Category: Online Learning

ADL Journey, ADL Program, Capstone, Collective, Contributions, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, It's all about the learning, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Online Learning, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting, Relationship, Teamwork, Why

Contributions, 5320

The Advisor That Cares

Capstone Course

  • Fall 2023
  • Course Number: EDLD 5320
  • Course Title: Synthesis Digital Learn/Lead

Contributions to Learning and my Learning Community

The back of a yellow van is pictured travelling down a dessert roadway.

Crediting Core Group Members: Kelly Skillingberg, Shannon Bowles, and Rachel Hull.

I am giving myself a score of 99 out of 100

Wow, what a transformation from the first course in the program.

please reconsider and evaluate your work and grade with the same fairness as another student.”

March 11, 2022 paraphrased email from EDLD 5305 instructor

Here I am, emboldenly claiming 99 out of 100 for my contributions to my learning and the learning of my learning community. Who is this person I have become?

I know now what I didn’t know then. I know that my “assessment of/for/as learning” is mine to claim ownership over, too (Harapnuik, 2021). The ADL Program equipped me to take control of my learning journey, and I embraced it!

When I began the program, I didn’t understand how having a group would help me. I had always been a little better off on my own or a type A person who would prefer to do all the work to know it got completed.

This independence was also true of my professional life, now that I think about it. While I enjoyed collaborating with others at work, I would typically take the lead to ensure that none of us “got in trouble” for failing to meet expectations.

However, this program and the soul-searching reflection done throughout leave me knowing that I have given 100 percent effort toward my entire learning experience. I also have given 100 percent effort toward connecting with my learning cohort. I am not giving myself a perfect score because there is always room for improvement and more to learn.

The fantastic people in my collaboration group have shown me how much better my ideas and our experience can be if we work together.

My learning communities overlap so many periods and classes that I cannot limit my experience to a single learning community (though this one was top-notch because we have all evolved so much in our learning journey that we now “get it”) but instead try to approach each semester as my opportunity to support and guide my fellow learners in the learning journey.

I love connecting with new people, and weekly meetings are my jam! But I had to learn that they are not that for everyone. I had to adapt and learn to meet others when and where they were available. We have had so many chats and a few synchronous meetings. Still, the asynchronous ability to connect has significantly impacted my future innovation ideas.

Adding peer support is a transformative component of innovation in advising. I never imagined how learners could support one another in co-navigating a new experience. However, thanks to my experience with choice, ownership, and voice in this authentically significant learning environment (COVA + CSLE), I know firsthand that peer support and a shared experience can revolutionize a learning experience.

Key Contributions

  1. My learning community’s core group members have all done a fantastic job staying in touch throughout the semester. One evening, we were the only members of the course who attended the class call. What worked this semester was our continued commitment to learning as much as possible, improving our innovation ideas as much as possible, and getting as much as possible out of this last course in the ADL program.
  2.  Fortunately, Shannon, Kelly, and I have been in learning communities and have maintained ongoing chats over the last several semesters. Before this session began, we had an EDLD 5320 Capstone Community GroupMe started. We all did a great job sharing links to our works in progress for feedforward and periodically just checked in to see how we felt about our coursework and innovation ideas.
  3.  I completed an overwhelming number of revisions on my ePortfolio as a whole. I continually revised current coursework and previous courses/projects coursework as a part of the entire program synthesis process. It was amazing to see how much we have learned and evolved in such a short time.
  4.  I completed ALL of the course readings, videos, and supporting resources provided and actively sought additional resources to deepen my learning and improve my innovation.
  5.  I met the various course activity deadlines indicated in the calendar.

Supporting Contributions

  1. While our group maintained a well-balanced interaction, I took a leadership role by requesting and creating recurring Zoom meetings to chat about projects and our reflections throughout the course. I contributed to my classmates in class calls and discussions by answering questions and pointing to resources when applicable.
  2.  I contribute to my learning and the learning of my colleagues by participating in ALL activities.
  3.  I actively contributed to discussion posts with engaging and well-thought-out reflections.

