (2007). Assigning, responding, evaluating (4th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.
Young, A (1999). Teaching writing across the curriculum (3rd ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
About the Author(s)
Linda Di Desidero is the Acting Director of Communication Studies & Professional Writing at UMUC. She received her PhD from
Northwestern University (Linguistic Theory) and has conducted research in the areas of Lexical Semantics, Written Discourse,
Discourse Analysis, and Gender Studies. She also holds EdM and BA degrees from Rutgers University (English Language &
Literature; German Language & Literature).
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Adjusting to Changes in Course Length - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Adjusting to Changes in Course Length
Susan Ko
Director
Center for Teaching and Learning
Published: May-June 2008
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Classroom-management
UMUC is in the midst of changing the length of courses so that some will be shorter by several weeks
while others may longer than those you previously taught. How can faculty best handle these changes
so that a course retains its coherence, quality, and integrity?
First, it's important to recognize that the transformation of a course to a shorter or longer length does
require changes in design in order to ensure that all learning objectives are met and the pacing of
assignments and readings remains reasonable. It also may require some changes in the way that
faculty approach teaching and managing that course.
Let's assume you have taught the same course before, but for a different number of weeks. (Or this is
the first time you are teaching this course, and it's the first time it's being offered in the shorter or
longer format.) The first thing you should do as part of your redesign is plot out your new course on a
weekly calendar alongside the schedule of your previous class (or another's syllabus) as a reference.
Where are the new breaks, if any, for holidays? Which week is your new final exam or midterm week?
Looking back on your prior course section, how much time did you previously devote to introductions,
wrap-up, review, small group formation, visiting speakers, or library-related activities?
Whether lengthening or shortening a course, your focus should remain on preserving the essential
learning objectives and goals as you go about making your adjustments to the course. Review the
published Course Description throughout the process of redesign to make sure that your plan continues
to be in accord with the specific details contained there.
Also keep in mind that all changes should be clearly reflected in your syllabus and schedule so as to
better manage student expectations. If you are ever uncertain about whether a particular change is
advisable, don't hesitate to consult your academic administrator.
Now you are ready to look at some specific adjustments:
Going from Longer to Shorter
Topics and Readings
What was the prior total reading load for students, including textbooks, online lectures, or other
required readings? Calculate the prior weekly load and now examine how many hours that translates to
under the new schedule. If you expected students to read 60 pages of a textbook each week and the
readings now work out to 90 pages a week, is it possible for you to trim some of the reading without
negatively affecting the attainment of learning objectives?
On the other hand, are there entire topics or subtopics that have proved non-essential and could be
eliminated, along with their corresponding readings? If you cannot in good conscience cut any of the
topics or textbook reading, consider reducing other content such as your online lectures and
commentary and additional Web resource readings. You may also choose selected chapters that you
Adjusting to Changes in Course Length - DE Oracle
can assign to students—singly or in pairs—to read, analyze, and then present in summary to fellow
students in the conference area, using a special template for this activity. Sometimes a change in
pacing will do, with longer reading assignments reserved for times when students are not busy with
major projects and papers. If none of these approaches is a possibility, look to freeing up reading time
in other ways for students through one of the elements detailed below.
When altering reading assignments, consider all elements of the class, including any Course Modules,
reserved readings, or external Web site materials. Make sure any cuts you make in one element or
another of the reading do not undermine support for the learning objectives, assignments, or exam
questions.
While "coverage" of a subject remains an important consideration, a rushed and superficial learning
experience is sometimes the result when one attempts to pack too much into a shorter period. Again,
the core learning objectives should be the main factor of your redesign choices.
Conference Activities, Number of Conferences and Topics
If you have created one or more conferences for each week of the course, start by reducing the
number of conferences to the new length of weeks. Review past conference activity; are there
particular topics and questions that seemed to stimulate the most productive discussion in your
students? If so, those are the ones you want to make sure to preserve. Are there some topics and
discussion questions that might be consolidated within another conference? (Be careful not to make
discussions too unwieldy by creating too many threads in each conference or too many multipart
questions in each thread.) Finally, are there any discussion questions or conference topics that are not
really essential and could be eliminated in their entirety?
In regard to assessment of conference activity, you may want to slightly reduce the number of
responses students are required to make each week while retaining your original design. For example,
if you require students to respond each week to three or four faculty-posted discussion questions as
well as to two responses from other classmates, you might reduce that requirement to two responses
to faculty-posted discussion questions and one response to a classmate. If you use a rubric or other
clearly stated criteria to judge the quality as well as quantity of postings, you can probably preserve
the desired level of interactivity in discussion.
Assignments
What are the major graded assignments and how much time do students require for each?
The main choices you have are a. redesign to reflect less time available, b. consolidate, or c. eliminate.
Or you may do a bit of each.
Redesign: Is it possible to redesign the assignment so that less time is needed to complete it without
making it a less rigorous exercise? For papers, some possibilities are narrowing down research topics or
reducing the number of words/pages required. For group projects, have students meet for the first time
earlier in the course, and make all group projects more explicit and directed so that students can
quickly engage in the project without spending a lot of time organizing themselves or coming to a
decision about the path to take.
Consolidate: You may be able to combine two assignments that address different learning objectives
or skills so that both are fulfilled in a single assignment. For example, you may have had one
assignment in which you asked students to come up with their own imaginary marketing plan and
another in which you asked students to analyze a company's approach to marketing. It may be possible
to combine these two assignments into one in which students are asked to devise a plan to improve the
company's approach to marketing. Both analysis and planning skills will come into play in the newly
consolidated assignment.
