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Organization 2.0: Adapting to change in the Web Economy

Author: Olympia Ricardo
Publication venue: University of Maryland University College (UMUC)
Publication date: 09/07/2010
Field of study

The Web economic paradigm where the combination of global mobility, local reach, and fluid flows of resources are accomplished via networks, Webs, and constellation of actors, has intensified the rate of business environmental changes.Organization 2.0: Adapting to Change in the Web Economy Ricardo Olympia DMGT 892 Residency July 9 –10, 2010General Statement of the Problem The Web economic paradigm where the combination of global mobility, local reach, and fluid flows of resources are accomplished via networks, Webs, and constellation of actors, has intensified the rate of business environmental changesResearch Questions •Do virtual organizations adapt better than non-virtual organizations to rapid changes in today’s Web economy? •How does ICT contribute to the creation of adaptive organizations?Propositions and Key Literature(Key words: open closed systems, resilience, virtual, agile, adaptability, ICT, turbulent environment) •Proposition 1: Organization is an open system that affects and is affected by its environment. Organization operates in a causal relationship with its environment –Emery & Trist (1965) The Causal Texture of Organizational Environments –Shafritzet al. editors (2005) Classics of Organizational Theory (Katz & Kahn (1966), Thompson (1967), Meyer & Rowan (1977), Pfeffer& Salancik(1978), Caroll& Hannan(2000)) •Proposition 2:Business organizations’ competitive advantage is defined by their response to external forces that are varied and unpredictable –Porter (1998) Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance –Christensen (2000). The innovator’s dilemma. Propositions and Key Literature(Continued) •Proposition 3:Business organization leaders’ ability to make timely and correct decisions positively affects the organization chances of surviving changes in its environment –Simon, H.A. (1997). Administrative behavior –Mallak, L. (1998). Putting organizational resilience to work –Simon, A. (2006). Leadership and managing ambivalence •Proposition 4:ICT helps ensure the development of adaptive responses during periods of environmental change. The differences in ICT implementation provide competitive advantage opportunities –Carr, N. G. (2005). The End of Corporate Computing •Proposition 5:The loosely-coupled relationships between virtual organization members creates an agile project-based organization that can respond to changes in the business environment –Orton & Weick(1990) Loosely Coupled Systems: A Reconceptualization –Mintzberg& McHugh (1985) Strategy Formation in an Adhocracy –Lewin, K. (1975). Field Theory in Social ScienceThesis :Virtual organization can reestablish equilibrium relationships with its environment following periods of environmental changesThesis :Virtual organization can reestablish equilibrium relationships with its environment following periods of environmental changesThesis: The combined ICT and core competencies of virtual organization members create competitive advantage that cannot be easily replicated Research Method •Qualitative Approach –Exploratory –Descriptive •Strategy –Case Study of Technology Company (data source: online) –Literature Research –Archival (data source: online)Research Method DiagramFindings •There is no direct evidence confirming that forming virtual partnership alone results in organizational resilience •There is no direct evidence showing that ICT alone creates adaptive organization •There is implied causal relationships between surviving environmental changes and the company’s virtual partnership strategies •Successful companies have mature virtual partnership strategies. Management Implications and Future Research •Physical dispersal creates management control issues •Managing virtual organization requires knowledge management skills •Managing shared identity and mutual trust are particularly challenging in virtual organization •Virtual partnerships creates unique legal challenges for management •Disparate cultures and competencies create management challenge

Faculty research & scholarship inventory for January 1-December 31, 2009: Aggregated results

Author: Liebowitz Jay
Publication venue: University of Maryland University College (UMUC)
Publication date: 2010
Field of study