Reference

Harapnuik, D. (2021, August 16). Assessment OF/FOR/AS learning. It’s About Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8900

https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8900

ADL Journey, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Evolution, Focus on the learning, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Influencer, Innovation Plan, Instructional Design, It's all about the learning, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning Manifesto, Online Learning, Personal, Reflecting, Relationship, Teamwork, Why

Professional Pitch

The Advisor That Cares

Soft pitch, day two.

Once again, I’m letting parts of my heart slip and show with my colleagues, and no one is running away screaming in fear. It seems like everyone is really excited about some of my ideas.

I pitched having brief Monday morning (WIG meetings – though I didn’t call it that) to set our goals and intentions for the week. I suggested Friday afternoon review of the week’s collaborations where teams “check each others work” to help cross each other T’s and dot each other’s “i’s” so to speak.

I pitched the concept of new year, new us. Beginning with the day after the last day to register, we are going to come up with a departmental New Years Resolution (WIG – didn’t call it that) but it really is happening.

A wonderful addition of review plus board games, team-building at the rec, adult coloring pages, board games, or whatever sounds fun to the team. I am so excited for the new year.

ADL Program, Growth, Online Learning, Personal, Publication, Reflecting, Why

Purpose…

The Advisor That Cares
Blank wooden scrabble tiles spread randomly on teal colored background. Letter tiles spell out "purpose" mid-image horizontally.

I am once again pulled to evaluate the purpose of my innovation. These final reflection stages of the ADL Program coursework really ask us to go back and evaluate our learning journey throughout the course. I can not help but reconnect with Sinek’s “why” for myself. My resounding answer is still to “care about people.” I have always battled the duality of my audience. Torn between addressing blended learning in advising as a benefit for students or to advisors. The answer has always been both! As I move into the final stages of my publication article, I recognize that this has the potential to continue a conversation with others in my profession about how technology can be employed to humanize the relationship between students, parents, advisors, and leadership.

I see overwhelmed student faces at incoming events and hear the exasperation in their family members’ frustrations over navigating the transition into higher education.

I hear and see how overworked advisors are as they attempt to serve many different requirements, demands, and recommendations and help their students do what is best for their college experience.

I believe that when we create significant learning environments about advising topics that help students connect with why and when they might need to know about a requirement, procedure, or general FAQ and How-Tos. By focusing on the learning outcomes using tools like Understanding by Design, we can equip them with learning skills they can apply to all areas of college and life.

As I made my second to last contributions to learning post, I realized that I am losing and will continue to lose much of my ADL learning network. My cohort is made up of K-12 educators and instructional technologists. I have met a few business professionals but only briefly interacted with individuals in the higher education arena. Recently, the program has afforded me the opportunity to connect other advisors entering the program. I hope that I will be able to provide support and encouragement to them as they work through the frustrations and challenges this authentic learning environment presents. I wish the timing worked out so we could have co-collaborated on much of the work since there is so much work to be done.

It seems to me that Dr. Harapnuik has carefully crafted this program to establish this handoff point. This publication opportunity is just what we need to open a dialogue with others in our fields, with our interests, or just to continue our conversation on personalized learning so that we can continue to refine, revise, and improve our innovative ideas.

So, what do I want to say to other advisors? What do I think I have to contribute to the literature of the advising profession? All I really have is my authentic personal experiences and a purpose to care about people. I want to use my publication article to create a conversation that helps to continue the mission of expanding advising relationships from mandatory synchronous advising sessions into ongoing learning relationships. I think that advisors are in a position to employ technology to support them in the purely information transfer and how-to topics they are required to cover with students into concise and specific resources that students can explore ad hoc. Then by posing questions of inquiry for discussion or reflection, advisors can create communities of learners that broaden peer support and collaboration opportunities. Advisors can help craft resources to develop and encourage students’ intrinsic motivation to seek information and make connections. For example, instead of transferring overwhelming amounts of information to students, advising can help students explore their questions, interests, and goals. I believe that the transformative work that advisors will have time to do, as a result, will enrich advisors’ and students’ experiences.