Eliminate: Eliminate what is no longer current for your field or does not have a good time/benefit ratio
for students. That is, if an assignment has really not proved effective in the past, consider why it was
Adjusting to Changes in Course Length - DE Oracle
ineffective. Calculate whether it can be revised, eliminated, or even replaced by something better yet
less time-consuming. Perhaps in the past you asked students to write a 2-page critique of a peer's
work. This task might be replaced with an activity in which students fill out a rubric in order to critique
a peer's work and additional comments would be optional.
A final cautionary note regarding assignments:
Your department may have designated a particular assignment as a key part of a program's outcomes
assessment plan, in which case you may not be permitted to make changes to that assignment. You
may want to review the assessment plan for your subject area (http://umuc.edu/outcomes/plans.shtml) .
Look at the degree program on this Web page for your own subject area. If you have any doubts about
whether to eliminate or change an assignment, it's best to consult with your academic administrator.
Managing Your Own Feedback and Interaction
With a shorter course, you may worry that you will not have sufficient turnaround time to give
high-quality feedback on assignments and in the conference area. Maintaining high levels of interaction
and quality feedback should remain a high priority—this is not likely to be the case if you try to
maintain exactly the same assignments and conferences that you had in your previous longer course.
Therefore, when making your changes in the assignments and conferences, retain those activities,
discussion questions, and projects that have proved to be the most effective learning activities.
Using E-mail To Keep Students on Track
Even though you may post weekly announcements at the start of each new week, it is often a good
idea to send an e-mail version of your announcement as well. This note can serve as a reminder to
students to log in and help prevent them from falling behind. Your announcement might highlight the
week ahead, note the main objectives, due dates, etc.
You may also want to begin your announcement and e-mail by commenting on the week just ending,
especially when a significant learning milestone in the class has passed or whenever there has been a
particularly active discussion.
In any online course, but particularly in a shorter class, it is a good idea to send a personal e-mail
reminder to students who have not been posting regularly in the classroom.
Going from Shorter to Longer
Topics and Readings
Avoid the temptation to add "filler" to your course. Analyze your existing topics to determine the
natural subtopics and related topics for the subject matter. Are there additional readings that would
add a dimension to the course? Research your course subject in the library to see if there are new or
additional readings that might clarify the subject for your students.
Assignments
Take the opportunity to diversify the learning approaches you have tended to pursue. If you have
never quite had time to accommodate a small group project, perhaps you might now insert one. If you
have previously had little time for a major paper, perhaps now you might consider assigning one. The
extra few weeks may also afford you the opportunity to invite the library staff to visit and work with
your students prior to their work on a major research paper.
Keep in mind the level of the course and make sure that anything added is relevant, appropriate, and
aligned with your learning objectives. Sometimes the best use of extra time is to allow for a deepening
of the existing assignments rather than the addition of more. For example, if you previously assigned a
major project, you might now find there is sufficient time for students to not only complete the major
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project but also present and discuss their project with the entire class.
Assessments
With more time, you can create incremental assignments that allow you to assess students and give
feedback early on in an assignment. You may be able to afford more time to review and prepare
students for major exams. You will have more time to take stock of the class through formative
assessments like surveys.
A Template for Planning out Your Course
You may find the following template useful in adjusting your course:
Goals and
Objectives for
the Course
Previous Assignment to
Meet Objective(s)/ New
Assignment
Previous Readings to
Meet Objectives/New
Readings
Previous Conference
Topics and
Questions/New Topics
and Questions
Sample
Objective:
Identify and
distinguish
between the
major trends in
the field.
Write two 6-page papers
identifying major trends in
the field.
Write one 8-10 page paper
identifying and contrasting
two major trends.
Read 100 pages
comprising six chapters
discussing how trends
are created.
Read the core chapter
on trend theory and
ask each student to
read and be ready to
summarize one of the
other six chapters.
Discuss the various
aspects of major trends
with a set of different
questions posted for each
chapter.
Discuss the core chapter
and have each student
post his/her summary of
another chapter. Require
each student to respond
to at least one other
student's posting with a
comment or question.
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Application of Psychology Concepts to the Teaching of Writing Across Disciplines_ Reinforcement and Shaping - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Application of Psychology Concepts to the Teaching of Writing Across
Disciplines: Reinforcement and Shaping
Margo Coleman
Collegiate Professor
UMUC European Division
Published: November-December 2008
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies
Faculty differ on the importance of specific aspects of writing. For instance, depending on the discipline,
students are required to learn different citation styles. Psychology professors require APA, while English
professors may require MLA. Despite discipline-specific differences, some psychology concepts from
learning theory underlie the techniques used to teach effective writing. In this, the first of a series of
two articles, the learning theory concepts of reinforcement and shaping will be presented and applied to
three teaching approaches that can be used in any discipline. The second article in this series will
review strategies to address surface feature elements in writing assignments.
Learning Theory Concepts: Reinforcement and Shaping
Two learning theory concepts are regularly used in teaching techniques: positive reinforcement and
shaping. Positive reinforcement involves giving an individual something desirable, like attention or
praise, to strengthen a behavior (Chance, 2003). For instance, faculty praise students for good
academic performance, both as a reward and an encouragement, to continue with that behavior.
Consistent use of positive reinforcement is particularly important at the start of classes, when faculty
are trying to establish desired academic behaviors such as active class participation. However, as a
class continues, it is often not feasible or even preferable to reward every instance of a desired
behavior such as class participation. Behaviors that are rewarded every time they occur are more likely
to discontinue after the first few instances where a reward has not been given. For instance, a student
who has received a response from a faculty member for every posting will be more likely to cease to
participate, if the faculty member stops answering even a few postings.
Intermittent reinforcement, the rewarding of behaviors on a less-than-continuous basis, makes
behaviors more resistant to extinction (Chance, 2003). Thus, once good class participation has been
established, responding to every other posting increases the likelihood that students will continue
participating in the course, even if there is a break in faculty responses. It also encourages participation
among students, instead of solely with the faculty member.
