Engaging

Students
in

Distance
Learning
Interactive exercises and activities
for field sites

Thomas E. Cyrs, Ed.D.

il

Would you like to know more about distance

learning? Participate in one of our international
workshops, sponsor a regional multi-institutional
workshop, or have a workshop conducted at your
institution especially for your instructors.

International workshops sponsored by the Center

for Educational Development at New Mexico
State University. Visit the CED website at
www.nmsu.edu/~ced/wkshp.htm.

Regional and single institution workshops sponsored

by Educational Development Associates, Thomas
E. Cyrs, Ed.D., President. Visit the EDA website
at www.zianet.com/edacyrs/.

© copyright 1999 Thomas E. Cyrs

ISBN 0-9628477-4-7
Center for Educational Development, New Mexico State University
Publications website: http://www.nmsu.edu/ ~ced/pubs.htm
 ili

Table of Contents

Chapter Page

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PNERMOW LOOP ONICIIEG iosccs kes cosseacsusostscasartsn sscorsensaccutosttesaiticacnsesis vii
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sescherdosnionsceosdoronees viii
The instructional systems approach to teaching and
learning, (ISAT) £25 seer Wi cise eens roman, 1
Domains of learning
Cognitive Domain
Affective Domain
14 principles of teaching/learning supported by the ISAT
teaching/learning model
Creating an active distance learning classroom ............ 12
Definition of active learning
Instructional strategies that support active learning
Instructor-centered teaching methods
Individualized teaching methods
Interactive teaching methods
Experiential teaching methods
The IMPPACTS teaching/learning system ...........ssscseeres 23
Introduction
Introduce
Motivate
Present
Practice
Apply
Communicate
Transfer
Supplement
Team projects and peer review orrvevseserersersrseeesesesseseseeees 36
Why bother with small-group projects?
Purpose of small groups
How should you act in a small group?
How should you act in the group activity: Assigned roles
Long-term small-group projects: Essential tasks
Forming short term teams: Random assignment
1V

Small-group participation rating scale

Engaging students at field sites:
Activities ANd CXELCISES ........ccccccrccrcccesssrrrccssscccccssssooscses 42
Criteria for selection of activities and exercises
Student involvement
Activities and exercises

123 of the most important things that I have learned

about teaching and learning at a distance ............00+ 85
Appendix A: Using trigger videos to develop
critical thinking skills ............scsccssscsssssscsrssssssssessssesessesees 92
Strategies for effective use of trigger videos
Examples of scenes edited from commercial rental videos
Finding the right trigger videos and video scenarios
Locally produced trigger videos
Trigger video production guidelines
General discussion questions to generate maximum impact
Appendix Bs Scenarios s2c20cs..ckcctcssesiesstssassssrssevsetceccsstecsovee 102
Just teach the way you have always taught!
Distance education: Should our school system become
involved?
Technology, teaching, and learning: The chicken or the
egg?
Culturally sensitive instructional development
Teaching at a distance: Is there a difference?
Involving students from their heads to their toes
Distance education: What’s involved?
But, this is the way we have always done it!
Developing a telecourse
Why should I do all of this?
Involving students at field sites
Appendix C: Potential games .........scssssssssssssssesscceessssseees 114
What is a game?
The games
Creating or adapting a new game
Future perfect: The family timeship game
Grandma’s trunk: The game of distance learning
Bibliography
Lecture is a bore,
Everybody knows.
Get them involved
From their heads to their toes.

* Thomas E. Cyrs
V1

Dedication

‘To the teachers who encourage

their students to become active
participants in their own learning.
 Vii

Acknowledgements

John P. Shonk, research associate and doctoral student at

New Mexico State University, whose keen eye and cheerful
attitude so gently corrected many editorial, reference, and
bibliographic errors.
Eugenia D. Conway, assistant director for faculty
development in the Center for Educational Development at
New Mexico State University, whose invaluable help made
this book possible. Jean reviewed the content of each chapter
for clarity and validity and made many, many contributions.
Jean’s patience, encouragement, comment, and cheerful
prodding made this book possible.
Carol Cyrs, my wife, whose patient editing and constant
need for clarification helped me to communicate difficult and
abstract ideas more thoroughly. Her encouragement and
generous time commitment kept me on target.
Billy Pelzel, a senior graphic design student at New Mexico
State University, who created the cover for this book.
vill

Introduction

Students don’t care unless they are involved somehow in their

own learning activities. They do not want to be passive
recipients of information, much of which they do not see the
relevancy or use for. Distance learning is no exception and
may magnify the problem. Students want to be involved. This
book explores a variety of distance learning activities and
exercises that will allow you to involve students at both
origination and at field sites in critical thinking skills, problem
solving skills, and values exploration exercises. It explores the
components of an active teleclassroom and the logistics of
how to involve students who are physically separated from
their instructors.
When asked what intellectual skills are reinforced and
promoted in a course, most instructors honestly believe that
their teaching and class structure support critical thinking and
problem solving skills. A review of the learning performance
objectives, when they exist, for most courses reveals an
emphasis on low level learning with an emphasis on recall
and paraphrasing skills at the expense of critical thinking. This
is reinforced when tests and exams are reviewed. It is further
reinforced when classes are observed and instructor questions
analyzed for probable intellectual emphasis.
This problem is addressed with the use of a performance
or competency-based teaching learning model called the
instructional systems approach to teaching and learning (ISAT
Model). This model shows the exact relationships among the
learning performance objectives, assessment procedures used
to evaluate the objectives, feedback strategies to both the
instructor and students; selection of alternative teaching or
communication techniques, and the identification and selec-
tion of learning activities. When the learning performance
objectives are rated at the critical thinking level, all of the
other instructional components must also support critical
thinking activities. To assist the instructor with the specifica-
tion of critical thinking learning performance objectives, a
modified four level learning classification taxonomy is pro-
vided. This four tier hierarchical model progresses from
simple recall of information through comprehension, to
 ix

application or the ability to use given rules, data, formulae, or

procedures, to the highest level of learning, critical thinking or
problem solving. The relationship between cognitive, affec-
tive, and motor skills is reviewed.
A separate chapter has been provided dealing with the
notion of what constitutes critical thinking. Over 160 different
short activities and exercises have been provided with
references that can serve as models for further exercise and
activity development. Three separate appendices have been
used to further elaborate with longer examples, trigger videos,
games, and scenarios.
Since many of the exercises and activities require the use of
small group teams of students, an operational description of
what teams are and how they function has been reviewed. To
ensure that all students participate, a peer review team rating
document has been suggested.
This book ends with a review of 123 lessons that this
instructor has learned about teaching and learning at a
distance with any of the delivery technologies. These
summarize a Career.
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 Chapter One
The Instructional Systems
Approach to Teaching and
Learning

Tie instructional systems approach allows the instructor and

student to see the relationship of each of the major teaching/
learning components, namely, the learning expectations, how
these expectations will be assessed, how the instructor will
teach and communicate with the students, the types of learn-
ing activities and exercises that the students will become
involved in, and how data will be fed back to the instructor
and students in a timely manner. The emphasis shifts from the
act of teaching to learning. Involving the student in the
decision as to what is or is not learned increases motivation.
The instructional systems approach puts learning at the heart
of the instructional process rather than teaching. Knowing
what to expect in a learning environment allows better
decisions regarding how to help the students move toward
their expectations. Everyone is aware of what is to be learned
and why it is to be learned. This will raise the probability of
student acceptance of the learning expectations and will raise
the validity of valid assessment.
Planning and organizing a distance learning class in real or
delayed time requires some type of structure. This can be
done by the instructor and by the instructor in collaboration
with the students. The instructional systems approach
provides a structure to make the basic decision about what
will constitute an effective distance learning class. To improve
understanding, students must see how a distance learning class
is organized and planned. The structure functions like a
blueprint. The final product is known and the sequence of
steps required to get there is laid out for everyone to see.
Guesswork and misinterpretation is minimized. Without some
type of structure there is chaos, confusion, and disorientation.
The instructional systems approach provides a model and
philosophy of teaching and learning. A model is a standard
against which we measure or compare something. It is
2° Chapter One

exemplary. Philosophy drives action. A model puts action

within a context or structure. There are many types of models
around which to develop a distance learning class or lesson.
The one described here is the ISAT or instructional systems
approach to teaching/learning.
The Instructional Systems Approach to Teaching/ Learning
is a performance/competency-based model. Performance-
based in that it is based on specific statements of intended
learning outcomes (objectives) that are observable and
measurable. The learning performance objectives are
constructed and chosen by the instructor or could be
negotiated with the students. This is a values selection since
many choices are possible. This approach is competency-
based if the areas of competence and resulting learning
performance objectives are derived from and validated against
professional practice. Personal choices by the instructor are
limited.
The instructional systems approach to teaching and
learning is based on general systems theory that allows you to
see the individual trees as well as the forest.
The five components of the instructional systems approach
include:
Step 1: Specify the learning performance objectives.
Step 2: Design assessment procedures.
Step 3: Identify feedback channels for the instructor, students,
and anyone else who needs the data.
Step 4: Select alternative teaching strategies.
Step 5: Design student involvement activities and exercises.
It is important to put these five components into a logical
model showing the exact relationship among them.
Graphically, the model looks like this:
 The ISAT Model « 3

