Course Mangament Systems & Pedagogy

"Toolbox or Trap? Course Management Systems and Pedagogy:

Educase Quarterly
November 2, 2008
Lisa M. Lane

I chose this article because the focus of the project I am working on is course management systems (CMS). I found this to be an incredibly interesting take on, as the author states: The default design of commercial course management systems limits instructional creativity and pedagogical approaches, particularly for novice users. While the article is roughly 4 years old, I do believe that some of the challenges the author speaks to are still present in the implementation of CMS's in today's schools.

The article opens with the following statement, "Creating an online class is a task of construction...We want to construct classes according to our own pedagogy--what we know works with our learners and our teaching style." I believe this statement is the crux of what we have been reading about and discussing in terms of effectively and purposefully incorporating technology into our classrooms and schools. The initial thought for the teacher planning the lesson/course, or the administrator planning the building staff development, should be based in pedagogy and adragogy, with the focus on learning outcomes. The second though should then be on what technology is available to support this process. What Lisa Lane discusses in her article is that with certain CMS's, this is not necessarily the the case.

The article starts with mentioning the limitations systems such as Blackboard and WebCT place on the instructors using good pedagogy when planning an online course. Part of the issue is in the design of these larger commercial systems-they are built for effective management of resources and tasks focused on efficiency: grade books, test creation, threaded discussions, etc. There are default sections to these systems that encourage the instructor to 'plug in' their content to predetermined sections: Announcements, Course Content, Discussions, etc. What this leads to is teachers thinking in terms of the semester and how their pedagogical goals can be achieved within a time frame rather than a virtual space (a concept mentioned in a previous post that discussed Heidi Hayes Jacob's book Curriculum 21). The author goes on to state that the most accessible and easiest to use features are the presentation of static documents and basic discussion input from students, which engage students in activities that mimic the traditional lecture, review, and test pedagogy. There are features for some of these CMS's that go beyond this, but the challenge is that they are either difficult to use (most novices especially spend time learning to use the technology and what it can do rather than how their learning goals can be achieved) or cost lots of money to add on. An example of this is our own class BBVista menu:



So what are we expecting CMS's to 'do' to help facilitate the pedagogy of 21st Century, constructivist, learner centered, inquiry based learning? When we begin to discuss these topics as the focus of a 21st Century Classroom, what must enter the conversation is the collaborative, social, self-reflective and independent project driven nature of many Web 2.o tools. Today's wikis and blogs have developed into more of a social learning platform, and CMS's such as Moodle have added these components to their basic design, as well as have left the course topics 'open' for the instructor to build some of their design around Units and content rather then just 'time'. Tools such as Ning have evolved into more of a social networking type of platform, and recently Schoology has come onto the scene as a good mix between many of the course management perks of Moodle with the social networking capabilities of Facebook (the creation of groups) and the live feeds of Twitter. Below are some screen shots of 2 of my courses using both Moodle and Schoology; these do provide more creativity and freedom in designing my courses.

As I previously mentioned, while this article was written in 2008, and while CMS's and web 2.0 tools have evolved, I do believe many of the challenges that are presented still exist. When we discuss the shift towards a 21st century learning environment/space, we are essentially talking about a philosophical shift in pedagogy. For many, this is not an easy task and the introduction, staff development, and continued support for this shift must be done systematically and in an ongoing, differentiated manner. If we leave staff to 'fend for themselves' with incorporating these systems, much like Lane's article discusses, it is easy for teachers and administrators to get caught in the management of the technology and lose the learning focus. On the same token, much like any teaching strategy or tool, the open mindedness and creativity of the instructor in figuring out ways to use the strategy or tool will ultimately dictate success. As an administrator, providing visionary leadership, helping to create a digital age learning culture and excellence in professional practice and leading systematic improvement is paramount. As CMS's, and technology continues to change and improve to meet the true nature of a 21st century learner, so must teacher practice and school leadership.

Manifesto for Teaching Online

A great article on the shift towards online teaching: http://educationismylife.com/the-manifesto-for-teaching-online/

Digital Culture Change

An interesting article on leadership, change, technology and journalism- http://www.niemanlab.org/2012/03/a-call-for-leadership-newspaper-execs-deserve-the-blame-for-not-changing-the-culture/

Leadership for the 21st Century ‘School’

“The United States has seen reform movements in education since the inception of formal education. The intentions behind reform have varied, but it could be argued that many of these reforms have merely taken an existing practice, bent it a bit, and tinkered with it, thus ending up with the same basic form. The proof is the fact that the overwhelming majority of our schools run on the same length of school year and the same daily schedule, wit the same rigid grouping of students and the same faculty organization, and fundamentally in the same type of buildings in as in the late 1890s.” (Jacobs, 60)