There are many behaviors that are too complex to learn in just one attempt. For instance, a student
would not be expected to know how to write a perfect academic paper in his or her first college class.
Shaping is the process of teaching a complex behavior by reinforcing successive closer approximations
of the desired outcome (Chance, 2003). Thus, students learn how to write academic papers through a
series of assignments, where specific feedback—both positive and negative—is given.
Three Approaches to Teaching Writing that Incorporate Learning Theory Concepts
The concepts of positive and intermittent reinforcement and shaping can be incorporated into
approaches to teaching writing regardless of the discipline. This section describes three of these
teaching approaches.
Application of Psychology Concepts to the Teaching of Writing Across Disciplines: Reinforcement and Shaping - DE Oracle
Utilize a strength-based approach with feedback. Feedback to students should include both
strengths and weaknesses. By highlighting strengths, even if it is for completing the paper on time,
students receive positive reinforcement for their writing and are likely to be encouraged to keep up
their efforts as well as address their weaknesses in future writing assignments.
1.
Implement multiple smaller writing assignments instead of one large paper. One large paper
at the end of the term minimizes the number of opportunities students have to benefit from feedback.
By utilizing multiple small papers througout the term, the faculty member has the opportunity to shape
students' writing and thus see a greater likelihood of improvement in their writing by the end of the
term.
2.
Use different approaches to writing assignments depending on the course level. Expectations
about writing assignments differ by discipline. In psychology, it is expected that students are able to
write research papers based on published journal articles. However, this may be an unreasonable
expectation for introductory psychology students, since many may have never written a college paper
and/or read a journal article. It makes sense to tailor writing assignments to the course level to better
address the educational needs of the students. An introductory psychology course could, for example,
have students critique the same journal article in order to familiarize them with its format and
content. An assignment such as this would allow the faculty member to compare efforts across
students and detect writing patterns in the assignments. These trends could then be presented to the
students as detailed feedback with suggestions for improvement. In contrast, upper-level psychology
courses may have students write research papers based on individually selected topics and journal
articles because those students, at that point in their college studies, are expected to have
mastered the details that go into such an assignment.
3.
Summary
Writing assignments and expectations differ across disciplines. Despite discipline-specific differences,
the learning theory concepts of positive and intermittent reinforcement and shaping can be
incorporated into strategies for teaching effective writing.
Coming in the second article of this series
A second article in this series, to be published in a future edition of the DE Oracle, will review strategies
to address surface feature elements in writing assignments that can be used in any discipline.
Note: This series of articles is based on a presentation given by Margo S. Coleman and David Ramsey
at the Fifth Annual UMUC July Writing Conference.
Reference
Chance, P. (2003). Learning and behavior (5th ed.). Australia: Wadsworth Publishing.
About the Author(s)
Margo Coleman is a Collegiate Professor with the University of Maryland University College in Europe and has lived in
Heidelberg, Germany, since March 2003. She teaches undergraduate psychology and graduate counseling courses in Germany
and occasionally in Belgium. Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Hahnemann University
and a Master's in Public Policy from the University of Chicago. Dr. Coleman specialized in the assessment and treatment of
emotional, learning, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. She has also conducted research in the field of child
welfare with a particular focus on the educational needs of youth living in foster care.
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Managing the Challenges of Providing Feedback on Student Writing - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Managing the Challenges of Providing Feedback on Student Writing
Catherine Flynn
Adjunct Instructor
School of Undergraduate Studies
Published: November-December 2008
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies
It will come as no surprise to those who review student writing that many college students demonstrate
poor to mediocre writing skills. Poor writing is impacting business as well as academics, with many
companies reporting substantial investments necessary to bring skills up to an acceptable level. A 2004
National Commission on Writing report, for example, estimates that American corporations spend
approximately textarea billion annually to upgrade the inadequate writing skills of their employees. This
monetary figure is based on the survey results of 64 leading U.S. companies with several million
employees amongst them; chief among the report's conclusions is that "in today's workplace, writing is
a 'threshold skill' for hiring and promotion among salaried (i.e., professional) employees" (p. 3).
Though a few years old, the discoveries of this report are still compelling—and telling. For instance, 50
percent of the responding companies indicated that writing plays a role in both hiring and promotion
decisions; across the board, people with poor writing and communication skills are much less likely to
be hired or even last long enough to be considered for promotion. In addition, writing was found to be
part of the job of a majority (67%) of professional employees—no matter what the industry. E-mail and
PowerPoint were identified as the main tools for communication, while reports, memos, guidelines,
operating instructions, and plenty of other business documents also come into play.
Given that the ability to communicate with clear, logical, articulate, consistent, and persuasive writing
is undeniably important in the working world, it is imperative that we faculty provide effective feedback
to help our students improve their writing. While it is true that academic writing is different than
business writing, we can still arm our students with valuable writing skills that will carry over to their
professional careers.
Many colleges and universities track success rates among students in their programs and find a very
clear link between writing abilities and completion numbers. We can all help address the problem by
enriching our courses with writing assignments so that students can build their skill sets throughout
their academic program. Of course, grading writing is an onerous, time-consuming process. This article
will help faculty across the curriculum manage the challenges of providing students with feedback
about their writing.
Reviewing Student Writing
When providing feedback to students on their writing, it is advisable to follow a few basic guidelines so
that the experience is as positive as it can be for both you and your students. Here is a quick refresher
for reviewing student writing:
Provide your students with clear grading rubrics and use them.
Do NOT mark everything; it is overwhelming and ultimately counter-productive.
Sandwich your positive and negative comments; all writing does something well, so make certain you
begin and end your feedback with the positives. Include the difficult-to-digest tough comments in the
middle.
Managing the Challenges of Providing Feedback on Student Writing - DE Oracle
Track problem areas and make students accountable for repeat errors.