Classroom

Identify
alternative
teaching
stratetgies

Specify Design
learning assessment
performance rocedures
or teaching
objectives and learning

Identify student
involvement
exercises/
activities

Provide
feedback

Step 1: Specify the learning performance

objectives
The specification and selection of the learning performance
objectives is the first and most important component of this
model. It sets the foundation for everything else that will take
place. It is student-centered in that it has switched the
emphasis from teaching to learning. It has moved from
teacher-centered to student-centered. All assessment will
depend on the intent of the learning performance objectives.
Students should know why the objectives are important to
them, what benefits or value they can receive as a result of
mastering them, and how they can apply them to their
personal and professional lives immediately.
Domains ofLearning
Once specified in precise and specific terms, the next event is
to identify primary learning domain as cognitive, affective, or
psychomotor. Most of the objectives will be cognitive,
although many affective objectives will be identified. Once the
primacy of the domain of learningisknown, the instructor
will need a strategy for sequencing the learning performance
objectives since these are the bedrock upon which a
telelesson is built.
4 * Chapter One

Cognitive Domain
Since most learning performance objectives are classified as
cognitive, a taxonomy or classification scheme will be
provided. This will be important to match all objectives with
valid assessment procedures, teaching strategies, and student
activities and exercises.
The original cognitive taxonomy presented by Benjamin
Bloom was reduced from six to four cognitive levels for ease
of training. The upper three levels of analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation are grouped under critical thinking or problem
solving. This cognitive taxonomy is both sequential and
hierarchical. There is significant empirical evidence for the
hierarchical and cumulative structure.
This classification or rating scheme can be used for:
* Rating the intended intellectual level of learning
performance objectives;
* Classifying the intellectual level of instructor-generated
classroom questions;
* Classifying the intellectual intent of test items and other
assessment procedures; and
* Classifying the intent of classroom activities and exercises.
The four cognitive levels of learning from lowest to highest
are:
* Knowledge recall,
* Comprehension,
* Application or rule using, and
* Critical thinking/problem solving or rule selection.
Knowledge recall is the lowest level of learning but
provides an informational base on which to build the other
three levels. 75-85% of test items, learning performance
objectives, and classroom questions are found at this level.
Knowledge recall requires memory and recall only. Learning
performance objectives at the knowledge recall level are the
easiest to write and require little or no training.
Comprehension is the ability to manipulate information by
describing, explaining, or comparing or contrasting something.
This level of learning deals with data as it is presented. The
student does not have to make inferences or read between the
lines.
 The ISAT Model ¢ 5

Application requires the student to apply given rules, data,

procedures, or formulae. The given data has never been seen
before. The student is not required to know which rules to
apply. If the data has been seen before, the student recalls it
and paraphrases it.
Critical thinking or problem solving requires the student to
determine which rules data, procedures, or formulae to apply
to solve a problem. Critical thinking is a combination of
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation skills. Critical thinking
frequently contains attitudinal and value judgments as well
as intellectual skill. This is the highest and most important
cognitive skill. An instructor cannot lecture and expect a
student to achieve at this level. Critical thinking requires
interaction and practice.
Affective Domain
As with the cognitive domain of learning, there are five levels
of affective objectives that are logically sequential, but there is
scant empirical evidence that they are hierarchical. From
lowest to highest these include:
Receiving or attending. This is a simple awareness that
something exists. The learner is sensitive that certain
information exists and is willing to receive it.
Responding. Response to information is done out of fear or
love. The student is motivated enough that s/he is willing to
attend or listen.
Valuing. When something is valued, choices are made. It
means that a behavior has worth. It is equivocated with an
attitude. There are many exercises and activities that allow
students to identify and explore their values.
Organization of values. A student has many values, some of
which are in conflict with one another. For example, a student
may value their health yet choose to smoke. At this level
values are placed into a hierarchy.
Characterization by a value or value complex. The values are
totally internalized. They have become part of a total
personality.
6 * Chapter One

Step 2: Design assessment procedures

Design the assessment procedures to match the level of the
learning performance objectives. Any assessment procedure is
absolutely dependent on the statement of the learning
performance objectives. Without these objectives, the
instructor has no yardstick against which to measure learning.
The validity of any test is dependent on the statement of
objectives.
Assessment techniques include observation, product
criteria, written tests, oral tests, and performance. In order for
an assessment to be valid it must be at the same cognitive
level as the statement of the learning performance objectives.
A learning performance objective cannot be classified as
critical thinking with the assessment conducted at the
comprehension level. This would be invalid assessment.

Step 3: Identify feedback channels for the

instructor, students, and anyone else who needs
the data
Identify feedback channels for those participants who need to
know the results. Data is provided to both the student and the
instructor. If any other personnel need the data, it should be
justified.

Step 4: Select alternative teaching strategies

Select alternative teaching strategies. This includes all
methods to deliver instruction, live and mediated. Teaching
strategies depend on the learning performance objectives and
the cognitive or affective levels of the learning performance
objectives. Information can be transferred from the instructor
to the student through live lecture, videotape, audiotape, and
many other delivery techniques.
Application and critical thinking cannot be taught through
the lecture. At best, an instructor can model a solution by
talking through it. This is simply comprehension for a student.
For a student to reach the application and critical thinking
levels they must be directly involved in the solution. This can
be accomplished working alone or preferably in teams.

Step 5: Design student involvement activities

and exercises
Design student involvement activities. Students’ involvement
in their own learning is no longer an option for the instructor.
 The ISAT Model ¢ 7

It is an integral component of the ISAT model. Student

involvement in application and critical thinking activities is
the only way to learn at these higher levels. Interaction or
involvement takes place between a student and instructor
through questioning; among students in teams; and with
content and media such as computer-based instruction or
computer conferencing.
The ISAT or instructional systems approach to teaching is a
logical and sequential model used to validly design instruction
and training. It provides a structure so that all of the five
major components can be seen by the students as they relate
to each other. It is also sequential in that the five steps are
followed in order. Using the ISAT model, the instructor has
viewed assessment as an integral component of teaching
rather than as an afterthought and adjunct to it.

14 Principles of Teaching/ eats avppoues

by the ISAT Teaching/Learning Mode
1. Encourage active learning. What is active learning? Is it
the opposite of passive learning?
* Focus on higher learning critical thinking and problem
solving rather than memory and paraphrasing only.
« Engage students to work constructively and supportively
in teams with structured problems.
* Higher learning is an interactive and social process that
results in meaningful, long lasting changes in knowledge,
attitudes, values, and skills.
* Active learning gets students to do something and then
think about what they have done.
+ Strategies to encourage active learning include trigger
videos, case studies, scenarios, simulations, and games.
¢ Involve students at least 30% of the distance learning class
time.
* Use the IMPPACTS (Introduction, Motivation, Practice,
Presentation, Application, Communication, Transfer,
Supplement) teaching/learning model to encourage
involvement.
2. Communicate high expectations for students that are
perceived as achievable.
* Convince students that they can achieve and make use of
what they learn.
8 * Chapter One

* Where are the students now and where do we want them

to be at the end of the class and course?
* What are the entry level skills?
¢ Student must see the objectives as reasonable to reach.
* The first two classes are critical to set expectations of how
the course will be organized.
* Show work, products, results from previous classes.
* Invite students from previous classes to speak to a new
class and discuss what they learned.
* Explore student expectations of what they feel is
important in a course.
* Answer each student question for each new skill or area of
knowledge.
* Explain why learning the learning performance objectives
is important.
* Explain the benefits to be derived from learning the
objectives.
* Explain how to use skills immediately.
3. Emphasize time on task.
- Explain why the time the student actually spends doing
the required academic work is important.
* Describe why time management is important and explore
some skills.
° Discuss that it is not the amount but the quality of time
that counts.
* Explain how much time you expect students to spend per
week on homework, reading, class preparation, etc.
* Outline short presentations and provide the outline in a
handout.
* Prepare questions in advance and rate their cognitive
intent.
4. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.
* Check your assumptions about diversity.
* Let students know what, how, and why we teach.
* Encourage students to speak up when they don’t
understand.
* Discourage snide remarks, sarcasm, or any type of remark
or behavior that might embarrass other students.
 The ISAT Model « 9

* Integrate new knowledge about women and other under-

represented populations cultural groups into courses.
5. Encourage student/faculty contact.
* Teach our subjects and teach about ourselves. We are role
models.
* Non-verbal communication is as important as verbal.
* Encourage open office hour visits.
* Love and honor your students.
* Provide encouraging feedback and provide reassuring
help.
* Be a good listener who is available, approachable and
cares.
* Arrive at class 10 minutes early to prepare materials.
* Greet students by name.
* Go where the students go.
* Meet with students after class.
* Teachers have greater impact before and after class than
in class.
6. Promote cooperation among students.
* View knowledge as “socially constructed” in small groups.
This is the opposite of the metaphor as “knowledge
received.”
* Promote the idea that we learn from each other.
Cooperative teams can achieve more than individuals.
¢ There is no “I” in we.
¢ No one is smarter than all of us.
* Teach team learning skills.
* Peer review for contributions to the team effort.
7. Give prompt feedback on learning.
* Provide positive and constructive feedback face to face
and in written comments.
* Return tests promptly.
* Schedule conferences with individual students.
8. Identify, clarify, and connect teaching and learning goals.
* Get students involved in the statement of their own
learning performance objectives. Use learning contracts.
10 * Chapter One