A New Culture of Learning, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Evolution, Focus on the learning, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Influencer, Innovation Plan, Instructional Design, It's all about the learning, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Online Learning, Outcomes, Personal, Professional, Publication, Reflecting, Relationship, Why

Leftovers

The Advisor That Cares

Media Project leftovers

Mannn, there’s so much to share. I definitely wanted to include a million quotes and clips in my media project. I will put them all here for now so I can revise and improve my thoughts, my article, and my innovation when I feel less limited by deadlines and time limits.

Quotes with YouTube clips:

This relationship has the potential to guide students through the unfamiliar landscape, and the language of higher education can also equip them with the skills needed to make informed decisions and choices in life. Jim Ott (2016) passionately echos this opportunity by saying that “significant learning comes through relationship” (TEDx Talks, 2016, 12:18-12:20). These connections allow the navigation of experiences, emotions, and the many questions that arise.

Sir Ken Robinson (2010) explains that the 21st-century educational landscape has “an unprecedented demand for innovation, for fresh thinking, fresh social systems, fresh ways of getting people to connect with themselves and have lives with purpose and meaning” (RSA, 2010, 32:37-32:40).

Jon Stolk (2015) says, “choice, trust, acceptance, encouragement, dialogue, care; when students feel these things, there are extremely strong positive correlations to a bunch of the stuff we we say we care about. So things like peer learning and active help seeking this is engaging with others in the learning process. Learners finding more value in what they do. Self-efficacy, the sense that you can be successful. Intrinsic motivation. Creativity. Very high level cognitive engagement, metacognition, thinking about your own thinking process” (TEDx Talks, 2015, 15:17-15:50).

Jim Ott (2016) passionately explains, “so if we are truly interested in the future of our children we must give them significant learning. We must give them a sense that they matter. We must invest in the emotions of now because everything about what we care about, their future, depends on them developing a foundation of believing in themselves. That they have value that they have purpose. That they matter. That is significant learning” (TEDx Talks, 2016, 14:56-15:27)

Craig Mertler (2019) challenges us all “to think about some aspect of your life, that you would like to change. No matter how big or how small. It doesn’t matter if it is personal, professional, academic. It doesn’t matter because you own it. It’s about you and your life. Find a different way of doing this thing and try it out. Gather some evidence of how well it worked for you and then make a plan for where you go next. Is this the solution or do I need to keep looking. Do I need to keep finding better ways to improve?” (TEDx Talks, 2019, 9:43-10:17)

Sir Ken Robinson (2010) “people do their best when they do the thing they love. When they are in their Element” (RSA, 2010, 26:45-26:51).

Sir Ken Robinson (2010) “evidence is persuasive when people get to connect to this powerful sense of talent in themselves, discover what it is they can do, they become somebody else. And that […] me is the premise of building a new education system” (RSA, 2010, 27:03-27:15).

Through discussions and reflections, advisors guide learners through encouraging questions. Working with students to help them understand their why (TEDx Talks, 2019), connect with their goals, and reignite the inquisitive mind. Sugata Mitra (2013) poses that “encouragement seems to be the key […] simply saying wow, saluting learning” (TED, 2013, 13:58-14:10).

Harapnuik, D. (n.d.). CSLE. It’s About Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=849

Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2017). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. John Wiley & Sons.

Khan, S. (2011, March). Let’s use video to reinvent education [Video]. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education?language=en#t-149503

RSA. (2010, February 4). Sir Ken Robinson – changing paradigms [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCbdS4hSa0s

Steele, G. E. (2016). Creating a flipped advising approach. NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources. Retrieved from https://nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/Creating-a-Flipped-Advising-Approach.aspx

TEDx Talks. (2009, September 29). Start with why — how great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek | TEDxPugetSound [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

TEDx Talks. (2016, March 14). Significant learning | Jim Ott | TEDxBellevueHighSchool [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zos6lhaehfo

TEDx Talks. (2019, March 20). Personal empowerment through reflection and learning | Dr. Craig Mertler | TEDxLakelandUniversity [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzDsT-25w14

ADL Program, Advising, Collective, ePortfolios, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Online Learning, Tips

Mind Blown!