When you go through the actual review process, follow these steps:
Ideally, review a full class at a single sitting for an objective perspective. This kind of review
permits you to see overall patterns and issues, which can guide how you facilitate the classroom.
1.
Rotate sections and the order in which you read assignments from project to project. If you
are teaching three online sections, for example, and you always begin with section 1 and go through
section 3, it's likely your students are being evaluated differently. We tend to mark more stringently in
the early part of our review process and less stringently toward the end! For some assignments grade
section 1 first, then do section 2 first, and continue rotating.
2.
Read through the whole assignment without marking anything. This step may seem to take a
great deal of time, but getting the full picture before marking errors actually speeds up the process as
you see patterns of errors.
3.
Return to the beginning of the document and mark only the first occurrence of any given
error. If there are sentence fragments, mark only the first one. Likewise, mark only the first run-on or
apostrophe errors. Let the student know this is how you will provide guidance.
4.
Insert "master" comments into the document the first time you encounter a common writing
issue. A master comment list from which you can simply copy prepared text can help lighten your load
while still providing students with exemplary guidance to improve their writing abilities and guide their
understanding of the course material.
5.
Master Comment List
It is likely that you find the same writing errors in different student papers every semester. Preparing a
list of reusable master comments can reduce the amount of time you spend providing practical
feedback to each student. Master comments cover the basics—such as recurring grammatical issues,
problem areas in citation, and weaknesses in paragraph development. A master comment list compiles
the notes you make over and over again in one easy-to-use document, providing you with additional
time to comment on other aspects of the paper.
A master comment list can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. I create mine in Word,
using a columnar format that identifies a specific issue and the master comment I want to use to
address that issue. The table below highlights a few comments I have put together on a master
comment list for use in reviewing my students' work:
ISSUE COMMENT
Punctuation - comma splice This is a comma splice. That means two independent clauses
have been incorrectly joined with a comma. The independent
clauses must be separated with a semicolon, a comma AND a
coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), or a
period.
Punctuation - semicolon This is a misused semicolon. Semicolons are used primarily to
join two independent clauses closely related to one another in
focus and/or content. The test of whether or not you have
used a semicolon correctly is to replace it with a period. If you
can replace your semicolon with a period, then it is being
used correctly. Semicolons are also used to separate long
items in a list.
Praise - conclusion Conclusions are an opportunity to let your readers see why all
your analysis and information matters now that they have
finished reading. It is also your chance to have the last word
on the subject. Good work writing your conclusion. You
provide an effective summation and analysis, pulling the work
to a close but also leaving your reader with ideas to ponder.
Managing the Challenges of Providing Feedback on Student Writing - DE Oracle
Word choice - effect versus affect Review the difference between "effect" and "affect." In the
vast majority of applications, "effect" serves as a noun;
virtually all uses of "affect" are as a verb. Remember: effect
= noun; affect = verb.
Punctuation - extra apostrophe Apostrophes are used to form contractions - it's = it is or it
has; there's = there is or there has. Apostrophes are also
used to show possession - John's car. They are not used in
plural nouns.
Punctuation - fragment The highlighted text is a sentence fragment. That means it is
an incomplete sentence punctuated as a complete one. To
correct the fragment, you need to add a subject or a verb, or
make some other edit to correct the error. Often, fragments
can be linked to preceding text or the following text to correct
the problem.
Clauses - run on These two sentences form a run on. That means the two
independent clauses are incorrectly joined. They need to be
separated by a semicolon, a comma and a coordinating
conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), or a period.
Voice - use of first person "I" Typically you will avoid first person "I" in academic and
business writing unless you are specifically referencing your
activities and responsibilities. Using "I" in phrases like "I
believe that" or "I think that" is unnecessary as it's your
paper and therefore a given it includes your thoughts and
observations. If they are not yours, then attribute them to
their source.
Wordiness - in conclusion "In conclusion" is one of those fillers that should be removed.
It is the final paragraph in your document and therefore a
given you are about to conclude. The only time "in
conclusion" serves a purpose is in an oral presentation as it
lets the audience know the speaker is wrapping up, and the
audience needs to wake up and prepare to do something else!
In writing, it states the obvious, which should always be
avoided.
Praise - Introduction Nicely written introduction. It's difficult to grab your reader's
attention effectively, but it's very important to do so! Good
introductions engage the reader's attention, identify the
central issue or subject to be addressed, and set the tone of
the writing. You have succeeded in meeting all these
objectives.
I have prepared several master comments that offer encouragement as well as correction. These
master comments can be customized for your courses, focusing on the objectives you have outlined for
your students. For example, if application of critical thinking skills is particularly important, a master
comment that praises students who successfully accomplish this objective would be appropriate.
When it comes time to enter feedback on your students' papers, a few copy-and-paste actions
(MSWord 2003 | MSWord 2007) are all you need to enter your appropriate master comments into a
specific student's paper.
It is important to supplement master comments with additional personalized comments and
observations so that you can provide the best detailed feedback to your students. Where I have used
master comments, I note in my closing comments to students that they need to review the errors and
ensure that they understand how to avoid them in the future.
Conclusion
Writing is a highly complex and highly effective learning tool. The complexity of the process carries
through to the grading of writing, which is also difficult and time-consuming. Despite the challenges
inherent in grading student writing, writing remains one of the best means for evaluating students'
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understanding of the course material and their ability to convey that understanding.
Regardless of the discipline, students must be held to high standards in their writing. All careers
demand competent writing abilities today, and failure to arm our students with this skill reflects poorly
on both our institution and on ourselves as educators. Master comments prepared ahead of time can
help provide an effective means for delivering some of the needed guidance in a convenient and
efficient manner.
References
The National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges. (2004, September).