¢ Share the learning performance objectives with the

students. These are too often the secrets we keep from
students.
* Emphasize learning.
9. Connect prior knowledge to new information
¢ This creates meaningfulness for what the student is doing.
° Use all types of analogies and visualize them when
appropriate.
¢ Ask students what they already know about a topic. We
are often surprised.
* Use examples and stories.
10. Organize information in personally meaningful ways.
¢ Learners organize information constantly in some correct
and incorrect ways through note-taking and note
organization.
* Help students to organize with handouts, study guides,
and structured notes.
° Use word pictures or other types of graphic organizers.
* Prompts and cues. Use attention focusing strategies such
as magic illusion, visual analogy, and storytelling.
11. Provide practice for transfer and application.
* It is what students can do with what they know rather
than only what they know.
* Unless a student learns to transfer information/skills/
attitudes to their lives and other classes, what is learned
will be of little value. Knowledge will become inert and
useless—stagnant.
* If you value comprehension, teach for it; if you value
application, teach for it.
12. Increase motivation through every means possible.
* Describe why students should learn something, the benefits
from learning it, and how to apply it now.
* Motivated teachers motivate students.
* Communicate “I care-I believe in you.”
Create a stimulating environment.
13. Students learn as they are assessed-the grading game.
* If you test for recall, students will memorize.
 The ISAT Model « 11

* If you test for critical thinking, students will begin to think

critically—I hope.
* Give students the final exam on their first day of class.
14. We live in a visual world-let students see what you are
saying.
* Communicate visually with every means possible.
 Chapter Two

Creating an Active Distance

Learning Classroom

Dean Smith is discussing the third principle of

thermodynamics with two fellow students after listening to
and taking notes during a 15-minute lecturette by the
instructor. The group has identified two important questions
that they need answers to before they can continue. They pose
the questions to the instructor who in turn asks the class and
guides their responses with other probing questions.
Pat Makers has just finished writing her reactions to a
provocative presentation on the economics of providing
health care to AIDS patients. She is about to share her ideas
and opinions with her class.
Celestina Hernandez, working with four other students, has
spent the past twenty minutes identifying several alternatives
to Iven Illich’s approaches to education as expressed in
Deschooling Society. As the recorder for the group, Benny
Schwartz will present the group’s ideas to the whole class.
Each of these ideas and their possible long term consequences
will be debated during the next class.
Shelia Morrison and two of her fellow students are about to
show a three-minute trigger video which they completed this
past weekend. The title of this trigger video is A Difficult
Decision. The topic deals with the abortion issue. After viewing
the trigger video, the class, working in groups of five, will
discuss the issue and attempt to reach a consensus of opinion.
They will report their consensus or nonconsensus during class.
This will serve as the basis for future research.
What do all of these brief descriptions have in common?
Each classroom scenario described what the students were
discussing, reflecting upon and judging. They did not describe
what the instructor was doing. Yet, it was the instructor who
designed the learning events and created the environment that
allowed this kind of active learning to take place.
The term active learning describes the role of the student as
they act on their own learning. Traditionally, students were

12
 Creating an active distance learning classroom * 13

passive recipients of the information dispensed by the

instructor that was frequently the results of their own narrow
area of research. The role of the student was that of spectator
who was to sit, listen, and write important notes for later
review. The role of the instructor was to “tell” students
through the traditional and timehonored lecture. The lecture
does not promote problem solving or critical thinking skills.
At best, the lecture can model or demonstrate how the
instructor thinks critically and solve problems.
Current research has indicated that the maximum attention
span of a student during a 50- to 75-minute lecture
presentation is only 15 to 20 minutes. Research has also
revealed that a maximum of three or four main points should
be covered in a 50-minute lesson period. Given these research
conclusions, how have college instructors responded? The
“talking lecture” is still used as the preferred teaching method.
Student passivity is still the best descriptor of college and
university classrooms. Active learning is the exception rather
than the rule.
Reasons for the predominance of the lecturer, or as some
have come to call it, the sage on stage, are due to the lack of
training of most college instructors in the basic skills of
teaching. Most are not acquainted with viable alternatives to
the traditional lecture or how to modify it to involve their
students. Other reasons include the tradition of the lecture, the
resistance of faculty to change, and the attitudes of department
heads that equate the lecture with teaching. Many feel that if
you are not talking (professing) then the students are not
learning. Transported to the distance learning classroom, the
problem is magnified. The result is a radio program placed on
a television screen.

Definition of Active Learning

Active learning means that students are involved in what they
are learning. They not only seek out and possess information,
they do something with it. They apply the concepts, reflect on
what they have done, and make judgments as to the worth or
value of their conclusions. The research literature on active
learning conducted by Chickering and Gamson (1987)
suggests that students must do more than listen during a
lecture. They must be moved beyond passive listening. Active
learning implies that the students are using combinations of
viewing, listening, writing, talking, feeling, touching, and
14 * Chapter Two

tasting. They are not sitting, listening, viewing, and copying

notes as in passive learning. As the students receive the
information they act upon it and do something with it.
During active learning the students experience interactions
with the instructor (usually through questioning), with other
students, and with the media as in programmed instruction or
computer-based instruction. Wagner (1997) defines
interactions as “reciprocal events requiring two objects and
two actions. Interactions... occur when objects and events
mutually influence each other” (p. 14). There are two purposes
of interactions that include changing the behavior of a student
and moving this student towards the mastery of a learning
performance objective. When students are involved in
exercises and activities based on the learning objectives, the
interactions that take place among them move them towards
achievement of the learning objectives. These interactions are
a means, not an end in themselves. Wagner (1998) identifies a
variety of interaction types that can be built into exercises and
activities or become the criteria for selection of the exercise or
activity. These interaction types include such purposes as:
* To increase social participation through a willingness to
engage in field site activities;
* To develop peer communication skills that clearly
articulate expectations among peers in a team project;
* To receive constructive feedback from peers and to
provide feedback to peers in an honest and supportive
environment;
* To enhance elaboration and retention of skills and data
This is the ability to construct alternative examples and
non-examples to explain new ideas;
* To support learning control through self-regulation,
* To increase motivation;
* For negotiation of understanding through consensus
building;
* For team building;
* For discovery by a willingness to probe new
interpretations and connections among ideas;
* For exploration by increasing the scope, breadth, and
depth of an idea;
* For clarification of understanding; and
 Creating an active distance learning classroom « 15

* For closure by setting limits and boundaries to a project

by limiting activity and information to critical and
supportive information.
Bonwell and Eison (1991) suggest that active learning is
anything that “involves students in doing things and thinking
about the things they are doing.” They also note that active
learning as a concept has not been adequately defined or
described in the educational literature. Some general
descriptors commonly associated with the use of instructional
strategies that promote active learning in the college
classroom have been identified by these researchers,
1. Students are involved in more than listening.
2. Less emphasis is placed on information transmission skills
(information dumping). It is placed on the development of
applied skills implicit in analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation.
3. Students are engaged in activities and exercises which use
as many sensory inputs as possible such as reading,
discussing/writing, and speaking.
4, Students are involved in the exploration of their own
attitudes and values.
Schomberg, (1986), describes active learning as follows,
It involves students both in acquiring information and in
interpreting and transforming it. Students work with the
subject first-hand: exploring ordinary materials in organizing
data, making observations, solving problems, or conducting
experiments. Students are required to produce some type of
product by interpreting information through analysis,
synthesis, evaluation or some other form of reflection. The
product may be a paper, report, debate, role play, problem
solution, or model.
This same researcher goes on to note the changing roles of
instructors in an active learning environment,
Faculty... have to make changes in their role. Whereas they
previously may have focused their attention on organizing and
interpreting information through lectures, they now
concentrate on designing assignments, exercises, and tasks
through which students will learn from first-hand experiences
with the subject. Faculty act as monitors; guiding students
through the subject, instructing, responding to students
questions, encouraging student investigation.
16 * Chapter Two

Active learning is called interactive learning by Jones

(1988). He views it as,
Interactive learning can be described as a wide range of
activities in which participants in an event interact with each
other for the purposes of education and training. The events
include discussions, exercises, role-plays, simulation and
games. The teacher (trainer, instructor, tutor) either abandons
or greatly reduces the amount of direct instruction.
Jones (1988) notes that “an event is what actually happens,
not what is supposed to happen. An event is whatever the
participants think, feel and do.”
Simpson and Galbo (1986) propose that interaction in a
classroom is “central to the learning process.” They define
interaction as,
All manner of behavior in which individuals and groups act
upon each other. The essential characteristic is reciprocity in
actions and responses in an infinite variety of relationships:
verbal and nonverbal, conscious and unconscious, enduring
and casual. Interaction is seen as a continually emerging
process, as communication, in its most inconclusive sense.
In the report Jnvolvement in Learning: Realizing the Potential of
American Higher Education. Final Report of the Study Group on
the Conditions of Excellence in American Higher Education
(National Institute of Education, 1984), the editors state that
student involvement is the most important element for the
purpose of improving undergraduate education along with
higher expectations of students as described in educational
outcomes and assessment and feedback to students. Cross
(1991) urges faculty to actively involve and engage students in
the process of their own learning. She notes that “learning is
not so much an additive process, with new learning simply
piling up on top of existing knowledge, as it is an active,
dynamic process in which the connections are constantly
changing and the structure reformatted.”