The Advisor That Cares

My goodness gracious, my two main collaborators this semester just blew my mind with their statements about how helpful they find Google Slides. I always found them overwhelmingly blank because I am spoiled by the templates found in Canva.

I have never really used Google Slides because every time I open it, the blank starting page overwhelms me, and I find myself abandoning the attempt for places I can start with a designed template I can modify and use as a starting place. Maybe I am just missing out on a feature I have not yet found. Do you all import templates from other sources or design from scratch? [Off to do some searches after catching up on recent discussion posts]

I asked them a question about utilizing Canva with Google slides in a discussion post but our conversations are asynchronous so I head off to my trust research database YouTube.

While these results aren’t what I had in mind when I posed the question, my mind is blown by all of the opportunities to interact with advisees these Google Slides

Okay, okay… I realized I left you hanging there and didn’t point out any research to the original question: There are templates that you can use with Google Slides. Exciting times and opportunities ahead!

ADL Program, Innovation Plan, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Online Learning, Publication, Reflecting

Digital Tools

The Advisor That Cares

5317 Discussion 2

The concept of data-driven analytics and decision-making appeals to me very much. As advisors, we often run from one fire/crisis to another. Stepping into a leadership role in an advising office makes me reflect on the whirlwind discussed during the Four Disciplines of Execution (McChesney & Huling, 2012) in the Organizational Change course (EDLD 5304). It seems there is just never time to reflect on, re-evaluate the effectiveness of, re-group, and collaborate on what is working and what is not. Salman Khan’s dashboard-style data would be valuable if applied to advising topics and discussions and allow feedback and clarity of the materials covered in micro-lecture formats (2011).

I strongly believe that digital learning provides an opportunity to completely shift the nature of the advising relationship and the role peers and community can play in supporting each other’s motivation and success. We can utilize the digital tools at our fingertips and those we have not even imaged yet to create a significant learning environment (advising relationship) out of the significant learning environment (university life). I have enjoyed the value of concise lecture formats when they are effective. I have also benefited from the sometimes vague instructions that leave us wondering when, where, and how we will learn a new skill (for those like me who came to this program without a digital skillset). Canva has been very helpful throughout the creative process by allowing the combination of words and audio, voice and text. Canva offers the ability to utilize the materials in multiple formats which I prefer to post various options for my learners’ preferences to be met. For example, I might use a video I created in Canva, but I will also post the script and slideshow. I understand the value of having multiple formats and the freedom to choose delivery based on my learning preferences and needs. 

Reflecting on the value of video feedback, this is one aspect I had not previously considered bringing into my learning community here in the ADL program, nor into my innovation ideas. I have not received constructive video feedback since my first semester in the program. It helped build a trusted relationship with Dr. H because the real-time review and feed-forward allowed me to visualize clarity issues from another person’s perspective. I never realized how valuable those might be to students in a flipped advising situation. Now I see that real-time reviews and feed-forward messages of encouragement and a growth mindset in times of struggle might be the gentle nudge some students need to explore support options and seek help. 

Reference

Khan, S. (2011, March). Let’s use video to reinvent education [Video]. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education?language=en#t-149503

McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals (1st ed.). Free Press.

Communicating Ideas

In this next section of content, after selecting journals and developing rough drafts that can be submitted for publication, the next learning outcome is to

  • “… explore and evaluate media resources to assess the most effective way to communicate ideas” (Module 2-6 Outcome/Goal 2).