Writing: A ticket to work . . . or a ticket out, a survey of business leaders. New York: Author. Retrieved
July 10, 2008, from http://www.writingcommission.org/prod_downloads/writingcom
/writing-ticket-to-work.pdf (http://www.writingcommission.org/prod_downloads/writingcom/writing-ticket-to-
work.pdf)
About the Author(s)
Catherine Flynn has taught with UMUC since 2004 and is currently revising the Business Writing course. Catherine has more
than a decade of experience in distance learning, teaching a combination of English and management courses.
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UMUC Presenters and Award Winners at MDLA 2008 Conference - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
UMUC Presenters and Award Winners at MDLA 2008 Conference
Linda Smelser
Instructional Support Specialist
Non UMUC
Published: May-June 2008
Category: » University-showcase » Awards
Award: Best Distance Learning Course 2008
Congratulations to our own Andrew Rein, Instructional Designer; and Kathleen Warner, Assistant Dean,
for their work on ENMT 360 Introduction to Urban Watersheds. Andrew considers the work on this
project a great success because of his awesome team in Course Development.
Presentation: Teaching Diversity Awareness Online
Presenters: Darlene Smucny, Academic Director for Social Sciences; and Kathy Humber, Director of
Gerontology/Assistant Director for Social Sciences
Darlene and Kathy presented strategies for making the new Diversity Awareness course (BEHS 220) a
dynamic learning experience as it is developed for online delivery at UMUC. This course is designed to
encourage students to think critically about diversity issues in today’s world. In higher education,
diversity courses are part of the undergraduate curricula "in order to educate students for life in a
diverse and increasingly interconnected world." This course has previously been taught only in the
traditional in-person format, but it will be making its online debut in fall 2008.
Presentation: Common Syllabus - A Necessary Evil?
Presenters: Andrew Au, Assistant Academic Director for Mathematics and Statistics; and John Beyers,
Academic Director for Math and Statistics
John and Andrew provided a variety of practical strategies for implementing a common syllabus for
large academic departments with both full-time and part-time faculty. They explained that developing
and implementing common syllabi standards and common final assessments promotes quality and
accessibility of academic programs. As increased reliance on adjunct faculty becomes necessary, it is
imperative that syllabi and assessments set the tone and level of expectations for our students to
achieve success.
Presentation: Building a Foundation - The Evolution of Core Learning Areas within Introductory
Courses
Presenters: Joseph Chiappa, Assistant to the Dean; Sabrina Marschall, Acting Director; and Elizabeth
Mulherrin, Academic Director for LIBS 150 and WMST
The presenters focused on lessons learned from developing and teaching online introductory courses
that provide core learning in the areas of written communication, technical fluency, critical thinking,
and informational learning skills. The presenters featured our two introductory courses, EDCP 100
Principles and Strategies of Effective Learning and LIBS 150 Information Literacy and Research
Methods, which are designed to provide new online students the opportunity to practice online learning
as well as to hone their academic reading and writing skills.
Presentation: Instructional Strategies for Increasing Student Success in Online Undergraduate
Courses
UMUC Presenters and Award Winners at MDLA 2008 Conference - DE Oracle
Presenters: Penny Ittner, Adunct Faculty; Claudine Weatherford, Adjunct Faculty; and Deloris James;
Assistant Academic Director/Director of Women in Business
The presenters provided a framework for designing and implementing instructional strategies that
address retention and strengthen undergraduate programs and student enrollments. The featured
online course, BMGT 110 Introduction to Business Management, was used as a case study to address
models for learning how to recognize student attitudes toward courses and identifying student success
factors.
Presentation: Integrating Assessment and Learning
Presenters: Thomas Bailey, Director of Psychology; and Debra McLaughlin, Director for Natural
Sciences and Environmental Management
This presentation (http://docs.google.com/Present?docid=dgc69dd5_06pck4pfw&skipauth=true#0) provided an
explanation of the means and methods used to develop outcome designs that evaluate student
learning. Exploring how to develop a working definition of assessment assists faculty to define effective
and efficient assessment measures. The presenters also discussed working with faculty from around the
world and the challenge of developing a consistent design that evaluates student learning outcomes.
(http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=dgc69dd5_06pck4pfw)
Presentation: Selecting Electronic Learning Resources - A Guide for Differentiating Among
Available Choices
Presenters: Debra McLaughlin, Director for Natural Sciences and Environmental Management; and
Andrew Au, Assistant Academic Director for Mathematics and Statistics
Debra and Andrew discussed the need to review supplemental textbook resources before integrating
them into the curricula and offering them to students. The review team’s research of interactive
tutorials that accompany textbooks provided discussions of the efficacy of tutorials for promoting
student learning. The presentation explored the importance of well-designed textbook resources and
key features of effective tutorials and electronic learning tools.
Presentation: Identifying and Reducing Math Anxiety
Presenter: John Beyers; Academic Director for Math and Statistics
John provides a twofold approach that addresses math anxiety: 1) identify math anxiety and 2) explore
methods to reduce it. The presentation focused on how to help non-traditional students in traditional
and online learning environments overcome math anxiety through dispelling math myths,
understanding learning and teaching styles, and providing methods that help students learn instead of
fear math.
Presentation: Having Your Way with Wikis - From Course Design to Collaboration Using
MediaWiki
Presenters: Richard Schumaker, Manager, Worldwide Training; Andrew Rein, Instructional Designer;
and Theo Stone, Director of Academic Technology
The presenters explained how MediaWiki can be used in university courses in various disciplines, and
how even neophyte instructors can quickly and easily integrate a wiki into their online teaching. The
presentation (http://show.zoho.com/guestView.sas?sd=KC704RaM003m0x670221&sc=zEBf4md6700kx6700ll) showed a
variety of options available in the wiki structure that can be used to design sophisticated and
interactive projects that involve complex critical-thinking strategies and methods that engage students
and enhance learning.