Instructional Strategies that Support Active

Learning
There are many types of instructional strategies that can be
used to promote active learning that are suggested in this
book-more than 150. An instructional strategy describes both
the teaching methods and the physical delivery system. A
teaching method is a communication technique selected by
the instructor in order to assist students to master the learning
performance objectives. For example, the instructor might
 Creating an active distance learning classroom + 17

select the lecture method because in his or her opinion that it

is the most efficient method to provide information. On the
other hand, the instructor might use a highly interactive
approach such as small group problem solving.
The delivery system consists of the physical resources used to
deliver the subject matter through the instructor to the
student. Physical resources includes such things as videotape,
live interactive television, and computer-assisted instruction.
Students never learn from the physical media. They learn
from the different communication techniques selected by the
instructor and delivered by these physical media.
Weston and Cranton (1986), have provided a framework to
explore different types of teaching methods. These researchers
have grouped teaching methods into four categories:
instructor-centered, individualized, interactive, and
experiential.

Instructor-centered Teaching Methods

These teaching methods place the instructor at center stage in
the distance learning classroom. They are characterized as the
“talk and chalk” approach to teaching in the distance learning
classroom. There is little, if any, interaction. Students are not
encouraged to ask questions. Most of the talking is done by
the instructor with minimal input from students. Handouts are
used occasionally at best. Students must copy extensive notes
and hope that they have identified the key points. The
instructor is in complete control of the subject matter
presented, pacing and sequence, how much is taught and
when it is taught. They control the time and length of any
type of student intervention. This is low risk teaching and is
the most prevalent type in post-secondary education,
traditional and at a distance. Lecturing or “talking at” is
equivocated with teaching. The source of knowledge, wisdom,
and truth reside within the instructor stationed at the front of
the classroom. Research has indicated that this is the least
effective form of teaching and will hinder students from
developing critical thinking skills.

Individualized Teaching Methods

Self-direction and self-pacing within a self-contained learning
package or module are the best descriptors for individualized
teaching methods. Students work independently of an
instructor to achieve the learning performance objectives
18 « Chapter Two

provided for them or negotiated with them by the instructor

live and via the Internet. Activities and exercises are either
given to the student or developed and selected in
collaboration with the instructor. Time rather than
performance is the major variable when this technique is used.
A learning contract is frequently employed in which the
student agrees in writing to complete certain activities for a
predetermined grade within a predetermined time period. In
addition to selfdirection and self-pacing, individualized
teaching methods are self-correcting and selfcontained.
The use of learning packages, computer-based instruction,
programmed textbooks, multimedia packages, and other
forms of instruction under the direct control and pace of the
student are used with this teaching approach. The use of the
World Wide Web for virtual classes exemplifies this strategy.
Videotapes are also widely used.

Interactive Teaching Methods

This teaching method fosters maximum communication and
involvement between the instructor and students via
interactive television and audio conferencing using interactive
study guides and among students at field sites. Which
interactive method is chosen and how it will be used will
depend upon the learning performance objectives. Interaction
is promoted with quality questions that require more than
recall of factual data. This technique emphasizes a cooperative
team-based approach rather than a competitive student
learning environment. There is minimal formal lecturing. This
does not just happen. It is planned.
Examples of interactive teaching methods could include:
Trigger video
A trigger video is an involvement strategy that frequently
leaves many things unsaid. It therefore stimulates more viewer
participation. The video clip acts as a catalyst by presenting in
a crystal clear segment of time, a myriad of selected, but often
ambiguous, details concerned with a provocative topic, all of
which are designed and calculated to evoke, or trigger viewer
response.
The trigger video is a one- to five-minute (longer if
necessary) visual scenario of a problem, opportunity, or event
that raises questions or concerns and requires some type of
solution or action. It triggers an emotional response from
 Creating an active distance learning classroom « 19

student viewers rather than a rational response. The initial

appeal is focused on emotions, values, and attitudes. The
trigger video is designed to have a high impact, to shock, and
to stimulate. It brings an issue into sharp focus in little time
and initiates heated discussion. Trigger videos are realistic and
often open-ended. The essence of the learning in a trigger
video is not in the scenario per se, but in the experiences of
the students that view the clip. The trigger is used to stimulate
discussion around the topic. See Appendix A.
Role playing
During a role play the student is given a description of a
situation and the characters in the situation. The student takes
on the role of one of the characters and attempts to behave
like the character in the situation. This method allows the
student to try out attitudes and behaviors and to observe other
people’s reaction to them. This method requires a great deal
of imagination and a willingness to get involved on a high
emotional level.

Simulations
Simulations approximate real world situations in a
simplified and well-controlled manner and under strict
supervision. Thiagarajan, (1996) defines a simulation as a
“representation of the features and behaviors of one system
through the use of another. Elements of a simulation
correspond to selected elements of the system being simulated
(p. 35).” Participants pursue mastery of learning performance
objectives, usually at the application and critical thinking
levels, in which they are requested to overcome deliberate
obstacles and constraints. It is a game without winners or
losers. The purpose is to overcome the obstacles and
constraints and master the objectives. This method
emphasizes the processes one uses as the real learning
experience rather than the outcomes. Specific rules are used
to guide actions independently of the instructor. A simulation
requires the presence of someone to interpret and enforce the
rules. This is one of the best techniques for developing
planning and decision-making skills and has the strong
potential to influence values and attitudes. Although a
simulation can be done individually, they usually involve
teams with a high level of interpersonal interaction. A
simulation may take only a few minutes, several hours, or can
be spread over several weeks.
20 * Chapter Two

In addition to these brief descriptions, please review the

many other activities and exercises that address these skill
areas.
Scenarios
A scenario is a short description of an event, an
assignment, a problem, or an opportunity that the participants
will have to work with in a defined period of time. It usually
includes partial information and possibly a poorly defined
problem. A scenario can be designed so that the participants
can make any number of assumptions with or without
approval of the instructor. If more than one group is working
with the same scenario, they might make different
assumptions and, therefore, arrive at different conclusions or
recommendations. These will be discussed during the
presentation of the team presenter.
In some instances the same scenario is assigned to each
team. As the scenario progresses, the teacher provides
different written details based on different sets of assumptions
to each group. In some instances the teams may ask for
additional data while in others they may not be provided with
any additional data. These are revealed during the discussion.
The different sets of assumptions will lead to different
conclusions.
As the scenario is developed and modified, the details
should match the individual institution as closely as possible
so that there is a note of reality to the data. Modify each
scenario as needed. Keep in mind that during the use of the
scenario, the process that the team goes through may be as
important as the conclusions or recommendations that they
reach.
Sample scenarios have been provided in Appendix B.
Games
Games are lots of fun to play and provide for participatory
and active learning. There are all kinds of games that include
sports games, party games, war games, board games,
children’s games, and a host more. They are based on the
principles of “discovery learning” espoused by John Dewey in
the 1930s. A game can be defined as “a structured training
activity with a content or process learning objective other than
the completion of the activity itself” (Kirby, 1992, p- 4).
Kozma, Belle, and Williams (1978) define a game as a “set of
 Creating an active distance learning classroom * 21

activities governed by two sets of rules-move rules, and

termination rules (p. 257).” Move rules describe the variety of
moves a participant can make during a game while
termination rules describe the objectives of the game and
what the final outcome will look like. Unlike simulations,
games have rules and winners. Simulations have a high degree
of reality while games use symbols such as a bishop in chess.
Most games are not designed to approximate real life
situations. Games have a body of content for which there is a
high degree of consensus and frequently use rules from other
fields. An example of this is a spelling bee in which the rules
of spelling are used within the game. Games can also use a
high degree of simulation and are called simulation games.
The latter include rules and content from domains that are
much less clear and for which there may not be consensus.
Often the situation in simulation games is based on
hypothetical situations rather than on real world situations.
Although the situations are hypothetical, the participants still
experience the consequences of their actions resulting in
winners and losers.
Sample games have been provided in Appendix C.