Readings

Videos

Discussion Videos

Other Resources

Participate in a class discussion in which you begin by addressing the following issues/questions:

  • What audio and video applications can you use to help you create powerful presentations or demonstrate your personal learning? What video or audio tool are you already are working with and why? What other tools can you consider?
    • Canva has been very helpful throughout the creative process. Allowing the combination of words and audio, voice and text along with multiple format posting options. I will often use a video but still post the associated slideshow.
    • Vlogs, youtube podcast discussions would be another great way to demonstrate and document personal learning.
  • If you haven’t already done so explore using a screencasting or audio tool to offer feedforward to your peers and learning community. Consider how you can incorporate using screencasting in your instructional setting. Consider the feedforward you have been receiving in this course and review and discuss Feedforward Vs. Feedback post at – http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8273
    • I have not received constructive video feedback since my first semester in the program. I feel that it helped build a trusted relationship with Dr. H because the real-time review and feed-forward allowed me to visualize clarity issues from another person’s perspective. I have grown to crave the feed-forward the learning community of this ADL program provides. It is very lonely here at the finish line of a non-accelerated path to program completion. I see how and why the bonds between our cohort members were so strong. We valued one another’s honest feed-forward and perspective to help our innovation plans grow. Seeing so many of those classmates still live their innovation is exciting.
    • I never realized how valuable those might be to students in a flipped advising situation. I understood the value of having multiple formats and the freedom to choose delivery. Still, now I see that real-time reviews and feed forward messages of encouragement and a growth mindset in times of struggle might be the gentle nudge some students need to explore support options and seek help.
ADL Program, Advising, It's all about the learning, Online Learning, Professional Learning, Publication, Research, Tips

Always timely, EDUCAUSE

The Advisor That Cares

While written with IT Leaders in mind, innovative educators and support staff can benefit from these 10 Calls to Action for the Future of Technology in Higher Ed.

  • #1 – Collaboration
    • “Regular, reliable, and repeatable interactions with customers can also lead to greater customer satisfaction, productivity, and efficiency, along with a deeper appreciation of humans working together” (Gonick, 2023).
    • “A key question arises: how can their organizations be prepared to make necessary pivots to solve systemic challenges? Doing so starts with a theory of change—one with a vision and a strategy to engage people and to develop agile organizational capacity. The tools and technology will follow” (Gonick, 2023).
      • This point immediately makes me consider the ADL program’s Influencer and 4DX change strategies.
  • # 2 – Belonging
    • “Belonging is an outcome that’s hard to measure, but we know when people stay engaged, it’s because they feel they’re somewhere worthwhile—and that they’re someone worthwhile. Belonging is an ethical expression of solidarity and in opposition to the dominant experience of alienation” (Gonick, 2023).
      • This is a crucial component of my innovation and an excellent spot to highlight how creating a learning environment that supports the advising relationship could help students and employees gain this sense of belonging and significance.
  • #3 – Learning at Scale and AI
    • “The best of AI in the higher education setting lies in its potential to revolutionize how learners access and engage with educational resources, offering personalized experiences at scale” (Gonick, 2023).
    • “AI has the power to transform how colleges and universities provide services, support vulnerable populations, improve STEM education, and much more” (Gonick, 2023).
      • Incorporating AI into the innovation to advising would make for real-time student support anytime a student faces a situation, has a question, or expresses a challenge. This opportunity poses many future possibilities for the advising relationship.
  • #4 – Analytics of Support
    • “Data helps us understand how to provide better support to students and learners; being able to provide just the right interventions at just the right moments can be the difference between someone dropping out and feeling they have the resources needed to continue and thrive” (Gonick, 2023).
    • The future of advising could potentially include “… using real-time analytics and smart technology to identify patterns in students’ learning and providing personalized recommendations for support and intervention” (Gonick, 2023).
      • Isn’t proactive advising with on-time intrusive intervention a goal for forming a robust and trusted advising relationship? Shouldn’t helping students obtain the tools they need to be successful and to excel in their chose degree program a big piece part of our goals in higher education?
  • #5 – Identity Management
    • “… using digital resources to ensure a seamless learning journey—such as by using extended reality and adaptive technologies to enhance learning strategies. This approach has the potential to transform academia and equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving landscape (Gonick, 2023).
  • #6 – 10 coming soon (I fell down a rabbit hole of research again when I need to be writing.)
    • “Narrative-based learning is very different from the industrial models that have guided instruction at scale for nearly a century. We will need to get better at understanding how to construct compelling narratives that invite learners to chart their own learning journeys” (Gonick, 2023).

