Shiyao Zhang's HW(4/1/2012)

Citation source:

1. Cropper, Max H., Bentley, Joanne P.H., and Schroder, Kerstin.(2009). How Well Do High-Quality Online Courses Employ Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction? Questia Online Library. (34.1). 121-140. Retrieved March 31, 2012, from http://www.springerlink.com/content/p404n84jt1012318/.

Summary:

Merrill’s first principles should be included in the myriad of criteria for determining online course quality. Award-winning courses tend to use Merrill’s first principles, and it seems likely that there is still significant room for improvement of even award-winning courses.

Assessment:

Max H. Cropper is a director at Five Star Performance Solutions Member at AECT,Associate at Chapman Alliance. He is graduated from Utah State University. Joanne P.H. Bentley is a assistant professor in the department of Instructional Technology at Utah State University. Kerstin Schroder (Ph.D, M.A., Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior. She is affiliated as an Associate Scientist with the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), the Nutrition and Obesity Research Center (NORC), and the Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC). Therefore, this source is credible to me.

Reflection:

The source offers specific detail about the importance of quality among instructors who teach online courses. The main method to evaluate it is the Merrill's principles, which can also promote to the high-quality online courses employment. 

2. Duh, M. (2010, May 24). Interactive e-learning materials: How to prepare and use it properly? IEEE Xplore Digital Library.833-836. Retrieced March 31, 2012, from http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5533536&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fxpls%2Fabs_all.jsp%3Farnumber%3D5533536

Summary:

During last decade the advances in the computer science and web technology have changed the perception of the ideal e-learning material. New learning material must be interactive and actively involve students into the learning process. The idea is generally good but the implementation sometimes falls behind.

Assessment: 

M. Duh is a faculty of Education, faculty of Arts at University of Maribor. So his source is credible to me.

Reflection:

The source offers the how to use online materials properly to teach students. In the article it also explain how to involve students into the learning process. What are the right ways to use interactive technologies? How much should it automate and where should it stop?

Images:
1. Distance Learning. (2010). Photo. Flickr. http://www.siskiyous.edu/distancelearning/

This image can be used to show that instructors with many skills about technology must have high quality to teach online courses. 

2. Confused about Internet. (2012). Image. Google. Original image accessed from http://www.gonzostoolbox.com/StoriesFolder/FounditOntheInternet.html

The image can be used to show that instructors lack of training to use software, which leads to misuse of technology.

3. Clipper International. (2006). Image. Google. Original image accessed from http://clipper000.en.ec21.com/offer_detail/Wireless_Internet_Equipment--578862.html?gubun=S

The image can used to show that distance learning must include various devices which cost much money. This case causes hidden cost problem in online courses.

4. “Jigsaw” Approach to Classroom Management. (2010). Image. Google. Original image accessed from http://areliefteachersjourney.blogspot.com/2010/07/back-in-2008-my-reflections-on-my.html

This image can directly show the importance of attitude from teachers in online courses.

5. 10 Continuous Improvement Strategies To Help You Work Smarter...Not Just Harder. (2010). Image. Google. Original image accessed from http://www.real-estate-marketing-link.info/continuous_improvement_strategies.html

The image is used for the part of conclusion and to show that distance learning should be improved well by avoiding those problems.

Shiyao Zhang's in-class image

1.Getting Quality Distance Learning Education. (2011). Image. Google. Original image accessed from http://www.distantlearninginfo.com/distance-learning/getting-quality-distance-learning-education/

2. Videoconferencing. (2008). Photo. Flickr. http://www.ohsu.edu/edcomm/vcs/

3. Become an Online Instructor. (2011). Image. Google. Original image accessed from http://www.online.olemiss.edu/faculty/become_an_instructor.html

Shiyao Zhang's HW(03/29/12)

Topic: The problems of distance learning which students concern about.
Main point sentence: Although distance learning is a new studying method, it still has some problems including the quality of instruction, hidden costs, misuse of technology, and attitudes of instructors.

Ideas:
Having heard from students who have taken online courses before, the quality of instruction is one problem. Some instructors do not use technology to promote their courses well.

Then, some courses require to use compressed video, that cost a lot of money.

What's more, misuse of technology leads to ineffectiveness of distance education because lack of training in using software causes a lot of troubles both to students and professors.

Lastly, some instructors do not use their skills to produce a effective learning environment by using many devices.

Shiyao Zhang's research protocol

For conducting field research, conducting a survey is the best way for the topic of distance learning. The reason is that a survey can reflect the feedback from students who have take online courses before. Therefore, I decide to survey students in the Purdue University Calumet. Moreover, I will survey them in the library where includes various students on campus.

The reason for a survey is to help me understand more about distance learning and know about students' preference that can directly affect the future of education system. From my webtext, I still need more information from students, especially the feedback.

In order to conduct a great survey, I will separate students by the first question, "Have you taken online courses before?". If they tried distance learning before, they will answer the multiple choices about distance learning's feedback and future. On the other hand, if they did not take it, they can answer other questions from their friends' advice and they can also write down the preference of taking online courses in the future.