Experiential teaching methods

These teaching methods involve real-life experiences or
simulations of those experiences. Experiential teaching
methods involve aspects of all three previous teaching
methods. They usually deal with application and critical
thinking skills. Information gathering and comprehension take
place outside regular classroom settings. Experiential
experiences at field sites offer a host of opportunities as well as
accompanying problems. Depending on the exercise/activity
chosen, some of the problems encountered might include:
* Logistics of transporting materials and equipment to the
field site.
* Security of expensive equipment at the field site.
- Adequate supervision if there is any risk or danger.
* Disposal of materials according to OSHA.
* Use of external facilities such as laboratories.
There are a variety of experiential teaching methods which
include:
Field experiences include on-the-job tasks under the guidance
of an expert. Field experiences could be preceded by lectures,
22 * Chapter Two

demonstrations, and the use of simulations to prepare the

student.
Clinical experiences take place within a clinical setting under
the real-time tutelage of a clinical preceptor. Videotapes and
simulations could be used to prepare the students for the skill
they are to master. Demonstrations followed by practice with
immediate feedback are common techniques.
Laboratory experiences take place at a field site or ina
laboratory environment under the direction of an instructor or
mentor. Videotapes and demonstrations under ideal
conditions could be used as a pre-lab experience.
In summary, this chapter has dealt with a variety of
instructional strategies that could be used to increase and
improve student interactions within a classroom by getting
them involved in viewing, observing, writing, speaking,
reading, listening, and a combination of these. Increased
involvement will improve learning outcomes.
A systematic way to create and promote active learning
follows in the next chapter with the introduction of the
IMPPACTS teaching/learning system.
 Chapter Three

The IMPPACTS Teaching/

Learning System

Introduction
strategy to design a distance learning course that
maximally involves students in an active learning
environment is to treat a course as a series of learning
modules that are presented in a variety of consistent formats.
Each module could take one or several classes. The system
recommended is called the IMPPACTS system of teaching
and learning for distance education.
The IMPPACTS teaching/learning modules consist of a
series of eight easy to follow components.
* Introduce
* Motivate
* Present
* Practice
> Apply
* Communicate
¢ Transfer
* Supplement
The components for each of the modules are selected
based upon the learning performance objectives. The
individual module may not include every IMPPACT
component. The sequence of components may also vary on
occasion. For example, the Practice component may come
prior to the Presentation component. These components
reflect the best practices of instructional design and learning
theory as they apply to distance learning. The IMPPACTS
teaching/ learning system is explained using the IMPPACTS
system.

23
24 * Chapter Three

OVGEOCEOGO
Introduce
* Entry level requirements
» Does completion of this learning module require
mastery of any prior modules?
»Is this learning module part of a longer learning
sequence?
* Background
» Is this learning module based on the assumption that
the students have no background experiences with
the information/skill?
» Are there prior skills or information that the students
must successfully complete prior to this learning
module?
» Does this module presume that the participant can
use and apply PowerPoint™?
° Context
» How does this learning module fit within the total
structure of the distance learning course? It should
explain how this module relates to previous modules
and modules that will follow. The content of the
module should relate to what the students have
already learned. This will let the students see a map
of the whole forest as well as the individual trees.
* Learning performance objectives
» These are the foundation for everything that takes
place within the learning module. Every exercise and
activity as well as the assessment will be based on
these objectives. The learning performance objectives
specify in precise, unambiguous language exactly
what the student is to know and what the student is to
do with what they know.
» Are the objectives primarily cognitive, affective, or
psychomotor? If cognitive, what is the intended
intellectual level? The objectives clarify for the
student exactly what is expected of them.
 The IMPPACTS teaching/learning system + 25

Seeo
Motivate
Why learn it: Importance, relevance, benefits, and
application?
The teacher explains why the skill is important and
relevant and what benefits or payoff the student could derive
from it. Relevance refers to those things that the student
perceives as instrumental in meeting their needs, personal
desires, and goals. Use job-related examples if possible,
explain the connections, and ask the students to describe their
own perceptions of relevance. Importance can be shown with:
* A meaningful quote.
* A meaningful generalization or one that provokes
controversy because it counters experience or values or
states one side of an issue in overstated terms.
* Telling of successful applications with vignettes, case
examples, and testimonials. Show how others have
benefitted by applying the skill of data.
* Telling of likely problems if the ideas or skills are not
applied or understood-the consequences of non-mastery.
* Conducting an exercise or activity demonstrating need.
* Asking a puzzling relevant question to show the content is
needed.
* Thinking about your subject as an answer that students
must know and then make up a question leading to the
answer.
* Showing a relevant puzzling event. Demonstrate or
observe an event. When students ask questions, grab the
moment. Magic illusion= “How did that work?” “How did
you do that?”
* Asking which relevant idea is correct. Bring conflicting
ideas to the forefront and ask, “What would you do?”
* Contrasting students’ beliefs and students’ actions with
their self-view.
* Ask students why they think the topic is important. Make
a connection with them. Ask students to pose questions
they want answered from a class and state why they want
those questions answered.
26 « Chapter Three

° Give a case or an activity and ask students how the topic

is relevant for them. Provide a list of quotations on a topic
and ask students to check those quotations they believed
in and those they did not and why.
After explaining why a student should learn the topic or
skill and its relevance, the teacher then explains how the
student can apply the skill in their personal and professional
lives.

SCECEOCO
Present
* Define new keywords and phrases introduced in this
module.
¢ Present new information and skills in a format that can be
acquired quickly. The information can be presented in a
variety of formats including live presentations coupled
with an interactive study guide, videotaped presentations
coupled with an interactive study guide, live or taped
demonstration, or general or detailed structured notes
with fill-ins.
* Provide relevant examples and non-examples. All new
content should be accompanied with several examples,
non-examples, and relevant applications. An example
provides a “For instance....” Non-examples help to clarify
examples with contrast and are expressed as “Don’t
confuse A with B.”
* Organize information for presentation.
» Organize the information into short and logical
chunks with an identifiable beginning and ending.
This is similar to a paragraph. Each chunk of
information should deal with one idea only. Small
chunks of text are easier to read on screen. An
uninterrupted presentation should not exceed 8-10
minutes without involving students.
» Chunking information allows the material to be
scanned quickly and focuses on what they need to
review or learn. Highlight key ideas and link to
further detail. Chunks of information should provide
“need to know” rather than “nice to know” which can
be provided in the supplemental or elaboration
section.
 The IMPPACTS teaching/learning system + 27

¢ Provide stimulus variation.

» Provide students with multiple forms of information
to help them visualize concepts. There are several
ways to do this: word pictures, clip art, illustrations,
visual analogies, demonstrations, graphs, diagrams,
tables, and video clips.
» Use a variety of motivational techniques at once and
vary the stimulus frequently.

O©Oooc
Practice
Learning Activities and Exercises
Activities and exercises engage students immediately in their
learning. The activity promotes team building skills, sharing of
past experiences, and immediate involvement.
The activity, in any format (case study, scenario, game, or
simulation), should take between 5-30 minutes during a class
or the activity may be extended across several classes. It must
match the cognitive level of the objective or required values
clarification. Some activities can be assigned after class and
introduced the following class.
Students can be told that they may not ask any questions
and to deal with the data exactly as given. On the other hand,
students may be told that each group can ask any questions
they feel necessary. They may also make inferences and
assumptions that must be listed. The level of detail in the
activity will prompt students to make the inferences and
assumptions. Since each group can make different inferences
and assumptions, the conclusions and recommendations will
differ. The real purpose of the activity is to promote discussion
on a topic or issue so that a recommendation or resolution can
be reached by the group.
There may be different levels of entry skills and past
experiences when students engage in an activity. If there are
deficiencies, the activity may be used to identify needed
relevant information and skills. The students will realize that
in order to complete an activity, they will need these new data
and skills. !
* Provide exercises and activities that allow for appropriate
practice of the new information or skill. These should be
28 * Chapter Three

short and directly applicable to the learning performance

objectives.
* At times, it may be preferable to practice before a
presentation of new information or skills.
* Other types of learning activities
Yelon (1996) describes five types of learning activities.
Each of the five will match one of the levels of cognitive
learning. In some cases the activities are designed for
affective learning. The five types of learning activities
include
» motivation,
» orientation,
» information,
» application (practice), and
» evaluation.
* Motivation activities
» Create interest and curiosity in a topic and raise
unanswered questions and puzzles.
» Show a likely payoff for reaching the learning
performance objectives and how they could be
applied in the real world.
» One indicator of positive motivation is when the
students express and demonstrate their willingness to
continue to work on the objectives. Since this is a
‘choice’ it involves an attitude change. Students will
express pleasure in the task and request additional
data.
Examples of motivational activities:
» After reading broadly on a topic, students will list the
advantages and disadvantages of it.
» Ask the students to find the biggest problems with the
topic through interviews with experts (live and
through the WWW).
» Review job descriptions of a position to identify the
most important tasks for the position.
» Ask experts to identify the most important skills for a
task.
 The IMPPACTS teaching/learning system * 29

* Orientation activities (require self-assessment)

» A student knows his/her location in space and time.
» The student knows to what degree s/he has mastered
the concepts, where they are going, and alternative
ways of getting there.
Examples of orientation activities:
» The student checks their mastery on a self-test.
» Students set their own learning performance
objectives with the teacher.
» The student identifies and chooses resources needed
to achieve the objective.
» The student plans a calendar of events and steps to
master an objective.
* Information activities (Information recall and
comprehension)
» This type of activity helps the student to acquire and
recall information.
» Students commit information to memory. They figure
out definitions and discover connections among ideas.
» The students demonstrate understanding by writing
about ideas and concepts. After training, they
construct word pictures and other graphic forms to
illustrate relationships.
Examples of information activities:
» Students observe and identify steps used in an activity
from videotapes and by observing experts.
» Students use crossword puzzles to learn vocabulary in
a subject.
» Working in dyads, students use flash cards to
memorize data as with the name of insects identified
in a picture.
+ Application activities (application and critical thinking
skills)
» After acquiring data, students can explain in different
contexts.
» Given an argument for or against an idea, students
gather ideas on either side.
» Given unseen data, the students can reasonably
predict results and trends.
30 + Chapter Three