Reference

Gonick, L. (2023, August 29). 10 calls to action for the future of technology in higher ed. EDUCAUSE Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2023/8/10-calls-to-action-for-the-future-of-technology-in-higher-ed?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=er_content_alert_newsletter&utm_content=9-06-23&utm_term=_&m_i=uxOFDaW%2BUx81Tdgqy3EtRPi%2B9T04jmwuyU5EK1X_ilZ0JLfk3kCH9WgfIrKaaoiaQz2dWaXjVjUlZl0oy2FW3egvsGqMHieuup&M_BT=88967532832

ADL Program, Advising, Contributions, ePortfolios, Focus on the learning, Goals, Growth, Innovation Plan, Instructional Design, It's all about the learning, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Online Learning, Outcomes, Personal, Professional, Publication, Why

What to Write

The Advisor That Cares

Going through Dr. Harapnuik’s content and nearing the end of the ADL program makes many connections between the strategies and learning accomplished throughout this authentic learning environment.

I cannot help but reflect on my personal why (TEDx Talks, 2009). My passion is caring about other people. My goal is to make a difference and to try and make things better for those around me. Caring about others drives me to make a difference for frustrated students and advisors.

Advisors have an opportunity to embrace innovation in the ways that we approach our advising relationships. Think about ways to turn the repetitive parts of your job (the unrewarding information transfer topics and system onboarding done with students) into question-based searchable resources. What if posing questions and teaching students where and how to find information is far more valuable than trying to be the holder of all knowledge, policy, and departmental preferences.

My vision is that advisors and students will collaborate to create resources and communities that support and encourage one another as advisors step into mentorship roles and learners find peer support and guidance. Guiding learners to explore their goals and questioning what challenges or obstacles might hold them back allows learners and advisors to discuss and problem-solve unique concerns and considerations at individualized levels. Advisors serve as guides or coaches while students research advising resources, university websites, and support services relevant to their issues and concerns. Learners embrace ever-increasing efficacy over their learning experience through reflection blogs, cohort discussions, and peer meet-up opportunities (in person and virtual).

TEDx Talks. (2009, September 29). Start with why — how great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek | TEDxPugetSound [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

A New Culture of Learning, ADL Program, Advising, Collective, ePortfolios, Focus on the learning, Goals, Innovation Plan, Instructional Design, It's all about the learning, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Online Learning, Outcomes, Professional, Publication, Reflecting

Perusing and sharing Publications

The Advisor That Cares

5317 Discussion 1 (2 of 2)

The ADL program has opened my eyes to exactly how much the landscape of learning has changed and how little the landscape of education has changed. Learners today are digitally connected, and education needs to evolve to include transformative learning opportunities in every environment.

Currently, advisors are tasked with almost every initiative faced by incoming students. This creates a prescriptive advising full of information transfer topics that often leave advisors feeling unfulfilled. Additionally, the environment does not encourage the transformative opportunity found through intentional advisor-advisee relationships. Through an innovation of advising, advisors will have a consistent message to share with their advisees, relieving them of their role’s repetitive and transactional aspects. Digital resources that allow departments to ensure the message and information shared with their students align with their policies and beliefs increase confidence in information accuracy. Collaboration with campus stakeholders ensures that other departments can introduce themselves and their services in a non-anxiety-inducing way.

Most importantly, a blended learning approach to advising can increase learners’ curiosity (Musallam, 2013) about their learning experience while simultaneously increasing advisors’ creativity (RSA, 2010) by creating content, refining the message, clarifying the intentions, and assessing the effectiveness of advising as a learning opportunity. The most challenging part of my innovation idea to resolve and convey is my belief that an effective learning environment allows more profound, more meaningful relationships like those described by developmental and intrusive advising. Adding to this is the concept of connectivity and collaboration. The benefits of forming a learning collective among students that supports the advising relationship and initiatives (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 52). How much more will a high school student listen to a college student than a university representative at orientation to campus? How can an innovation to advising support the feeling of belonging that students and staff feel at the institution?