After this research, I will definitely learn a lot about distance learning, especially the current plan in the Purdue University Calumet. After that, I can also fill all new information into my webtext and my podcast. This is a great way to strengthen my opinions and to improve my these two projects. Last but not least, I can know the popularity of distance learning in the Purdue University Calumet. Thus, I will make an attempt to take online courses in the future.

Shiyao Zhang's HW (03/18/12)

A text for podcast has both the similarities and the differences, compared to a printed essay. Similarly, these two are both required students to show their ideas obviously and students have to gather much information to support their opinions. What's more, a podcast and an essay are allowed to use the specific prompt. These two both include introduction, body part, and conclusion, considering to the structure.

However, A text for podcast and a printed essay have the differences. Firstly, a podcast needed to be read loud and a speaker must be confident. Otherwise, the listeners will not pay attention to what he talks about and they will also be confused what the speaker talks about. On the other hand, a printed essay doesn't need to be read. Students must put the crucial part in the first paragraph to gain readers' attention. A well composed essay will help readers to understand. Secondly, Tone is also important. It can helps listeners to know the main points of the topic and to understand what the speaker talks about. In contrast with a printed essay, the way for an essay to emphasize the main points is to put the main sentence in the first place of each paragraph. Thirdly, a podcast needs oral citation while reading. But a printed essay only needs a correct in-text citation and a reference list.

Overall, a text for podcast and a printed essay have both the similarities and the differences.

Shiyao Zhang's HW( 03/03/2012)

1. 
Key words: Distance learning 

Filtering search: Full Text Online, After 2007 

Source: Dasgupta, Siddharth.(2010, Feburary 4).Expanded view of
universities would be more realistic.Health Reference Center Academic
(463.1).608. Retrieved from: http://lib-proxy.purduecal.edu:2193/nature/journal/v463/n7281/full/46... 

Bibliographic Information: Distance learning could become more
popular, particularly in remote areas. Open-course material might
warrant further development. 

2.
Key words: The future of distance learning 

Filtering search: Full Text Online, After 2007, Books 

Source: Shih, Timothy, and Hung, Jason. (2007). Future Directions in
Distance Learning and Communication Technologies.Information
Science.Retrieved from:
http://lib-proxy.purduecal.edu:2336/ERICWebPortal/search/simpleSearch... 

Bibliographic Information:Future Directions in Distance Learning and
Communication Technologies presents theoretical studies and practical
solutions for engineers, educational professionals, and graduate
students in the research areas of e-learning, distance education, and
instructional design. This book provides readers with cutting-edge
solutions and research directions pertinent to these evolving fields. 

3.
Key words: The feedback of distance learning

Filtering search: Full Text Online, After 2007 

Source:  Jara, Magdalena, and Mellar, Harvey. (2010). Quality
enhancement for e-learning courses: The role of student feedback.
SciVerse ScienceDirect Journals (54.3) 709-714. Retrieved from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131509003066 

Bibliographic Information: This paper presents a study of the
collection of student feedback in higher education e-learning courses
and the use of this feedback for quality assurance and enhancement. 

Shiyao Zhang's midterm reflection

In this semester, I have to finish a webtext in this period. From the beginning, I chose technology as my subject to analyse. Then, I selected distance learning as my main topic in this semester. In the meantime, I considered that the audience should be specific. Therefore, I selected the students who plan to take online courses in the future as my audience. This phase is a little bit difficult because the audience cannot only be students in the schools and so on.

From the purpose part, I considered that the purpose is to analyse the style of distance learning and its feedback, even the impacts of distance learning. In the first current event, my friends took online courses before and he wanted me to make an attempt to take distance learning in the future. For the second event is that distance learning has become a crucial part in education system since it appeared. Thus, facing these two events, I began to research about the style and feedback of distance learning. Having posted discussion, I have learnt how to analyse rhetorical situation and use the certain prompt in my webtext.

What's more, during the period of discussion, I developed some ideas that could improve my webtext. For example, the  method of finding sources and how to cite by using APA format helps me to support my opinions. And I thought that my writing journals were really helpful to me, which helped me to combine my ideas together and taught me how to check accuracy of sources after several practices. When posting journals, I had difficulties about find sources. After being taught about Library searching, I learnt a lot because the most of them were credible through steps for checking their accuracy. For field research, I considered that a survey was important and I prepared to use the method of survey.

Moreover, having analysed the articles about rhetorical situation, I learnt how to use it in my webtext. Last but not least, having seen some samples from several students' work in the previous semester, I learnt the font and color is important. Two weeks ago, I preferred to choose colorful background and text as my visual text part, in order to decorate it well. After that, I totally changed because I knew that it's hard for people to read my webtext. Thus, I select white background and black texts as my visual text part.

For the media part, I would find out the picture about the sample of using distance learning and the picture with the satisfaction from students while taking online courses. Additionally, I will insert the pictures in the certain part to make my webtext better.