» Students distinguish examples from non-examples

about a concept after applying familiar criteria.
Examples of application activities:
» Identify data that will support the implementation of
a distance learning program.
» Construct a telelesson plan and study guide for a
lesson to be taught on television.
» Provides appropriate practice.
¢ Evaluation activities
» The student reflects on an event or activity in which
s/he has been involved. The reflection involves not
only the total or partial success of the action, but also
its quality and future implications.
» After reflection, the student derives their own criteria
to evaluate actions used during the event. This
reflection would also include new or modified actions
the next time the action was used.
» Given a set of criteria, evaluate an event or action.
» When successful, students have a sense of how well
they have done towards achieving the learning
performance objective.
» The student identifies the strengths and weaknesses of
an event or action.
» Examples of evaluation activities:
~Evaluate the teaching effectiveness of a teacher
who has requested an evaluation of his/her
teaching.
~Think and reflect on your own teaching
effectiveness by identifying the strengths and
weaknesses of a particular teaching strategy and
determine how you would modify it in future
applications.
¢ Novel activities
» Think of a particular lesson that you think is
unexciting or even boring. List five different ways you
can apply novelty to capture and maintain attention.
» Think of a key point that you want to teach. Think of
the key point as “the answer.” What is the question?
 The IMPPACTS teaching/learning system * 31

Provoke curiosity.
» How can an approach to instruction build in novelty?
» How can you enhance examples using novelty?
» How can you vary teaching and learning events to
maintain attention?
» Think of a key idea or skill that you would like to
teach. State the full range of activities you might have
students do throughout the distance learning lesson or
unit.
* Probing questions to be used during exercises and
activities
Probing questions require a student to expand on and
develop a minimally adequate response to a question.
This type of question is primarily cognitive but often will
involve choices or value preferences. The attempt is to
make the response clearer, more accurate, and more
specific. This type of question is used when the teacher
believes in the possibility of the student reaching a
conclusion and continually probing backwards by asking
the key question, “Why?” At each step the student is
asked to substantiate statements with factual information
given in the activity. The use of “why” forces the student
to go beyond shallow responses and think above the
recall and comprehension levels.
Probing questions use prompting and clarifying
techniques. When prompting is used, the teacher asks a
series of recall questions to substantiate what the student
already knows about the activity. Prompts guide the
student to the upper thinking levels of application and
critical thinking. The following suggestions for probing
questions are “templates” around which you can build
other questions. It is possible to share these templates with
the students to guide them in their thinking process to
formulate their own questions.
» Do we know that for a fact or are you reading
between the lines?
» What do you mean by that?
» How could you phrase that in another way?
» Please give me an example of that.
» How does that make you feel?
32 * Chapter Three

» That was a good response. What would happen if this

occurred?
» What do you think caused that? Why?
» Can you think of an opposing argument for that?
» What criteria did you use to make that judgment?
»Is there an alternative recommendation that you
could make?
» What is the relationship between X and Y?
» Given the same circumstances, how would that apply
today?
» How would you rank those ideas in terms of personal
preference?
» How can we reconcile these two opposing points of
view?
» Would you please elaborate more on that?
»Is that really true? What is your source of
information?
» How could we find out if that is a fact/true?
» Would you please provide more details on what you
said?
» How does that statement deal with the issue under
discussion?
» Have you considered another point of view?
» Is there an alternative conclusion that could be
reached?
» Assume the role of XYZ. How would you now
address that point?
» Does your conclusion follow from your previous
statements?
Values-based questions within the domain of probing
questions add strategies that will allow the student to
explore values and values conflicts. This type of question
should encourage students to express, to explore, and to
modify their own values and attitudes towards something
in an activity. When using values-based questions,
teachers must guard against making judgments about the
worth or dignity of the students expressions even if they
are in conflict the position of the teacher. Some types of
values questions are:
 The IMPPACTS teaching/learning system « 33

» Would you choose X over Y? Why? What influenced

you to make that choice?
» Would you be willing to say that in a public forum?
» Would you give your time to assure that happened?
» If you had the money, would you donate it to support
that issue?
» What actions have you taken lately to support that
position?
» What would you be willing to do to see that happen?
» Did you do that out of love and respect or out of fear?
» What other possibilities have you explored?
» Are you aware of the consequences of that action?

Rationale for Involvement

Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (1991) explain that the old
paradigm of college teaching is embedded in the concept of
passive learning. The latter is based on John Locke’s
assumption that the untrained mind is like a blank slate
(tabula rasa) waiting for the teacher to write on it. The
student’s mind is viewed as an empty vessel into which
teachers pour their wisdom and knowledge. Within the
context of this paradigm, faculty think of teaching in terms of
these principal activities:
* There is a knowledge transfer from teacher to student
principally through the lecture (telling). It is the teacher
who is the principle source of knowledge, truth, and
wisdom. The student memorizes and recalls, often without
understanding. One astute observer noted that a lecture is
the passing of information from the head of the teacher to
the head of the student without passing through the mind
of either.
* Students need to be sorted into knowledge categories by
classifying them with grades A, B, C, D, or F. This will
indicate how much they know or can recall. This is norm-
referenced, where student knowledge and retention is
compared. Does Cathy know as much and learn as well as
Billy and Bobby? What is a C worth in a course? Is a C in
one institution equal in value to a C at another institution?
What does the student not have to know?
34 * Chapter Three

+ Students must compete within the grading system. Their

job is to outperform their classmates. Cooperation is
discouraged.
* College instruction is based of the assumption that anyone
with subject expertise can teach without any formal
training. If you know it you can teach it (College teachers
are one of two professions that assumably require no
training for what they do-teach. The other is parenting).
Cooperation = “We sink or swim together.”
Competition = “I swim, you sink; I sink, you swim.”

OSCCCCCO
Apply
* Does this information or skill have to be learned in
asynchronous or synchronous time? Why?
* Could the information/skill be taught on interactive
television, the WWW, or audioconference? How?

Communicate
Discussion (Communication)
After the exercise or activity, students discuss what they did in
the activity, what the known facts are and identify any
inferences or assumptions, they may or may not have made
which will differ among groups, conclusions or
recommendations. The discussion is designed to motivate
students to further their efforts. The discussion should help
each student to make connections with past and present
experiences and future aspirations. There is a discussion with
the whole group or small groups of 3-7 students. If small
groups are used, a recorder is appointed to summarize the
results of the discussion. Each recorder identifies any
assumptions made and the results are recorded and compared
on a flip chart. The discussion should use many examples and
non-examples taken from real world experiences. If students
can make the connection between what you are teaching and
the real world, it should be easier for them to understand and
see its personal meaning and usefulness. The connections are
provided by the teacher and generated by the students. The
 The IMPPACTS teaching/learning system * 35

teacher has the option of providing additional information

through a lecturette or short reading. The discussion would
continue as new information is provided.

Transfer
Ask students how they could use the new information in an
authentic context. Ask them if they can identify examples in
the real world where the information or skill would be useful.

OSOOEOCCO
Supplement
* Provide “nice to know” information that extends and
elaborates on the information/skill to new situations.
* Bibliography and Webography (URLs)
* Additional examples
¢ Additional exercises and activities for practice

The IMPPACTS system of teaching and learning in a

distance learning environment provides a systematic way to
plan and deliver instruction with any of the major delivery
technologies—audio, video, computer, or print. It is based on
the instructional systems approach to learning. The 160+
exercises and activities presented in this document support the
IMPPACTS learning system.
 Chapter Four

Team Projects and

Peer Review

Why bother with small-group projects?

he research from reviews of the literature clearly indicated
that student achievement is enhanced by small-group
cooperative activities (Bosert, 1988-1989; Davidson, 1985;
Johnson & Johnson, 1974; Johnson, Johnson, & Maruyama,
1983). Based on the research of Slavin (1990), two main
components are required for achievement gain in small-group
activities:
* Use of clearly stated and achievable group goals mutually
agreed upon between instructor and the students.
* Individual accountability for contributions to the group.
Each of these factors provide incentives for students to help
each other. “If these two factors are not present, most students
do not provide one another with explanations needed to
understand material and to achieve, (Alkin, in Encyclopedia of
Educational Research, 1992, p. 1379). Without individual
accountability within the small group setting, some students
may see peer interaction as having little value and pursue the
assigned task alone or with a subgroup of students within the
small group. Students learn and cooperate during this type of
instruction
The composition of the small group is very important. King
(1989) found that in small group work, high achievement
students “dominated group thinking and task initiatives and
generally played leadership roles. In contrast, low achievers
were relatively passive during group work” (p. 138).
Active, involved, and participatory learning embodies the
essence of small group instruction. However, some students
may not become active learners just by participating in small
groups. Educators need to better understand how students
learn and cooperate in this type of learning environment.

