Communication Plan

Routine Tasks
Check Monday thru Friday for new post, and questions.
Contact students that has been inactive from the class.
Grade assignments and provide feedback along with grades.
Verify that all links of upcoming module are working, and information is consistent.

Includes at least 5 Discussion Board Strategies with detailed instructions and/or examples.
Instructor will keep discussions informal, but informative and factual.
Instructor will provide encouragement and support

Bloom identified six levels within the cognitive domain, from the simple recall of facts to more complex and abstract mental levels. Online educators should use activities that promote higher order skills. Cognitive presence is associated with effectively facilitating and developing reflective thinking, self-directed learning and metacognitive awareness. How can instructor facilitate reflective thinking, self-directed learning, and metacognitive awareness among students in online environments?

1. Post your comment no later than Wednesday
2. Reference at least one journal article and one chapter of your textbook.
3. Response to at least one peer by Sunday; "I liked your post or “I agree” is not enough
4. Use the discussion rubric to assess your comments
5. If you are an educator, please talk about how you promote higher order skills in your classroom.
6. Non-educators, explain how you might implement this with your audience, K-12 or Adult Learners.
7. Keep discussions relevant to topic; use Social Lounge Board for social discussions

Example:
Some of the ways I try to reach these with my online middle school students are through projects. Often when we are finishing up a unit, instead of a unit test or paper I give optional projects. One example was for our Anne Frank Unit, they had the option to write a paper, create a blog or create a dipity timeline. For each option, I scaffolded the directions and provided a rubric. They also had to complete peer assessments, in the form of a discussion board and a self evaluation to reflect on their learning.

Rosenjack (2007) highlight the use of WebQuest to teach higher order skills in nursing students. She states “it was important that nursing students begin using the higher cognitive levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Bloom, 1956) in order to function adequately as they progressed through their coursework”.

Rosenjack, J., et al. (2007). Confronting Challenges in Online Teaching: The WebQuest Solution. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 3(1). Retrieved from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol3no1/burchum.htm

Some strategies would be the following:
1. Provide enough wait-time for students to reflect.
2. Provide authentic tasks involving ill-structured problems to encourage reflective thinking.
3. Prompt students' reflection by asking questions that seek reasons and evidence. Some examples are can you give me an example?, and could you provide evidence to support what are you saying?
a) How Why are you saying that? how does why, how, and what specific decisions are made or why they believe in that, and ask to students for evident that support their particular views or to expand on their point of view.

Includes at least 8 Discussion Board Management Issues with possible solutions for each.

1. Lack of reflection: use questions such as “could you expand on this”, to further reflection from students or model proper responses.
2. Misconceptions: Asked for references for what instructor thinks it's a misconception.
3. Flaming or inappropriate communications: remind netiquettes to all students, and send private communications to students involve to address the situation.
4. Multiple last minutes responses: Set multiple deadlines for discussions.
5. Lack of participation: Have posting requirement written in syllabus
6. Avoid long discussion: limits the discussions to a week
7. Keep discussion relevant to topic: Remind class to keep discussion relevant to topic, and remind student that's is out of focus to remind him to keep discussion relevant to topic.
8. Inactive Students: Contact inactive students via email or phone.
9. Lack of feedback: Instructor would provide constructive feedback during discussion.

Includes one unique and original idea, category, or thought.
1. Disrespectful students will apologize to the whole class for their behaviors.

Rubric