In her book Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World, Heidi Hayes Jacobs opens “Chapter 4- New School Versions: Reinventing and Reuniting School Program Structures” with the above view of our current educational systems. This chapter, as well as the other essays in the book, goes on to discuss the current ‘what is’ and the future ‘what can, may, and will be’ of technology’s impact on our educational systems- from overall structure, to the make up and use of our schools, to daily classroom instruction (to name a few areas). When I first read this book I was enthralled. I was in my third year of working with a cart full of wireless Macbooks, and I had been figuring out ways to effectively incorporate technology (by effectively I mean as an enhancement tool, not a as a crutch or pacifier) into our curriculum and my daily instruction. The ‘big picture’ sections were further driving home the changing nature of the ‘classroom’, see Chapter 5 for Steven Wilmarth’s essay on “Five Socio-Technology Trends” as he discusses the change in the process of learning that is taking place, and I realized I needed to once again change what I was used to in terms of how I learned in comparison to how my students learned. At the same time the sections that were more classroom based, see Chapter 9 for David Niguidula’s chapter on “Digital Portfolios and Curriculum Maps”, helped me take the plunge and engage my students in building virtual Portfolios using a combination of tools such as Google Docs and Schoology, as well as develop a staff development session on web 2.0 tools and digital portfolios for some of my adjunct work. Most all of what I pulled from this has been, understandably, from the lens of a classroom teacher.

As I am nearing the end of the Educational Leadership/Principal Certification program I have been in for the past 6 months, I have had the chance to revisit different sections of Jacobs’ book, but this time from the lens of a school administrator/instructional leader. This shift in viewpoint has evolved throughout a number of courses I have taken, but really was solidified with the work we did with ISTE’s NETS for Administrators which, are, in a nutshell, the standards for school administrators and leaders must meet to support the 21^st Century shift in learning and schools. (see below)

http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-administrators.aspx

Jacobs’ Chapter on “New School Versions” takes a radical and progressive look at the impact the Web can have on school curriculum, schedules, grouping of both learners and teachers, and space—physical and virtual. In many school districts (not to mention colleges and universities) around the country and the globe we are already starting to see these changes come to fruition. Many districts are beginning to offer online courses to students (usually during some structured time within the school day to complete the work), to allow students who don’t fit the standard high school ‘mold’ that Jacobs’ discusses to complete their high school graduation requirements through a Virtual High School program, and to move their summer school programs to an online format. These changes, along with asking teachers to use course management systems, like Moodle or Schoology, wikis or websites to support and complement their face to face classrooms, and the increased presence of computers in the schools, whether it be a cart of laptops, an increase in the number of computer labs, or a one to one environment, are forcing school administrators to wear another hat- instructional technology leader.

The ISTE NETS-A standards speak to the need for Visionary Leadership, Systemic Improvement, and Excellence in Professional Practice as keys to a successful leader/administrator in a technology rich environment. Looking at leadership over time, these descriptors are nothing we have not seen before or admired in past principals, directors, etc. As early at 1995, Kouzes and Posner, in The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Thinks Done in Organizations, wrote about exemplary leaders challenging the process, inspiring a share vision, and acting as role models. The big shift today is in the ‘context’ in which these same general principles apply. In today’s schools, inspiring a shared vision must take into account how technology and Digital Citizenship fits into a school’s mission and culture. School leadership must consider if and how they are building a Digital Age Learning Culture that supports teachers and students as they take on the challenges of adjusting to a virtual learning environment, either full time or a hybrid version. It’s not just the school administrator as an instructional leader only anymore, but he/she must become well versed in Best Practices in technology in education as well. For some, these adjustments are huge. They can challenge a person’s level of comfort, confidence, and overall willingness to take risks. Implementing technology and moving towards a 21^st Century Learning Environment shifts the focus of the classroom from the teacher as the knowledge base to the students as knowledge seekers. It empowers the students to take control of their learning and forces a philosophical shift to a more authentic, students centered environment. The emotional and personal side of this shift has to be addressed carefully and effectively.

This is why a Systemic approach is so crucial. School administrators must look to develop a big picture and small picture plan on how they will communicate and support the integration of technology into the school’s systems, curriculum, etc. It is not so much that the leader must be seen as an ‘expert’ (with the variety of different roles a leader must fulfill it is impossible to assume he/she can be an expert in all-plus districts have instructional technology coaches and staff developers to fulfill this need), it is more that the staff must be encouraged to take risks, feel supported in their implementation, and be given a chance to share their successes and challenges throughout the entire process. Establishing a shared vision on why and how the building is going a certain direction and then working out a specific, clear plan for implementation (complete with check points, clear measures, etc.) can help tackle many of the fears and the ‘unknowns’ that accompany this type of change.

On the back cover of Jacobs’ book, she asks the question “What year are you preparing your students for? 1973? 1995?” Thinking about this through a school leader/administrator’s lens, I would have to ask “What year am I preparing my staff for?” What will I do to set a Digital Age Learning Culture that rethinks our school’s use of space and grouping? How will I, on a practical level, model Digital citizenship? In the end, I do believe it is the pursuit of answers to questions like these that will ultimately help any leader move his/her district, building, staff, and/or students into the 21^st Century.