Purpose of small groups

The purpose of small-group activities is to allow individual
students to share ideas on a topic of interest and receive

36
 Team projects and peer review * 37

feedback. There are more opportunities for participation

especially for the more passive student. With constructive
feedback and encouragement from peer students, there is
increased self-esteem.
There are two types of small groups, namely, informal and
cooperative. nformal small groups are short term groups of
two, three, or four students to share notes, questions,
summarize and clarify ideas frequently. These groups are low
risk and can change frequently. Cooperative small-group
projects are long term group projects of five to eight students
who work together for up to a full semester. Students in these
groups must rely on each other for both a group grade and
individual contributions to the group project for which they
will be assessed. The strength of the small group is embodied
in an old Navy saying, “Nobody is smarter than all of us.” It is
also found in the observation that the whole forest is greater
than the sum of the individual trees. However, every tree is
unique with special characteristics that contribute to the
strength of the whole forest. Although cooperative small
groups vary in size, Meyers and Jones (1993) found that for
problem-solving activities, a group size of four to six members
worked best (p. 65).
How should you act in a small group?
According to Meyers and Jones (1993) there are a number of
guidelines to assist small groups to operate efficiently:
* Think before you offer an opinion.
* Agree on individual roles within the group and stick with
the assigned roles.
* Ask for clarification if you do not understand a point or
some vocabulary. Don’t wait or the effect will be
cumulative.
* Respect the unique contributions of each group member.
Emphasize the positive. Look for the positive aspects of
each contribution. Try and see conflicts from the point of
view of the person making the remark.
- Don’t interrupt when someone is speaking. Each member
of the group has a right to equal time.
* Depend on each other for equal contributions.
* Hold each other accountable for assigned tasks.
- Assess the progress of the group weekly.
38 « Chapter Four

How should you act in the group activity:

Assigned roles
There are a number of different roles that individuals in the
group can assume to assist the group to function smoothly and
to minimize conflicts.
RECORDER: This person writes down/summarizes ideas
resulting from the group discussion.
CLARIFIER: One who checks to make sure what each
student is proposing and that everyone understands the
vocabulary.
MEDIATOR: Helps the group to arrive at a consensus.
LEADER: This position could rotate among members of
the group.
TIMEKEEPER: Reminds the group every five minutes
how much time is remaining.
INTERVENTION SPECIALIST: A time-keeper. This
person sets a maximum time for each member to speak, 1-3
minutes.

Long-term small-group projects: Essential tasks

A. Establish clear, attainable, and desirable goals/objectives
Goals and objectives provide boundaries for group
interaction (Hirokawa, 1992). They help to establish
direction and outcome but most people avoid this
process. It may be one of the hardest things that a group
will have to do. Specification of broad goals and specific
objectives requires the group to reach a consensus on a set
of values-this goal in lieu of that one.
This task of establishing clear objectives must be
completed as early as possible in a project. Without them,
the group lacks both a sense of direction and a
prioritization guide.
Examples include:
* Select a topic by the end of the second class.
* Assign roles within the group and areas to research.
* Determine the group grade on the final project.
B. Select the group leader or manager
Determine if this role is permanent or will rotate. The
tasks of this person include:
 Team projects and peer review « 39

* Coordinating the group process;

* Starting and ending meetings on time;
* Establishing an agenda to limit and focus discussion;
* Conducting meetings with a quorum;
* Establishing specific time-lines; and
* Assigning or seeking volunteers for other group roles:
recorder, clarifier, time keeper, intervention specialist
C. Establish group rules
This may be the most important task of the group.
Without operating rules, the goals and objectives will not
be achievable. Rules may include:
* The meetings start and finish on time.
* No interruptions.
* Establish time lines.
* Assign member roles.
* What to do if a member is not contributing.
¢ Limit comments to 1-3 minutes.
¢ A time-line for individual contributions.
* Required periodic constructive feedback such as a
statement of something that each member likes about
each other member or something you would change
in the group if you could.

Forming short term teams: Random assignment

Often during classes it is necessary to have the participants
form teams of three to seven participants to complete short
tasks ranging from one to three minutes. This can be
accomplished before the class or during the class.
As the participants arrive they are given any of the 32 items
listed below in quantities equal to the number of participants
in each group and the number of groups required. For
example, if it is desirable to have five groups of five
participants, five different colored stars are selected and five
of the same color stars are put on name tags. The participants
are told to form teams with the same color stars. This same
strategy can be used using any of the items listed.
40° Chapter Four

. Colored stars
. Stick on symbols
. Fruit: real, plastic, or pictures
. Different candy pieces
M&Ms
. Card suits, flushes, straights
. Cards: highest/lowest
. Cut-out colored shapes
. Numbers
. Colored Easter eggs
—SF
KH
WN
aa . Balloons
SOMNAAN
1D) Nut varieties in shells
. Sticky notes: different shapes, colors, sizes
. Animal pictures
. Envelopes
. Flowers: real or plastic
. Colored paper clips
. Colored pencils
. Pick-up sticks
. Colored 3 x 5 cards
. Count-off
. Colored tooth picks
. Birthdays by month or day
. Make believe money amounts
. Alphabet or shaped pasta
. 4- or 6-piece puzzle
. Cut-outs: apples, snowman, etc.
. Colored beads
. Colored napkins
. Bottle tops
. Party favors
. Colored straws
 Team projects and peer review « 41

Small-group participation rating scale

Participant name
Date
Directions
Using the following 15 criteria, please rate each of your group
members according to the four point scale provided below for
you. The rating should be done by each member of the small
group. Each group member should have a rating page for
each group member except himself/herself. Rate each
participant in your group on a scale of 1-4 points for each
criteria.
4=highly cooperative
One (1) value for each criteria. 3=cooperative
2=somewhat cooperative
1=uncooperative
Criteria Assigned points
1. Attended all group meetings (synch/asynch)
2. Willingly shared leadership duties.
. Shared responsibility for assigned tasks.
. Provided assistance to others.
Produced and shared resources.
Provided constructive feedback.
wNAO
SB Exerted a reasonable effort to achieve project
goals.
8. Motivated to strive for mutual benefit.
9. Acted in a trusting way.
10. Controlled temper.
11. Took turns speaking.
12. Was a good listener.
13. Offered positive input.
14. Thoroughly researched the problem.
15. Criticized ideas, not people.
Total points:
Calculate the final score: Add the total points from all
reviewers and divide by (4 x number of reviewers), for a
possible total of 15 points.
 Chapter Five

Engaging Students at
Field Sites:
Activities and Exercises

Tie exercises and activities described in this chapter

introduce the instructor to a variety of ways to engage
students at field sites in meaningful and relevant activities and
exercises. Many of these activities, when properly designed
and planned, allow students to become involved in critical
thinking and problem solving skill development. Exercise
descriptions are meant to “tease” instructors into probing the
extent to which the exercises can be used within the context
and content of their own subject areas. Some of these
strategies were developed and used by the author and are
based on personal experience. When available, bibliographic
references are provided that will supply more breadth and
depth. Examples are also provided when relevant and
practical. The activities and exercises presented in this chapter
have been derived from a number of different resources
including corporate training, the health professions,
government, and military in addition to community colleges,
universities and the public schools.
Most of the activities require some form of cooperative
learning in small groups. This can be accomplished in
synchronous or asynchronous time for any of the major
delivery technologies—audio, video, computer, and print.
Many of these activities and exercises were originally
developed for use in the traditional classroom where the
instructor was physically present with the students and close
observation, supervision and immediate feedback based on
the responses of the students could be provided. Not so with
teleteaching. The instructor is physically separated from the
students at the field sites. With two-way television, visual
feedback is possible. One-way television and two-way audio
allows the instructor to speak with the students but the
instructor cannot see the students. The students can see and
speak with the instructor.

42
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 43

When adapted for teleteaching, certain modifications need

to be made in terms of specific and inclusive directions, both
oral and written, and specific time allotments for each exercise
and activity. Any activity requires that the instructor specify
the exact intent of the activity and how the students are to
work in small groups or teams. If the directions are not clear
enough, the instructor will spend precious time clarifying
them. This takes up important class time. Five minutes of
clarification because of ambiguous directions is 10 percent of a
50-minute class.
The activity or exercise directions should be spoken by the
instructor on television, appear in print on the television
screen, and appear in a student handout. Each activity should
be described verbally by the instructor on the television
screen, usually as
TITLE: Short, catchy, descriptive, and inclusive. Create
curiosity and focus attention with the title words.
DIRECTIONS: What must the students do? How are they
expected to do it? Are they expected to work alone or in small
groups? Clarity of communication is the key. When asked
questions by any student, note the question, and later re-work
the directions.
TIME: (2-10 minutes). Will the instructor use a countdown
clock videotape with a clock timer, graphic, and music in the
background that acts as a reminder to watch the time. A
countdown clock can be purchased at a local electronic store
and placed under the document camera.