This is a summary statistics from January 1 to December 31, 2009 for faculty research & scholarship inventory.Faculty Research & Scholarship Inventory for January 1December 31, 2009: ggregated Results (by Jay Liebowitz, Orkand Chair, February 19, 2010) A Summary Statistics (January 1D ecember 31, 2009): Editorial Positions on Journals: 41 In Print, Accepted for Publication, or Under Consideration: Full‐Length Books: 22 Book Chapters: 25 Refereed Journal Articles: 65 Refereed Papers in Conference Proceedings: 47 overnment or Think‐Tank Reports: 6 G Others: 66 esentaions: External Invited Lectures/Prt 64 Conference Participation: 121 ber, mittee Mem Dissertations (Mentor/Instructor, Author, Com External Examiner): 9 apstones and Other Student Applied Projects C (Mentor/Instructor, External Resource): 26 ants: 17 Awarded; 5 Pending xternally Sponsored Research/Gr E 1 2 Editorial Positions on Journals: 41 1. Name of Journal: Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Role: Managing Editor (one of 4) 2. Name of Journal: Expert Systems With Applications Role: Editor‐in‐Chief 3. Name of Journal: Journal of Health & Life Sciences Law Role: Managing Editor 4. Name of Journal: Journal of Legal Studies Education Role: Staff Editor 5. Name of Journal: Internet Journal of Mental Health Role: Associate Editor 6. Name of Journal: Journal for the Academic Study of Magic Role: Editor 7. Name of Journal: Studies in Intelligence Role: Reviewer 8. Name of Journal: The Safe Campus Role: Advisory Board Member 3 9. Name of Journal: Labor Studies Journal Role: Reviewer 10. Name of Journal: The Social Studies Role: Consulting Editor 11. Name of Journal: Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling Role: Editorial Board 12. Name of Journal: HealthCare Ethics Committee Forum Role: Health System Net wor k Editor 13. Name of Journal: Estonian Business Review Role: Editorial Adisory Board v14 . Name of Journal: Marine Corps University Journal Role: Publisher 15. Name of Journal: College English Association Magazine Role: Associate Editor 16. Name of Journal: Journal of Applied Case research Role: Editor 17. Name of Journal: Journal of Employment and Labor Law Role: Reviewer 18. Name of Journal: Journal of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Role: 4 Associate Editor 19. Name of Journal: American Journal of Distance Education Role: Member of the Editorial Board 20. Name of Journal: Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning Role: Editorial board member 21. Name of Journal: Scientific Bulletin of "Politecnica" University of Timisoara, Transactions on Automatic Control and Computer Science, ISSN 1224‐600X Role: Associate Editor‐in‐Chief 22. Name of Journal: Journal of Patient Safety Role: Associate Editor 23. Name of Journal: Journal of Business & Entrepreneurship Role: Editorial Board member 24. Name of Journal: Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges Role: Editor‐in‐Chief 25. Name of Journal: Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges Role: Associate Editor 26. Name of Journal: Journal of Research Practice Role: Editorial Advisory Board Member 27. Name of Journal: Institute for Supply Chain Management Journal Role: 5 Reader of Journal Papers 28. Name of Journal: International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning Role: Peer Editor 29. Name of Journal: Int. Journal of Teaching and Case Studies Role: Associate Editor 30 . Name of Journal: Revista Universitas: Relacoes Internacionais Role: Editorial Advisory Board Member 31 . Name of Journal: Tech Trends Role: Consulting Reviewer 32 . Name of Journal: Mid‐Atlantic Medical Ethics Newsletter Role: Editorial Board 33 . Name of Journal: Journal of Distance Education/Revue de l´Education à Distance Role: Member of the Editorial Review Board 34 . Name of Journal: Quality & Safety in Health Care Role: Guest Editor 35 . Name of Journal: Journal, International Journal for Case Studies. Role: Editorial board member 36 . Name of Journal: American Journal of Health Behavior Role: Reviewer 6 37. Name of Journal: Numerous journals Role: EAB member 38 . Name of Journal: Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling Role: Editorial Board 39 . Name of Journal: The International Journal of Excellence in eLearning Role: Member of the International Editorial Advisory Board 40 . Name of Journal: Journal of Business Strategies. Role: Editorial Board member 41. Name of Journal: Distance Education Role: Member of the Editorial Board Externally Sponsored Research/Grants: 17 Awarded; 5 Pending 1. Title of Grant: PMI Research Grant Funding Agency: Project Management Int. Status: Denied 2 . Title of Grant: State Farm Youth Advisory Grant Funding Agency: State Farm Youth Advisory Status: Pending 3 . Title of Grant: Community Relations Capacity Building Funding Agency: 7 Community Foundation of WNC Status: Pending 4 . Title of Grant: The Big Read Rome Funding Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Status: Awarded, special Chairman's Grant 5 . Title of Grant: Leadership Development through Mentoring Programs Funding Agency: NSF Status: Pending 6 . Title of Grant: Research Grant Funding Agency: Paul Mellon Centre for Art History Status: Awarded 7 . Title of Grant: NFA Cooperative Agreement Funding Agency: DHS Status: Awarded 8 . Title of Grant: Government of Ireland ‐ Dual Degree in Bio‐manufacturing Funding Agency: FAS, Ireland Status: Awarded 9 . Title of Grant: Hallucinogen Self‐Administration in baboons Funding Agency: NIH/NIDA Status: Awarded 8 10. Title of Grant: Pathfinder Grant Funding Agency: Prince George's Community College Status: Awarded 11 . Title of Grant: AERO Institute Support of Education Funding Agency: NASA Status: Awarded 12 . Title of Grant: An Integrated, Web‐Based Approach to Expand Graduate Program Completion by Hispanic Americans Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education, FIPSE Status: Awarded 13 . Title of Grant: Educational Technology Funding Agency: US DoE Status: Awarded 14 . Title of Grant: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grants for Undergraduate Science Education. Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Status: pending 15 . Title of Grant: I sponsor and manage a number of grants Funding Agency: AHRQ 16. Title of Grant: Educational Development Funding Agency: PA ‐ Dept of Education 9 SA tatus: warded 17 . Title of Grant: Pathfinder Grant Funding Agency: Prince George's Community College tatus: warded SA 18 . Title of Grant: Grants for Undergraduate Science Education Funding Agency: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Status: pending C onference Participation: 21 11 . Name of Conference: The International Emergency Management Society 16th Annual Conference, Istanbul, Turkey June 9‐11, 2009 Role: Presented a paper 2 . Name of Conference: Distance Learning Administration Conference Role: Presenter: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer122/lamer122.html 3 . Name of Conference: 2 Ark Group Conferences on Knowledge Retention Role: Keynote speaker 4 . Name of Conference: IACBE Annual Conference ‐ April 09, Louisville, KY Role: Attended ‐‐ participated in Strategic Planning report 5 . Name of Conference: The 15th Sloan‐C International Conference on Online Learning Role: 10 Presented a presentatership with Simulations ion ‐ Teaching Lead 6. Name of Conference: Academy of Management Conference Role: Presented a paper 7 . Name of Conference: NREA 2009 Role: Panelist/discussant 8 . Name of Conference: NONE 9 . Name of Conference: Alabama Council for Teachers of English Role: Presented 10 . Name of Conference: UCEA Mid‐Atlantic Region Conference, Syracuse, NY Role: Presentation: Future technologies and the adult learner: ditching the avatars and rediscovering authentic learning. 11 . Name of Conference: Educause 2009 Role: Served as a Discussant 1 2. Name of Conference: Maryland Distance Learning Association (MDLA) Role: Panelist 13 . Name of Conference: Lilly‐West Conference on College and University Teaching Role: Presenter 14 . Name of Conference: Cheiron Role: presented a paper and a poster 11 15. Name of Conference: Presentation 16 . Name of Conference: American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences Role: Presented paper 17 . Name of Conference: ACM SIGITE 2009 Role: Presented a Paper 18 . Name of Conference: International Studies Association 19 . Name of Conference: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Role: Panel organizer and presenter 20 . Name of Conference: Chesapeake Region Law Enforcement Accreditation Alliance Conference Role: Presenter 21 . Name of Conference: Emergency Management Higher Education Conference Role: Panel for presentationon high education in homeland security 2 2. Name of Conference: AAR National Conference Role: Presented paper 23 . Name of Conference: American Association of Adult & Continuing Education Role: Co‐presented a paper: 24. Name of Conference: MILEX: How In the World? Getting Students to Think Critically Role: Presenter 12 25. Name of Conference: "Bridging the Spectrum: A Symposium on Library and Information Science" Role: Poster Session Presenter 26 . Name of Conference: American Educational Research Association Role: Presented a Paper 27 . Name of Conference: COMISS Network Annual Forum Role: Panelist 28 . Name of Conference: ASTD Role: panelist 29 . Name of Conference: Society of Military Historians Role: Panelist/Discussant 30 . Name of Conference: Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges Role: Presented a paper 31 . Name of Conference: National Council of University Research Administrators Role: Co‐leader of one panel presenter on another panel ; 3 2. Name of Conference: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Role: Panel/Discussant 33 . Name of Conference: Eastern Psychological Association, Pittsburgh, PA, March 2009 Role: Invited Speaker, made a presentation entitled "InfoWise: Library Collaboration with Psychology Faculty and Students" 13 34. Name of Conference: 8th European Conference on e‐Learning Role: Presented a Paper, 35 . Name of Conference: Canadian Association for the Study of Discourse and Writing Role: Presented Paper 36 . Name of Conference: Organizational Behavior Teaching Conference Role: Presented a paper 37 . Name of Conference: Southwest Case Research Association Role: Panelist/Discussant 38 . Name of Conference: 12th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences Role: Co‐Author of a presentation titled “Aligning the perceived value of graduate research methods courses." 39 . Name of Conference: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Role: Presented a paper 40 . Name of Conference: ACM SIGCSE 41 . Name of Conference: ITC (Instructional Technology Council) Role: Pre‐Conference Works hop 4 2. Name of Conference: EDEN 2009 Annual Conference "innovation in Learning Communities" Role: Member of the Program Committee 14 43. Name of Conference: ASAE Annual Conference Role: member of research committee 44 . Name of Conference: The Qualitative Report Inaugural Conference Role: Panelist 45 . Name of Conference: XML‐in‐Practice 2009 Role: Presented a conference session 46 . Name of Conference: Fifth International Joint Conference on INC, IMS and IDC, 2009. NCM '09, 25‐27 Aug. 2009 Role: Presented a paper 47 . Name of Conference: Virginia Education Technology Conference Role: Panelist 48 . Name of Conference: American Accounting Assoc Annual Meeting Role: presented a paper 49 . Name of Conference: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Annual Conference Role: Chaired two sessions 50 . Name of Conference: MDLA 2009 51 . Name of Conference: Society for Business, Industry & Economics Role: Paper presenter 52 . Name of Conference: American Accounting Association, Annual Meeting 15 Role: Presented a Paper: The Impact of Gender, Ethnic Origin, and College on Choice of CPA for Tax urposes: An Empirical Study P 5 3. Name of Conference: ACM SIGCSE Symposium Role: Attendee 54 . Name of Conference: ACM SIG on Computer Science Education Symposium Role: Attended 55 . Name of Conference: SOFIC‐09 Role: Presented a paper. 56 . Name of Conference: Ist International Symposium for Climate Change Adaptation for Asia and Pacific Regions, Seoul, Korea, November 2009 Role: Served as co‐chair for the conference 57 . Name of Conference: “Dynamic Look at Subprime Loans, Foreclosures and Housing Markets.” 68th International Atlantic Economics Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, October 9‐ 14, 2009. 58 . Name of Conference: New Directions in Austen Studies Role: Presented a paper 59 . Name of Conference: Pittsburgh Science Center Science Fair Role: Chaired a panel of judges 60 . Name of Conference: The 2009 International Conference on Security & Management (SAM’09) Role: Presented a paper 16 61. Name of Conference: College Business Management Institute 7/2009 Role: Presented 2 Sessions ‐Budgeting & Strategic Planning 6 2. Name of Conference: Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Role: Panelist/discussant 63 . Name of Conference: Summer Faculty Leadership Institute, UMUC Role: Participant 64 . Name of Conference: Georgia Association of Accounting Educators Role: presented a paper 65 . Name of Conference: USDLA'2009 Role: Presenter 66 . Name of Conference: Int. Conference on Knowledge Management and Int. Capital Role: Keynote speaker 67 . Name of Conference: Academy of Legal Studies in Business Annual Conference in Denver CO, August 4‐8 Role: Presented paper and moderated panel discussion 68 . Name of Conference: Academy of Management Conference Role: Chaired a Panel 69 . Name of Conference: AASA 2009 Role: Panelist/Discussant 17 70. Name of Conference: College English Association Role: Presented 71 . Name of Conference: Wimba Connect 2009 Conference, Scottsdale, AZ Role: Presentation: UMUC's successful transition to Wimba. 72 . Name of Conference: American Society for Engineering Education Role: Presenter on one paper and co‐presenter on another 73 . Name of Conference: International Associaton for Intelligence Education i 7 4. Name of Conference: Third Annual Homeland Defense and Security Education Summit Role: Chaired a panel 75 . Name of Conference: AARR‐Eastern international Conference Role: Presented paper 76 . Name of Conference: College Language Association Role: Presented a paper; facilitated a session 77 . Name of Conference: GWU Gelman Library Future of Instruction Role: Presenter 78 . Name of Conference: Association of Educational Communication and Technology Role: Presented a Paper 79 . Name of Conference: Clinic Pastoral Education Role: 18 Presented Workshop on Ethics 80 . Name of Conference: UCEA Role: co‐presented a paper 81 . Name of Conference: American Anthropological Association Role: Panelist 82 . Name of Conference: Ethics in Tax Practice Role: Presenter of four‐hour program 83 . Name of Conference: College English Association Role: Presented Paper 84 . Name of Conference: Mid‐Atlantic Organizational Behavior Teaching Conference Role: Presented a paper 85 . Name of Conference: CCSCE Conference 86 . Name of Conference: E‐Learning 2.0: The Next Generation of Online Education Conference Role: Keynote Speaker 87 . Name of Conference: 1105 Government Information Group EA Conference Role: Served as a panelist 88 . Name of Conference: International Conference on New Trends in Information and Service Science, NISS '09, June 30‐July 2, 2009 Role: Presented a paper 19 89. Name of Conference: American Society of Women Accountants Role: presentation 90 . Name of Conference: International Meeting of Simulation in Healthcare Role: Served as Panelist in Workshop 91 . Name of Conference: Mid‐West American Accounting Association meeting Role: Presented a paper: A Survey of Students' Attitudes and Perceptions of an Internal Audit Career 92 . Name of Conference: “Quality of Life, Business Climate and Employment on Major Sectors of South Carolina: Cross‐County Analysis.” 15th Biennial Research Symposium of Association of Research Director, March 28 – April 1, 2009 Atlanta, GA 93 . Name of Conference: Wordsworth Foundation Summer Conference Role: Presented a paper 94 . Name of Conference: NACUBO Annual Meeting 6/2009 Role: Presenter ‐ Communication and the VP of Academics 95 . Name of Conference: Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Role: Proposal reviewer 96 . Name of Conference: DLA'2009 Role: Presenter 97 . Name of Conference: Sloan‐C Conference on Online Learning Role: Attendee 20 98. Name of Conference: National Communication Association Role: Presenter at 2 session s 9 9. Name of Conference: Association of Former Intelligence Officers national symposium 100. Name of Conference: Maryland Distance Education Association Role: co‐presented a paper 101 . Name of Conference: CUA: Bridging the Spectrum Role: Presenter 102 . Name of Conference: Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Role: Presented a Paper 103 . Name of Conference: DETC national conference 2008 Role: presented a paper 104 . Name of Conference: An Introduction to Federal Taxation Role: Discussant 105 . Name of Conference: Conference on College Composition and Communication Role: Presented a Paper 106 . Name of Conference: WCET Role: Presentation‐panel & moderator 107 . Name of Conference: 5th International Symposium on Applied Computational Intelligence and 21 Informatics, SACI '09, 28‐29 May 2009 Role: Presented a paper 108 . Name of Conference: American Accounting Association, Annual Meeting Role: Conducted CPE Workshop: Designing and Teaching User Oriented MBA Accounting Courses 109 . Name of Conference: Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Southeastern Conference Role: Member of Regional Board 110 . Name of Conference: “Factors Affecting Foreclosures: An Empirical Analysis.” Annual Conference of Academy of Economics and Finance, Pensacola Beach, Florida, February 11‐ 14, 2009. 111 . Name of Conference: NACUBO Managerial Decision Making Role: Presenter ‐ Small Colle Budgets and Costing ge 11 2. Name of Conference: Sloan‐C 2009 Role: Presenter 113 . Name of Conference: UNLV Distinguished Lecture Series Role: Keynote speaker 114 . Name of Conference: Association of Teacher Educators Role: Presented a Paper 115 . Name of Conference: FOSE 2009 and GITEC Spring 2009 Role: served as a panelist 22 116. Name of Conference: Form 1040: A Practical Role: Discussant 117 . Name of Conference: Sloan ALN conference Role: Presenter 118 . Name of Conference: “Bank Credit, Oil and U.S. Economic Growth.” Southwestern Society of Economics, Oklahoma City, February 25‐28, 2009. 119 . Name of Conference: Middle States Higher Ed ‐ Annual Meeting Role: Attendee 120 . Name of Conference: UCEA Mid‐Atlantic'2009 Role: Presenter & Award recipient 121 . Name of Conference: Form 1120: A Practical Guide Role: Discussan