Presentation: Redesign of Introductory Online Biology Course to Promote Student Success
Presenters: Kathy Warner, Assistant Dean; and Robin Searles-Adenegan, Assistant Director
Kathy and Robin’s presentation discussed the importance of designing an introductory course with a
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scaffolding model that provides students with opportunities to interact with online course materials in
multiple ways. This highly interactive design allows students to practice their new knowledge and
ensure that their answers are receiving appropriate and immediate feedback.
About MDLA: The Maryland Distance Learning Association (MDLA) is a chapter of the United States
Distance Learning Association with a mission to promote education, training, and research for distance
learning. Visit the MDLA web site (http://www.marylanddla.org/index.html) for more information.
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Goal conflict and communications in multi-organizational projects: A two cases comparative study
No full textAbstract: The purpose of this study is to examine how the level of goal conflict among the participant organizations in a multi-organizational project influences the level of communication among project team members. Two different multi-organizational projects cases were studied. Based on the data collected for the first case, a preliminary causal model was developed. The causal model was contrasted to the data collected for the second case. An additional assessment of the possible validity of the model in other contexts was performed through questionnaires completed by a panel of experts, and by comparison of the model structures to previous research findings in related areas. The contribution of this study is a proposed causal model describing the dynamics related to team communications induced in the work system by a high level of goal conflict in a multi-organizational project. The study findings suggest that these dynamics affect the level of trust, relationship conflict, communication and then performance, in a reinforcing feedback cycle. Implications for practitioners, limitations of the study and avenues for future research are discussed.UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in
Multi-Organizational Projects: A Two Cases Comparative Study
By
Atilio Moran-Leal
UMUC, Graduate School of Management & Technology
[email protected]
December 2008
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
2
.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine how the level of goal conflict among the participant
organizations in a multi-organizational project influences the level of communication among
project team members. Two different multi-organizational projects cases were studied.
Based on the data collected for the first case, a preliminary causal model was developed. The
causal model was contrasted to the data collected for the second case. An additional
assessment of the possible validity of the model in other contexts was performed through
questionnaires completed by a panel of experts, and by comparison of the model structures to
previous research findings in related areas. The contribution of this study is a proposed causal
model describing the dynamics related to team communications induced in the work system
by a high level of goal conflict in a multi-organizational project. The study findings suggest
that these dynamics affect the level of trust, relationship conflict, communication and then
performance, in a reinforcing feedback cycle. Implications for practitioners, limitations of the
study and avenues for future research are discussed.
Keywords
Multi-organizational Projects, Goal Conflict, Trust, Relationship Conflict, Communications.
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
3
Introduction
The level and quality of communication between project team members has been
associated with high levels of project team performance (Chiocchio, 2007).
Communication between project team members can be particularly important when there
is a high level of task interdependence between project team members (Andres and
Zmud, 2002). The relationship between goal conflict, trust, relationship conflict and the
level of communication in teams has been documented in the literature in a segmented
way, non integrative way (Pelled, 1996; Butler, 1999; deDreu and Weingart, 2003; Dyer
and Chu, 2003). However, to the best of my knowledge no research has been conducted
on the mechanisms through which goal conflict might affect communications within a
project team.
Goal conflict is not a rarity in current project teams, since more and more projects
are executed by cross-functional teams or by completely different organizations in
consortia, partnering and joint ventures (Kanzanjian et al., 2000; O’Sullivan, 2003).
These organizations might bring their own goals for the project in response to their
markets needs and competitive environments, and the achievement of one organization
goals might be in contradiction with the goals that another participating organization
might have for the project. This study attempts to start filling a gap in the project
management literature focusing on “how’ the level of goal conflict might affect the
quality and level of communications among project team members in a multi-organizational
project.
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
4
To investigate the research question, I studied two multi-organizational projects
cases in which high levels of goal conflict were present. Based on the data collected for
the first case, I developed a preliminary influence model in which the cause-effect
relationships between goal conflict and the level of communications among the project
team members are described. That model was contrasted to the data collected in the
second case.
To further assess the potential external validity of the proposed model, I requested
a panel of experts to examine the degree to which the model reflects their own
experiences in multi-organizational projects. I also compared the model developed with
past research in project communication and the social –psychology fields. Finally, the
implications of the model to practitioners and future researchers, as well the limitations of
the study are discussed.
Research Methodology
The methodology adopted to investigate the research question consisted in
analyzing two projects cases in which a significant level of goal conflict had taken place,
in order to formulate a theory describing how the level of goal conflict affects the level of
communication between the project teams’ members in these projects. These cases
studies were part of a larger study investigating how the level of goal alignment might
affect multi-organizational projects performance. While analyzing the data collected, it
became apparent that the level of communication was affected by the level of goal
alignment and that the variation in those levels was the main mechanism through which
the level of goal alignment (or its reciprocal, the level of goal conflict) affected project
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
5
performance. Hence, I decided to use part of the data collected in the cases to further
investigate how the level of goal conflict affected the level of communication among the
project team members in the cases studied.
The data was collected through a series of interviews with individuals who
participated in the projects in different roles -managerial and operational- and from all the
different organizations participating in the project – five persons per project. To make
sure that all the interviews were conducted in a way that addressed the pursued line of
inquiry and that the data collected through them were comparable, an interview protocol
was prepared. The interviews were conducted as a fluid conversation rather than as a
structured survey as suggested in the case study methodology developed by Yin (2003).