Consider how the learning environment is changing and how you can share the changes you are making in your learning environment.

  1. Briefly share one or two possible topic areas that are of interest to you that you can write about. Remember that you do not need to be an expert in the field to have a voice. Please visit http://tilisathibodeaux.com/wordpress/?page_id=841 for ideas from past students.
    • I could write about the collaboration and connection aspect of advising and how a blended learning environment could extend and expand the advising relations well beyond the twice-annual mandatory advising requirement for registration/enrollment.
    • Another topic to write about is how a blended learning environment could relieve advisors of the sage on the stage soul resource for information. I want to help empower advisors to equip learners with the skills and motivation to seek and verify information for themselves.
  2. Identify and share 2-3 online publications of interest in your field. Publications can include online magazines, newsletters, state technology publications/articles. Hyperlink your selections so that others may easily access your selections.
  3. Which digital environments allow the opportunity to collaborate with others as you write and think through your ideas? What is currently well established? What needs improvement?
    • Discussion boards, chat apps, blogs, digital classrooms, and file-sharing tools are all digital tools that have allowed an endless variety of digital environments where thoughts, innovations, and hunches collide at just the right time and place to evolve into a perfect solution to a problem (RiverheadBooks, 2010).

Changing Educational Paradigms

I found this talk so interesting I went to see the full discussion, Changing Paradigms

3 Rules to Spark Learning

Where Good Ideas Come From

References

Musallam, R. (2013, April). 3 rules to spark learning [Video]. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/ramsey_musallam_3_rules_to_spark_learning

RiverheadBooks. (2010, September 17). WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM by Steven Johnson [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU

RSA. (2010, February 4). Sir Ken Robinson – Changing Paradigms [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCbdS4hSa0s

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change (1st ed.). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

ADL Program, Advising, Collective, ePortfolios, Goals, Innovation Plan, Online Learning, Publication

Digital Tools in Digital Environments

The Advisor That Cares

5317 Discussion 1 (1 of 2)

Technology can certainly enhance learning, as we have discovered throughout our ADL learning journey. The fact that I can connect with learners from various industries and worldwide illustrates how much technology can be employed to strengthen learning and collaboration. The program pushes me to seek out information and re-engage a curiosity about learning and topics related to digital learning. As part of that inquisitive process, I perform online searches through search engines and video streaming to obtain a big-picture perspective on current trends and topics. I further refine source information through detailed reviews of literature and additional writings and research found with my professional organizations, related journals, and other article sources. Professional journals from NACADA are my primary resource for finding emerging trends within advising. EDUCAUSE Review is another excellent resource for identifying technology trends and issues within education. 

The digital tools currently utilized within the advising relationships seek to manage student information, notes, and referrals. The institution employs a student information system to onboard and guide students from admission to enrollment. Then, the advising and support units use a different system to invite students to appointments, request progress report updates from faculty, record interaction notes on services utilized, answer questions, and make support recommendations. Another system tracks degree plan requirements and progress. Students take the information from the degree system and then use another system to register for classes. In addition to the disjointed nature of the different technologies and systems used within the advising profession, most of these tools are not currently student-facing. However, an innovation to advising would help change this by utilizing blended learning concepts to flip advising from short-burst information transfer sessions (overwhelming) to ongoing dialogues and collaborations that expand the relationship and further assist students in navigating and understanding their learning opportunities. Through the lens of a COVA approach to learning that incorporates how educational technology encourages student choice, ownership, and voice while presenting authentic learning opportunities, technology and digital learning tools must contribute to creating significant learning environments (CSLE) instead of technology for technology’s sake. 