Summary of the “Emerging technologies for online courses” survey results, April 2010

Author: Liebowitz Jay; Aje, John; Knode, Steve
Publication venue: University of Maryland University College (UMUC)
Publication date: 2010
Field of study

This is a summary of the “Emerging Technologies for Online Courses” survey results during April 2010. The focus of the survey was to better understand which emerging technologies are being used or will be used in the next 2-3 years for online teaching. Most of the 90 responses were from the Maryland Distance Learning Association listserv, DEOS listserv, and through the authors’ personal contacts in the e-learning world.Summary of the “Emerging Technologies for Online Courses” Survey Results, April 2010 Jay Liebowitz, John Aje, and Steve Knode Graduate School of Management and Technology University of Maryland University College In order to get a sense for the current and expected usage for online instructional technologies for college and university courses, a survey was conducted during April 2010 by Jay Liebowitz, John Aje, and Steve Knode in the Graduate School of Management & Technology at UMUC. The focus of the survey was to better understand which emerging technologies are being used or will be used in the next 2-3 years for online teaching. Most of the 90 responses were from the Maryland Distance Learning Association listserv, DEOS listserv, and through the authors’ personal contacts in the e-learning world. The sample size is rather small, but perhaps these survey results may provide some clarity on these issues. Based on the figures below, the respondents were from a variety of teaching disciplines. Education (32%) was the leader, followed by Humanities, Other (e.g., nursing, counseling, etc.), Sciences, Management, Technology, and Arts. The technologies that were most familiar to the respondents, in order, were: Web 2.0 tools, e-books, virtual worlds, mobile computing, and cloud computing. Those technologies least familiar to the respondents were, in order of familiarity: Visual data analysis, intelligent agents, Software as a Service (SaaS), and Semantic Web. Of those technologies that one currently uses in their online teaching, Web 2.0 tools (e.g., blogs, wikis, social networking sites, podcasts, vodcasts, etc.) and e-books were the favorites, with Web 2.0 tools taking the largest usage share (77%). Cloud computing (28%) and mobile computing (24%) were also being used, but to a much lesser degree. The other technologies were hardly being used currently in the respondent’s online courses. However, there were other technologies, than those listed, that were actively being used now in the online courses. The most recurring ones were: Skype, learning objects/course management systems, and YouTube. With respect to future usage of some of the emerging technologies in the coming 2-3 years, those cited in order were: Web 2.0 tools (81%), e-books (78%), virtual worlds (50%), mobile computing (50%), and cloud computing (47%). Intelligent agents, visual data analysis, SaaS, and semantic web, in decreasing order, were cited as those not expected to be used much in online teaching in the next 2-3 years. Simulations were indicated by the respondents as another possible favorite for usage in the next 2-3 years in online teaching. 1 In determining the top educational technologies that the respondents found to be the most effective for online use, as measured by student learning outcomes, those frequently cited were: Web 2.0 technologies, learning objects, videoconferencing/vodcasts/podcasts, synchronous chat and asynchronous discussion treads, wikis, blogs, screencasts, virtual worlds, and simulations. In terms of how these educational technologies were best used in online teaching, the frequent responses were: making lectures more interactive; collaboration (such as the use of wikis); reflective learning journals; RSS feeds to allow students to stay abreast of research in their fields; allow student interaction and student review of content material. In terms of the top lessons learned in applying these educational technologies in online teaching, the frequent responses were: students are more willing to participate whey they are comfortable/familiar with certain types of technology; students still have to take time to “learn”; the technologies shouldn’t get in the way of the learning process; prepare well in advance of implementation; it’s essential to maintain an online presence; social presence is increased with videoconferencing and social media; need institutional support for questions dealing with technologies; technologies have to be simple and enjoyable for students to use. With respect to the educational technologies being cost-effective to the institution in terms of online course usage, 84% indicated “yes”, and 16% “no”. Of those who replied “no”, a major reason cited was not having a serviceable platform to incorporate these technologies. In terms of whether the current online courseware will be used in one’s online courses in the next 3 years, 71% replied “yes” and 29% said “no”. Part of the reason for those replying “no” was due to not having the ability to have links or hooks to incorporate some of these technologies into the existing courseware. 2 3 4

Assessing the benefits of online scenario simulation tools in security-related studies at UMUC

Author: Renda-Tanali Irmak
Publication venue: University of Maryland University College (UMUC)
Publication date: 2010
Field of study