During the conversation, questions were asked in a non-leading way to minimize possible
bias. The interviews lasted between one and two hours, and they were recorded with the
permission of the interviewees. Transcripts of the interviews were elaborated and
compared to the original recordings to ensure their accuracy. In most cases, the
interviewees were contacted later several times during the data analysis phase for the
clarification of particular issues. After the preliminary model was completed, it was
presented to the interviewees in a questionnaire. The questionnaire contained verbalized
statements and graphics describing the dynamics induced by variations in the level of
goal alignment between participants in a multi-organizational project, as derived from the
cases’ data analysis. The questionnaire asked the interviewees to assess the extent to
which the statements and graphics reflected their experiences in the project. I used the
data collected from the first case to elaborate a preliminary model, and the second as a
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
6
study replication as suggested by Yin (2003) to investigate the potential generizability of
the model.
The potential validity and generizability of the findings were further assessed by a
two steps process. First, I contacted a group of individuals with experience in multi-organizational
projects in diverse sectors who were willing to cooperate with the study,
but not willing to discuss a particular case. The model’s assessment by the panel of
experts was conducted using the same questionnaire protocol employed for the
assessment of the model by the participants in the cases, including the model developed.
Before sending the questionnaires, I requested the experts to send me evidence of their
experience with multi-organizational projects. I included in the panel only individuals
who had participated in more than two multi-organizational projects (six in total). The
panel was asked to compare their experiences within multi-organizational projects to the
verbalized model structure. The data collected was analyzed to show significant matches
and discrepancies between the model structure and the experts’ experiences. Several
discrepancies were reported and their probable causes and impact on the model’s
structure and behavior were analyzed. These discrepancies might constitute alternative
explanations about how the level of goal alignment affects the level of communications
in multi-organizational projects, and are discussed in the future research section.
Finally, following the Reppening and Sterman (2002) suggestion for theory
development from case studies, findings were contrasted with past research in the social-psychology
and project management fields, to assess to what extent the findings can be
generalized to different contexts and experiences.
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
7
Case 1 Description and Data Analysis.
The first case analyzed in this study (case 1) is a project accomplished by a major
aerospace company (Partner 1) that the Department of Defense contracted to develop an
aviation control system, including hardware and software elements. For confidentiality
reasons, I cannot disclose the names of the partners involved. Partner 1 hired an
advanced research organization (Partner 2) to incorporate state-of-the-art technology into
the system. In addition, Partner 1 hired a military organization that is also an end user of
the system developed (Partner 3). At the moment the project started, Partner 3 was
beginning to perform some of the Partner 2’s specialty jobs, and Partner 2 has started to
perceive Partner 3 as a potential competitor. Project team members worked in their
respective organizations offices, located across the US, so the project team was in fact a
“virtual team” supported by telecommunication technologies and periodical “face to
face” meetings. These particular combinations of roles, priorities and relationships
between partners (see figure 1) impacted the level of goal alignment, with consequences
to the execution of the project.
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
8
Figure 1: Partners’ Roles, Relationships and Priorities’ Levels in Case 1
Because the project scope was driven by hardware requirements, it had to change
along with changes in hardware design. In the trade-off between scope and schedule,
schedule was almost always sacrificed for scope. However, Partner 3, as an end user,
wanted to go beyond the specified scope to satisfy to the largest extent possible its
requirements for the project. That scope pressure was a consequence of defining
requirements at a high level, leading to a certain degree of ambiguity and lack of a clear
or shared interpretation of the project’s requirements among the participating
organizations.
Moreover, there was a perception among Partner 3’s project team members that
some features were taken out of the final product in order to avoid addressing some
quality issues and to prevent further delays. That situation led to unfulfilled expectations
PARTNER 1
Role: Management,
Execution
Priority level: The
same for cost,
schedule, quality,
scope.
PARTNER 2
Role: Execution
Priority level: The
same for cost,
schedule, quality,
scope.
PARTNER 3
Role: Execution, Final
User
Priority level: Quality
and scope over cost
and schedule
Coordination
Instructions
Coordination
Instructions
Coordination
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
9
and some degree of frustration among some Partner 3’s project team members, who
would have liked to see all the features included in the product as soon as possible. On
the other hand, Partner 2 was pressing to include scope not directly related to end user
needs, but favored the development of certain technologies that Partner 2 had an interest
in. That also contributed to Partner 3’s level of frustration.
There was a significant misalignment concerning project quality goals. Partner 3’s
project team members wanted to maximize quality for the end user, sometimes beyond
cost or schedule considerations. On the other hand, Partner 1 was interested in delivering
a product with the quality specified by the customer, but also considering cost and
schedule. Partner 1 wanted to maximize profits and to continue doing business with the
customer. Partner 2 was interested in delivering a quality product according to their
interpretation of customer’s requirements. Hence, there was neither a common
understanding of quality, nor any common criteria for the quality-cost-schedule trade-off.
The perception of unfulfilled expectations regarding quality and scope by Partner 3
increased the level of animosity between Partners 2 and 3’s project team members.
Comments from a partner about quality issues in the work performed for another partner,
caused the affected partner to comment on work performed by the other, creating a
dynamic of mutual criticism that generated bitterness and reduced mutual trust.
The participating organizations conducted mutual project reviews. The level of
animosity generated by the lack of quality and scope goal alignment sometimes led to
conflicts in the reviews and, in many cases, the pointing out of non-significant issues.
When a partner called attention to some defects, the affected partner would answer
focusing on non-significant problems in the other partner’s work. In some cases these
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
10
conflicts went out of proportion, causing delays. Review conflicts also took effort and
time from productive work, negatively impacting the progress in project tasks.
The analysis of the data collected for case 1 was oriented to elaborate a cause-effect
model attempting to describe how the level of goal conflict might affect the level
of communication between project team members in each case study, following the
“causal model” case data analysis methodology proposed by Yin (2003).
In case 1, the high level of conflict regarding the quality goals between Partners 2
and 3 generated low morale among the project team members belonging to those
organizations. The not fulfilled expectations regarding the achievement of project goals,
in particular of Partner 3’s expectations about quality and scope goals, led to a partners’
perception that they could not expect the same level of effort and commitment toward the
project goals from the other partner, thereby reducing the level of trust between them.