A personally curated advising resource (ePortfolio) is my favorite technology tool at this time, simply because of the unlimited accessibility of combining and translating information across the higher education landscape. This resource could help learners and their families navigate the frustratingly confusing process of learning policy, procedure, and an unlimited number of requirements faced by college students. I am intrigued by the tools enabling a blended learning model that incorporates micro-lectures, cloud computing, and online collaboration within learning collectives. Google Classroom provides an exciting opportunity for connecting learners while also providing opportunities for assessment.

In this discussion, consider the required readings and view the following videos then participate in a discussion with your colleagues where you will explore the variety of ways technology can enhance learning.

Readings

Articles

Discussion Videos

Digital Tools in Digital Environments

Podcast/Interview

Discussion 1 of 2 – Digital Tools in Digital Environments

  1. How do you evaluate current and future trends and tools in educational technology for educational impact?
    • I evaluate current and future trends by performing online searches through search engines and video streaming while further refining source information through detailed reviews of literature and research found with my professional organizations, related journals, and other article sources. Through the lens of a COVA approach to learning that incorporates how educational technology encourages student choice, ownership, and voice while presenting authentic learning opportunities. Technology and digital learning tools must contribute to creating significant learning environments (CSLE) instead of technology for technology’s sake.
  2. Which resources do you look to find emerging trends and issues in the field?
    • Professional journals from NACADA are my primary resource for finding emerging trends within advising. EDUCAUSE Review is another excellent resource for identifying technology trends and issues within education.
  3. What digital tools have you used to support learning in your current work setting?
    • The digital tools utilized within the advising relationship manage student information, notes, and referrals. The institution employs a student information system to onboard and guide students from admission to enrollment. Then, the advising and support units use another system to invite students to appointments, request progress report updates from faculty, record interaction notes on services utilized, questions answered, and support recommended. Another system tracks degree plan requirements and progress. Students take the information from the degree system and then use another system to register for classes. Most technology tools are not student-facing, but an innovation to advising would help change this by utilizing blended learning concepts to flip advising from short burst information transfer sessions to ongoing dialogues and collaborations that expand the relationship and further assist students in navigating and understanding their learning opportunity.
  4. Which tools are your favorite and why?
    • Currently, a personally curated advising resource is my favorite simply because of the unlimited accessibility of combining and translating information across the higher education landscape. This resource could help learners and families navigate the confusing process of learning policy, procedure, and requirements faced by college students. Google Classroom provides an exciting opportunity for connecting learners while also providing opportunities for assessment. I am intrigued by the tools enabling a blended learning model that incorporates micro-lectures, cloud computing, and online collaboration within learning collectives.

References

Denton, D. W. (2012). Enhancing instruction through Constructivism, Cooperative Learning, and Cloud Computing. TechTrends, 56(4), 34–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-012-0585-1

Liao, J., Wang, M., Ran, W., & Yang, S. J. H. (2013). Collaborative cloud: a new model for e-learning. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 51(3), 338–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2013.791554

Noah, T. (2023). Enhancing flipped learning with microlectures. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/flipped-learning-with-microlectures

Nordic Business Forum. (2015, September 8). Sir Ken Robinson – How finding your passion changes everything: Part 2 | Nordic Business Forum 2014 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6E8y-9TzpI

ProjectHappyWay. (2015, March 27). Best Ted Talks 2015 – Draw your future – Take control of your life [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vl6wCiUZYc

Publishing: Can I really do that? (n.d.). Learner’s Mindset. https://tilisathibodeaux.com/wordpress/?page_id=841

Stevenson, M., & Hedberg, J. (2011). Head in the clouds: A review of current and future potential for cloud-enabled pedagogies. Educational Media International, 48(4), 321–333. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2011.632279

Stevenson, M., & Hedberg, J. (2013). Learning and design with online real-time collaboration. Educational Media International, 50(2), 120–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2013.795352

TED. (2013, February 27). Sugata Mitra: Build a school in the cloud [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3jYVe1RGaU

The School of Life. (2013, April 11). Ken Robinson on passion [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M8Hl5MUr8w

Wbur. (2013, June 19). Sir Ken Robinson On Discovering Your Passions | On Point. WBUR.org. https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2013/06/19/sir-ken-robinson