Abstract: This research aimed at capturing the effectiveness of computerized simulation tools used in security related courses in online classroom environments at UMUC on student learning. The researcher identified one graduate course and 3 undergraduate courses that currently utilize such tools; then surveyed the students taking those courses; and compared the results with the actual outcomes (grades). The results and conclusions are pending.Assessing the Benefits of Online Simulation Exercises for Security Related Courses at UMUC Irmak Renda-Tanali, D.Sc. Collegiate Associate Professor and Program Director Homeland Security Management and Emergency Management Graduate School of Management and Technology University of Maryland University College Scenario-based studies are a suitable fit for courses in the curriculum of Emergency Management, Homeland Security and related disciplines such as Criminal Justice and Public Safety and Security. This researcher, as the head of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management master’s degree specializations, observed that at the end of each semester, considerable numbers of students recommend to the instructors the use of some sort of multi-media simulation tools in courses in order to help them better understand the material. It is not uncommon to see complaints about the reading material being boring, heavy and not necessarily adding much to the real world applications of the policies to real world crises and emergencies. Reading and comprehending the policy documents written mainly by government executives is a challenge to students as they lack anecdotes and are not necessarily written for consumption by university students. Based on years of teaching experience, this researcher assumes that the above disciplinary fields in many cases necessitate the use of interactive scenario studies. Textbooks and lectures do not effectively teach skills such as consensus gathering, collective decision making, decision making under uncertainty, testing and validating assumptions related to complex scenarios, and how to manage crises and emergencies. In other words, textbooks and lectures do not capture the dynamic, time-sensitive, context-dependent, multi-disciplinary nature of emergency and crisis scenarios. Additionally, the course evaluations and teaching experience show that (1) students want dynamic, hands-on exercises that stimulate real-world environments and real world thinking; (2) textbook reading and classroom/conference participations need further stimulating tools to enhance student understanding of the material; (3) students want to take an active part in the decision making processes as crisis events unfold; (4) students want to learn what are good and bad decisions, and why, by actively seeing consequences of their decisions as events unfold; and lastly the fact that case studies that look backward are not so interesting for them as the events and their consequences are already known. It is also a known fact that learning occurs better by hands-on practices rather than just by passive actions such as listening and reading. Understanding the need, this researcher attempted to capture the real benefit of online exercise simulation tools. Due to time and resource limitations, she surveyed only the existing UMUC courses that currently use some sort of online simulation exercises that help students engage more with the material they learn. The researcher looked both at undergraduate and undergraduate programs related to the security discipline. She identified 4 courses that used online simulation-based exercises, 3 of them in undergraduate Criminal Justice program and 1 exercise offered in the graduate Homeland Security Management/Biosecurity and Biodefense program specialization. The undergraduate simulation exercises were individual assignments and the graduate course exercise was a group project which constituted the final grade for the course. The courses and exercises were: (1) CCJS 320 Introduction to Criminalists, a 3 credit introductory undergraduate course that requires a simulation tool 2 assignment where students navigate through a virtual crime scene, collect evidence, process the evidence through a virtual crime lab, and write/submit a report based on the lab findings; (2) CCJS 420 Medical and Legal Investigations of Death, a 3 credit advanced undergraduate course that requires students to go through a virtual cold case file about a homicide to help solve the crime; (3) CCJS 425 Forensics Lab, a 3 credit advanced undergraduate course that uses another online simulation tool about a virtual forensics lab; and (4) BSBD 641 Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, a 3 credit advanced graduate course that uses a multi-media simulation tool as a group final exam project. The tool simulates a large scale biological attack and requires students to establish the necessary emergency response structure among other requirements. The above tools were surveyed in terms of their effectiveness in helping students learn the material. The analysis looked at all of the above courses that were delivered online in the Fall 2010 semester. The data sources included student satisfaction surveys, faculty surveys, classroom visits for interaction, participation and grades, as well as generic end-of-semester course evaluations. The results were overwhelmingly favorable in the areas of helping students understand the material, simulating real-world experience, helping in visualizing and conceptualizing, improving decision making skills, and improving communication and consensus gathering skills. The goals of the exercises stated in the syllabi were generally rated by students as favorably met. At the beginning, this researcher assumed that the learning in the online classrooms through the simulation exercises occurred through increased student-to-faculty, student-to-student interaction and through increased conference activity. In other words, increased interaction was assumed as a proxy for increased learning activity. The results showed no proof of that for the three undergraduate exercises due to the individual nature of the assignments; however, the theory was proven in the graduate group exercise. Another assumption was the presence of positive correlation between grades and the degree of (learning) satisfaction among students. Individual grades showed no proof of that, but the overall course grades did. Extensive correlation studies were conducted with the quantitative data generated from this research. There are interesting findings that correlate the degree of satisfaction about individual features of the exercises and student demographics. These findings warrant further testing in future researches in larger scales. The statistics generated through this research can lay a foundation for further detailed studies that assess the effectiveness of online scenario-based simulation tools. This researcher believes that the results of this research firmly confirm the need to fund and develop more online simulation tools in online education. The tools assessed in this research were mainly low budget, rudimentary tools. With more sophisticated online tools that use state-of-the art gaming technologies, more effective results can be obtained in terms of student learning. Acknowledgments: I would like to thank Husein Abdul-Hamid, Susan Blankenship, Howard Dobres, Howard Krivan, William Sondervan, Jay Liebowitz, Michael Frank, and Greg von Lehmen for their support. This research resulted in the following publications and presentations: Renda-Tanali, I. (2012). Assessing the benefits of online computer simulation exercises for security studies, the 10th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education, Jan. 5-8, 2012, Honolulu, Hawaii. Renda-Tanali, I. & Abdul-Hamid, H. (2011). An assessment of the benefits of online scenario simulation tools in Homeland Security and Emergency Management education. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (special issue on education)(8)2, Article.16 3 Renda-Tanali, I. (2011). Assessing the Benefits of online computer simulation exercises for curriculum in emergency management and homeland security, FEMA-EMI 14th Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Conference June 6-9 2011 Emmitsburg, MD

Social Media and Distance Education - DE Oracle

Author: Zhang Joanna (Xuan)
Publication venue: University of Maryland University College
Publication date: 2010
Field of study

DE Oracle @ UMUC An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty Center for Support of Instruction Social Media and Distance Education Joanna (Xuan) Zhang Instructional Support Specialist Center for Support of Instruction Published: January-February 2010 Category: » Online-pedagogy » Emerging-technologies "Social media" is probably not a new term to you if you are a distance educator. To me, I heard of social media, social networking technologies, social learning, and other similar terms at various educator's conferences, educational technology Webinars, Web 2.0 training sessions, and more. Presenters normally name some examples when talking about social media—such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google Docs. However, I found that my understanding of the concept of social media was still vague. This article attempts to clarify the concept and help you gain ideas on how you can use social media tools to enhance your online teaching. What Is Social Media? "Social" refers to the interactions among people, and "media" refers to the Web-based technologies that store and transfer electronic data or information. Combined together, social media can be defined as Web-based technologies that facilitate information sharing and user interaction. Web-based technologies have been developing and growing for years, and they are becoming more mature. It is the social element that differentiates social media from conventional media technologies. Social media efficiently bridges connections among users. It offers platforms for online users to find others who share the same interests and build virtual communities based on those shared interests. Users no longer review content in a passive or isolated way. Instead, they can easily create, share, and publish content, and they can review and comment on other users' products. With the prevalence of social media technologies and services, content sharing and user interaction has become relatively easy and efficient. Typical Social Media Tools There are hundreds of social media tools on the Web, and more are emerging every day. Social media tools take various forms, such as blogging, social networking, social bookmarking and multimedia sharing. Here are some of the most popular and well-known examples of social media tools: 1. Blogging/micro-blogging - Blogger, WordPress, Twitter 2. Social networking - Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Ning 3. Social bookmarking - Delicious, Diggo 4. Collaborative authoring - Wikipedia, Google Docs, Zoho Office Suite 5. Multimedia sharing - Flickr, YouTube, Qik 6. Web conferencing - WebEx, GoToMeeting, DimDim Most people connected to the Internet today have used or come across a social media tool or service. Features of Social Media Social media services encourage user contributions and participation, and the services are more user oriented instead of content oriented. The services allow users to participate in online activities in a Social Media and Distance Education - DE Oracle proactive way. With social media services, users easily share information, vote, comment, and even modify other user-created content. The open atmosphere greatly encourages content sharing and allows users to get feedback on content they have created. Compared to traditional media, social media promotes two-way communication among users. Social media also facilitates community building for users of similar interests. In a user group community, users can stay focused on relevant content and topics that everyone is interested in, and with the connections to other users, they can easily keep up on what is happening in a particular field. All of these features not only benefit professionals and computer geeks, but they are also valuable to distance educators and learners. Implications for Learning When appropriately integrated into the online classroom, social media can offer innovative learning experiences and enhanced learner engagement. With the prevalence of various social media tools, faculty can design creative online learning activities by asking students to use one or more tools to work on their learning tasks and achieve their learning objectives. Online collaboration becomes much easier when it is facilitated by social media technologies. For instance, students can collaborate on team project documents. Students in the same study group can co-draft documents, spreadsheets, presentation slides, and more with Google Docs. Each study group can also create a presentation through a Web conferencing tool such as Wimba. With the popularity of blogging and micro-blogging, it is not uncommon for faculty to use blogs as additional teaching/learning resources. Faculty may publish academic journals or articles on his/her own blog and students may post discussion comments on them in the threaded comments area. Many professors use Twitter to have students "tweet" all their academic-related activities. The word limits in micro-blogging help students stay focused on a topic in a concise way when they are tweeting. Discussions can become an extension of learning in the online classroom, and they can help students keep up with what is happening in the real world. Some faculty have even used Twitter to remind students of homework, upcoming events, and other important items. Students can immediately receive these reminders through their mobile phones if they have the correct setup in their Twitter accounts. Academic research can also benefit from using social media tools. In particular, social bookmarking is extremely useful for literature reviews and collaborative research. Many professors teaching graduate-level classes found that Diggo, a research tool and knowledge-sharing community, is an attractive tool to assist students with their own research projects. By using the highlighting and sticky notes features of Diggo, online reading becomes much easier. Students can review and respond to the reading notes from their classmates and the instructor. As a result, reflective thinking and collaborative learning are highly encouraged with this tool. Diggo also allows students to build or join communities to connect with people who share the same academic interests, leading them to easily share and locate more resources that are relevant to their research topics. It can also be a good idea to use more than one social media tools in a class. At Duke University, a professor incorporated a few social media tools into his online teaching of an introductory film class. The professor asked students to watch relevant video clips, tweet lecture topics for discussion, make weekly postings on blogs, and comment on each other's work. With creative integration of social media tools in a class like this, students can participate more and be more engaged in the learning process. In addition to online teaching, many universities use social media to showcase their educational projects. For instance, Stanford University showcases faculty and student projects on its Facebook page by publishing videos, pictures, and other relevant information. Current students can search, access, and gain inspiration from these posted projects for their own work. Summary Social Media and Distance Education - DE Oracle Contact Site Manager Created and Maintained by the Center for Support of Instruction © University of Maryland University College Powered by ArticleMS from ArticleTrader.com In summary, there are clear advantages to using social media in distance education. With social media services, online teachers and learners can experience new and better types of communication and interaction, and they can be more connected to each other than ever before. Social media tools help online learners feel less isolated. With social media technologies advancing, distance education will continuously evolve with the trend. NOTE: This article mentions only a few examples of social media technologies. These references should not be taken as an endorsement of any particular tool, technology, or company. If you are thinking of implementing any of these tools into your course, check with your academic administrator for suitability. CSI team members are available for consultation on the use of some of these tools if you have questions or concerns. Resources Best Online Universities LLC. (2009, August 11). 13 enlightening case studies of social media in the classroom. Message posted to http://web20teach.blogspot.com/2007/08/twitter-tweets-for- higher-education.html (http://web20teach.blogspot.com/2007/08/twitter-tweets-for-higher-education.html) . Mayfield, A. (2008). What is social media? Retrieved December 20, 2009, from http://www.icrossing.co.uk/fileadmin/uploads/eBooks /What_is_Social_Media_iCrossing_ebook.pdf (http://www.icrossing.co.uk/fileadmin/uploads/eBooks /What_is_Social_Media_iCrossing_ebook.pdf) . Michigan State University Center for Teaching and Learning. (2009, April 16). Social media in the classroom. Message posted to http://ctt.educ.msu.edu/2009/04/16/twitter-in-the-classroom/ (http://ctt.educ.msu.edu/2009/04/16/twitter-in-the-classroom/) . Social media. (2009, June 12). Retrieved December 23, 2009, from http://onlineanddistancelearning.com/social-media (http://onlineanddistancelearning.com/social-media) . About the Author(s) Joanna Zhang is an Instructional Support Specialist in the Center for Support of Instruction, where she helps faculty and students use a variety of computer-based and Web-based applications to enhance their distance teaching and learning. Her professional background focuses on instructional design, e-learning development, quality assurance, and training. Rating: Not yet rated Comments No comments posted. You must be logged in and be a member of the UMUC community in order to comment. If you are a member of the UMUC community and do not have an account, please register for a FREE one. If you have a guest account but are Faculty/Staff of UMUC please send an email to the DE Oracle Site Manager (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Please Update my DE Oracle Guest Account) so that your guest account can be updated. Social Media and Distance Education - DE Oracl