Disparate quality goals also led to comments from one partner about quality issues in the
work performed by the other partner, then caused the affected partner to comment quality
issues associated to the first partner work, creating a dynamic of mutual criticism that
generated bitterness in the relationship and reduced the level of communication.
The level of trust affected both frequency and content of communication between
Partners 2 and 3. People started to think about the possible reactions of the other partners
to the communications and hesitated about what to communicate and how to do it. The
perceived lack of transparency in communications affected the level of trust. Despite
those limitations, the project team tried to keep the level of trust and communications
high by involving every party in all communications, in order to reduce the perceived
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
11
secrecy or lack of transparency. On the other hand, the level of communications between
Partner 1 and partners 2 and 3 was good along the project execution.
Communication issues introduced schedule slippage, because documentation that
partners had to deliver to other partners did not arrive on time. That caused the recipient
partners to delay the execution of the associated tasks. Sometimes the delays in receiving
input from other partners made a partner to work with preliminary information, which
was changed later, introducing rework producing schedule slippage, schedule pressure
and quality problems. Communications problems also affected the accuracy of the
content of the information exchanged and the quality of the products. Finally, the low
level of communications impacted the understanding of inter-organizational working
processes, affecting the deployment of resources on timely basis.
The level of animosity originated by the level of goal conflict led sometimes to
conflicts in the reviews, in many cases pointing out to non- significant issues. When a
partner called attention to some defects, in occasions the affected partner attacked back
on non relevant issues. Reviews’ conflicts also take effort and time from productive
work, negatively impacting the progress in project tasks. The created quality and
schedule problems required the deployment of problem solving efforts, which in many
cases included goals tradeoffs -the level of achievement of certain project performance
parameters had to be reduced to allow the achievement of another performance
parameter. The level of goal conflict affected partners’ perception of the degree to which
their goals were considered for the tradeoffs. These discrepancies in the tradeoff criteria
generated even more animosity between Partners 2 and 3, reducing even more the level
of communication.
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
12
Proposed Causal Model
Based on the analysis of the data collected in case 1, a causal model intended to
describe how the level of goal conflict affected the level of communication in case 1 is
presented below (figure 2). The “+” sign indicates a positive relationship between the
variables (for example, the higher the level of goal conflict leads to a higher level of
relationship conflict between the project team members). On the other hand, a “-“ sign
indicates a negative relationship.
Figure 2: Proposed Cause-Effect Model Describing How the Level of Goal Conflict
Affected the Level of Communications between Partners in Case 1.
UMUC Working Paper Series – Number 2009-012
Goal Conflict and Communications in Multi-organizational Projects:
A Two Cases Comparative Study
13
In the proposed model, the high level of goal conflict affected the degree to which
partners perceived that their expectations concerning project outcomes were fulfilled.
The fact that one partner perceived that its goals were not considered led to conflicts in
the relationship and to a reduction in the level of trust -the partner in question did not
assume that the other partners would work in the best interest of the project, but in their
own interest. The low level of trust affected the openness of the communications, as well
as their frequency, because partners perceived that the content of their communications
could be used against their interest. On the other hand, the level of communication
affected the level of trust, because it affected the perceived “transparency” of the
partners’ intentions for the project.
The project was structured in a way that the level of interdependence between the
partners was very high (partners depended in a significant degree of other partners’ work
outcomes to perform their work). Therefore, a high level of coordination was required,
and the effect of a low level of communication on project performance was significant.
The performance gaps generated by the low level of communication required problem
solving efforts from the project team members, which included in many cases deciding
on goals tradeoffs. The level of goal conflict affected the degree to which partners
perceived that the tradeoffs made considered their goals for the project, and then the level
of mutual trust among the partners, as well as the level of relationship conflict -or
animosity, as several project team members described it- between the project team
members belonging to Partners 2 and 3. The level of relationship conflict aff
DE Oracle Live - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
DE Oracle Live
Jennifer Thies
Senior Instructional Support Specialist
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: July-August 2008
Category: » Fac-resources » Faculty-development
Starting Fall 2008 Center for Support of Instruction (CSI) will be offering DE
Oracle Live sessions. Using the Wimba system, the CSI team plans to host
webinar sessions on topics related to distance education that are of interest
to our faculty. Wimba allows many participants to view the presentation
simultaneously, which can include slide presentations, demonstrations of
software packages, audio and video components, and collaborative question-and-answer portions.
Announcements of scheduled sessions, including topic, days, and times, will appear on the Events
page. Notification of upcoming sessions will also be sent via e-mail to registered DE Oracle subscribers.
We hope to host multiple sessions at different times to accommodate our global faculty, but we will
also have archives of the DE Oracle Live sessions available following the presentations.
We welcome your suggestions for topics of interest that you would like to see presented. Registered
subscribers are encouraged to leave us a comment on this page with suggestions based on previous DE
Oracle articles or on new topics you would like us to address in the future, consistent with the DE
Oracle's mission. We appreciate that our innovative faculty will want to present in the future on DE
Oracle Live, and presenter guidelines will be available after the first DE Oracle Live session to assist in
that endeavor.
Thank you in advance for you suggestions and we look forward to meeting you online in the DE Oracle
Live sessions.
About the Author(s)
A member of the UMUC team since June 1998, Jen has happily served UMUC's students, faculty, and staff in various support
roles, from Senior Application Support Specialist with the Learning Applications Development and Support unit (LeADS) to
Senior Instructional Support Specialist with the Center for Support of Instruction (CSI).
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Comments
Mary Spear -- Aug 27th 2008
Hi Jen, Do have UMUC professors have access to use wimba classroom with online
classes, when is your first wimba program scheduled for fall and Thanks, Mary
Prentice at [email protected]
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