Clear Expectations Lead to Less Confusion in the Online Classroom - DE Oracle

Author: Zhang Joanna (Xuan)
Publication venue: University of Maryland University College
Publication date: 2010
Field of study

DE Oracle @ UMUC An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty Center for Support of Instruction Clear Expectations Lead to Less Confusion in the Online Classroom Joanna (Xuan) Zhang Instructional Support Specialist Center for Support of Instruction Published: May-June 2010 Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies As a best practice of online teaching, setting up clear expectations can never be over emphasized. Clear expectations can help students avoid potential confusion and/or frustration and lead to enhanced learner satisfaction. Most adult learners are stretched out with their responsibilities at work, home, and school. Time management is critical for them to achieve success in online learning. When instructors set up clear expectations, students can better plan and manage their learning tasks and schedule in advance. While most online instructors understand that it is important to set up clear expectations, it is still common to see students being confused about what they need to do. Typical questions from students are where to submit an assignment, where to look for an article posted in the classroom, how many pages a paper should have, etc. From my own online learning experience and the course reviews I have done for many different courses, I have noticed that some professors use effective techniques to help clarify students' understanding of expectations. Below are some practical suggestions for setting up clear expectations in the online classroom that you might find useful. Provide Expectations for Time Allocation on Course Work In the beginning of class, it is helpful to set up a general expectation about how much time students should expect to allocate to course work per week. This practice will help students judge whether they can fulfill the requirements with their available time resources. In addition, students are less likely to feel frustrated or surprised later on when they see how much time they have to invest in the class. For example, I once had to make a decision on whether to take a signature course that could be more time-consuming than others. In the classroom, the professor clearly stated the minimum time allocation per week that was expected of students for them to complete the course successfully. This information helped me decide whether to postpone taking the class or to stay with it. Considering my limited availability at that time, I withdrew immediately and took the class the next semester. I was glad to be informed of this at the beginning of the semester and was able to make a decision accordingly. Otherwise, I would have become very frustrated later in the semester when I learned how much time I had to put into the class. Be Clear and Consistent with Content Organization When conducting class visits, I am always impressed with well-organized classrooms. From a student’s perspective, I would appreciate it if my instructor placed all the materials in the corresponding menu sections so that I don’t have to search all over the place for a particular article mentioned in the syllabus. Time is always precious, especially for adult learners; students will have a higher overall learning satisfaction when navigation and organization of the classroom materials is simple and unambiguous. Online instructors need to be organized and consistent with classroom setup and clearly explain where Clear Expectations Lead to Less Confusion in the Online Classroom - DE Oracle to locate particular course materials. For example, readings or online articles should be placed in Course Content or Reserved Readings instead of Conferences; a course schedule should be posted in the Syllabus instead of Course Content. When you have to place an item in a particular section out of normal order, you should make a highly visible note or announcement as soon as possible so that students will understand right away and won’t waste their time searching for it. To help students understand how to use an online classroom, a good practice used by some instructors is to provide a bullet list with tips or an overview on "how this course works" at the beginning of the semester. The overview explains where to locate particular course materials, when and where to participate in discussion, how to submit assignments, and other important "housekeeping" information. Set Up Expectations for Conference Participation Most online instructors post at least one brief paragraph to state the expectations for conference participation because it is a core learning activity that is normally graded. Instructors usually indicate how often a student should contribute to a weekly discussion. They point out that discussion posts should be substantive or content-rich instead of simple, short responses such as “I agree” or “this is a good point.” More often than not, though quality, not quantity, is more of an issue with student responses. Many instructors have to remind students about the quality issue, especially in the first few weeks of class. Sometimes, students do not know how substantive a post must be to meet the expectations. Providing some guidelines can help students gain a better understanding. For example, an instructor may suggest to students: “When responding to a discussion topic or commenting on a classmates' posting, clearly state your point of view first, then support your comment or response with information from course readings, personal experiences, and other sources.” This kind of specific suggestion is more helpful to students than just telling them their discussion responses “have to be substantive.” In addition to the expectations on conference postings, it is also important for students to know how to use and what to expect in the Conferences area of the classroom. Some conference threads might be for weekly discussion, while others might be used for posting particular assignments such as homework problems. A brief introductory conference note in the relevant thread will help orient students to its usage. Some instructors may provide feedback to students directly in the Conferences area while others may provide feedback via the Gradebook. No matter what the arrangement is, students should be informed of the usage plan and how and when they should expect to receive instructor feedback. Provide Guidelines and Examples of Assignments Clear expectations should be provided to students before assignments are due, and specific guidelines can help students get started efficiently. Normally, the essential requirements on when and where to submit an assignment are clearly stated. Students are prone to have questions about how long a paper is expected to be, whether it requires a particular writing style/format (such as APA or MLA), what kind of and how many sources they should use, and more. Although these questions may seem minor, instructors should include all the relevant information when posting the assignment guidelines; every detail that is expected of the students regarding the assignment should be made clear to them—including the acceptable file types. Another good practice is to summarize and share frequently asked questions from previous semesters. It helps current students obtain useful information about the assignment before they think of asking the same questions. As mentioned above in discussing conference participation, it tends to be harder to set up clear expectations on the quality of writing. A helpful technique is to provide grading rubrics. Carefully designed rubrics can help guide students through their writing process and accordingly be able to write towards specific goals. When receiving grades, students can easily self-assess their strengths and weaknesses based on the instructor’s comments. Clear Expectations Lead to Less Confusion in the Online Classroom - DE Oracle Contact Site Manager Created and Maintained by the Center for Support of Instruction © University of Maryland University College Powered by ArticleMS from ArticleTrader.com Sometimes, providing grading rubrics alone is not enough to help students completely understand how to use them as a guideline. Instructors can go a step further by providing sample writings that are graded at different levels. With concrete examples that mirror the grading rubric, students can obtain a clearer sense about what is considered acceptable and what is considered excellent. Summary Setting up clear expectations is a best practice that facilitates students' online learning experience. Although it is not possible and it is not our purpose to completely avoid questions from students, having clear expectations can help keep surprises, confusion, and anxiety to a minimum. Students should know when and how to contact the instructor if they have questions, and the instructor should always closely monitor the classroom and provide clarification when needed. In short, as you adopt some of the above-mentioned techniques in your classroom and tell students everything they need to know upfront regarding all aspects of being a student in your class, you may find that you and your students can spend more time on academic discourse than searching for (or explaining) what needs to be done. About the Author(s) Joanna Zhang is an instructional support specialist in the Center for Support of Instruction who helps faculty and students use a variety of computer-based and Web-based applications to enhance their distance teaching and learning. Her professional background focuses on instructional design, e-learning development, quality assurance, training, and more. Rating: Not yet rated Comments No comments posted. You must be logged in and be a member of the UMUC community in order to comment. If you are a member of the UMUC community and do not have an account, please register for a FREE one. If you have a guest account but are Faculty/Staff of UMUC please send an email to the DE Oracle Site Manager (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Please Update my DE Oracle Guest Account) so that your guest account can be updated. Clear Expectations Lead to Less Confusion in the Online Classroom - DE Oracl

No Boundaries Online_ How to Respond to Culturally Inappropriate and Controversial Online Conversations - DE Oracle

Author: Schwartz-Bechet Barbara
Publication venue: University of Maryland University College
Publication date: 2010
Field of study

DE Oracle @ UMUC An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty Center for Support of Instruction No Boundaries Online? How to Respond to Culturally Inappropriate and Controversial Online Conversations Barbara Schwartz-Bechet Program Director, Certification Programs Graduate School of Management and Technology Published: May-June 2010 Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies In an online environment, particularly with written text, comments and responses can be read and re-read, and tones can easily be misconstrued. Difficult conversations--those with unintentionally offensive language and emotionally laden remarks--are challenging to deal with in face-to-face classes but even more so in classes that are online. The words created in an online format are permanent; even if they are deleted, those words can be retrieved. It is imperative that any comments or responses that may be taken as offensive be addressed. How can faculty structure the online classroom to create a safe, open, and respectful climate? When online conversations that are perceived as offensive occur, how might faculty use the conversation as a teachable moment? In the global society of the 21st century, students and faculty need to be mindful of and sensitive to cultural differences and commonalities. This article identifies strategies that faculty can use to prevent problematic conversations from occurring in the classroom as well as strategies for dealing with controversial conversations that have indeed occurred. Strategies to Use to Prevent Problematic Conversations From Occurring Best practice in online discourse is usually demonstrated if certain classroom parameters or guidelines are developed, shared, and discussed at the start of the course. Some of the steps that can be taken to minimize controversial conversations include the creation of online classroom rules (boundaries) that are preferably created by students and the instructor at the beginning of the class. Faculty may wish to engage students in a conversation about netiquette as part of the creation of class rules. It is essential that the tone of the class environment is one of acceptance. The instructor must also create an atmosphere of expression safety and openness so that students are made to feel that opinions are important. As such, open discourse should be encouraged and feelings should be valued. However, the focus of discussion should not be on personal experiences but should allow for the inclusion of personal examples that support understanding of content and concepts being taught. Some strategies for fostering respectful, interactive engagement in the online classroom to avert insensitive conversations include: Modeling appropriate online behaviors that discourage the use of inappropriate or controversial conversations that do not relate to the topic Teaching the skills of accepting varying ideas and opinions and taking multiple perspectives Promoting the use of Socratic dialogue and other discussion methods to enable students to agree to disagree (for example, formulating discussions that focus on opposing viewpoints, issues, and ideas) Explaining the use of person-first language, a term that means acknowledging the individual prior to attaching a label (e.g., "person with a disability" rather than "disabled person") to help students understand that language matters No Boundaries Online? How to Respond to Culturally Inappropriate and Controversial Online Conversations - DE Oracle Creating classroom opportunities (such as a debate) for students to confront culturally sensitive issues, related to the course content, with a specific requirement not to use offensive or stereotypic language Strategies to Use When Problematic Conversations Occur Once the course has begun and parameters have been developed, there is still a possibility that inappropriate or controversial conversations and statements may appear in course conferences. Several strategies may be used to dissipate the situation or develop the experience into a teachable moment. Which strategies to use depends on the faculty member's judgment about the class members, the class climate, and the content of the course. Oftentimes, it is best for the instructor to observe the dynamic that occurs within the discussion before participating. Many students in a course will attempt to respond substantively to a culturally inappropriate or insensitive comment in a proactive manner. Others may perhaps lighten the discourse if they feel uncomfortable. Once the instructor determines how the participants have responded, then he or she interacts. Here are a few ideas that guide when an instructor should participate in the conversation: A statement goes unaddressed by students. A student directs inappropriate language toward a specific student during the conversation. A request is made for the instructor to participate. Enough dialogue has occurred that has set up an opportunity for a teachable moment. The conversation has effectively resolved itself and the instructor can reinforce the successful resolution. In addition to determining when to enter the conversation, faculty need to determine how to join and direct the conversation. Possible options include both public and private guidance: Invite the student who made the comment to self-correct in the conference. (The faculty could ask the student why he/she believed what he/she said or ask the student a question that places him/her in the position/role/place of the person who may have felt offended by the original comment.) Create a mini-lecture or a separate discussion topic in the class that explains the issue's importance and allows all class members to learn more about the topic by expressing their viewpoints and researching the topic. The goal is to shift the conversation from the personal level to the realm of ideas. Develop a question or scenario for all students that is based on the original statement and that intentionally creates cognitive dissonance or discomfort for students, with the goal of increasing students' awareness and sensitivity. Delete the comment (or have the student delete the comment). With this approach, faculty would address the student privately to determine why he/she posted something perceived to be inappropriate, make the student feel that his/her participation is valued in the course, and help him/her recognize the reactions (or potential reactions) of others in the class. Furthering of the discussion between the instructor and the student may lead to critical thinking that could potentially be added later to the course conference. There is no one solution to addressing potential culturally offensive or insensitive comments posted in the online classroom. Every case is unique and builds a faculty member's repertoire of strategies. We invite faculty to respond to this article by sharing strategies utilized in the faculty member's unique situation so that we can all learn from one another. Note: This article is based on the authors' presentation at the Maryland Distance Learning Association's conference on March 4, 2010. About the Author(s) No Boundaries Online? How to Respond to Culturally Inappropriate and Controversial Online Conversations - DE Oracle Contact Site Manager Created and Maintained by the Center for Support of Instruction © University of Maryland University College Powered by ArticleMS from ArticleTrader.com Dr. Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, Director of Certification Programs & Collegiate Associate Professor at UMUC, has been in the field of education for over 25 years. She joined UMUC in August 2009. Dr. Schwartz-Bechet received her doctorate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Columbia University. She began as a teacher and principal of several schools in New York City, then instructed undergraduate and graduate students at Johns Hopkins University and Bowie State University (BSU), the latter at which she achieved the rank of Associate Professor and Coordinator of Early Childhood/Special Education. She participated in numerous department, school, and system committee meetings, including representing BSU at MHEC meetings, the Maryland Consortium of Early Childhood Faculty and Administrators, and at University of Maryland Shady Grove USM meetings. Additionally, Dr. Schwartz-Bechet has and continues to present at local, national, and international conferences; has been a requested speaker for local schools; and has published and received grants throughout her tenure within the University System of Maryland. Dr. Katherine S. Woodward has served as program director and faculty for UMUC's Master of Education in Instructional Technology program since July 2003. She is an educator with extensive experience in teaching and learning at both the national and local levels, and since early in her career has been a strong advocate for integration of technology and media into curriculum and instruction. Before coming to UMUC, she was Director of Certification Standards at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Dr. Woodward has also led initiatives in large-scale assessment, collaborated on national education research projects, and taught college courses in media, film, and communication. Dr. Woodward began her professional career as a high school English language arts teacher. She received an AB in English from Harvard University, an MAT in English and Education from Brown University, and a PhD in Public Communication (with a specialty in media) from University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Woodward’s current research interests include global perspectives in teacher education and cultural aspects of Web 2.0 technologies. Rating: Not yet rated Comments No comments posted. You must be logged in and be a member of the UMUC community in order to comment. If you are a member of the UMUC community and do not have an account, please register for a FREE one. If you have a guest account but are Faculty/Staff of UMUC please send an email to the DE Oracle Site Manager (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Please Update my DE Oracle Guest Account) so that your guest account can be updated. No Boundaries Online? How to Respond to Culturally Inappropriate and Controversial Online Conversations - DE Oracl

Do universities that employ quality improvement practices also employ practices that support successful student learning assessment?

Author: Gentry-Glenn Nancy
Publication venue: University of Maryland University College (UMUC)
Publication date: 05/03/2010
Field of study

Abstract: Mounting pressure for transformational change in higher education driven by technology, globalization, competition, funding shortages, and increased emphasis on accountability necessitates that universities implement reforms to demonstrate responsiveness to all stakeholders and to provide evidence of student achievement. In the face of the demand for assessment of student learning, there exists a pervasive resistance to change on university campuses often due to the perceived threat to academic freedom and faculty autonomy. Recommendations have been made that universities develop a culture that focuses on performance measurement and continuous improvement. The purpose of the research was to measure the relationship between quality improvement practices, employed institution-wide, and practices that lead to successful student learning assessment in higher education and to answer the question, “Do universities that employ quality improvement practices also employ practices that support successful student learning assessment?” To answer this research question, a survey was developed asking respondents to indicate the degree to which their institutions practice quality improvement based upon practices identified by the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. The survey also asked respondents to indicate the degree to which their institutions employ student learning assessment best practices based upon those identified by Trudy W. Banta (2002). The survey was sent to 840 university faculty and staff involved in student learning assessment and resulted in a final response rate of 40% (N=340). Through correlation and multiple regression analyses, it was concluded that when quality improvement is practiced, institution-wide, successful student learning assessment is also practiced. Furthermore, when multiple regression analysis was applied to evaluate whether quality improvement is a significant predictor of student learning assessment success, the prediction was positive with four variables indicating stronger prediction than other variables. Institutions, therefore, may wish to focus their efforts on establishing the following practices that have a stronger effect on student learning assessment success: (1) alignment of strategy with institutional mission, (2) alignment of departmental performance measures with institutional mission, (3) provision of mutually-established measures that fairly evaluate the quality of individual performance, and (4) provision of opportunities for key stakeholders to indicate their satisfaction with the work the institution is doing.1 ABSTRACT Mounting pressure for transformational change in higher education driven by technology, globalization, competition, funding shortages, and increased emphasis on accountability necessitates that universities implement reforms to demonstrate responsiveness to all stakeholders and to provide evidence of student achievement. In the face of the demand for assessment of student learning, there exists a pervasive resistance to change on university campuses often due to the perceived threat to academic freedom and faculty autonomy. Recommendations have been made that universities develop a culture that focuses on performance measurement and continuous improvement. The purpose of the research was to measure the relationship between quality improvement practices, employed institution-wide, and practices that lead to successful student learning assessment in higher education and to answer the question, “Do universities that employ quality improvement practices also employ practices that support successful student learning assessment?” To answer this research question, a survey was developed asking respondents to indicate the degree to which their institutions practice quality improvement based upon practices identified by the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. The survey also asked respondents to indicate the degree to which their institutions employ student learning assessment best practices based upon those identified by Trudy W. Banta (2002). The survey was sent to 840 university faculty and staff involved in student learning assessment and resulted in a final response rate of 40% (N=340). Through correlation and multiple regression analyses, it was concluded that when quality improvement is practiced, institution-wide, successful student learning assessment is also practiced. Furthermore, when multiple regression analysis was applied to evaluate whether quality improvement is a significant predictor of student learning assessment success, the prediction was positive with four variables indicating stronger prediction than other variables. Institutions, therefore, may wish to focus their efforts on establishing the following practices that have a stronger effect on student learning assessment success: (1) alignment of strategy with institutional mission, (2) alignment of departmental performance measures with institutional mission, (3) provision of mutually-established measures that fairly evaluate the quality of individual performance, and (4) provision of opportunities for key stakeholders to indicate their satisfaction with the work the institution is doing. 2 INTRODUCTION Reason for Topic Choice Professional and Research Experience and Interests: • Private Sector Experience: Corporate Retail and Hospitality Industry o Emphasis on customer service and accountability • University Experience: BEP/SLA Liaison, IACBE Liaison o Emphasis on student learning assessment and use of data collected toward program improvement • Research Interests: Leadership, HE Leadership and Change, Organizational and Cultural Change, and Quality Improvement o DM research included areas of HE leadership, challenges experienced by female university presents, and the future of HE. o Research revealed challenges due to pressure for accountability and resistance to change on university campuses. Purpose of Research * Mounting pressure for accountability -- to provide evidence of student achievement. * In the face of this pressure, however, there exists a pervasive resistance to change on university campuses often due to the perceived threat to academic freedom and faculty autonomy. * Research on student learning assessment supports the adoption of a culture of assessment, one that is conducive to successful assessment. The characteristics of a culture of assessment are strikingly similar to those identified by the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and based on W. Edwards Deming’s total quality management theory emphasizing decision-making based on facts, research, and analysis. * The purpose of this research is to measure the relationship between quality improvement practices, employed institution-wide and thereby defining the culture of the organization, and practices that lead to the successful practice of student learning assessment to answer the question, “Do universities that employ quality improvement practices, institution-wide, also practice successful student learning assessment?” 3 4 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Culture of Assessment: An organizational environment in which decisions are based on facts, research, and analysis, and where services are planned and delivered in ways that maximize positive outcomes and impacts for customers and stakeholders (Lakos & Phipps, 2004). Quality Improvement: A process or system by which quality or value is produced (Dobyns & Crawford-Mason, 1994). For purposes of this research, quality improvement is defined as practices identified by the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and the Malcolm Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence. Student Learning Assessment Success: The implementation of a “strategy for understanding, confirming, and improving student learning” (Higher Education Commission, 2006). For purposes of this research, student learning assessment success is defined by practices identified by Banta & Associates, 2002, that support the learning assessment process through the use of data collected for program improvement. 5 HYPOTHESES Overarching Hypothesis: Institutions that practice quality improvement also practice successful student learning assessment. Supporting Hypotheses: • Leaders who include key stakeholders in institutional strategy development and decision-making also include key stakeholders in all phases of planning and implementation of student learning assessment. • Leaders who demonstrate commitment to stated institutional mission through the recognition and reward of faculty and staff performance that supports that mission will also recognize and reward program improvements made as a result of student learning assessment. • Leaders who communicate institutional mission, beliefs, values, plans, strategies, and other appropriate and current information to key stakeholders will also provide key information to support student learning assessment success. • Leaders who provide mutually established measures that fairly evaluate the quality of individual performance will also establish clear goals and measures to define student learning assessment success. • Leaders who provide opportunities for key stakeholders to indicate their satisfaction with the work the institution is doing preside over institutions that use student learning assessment data to improve programs and services. 6 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE: KEY FINDINGS Research Topic: Higher Education Change & Culture • Perceived need to protect HE from intellectually limiting external intervention • Need for cultural change in HE – a new paradigm due to increasing pressures for innovation, globalization, competition, funding shortages, and accountability • Capability to respond to pressures limited if HE remains in its traditional form Research Topic: Higher Education & Assessment • Strongly-held belief that responsibility for quality rests with academics • Recommend development of a Culture of Assessment • Student learning is the fundamental goal of every institution • Resistance to student learning assessment due to misunderstanding of purpose and inadequate information and skills to conduct successful assessment • Student learning assessment is an unavoidable condition of doing business Research Topic: Higher Education & Quality • Continuous improvement is fundamental to education • Need to measure quality by considering both process (teaching) and its outcomes (learning) • Continuous improvement is vital to HE whose purpose is to support improvement and individual growth Research Topic: Quality • Quality is a competitive differentiator • Improvement is not part of the game, it IS the game • Seven criteria for excellence (Deming, Malcolm Baldrige): o Leadership o Strategic planning o Stakeholder and market focus o Measurement, analysis, and knowledge management o Employee focus o Process management o Organizational performance results 7 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE: KEY FINDINGS (Cont’d) Research Topic: Organizational Change & Culture • Successful SLA requires a flexible, adaptive, innovative organization – in effect, a culture of change. • Successful organizations empower employees to innovate. • Culture matters and determines both individual and collective behaviors (Schein, 1999) • Adaptive cultures produce superb products (Kotler, 1996) Research Topic: Leadership • Key to effecting successful change • Leaders are responsible for crafting and communicating mission to which departmental and individual goals are aligned. • Leaders must engage followers for transformational change to occur; leaders must be involved, model desired behaviors, reward and recognize desired behaviors, and provide adequate resources to support employee success. • Leaders should include key stakeholders in development of strategy and share information related to organizational performance. Theoretical Basis for Research • The work of Dr. W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran provides the theoretical basis for this research. Together they introduced quality principles, in the early 1950’s, to address the problem of production in Japan. • Quality was identified as a competitive differentiator to include functional improvements to begin with market research and end with customer services. • In 1986, based on Deming’s work, the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence was established through a Congressional bill with the objective of doing for the U.S. what the Deming Prize did for Japan. 8 METHODS • Quantitative, survey methodology to enable generalization from sample to the larger population. Web-based (Zoomerang) survey developed. • Likert scale used to identify the level of agreement with quality improvement practiced institution-wide and student learning assessment practices employed at respondent institutions. • Survey designed to incorporate modified version of existing survey developed by NIST to identify MNCPE and MBECPE and a list of best practices identified by Trudy Banta & Associates as indicators of student learning assessment success. (Permission was obtained from NIST and Banta.). • Cognitive interviews were conducted and the survey pilot-tested to established validity and reliability. Thirty-five randomly selected members of the sample population were selected for this purpose. Response rate: 45% (N=16) • Survey population: Eight hundred and forty faculty and staff involved in various capacities with student learning assessment at a cross-section of types and sizes of colleges and universities; final response rate of 40% (N=340) • Correlation, regression, analysis of variance, and Tukey’s HSD applied to identify relationships among variables and to determine predictability of independent variables for dependent variables. • Core section of survey consists of 15 independent variables (QI practices) and 10 dependent variables (SLA best practices). • SPSS statistical package was used to analyze data collected using graphical, descriptive, and inferential procedures. 9 DATA ANALYSES Selected Respondent Demographics Position % # President, CAO, VP 5% 16 Dean, Assoc. Dean, Asst. Dean 13% 43 Dept./Prog. Chair, Assoc./Asst. Chair 13% 44 Faculty 20% 74 Director of Assessment 16% 56 Assessment Coordinator 10% 34 Other, please describe 23 % 69 N=340 Type of institution % # Public 67% 228 Private 30% 101 For-profit 3% 11 N=340 • Correlation, multiple and linear regression analyses are provided and interpreted for each hypothesis to measure the degree, direction, and statistical significance of the relationship between continuous numeric variables and to measure the influence of the independent variables (QI) on the dependent variables (SLA). Highest degree offered % # Associate’s 23% 78 Baccalaureate 17% 59 Master’s 27% 91 Doctorate 33% 112 N=340 10 DATA ANALYSIS (Cont’d) • Analysis of Variance is used to measure the degree and significance of relationships between categorical independent variables (demographics) and continuous numeric dependent variables to determine if groups differ significantly from one another in their responses. • Tukey’s HSD is used to determine which groups differ significantly from which other groups with frequencies used to examine how groups differ in their responses. SUMMARY OF ANALYSES OF CORRELATIONS AND REGRESSONS • When each hypothesis was tested for correlation, the results were statistically significant at the p<.01 level. This indicates that when institutions practice QI, they also practice successful SLA. • When regression analyses were performed for supporting hypotheses, predictive values were weak in each case. However, for hypothesis 1 (all QI variables are summed to determine prediction for all SLA variables summed), the prediction was positive (R=.534). The QI predictor explains 53.4% of the variance in SLA. • When regression analysis was performed, some independent variables were stronger predictors than others and when the four strongest predictors (questions 1, 3, 13, and 15) were analyzed together, they predict SLA success almost as strongly (R=.524) as when all predictors are analyzed together (R=.534). SUMMARY OF ANALYSES OF ANOVA’S AND TUKEY’S HSD • In most cases, demographic variables do not have a significant effect on QI or SLA. • However, for questions 32, 33, 39, and 40, the variables are statistically significantly different for QI and for SLA: 11 o Respondents employed at the program level responded less favorably to all questions than did those employed at the institutional level. o The average ‘agree” response for SLA for those involved with SLA for 4-6 years was 24% greater (N=80) than it was for those involved for less than 1 year (N=47). o For every question (QI and SLA), respondents at institutions where SLA had been practiced for more than 9 years responded more favorably than did those at institutions were SLA has been practiced only 1-3 years. o The average “agree” responses for both QI and for SLA increase as respondents indicate that their institutions have progressed further toward full implementation of SLA. CONCLUSIONS • When QI is practiced institution-wide, successful SLA is also practiced. • When all QI predictors are practiced in combination, they are a positive predictor of SLA success. • QI predictors 1, 3, 13, and 15 are almost as positive in predicting SLA success as are all QI predictors combined. RECOMMENDATIONS • Institutions should implement all 15 Quality Improvement practices institution-wide for optimal assurance of successful SLA. (R=.534) • Universities may more efficiently allocate their resources by focusing on implementation of QI practices indicated by predictors 1, 3, 13, and 15 to achieve SLA success. (R=.524) o The four strongest predictors for SLA success are #s 1, 3, 13, and 15. These four QI practices are mutually-reinforcing and, when combined, have a predictive influence upon SLA success. 1

Follower voice: A perspective on its influence on leader behavior and implications for future development

Author: Morasso Al
Publication venue: University of Maryland University College (UMUC)
Publication date: 09/07/2010
Field of study

Purpose of this dissertation is to: •Examine the leader/follower relationship from the follower perspective and how followers influence leader behavior. Scope of Research: •Leader and Follower relationships and behavior across various social system settings (i.e., public and private, corporate and governmental).Follower Voice: A Perspective on itsInfluence on Leader Behavior andImplications for Future Development July 9-10, 2010 Al Morasso, SPHR Doctor of Management Candidate University of Maryland University College Contact: [email protected] Keywords: Follower; Followership; Leader; Leadership; Leadership Development; Influence; PowerPurpose and Scope of Research Purpose of this dissertation is to: •Examine the leader/follower relationship from the follower perspective and how followers influence leader behavior. Scope of Research: •Leader and Follower relationships and behavior across various social system settings (i.e., public and private, corporate and governmental). 2Research Questions 1.In what ways and to what extent do followers influence the behavior of leaders? 2.What factors impact the level of follower influence on leaders? 3.To what extent do traditional leadership definitions capture the complexity of the leader/follower relationship? 3Significance of Research forManagement 1.Clear definitions of the how followers influence leaders and the levels to which they influence leaders augment the body of information used in both leader and follower development. 2.Follower-centric perspective regarding leadership characteristics, traits and behaviors broadens the scope of current management theory and practice. 3.Closes the gap found in current scholarly literature concerning leaders and followers. 4Main Literature Themes andAuthors Theme 1 –Social, political, economic, and psychological factors affecting dynamics between Follower and Leader Authors: Marx; Paredo; Durkheim; Weber; Bell; Schein; Simon; Hollander Theme 2 –Followers and Followership Authors: Kellerman; Chaleff; van Vugt; Hogan; Kaiser Theme 3 –Leaders and Leadership Authors:Lundinand Lancaster; Rosenau; House; Poznerand Kouzes 5Key Propositions •Proposition 1-The relationship between voice and influence level to which exercised is a relative one and changes given the factors of time, experience, knowledge and achievement. •Proposition 2–Initially, leaders fill group or organizational voids that followers need filled. •Proposition 3-Leaders cannot lead without followers and good leaders are the result of good followers. •Proposition 4-Leaders and followers influence each other through possession of leadership and followership characteristics and traits. •Proposition 5 –As group or organizational voids are satisfied, influence or power level shifts from leader to follower. •Proposition 6–As followers exercise voice, influence and power, leaders lead for as long as followers allow them to lead. 6Concept Model: Voice and Influence Level Continuum Influence continuumlowerhigherlowerhigherRelative level of voice exertion Baseline: relative level of voice /influence exertionfollowerleaderTime…Experience…Knowledge…Achievementtraitscharacteristicstraitscharacteristicsneedscharacteristicscharacteristicstraitstraitstraitstraitscharacteristicsharacteristics Conceptual Framework 7Thesis Statements •Thesis 1-Followers and leaders are comprised of characteristics and traits that exemplify their behavior, attitudes, background, and experiences. •Thesis 2 -Both followers and leaders have needs and gaps in their achievement. •Thesis 3-Followers and leaders can use their respective characteristics and traits to fulfill each others’ needs. •Thesis 4-The attraction to each other, particularly the leader to the follower is in effect, influence by the follower on the leader. 8Research Approach and Formation of Argument 9 Create Topic -Followers/LeadersReview Relevant Literature •Management Theory •Historical Evidence •Qualitative studies Develop Theses, Propositions, and Arguments Review literature for confirming or contradicting evidence (Test) Refine Topic Refine Theses, Propositions and Arguments Conceptualize Draw Conclusions Organize Identify Future Areas for Related StudyFindings •The shift in voice and influence levels are sparked by the natural attainment of time, experience, knowledge, and achievement by the follower that fill gaps in leader ability. •The combination of time, experience, knowledge and achievement results in an equalizing of power levels between leaders and followers. •Followers and leaders can manipulate shifts in power levels by increasing or withholding displays of their respective characteristics and traits. 10Implications for Management Practice •Challenge commonly accepted management paradigm. •Followers exert influence and affect the actions of leaders more than current scholarly literature purport. •Redefined or new definitions of leader characteristics and traits are required to reflect follower perspective. •Leadership development need to incorporate the follower perspective. 11Future Research Agendas •Definitions, redefinitions or new terms altogether of characteristics and traits other than charisma. •Study of follower and leader influence levels beyond the scope covered by the concept model. The introduction of a new product or service. The introduction of product, process or service innovation. Long term impact on influence levels over a long period of time in the absence of new products, processes, services or innovation. 1

Electronic resources evaluation central: Homing in on a permanent site

Author: England Lenore; Fu, Li
Publication venue: American Library Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC
Publication date: 27/06/2010
Field of study

* Challenge:Managing multiple and diverse sources and tools of the electronic resources evaluation process. * Solution: Create a central evaluation site using SpringShare Libguides.Electronic Resources Evaluation Central: Homing In On a Permanent SiteLenore England, Digital Resources Librarian | Li Fu, Digital Services LibrarianInformation and Library Services, University of Maryland University CollegePoster Session | American Library Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC | Sunday, June 27, 2010 Evaluation Process Review resources Meetings / notes Analysis Trials Pricing Library liaisons Feedback Decisions How to organize? Springshare Libguide Facts and Review Liaisons 35 times each Review central site Challenge:Managing multiple and diverse sources and tools of the electronic resources evaluation process. Solution:Create a central evaluation site. Future Development Use SharePoint instead? Integrate into a new ERMS Content management of resources and trials http://libguides.umuc.edu/aecontent.php?pid=10010

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