Criteria for selection of activities and exercises

When choosing an activity for use on television, weigh the
choice against a number of specific criteria:
* Why is a learning activity desirable for a particular
segment of instruction?
* Does the learning activity match the intellectual or
affective level of the learning performance objective?
* How will this learning activity be assessed? By whom? For
what purpose?
- Are there easier and more appropriate learning activities
that could accomplish the same objective?
* Has the instructor any prior experience using this type of
learning activity?
44 * Chapter Five

* Is this type of activity commercially available?

* How many students should be involved in the activity?
Three to seven.
¢ How much time will it take the instructor to create the
activity?
* How long will it take the students to complete this activity
in a teleclassroom?
* How much time should be allowed so that reasonable
discussion and feedback can be incorporated?
* How much will this activity cost?
* Can the activity be reused without a great deal of
expense?
* Are there expendable materials that will have to be
replaced? By whom?
e Are there other instructors at this school or other schools
that you know of who have used this type of activity and
would be willing to share their experiences?
¢ If there are many artifacts in the activity, how can they be
easily shipped and stored?
* Does the activity require special equipment, artifacts or
materials? If so, is the equipment easily available and
transportable to field sites? If so, how, and in what time
frame will it be delivered to the field sites?
* How will the students keep track of the time allowed for
their activity? Will a countdown clock be used on the
television screen? Will you use background music?
* How will you determine how much time will be allocated
to complete the activity?
* How will the results of the activity be reported to the
coordinators at other sites?
- If there are single students at several different field sites,
how will they participate in small group activities? Could
you create an audio bridge among them so that they
could function as a small group? How can one way video
be utilized?
* Can this activity be done in asynchronous time?
* Can this activity be done through other technologies such
as the Internet, e-mail, U.S. Mail, telephone, fax, etc.?
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 45

Regardless of the number of interactive student activities

chosen, they should be manageable within the total teleclass
time allotted—50, 75, 150 minutes, or some other time frame.
Interactive activities should be:
* Short
* Intense
* Well-planned
* Meaningful
* Involving
* Fast-paced
* Easily understood (appropriate vocabulary without
jargon)
* Based on the learning performance objective type and
intellectual level
* Group-centered

Student involvement
In addition to the major delivery formats, consider the use of
asynchronous methods that could be used in conjunction with
live audio, video, computing, and print delivery. If the main
delivery method is synchronous, consider incorporating into
the assignment forms of asynchronous communication such as
e-mail, voice mail, regular mail, or even delivery services. As
you explore each of the many possibilities for live interactive
exercises, consider these asynchronous possibilities. Some
useful criteria for selecting specific exercises and activities in
addition to matching them to the learning performance
objectives are:
* The activity must involve no risk for the students
physically or emotionally.
* The students must be able to do the task immediately.
* All of the required materials must be available at all of the
field sites.
* The explanation for the exercise or activity must be
crystal clear.
* The exercise or activity should be fun.
* The students must understand the meaning of the exercise
or activity and why they are participating in it.
46 * Chapter Five

Activities and Exercises

ACTIVE REVIEW. The instructor summarizes a
telelecture. Students are then asked to review the structure
within the total framework of the class. They quietly read
through their notes for about three minutes and identify any
points of confusion. They ask each other any questions and
then query the instructor.
Example:
Recall major points of lecture
Summarize in one to two sentences
Question
Comment on how they felt (affective domain)
Connect this telelecture to previous class topics (Cross &
Angelo, 1988, pp. 152-154).
ADVERSARIAL PRESENTATION. Working with a
teleinstructor/moderator, two guest teleinstructors discuss
different or opposing points of view on a “hot” topic. This
could also be accomplished on videotape. The teleinstructor
then gives a short presentation with comments on each side of
the issue. Questions are then solicited from each of the field
sites with the teleinstructor acting as a moderator. This activity
can also be combined with listening teams. (See also Controlled
Discussion.)
Example: The moderator asks the student teams (composed
of two or more students at the field sites or a combination of
sites) to listen carefully to the three main points of the “hot”
topic so that at the end of the ten to twelve minute
presentation the students can provide a summary of the
presentations to the listening team prior to the teleinstructor
summary. (Silberman, 1995, p. 68). This activity can be used
for all media delivery.
ALTER EGO. Students are asked to take a stand on an
issue or topic relevant to a class assignment. Two students with
different points of view are paired. One stands behind the
other who is seated. The teleinstructor moderates. The student
who is standing presents his/her point of view. The seated
student argues for the opposite point of view. Field site
students then ask questions and make comments. This can be
conducted at any of the field sites. Students are asked to
identify values, opinions, facts, and proper documentation.
This activity can be used for all media. The presentations
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises © 47

must fall into the realm of the students’ knowledge base, and
students should utilize outside readings as sources to make
their points. (See also Fishbowl; Hot Seat; and Interview,
Teleinstructor.)
Example. The teleinstructor could ask the students to
“physically feel an abstract concept, such as discrimination”
(Meyers & Jones, 1993, p. 90). The students respond
accordingly.
ANALOGIES, CREATING. Several students (at the same
or different field sites) are provided with single concepts and
phrases currently under study and printed in large bold type
on paper. An equal number of students are given pieces of
clip art blown up on a single sheet of paper on bothsides.
Alternating, a concept is shown and the meaning is briefly
discussed. A student with a piece of clip art holds his/her
graphic up and attempts to draw an analogy between the
graphic and concept. Another student holds a graphic up and
describes what it is. A student holding a concept or phrase
then tries to draw an analogy. Another variation is to use
puppets, hats, or other artifacts.
ANALOGY, THE $10.00. Prior to this exercise, a handout
showing how to form an analogy should be given to the
students. Then students are given a make believe $10.00 bill
and told to purchase an artifact for $10.00 or less in any
“store.” The article must be used as a visual analogy in the
topic under discussion. Examples of the types of stores
include: toy, super market, hardware, clothing, fabric, etc. The
teleinstructor must have several examples of visuals on hand
for the students to select, unless this activity is performed
before class time. This activity can be used for both
synchronous and asynchronous delivery. (See also Visual
Analogy.)
Example: The students “purchase” their artifact (game,
puppet, toy, hat) and demonstrate it to the class applying the
analogy.
AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT. The student audience is
engaged physically by asking them to raise hands, stand up,
wave a handkerchief, or hold something. Counts of responses
to the query are reported from the field sites. (Newstrom &
Scannell, 1980).
BRAINSTORM SESSION. The objective of this activity is
to promote creative thinking through the free association of
48 + Chapter Five

ideas. Working on a given problem within a determined time

period (five to ten minutes), with a student to record publicly
all ideas (two students at two different flip charts), students at
field sites call out possible solutions in single words or short
phrases without any commentary or discussion at this time.
All judgments are suspended until the allotted time period
ends. As the session progresses, one creative idea stimulates
another. At the conclusion of the call-out, each list of ideas is
edited and evaluated (Cox, Dufault, & Hopkins, 1991, p. 31,
Davis & McCallon, 1974, p. 13).
BRIEF READING. Students are provided with a short one
to three page reading and asked to complete it in two to three
minutes during the teleclass time. They are then asked to form
pairs or a small group, discuss the topic, and then complete a
work sheet. The teleinstructor questions students at each site
about the topic. Discussion among the field sites follows. The
field sites will need the work sheets prior to class time or the
work sheet can be shown on the screen and the use of a
countdown clock can be incorporated with soft music as a
backdrop during the count down.
Example: Stadents could pinpoint one major flaw of the
reading or one major point made by the author. They would
then use the group’s collective knowledge to prepare the work
sheet using questions, comments, and reflections on the
reading.
BUZZ SESSION. A small group of three to five students,
working within a predetermined time limit and without a
leader, attempt to answer a question or solve a given problem
and reach some type of conclusion or recommendation. The
results/conclusions of the short discussion are reported
through the teleinstructor to all sites. Students may be asked
to write a short paper on the field based discussion.
Example: The teleinstructor or field site coordinator assigns
each group a specific problem based on the course readings.
Each team member writes a preliminary response to the
problem. The group shares and revises each response,
presenting its consensus to the other groups. This works best
with synchronous time delivery (Kraft, 1985).
CARD SORT. Divide the field sites into groups. If the field
sites are too small, let each field site function as one group
through an audio bridge. Pass out 3" x 5" cards that have an
option listed on it. Let the groups know that they are to
choose one of the options and explain to the other class
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 49

members why they chose that particular option. All of the

groups are given the same scenario or problem to solve and
all are given the same options. The sites will follow up with a
discussion involving the entire class as a summary of the
activity. (Hart, 1991). (See also Choices, In-Basket, and
Simulation.)
CASE STUDIES, COMPLETE. These are “real world”
descriptions of problems with all of the accompanying data.
Cases must focus on authentic scenarios that are believable,
realistic, and lifelike (Hutchings, 1993, p. 2). The case must
have concrete detail, be open-ended, and be open to different
interpretations and conclusions. Good cases create immediate
interest and tell a story. The cases are distributed and read
prior to a teleclass as part of an assignment. Some field sites
can be assigned a specific part of a case to analyze. The
teleinstructor, or preferably a student, moderates the ensuing
discussion (Boehrer & Linsky, 1990).
CASE STUDY, MINI. Given guidelines, students at field
sites are asked to construct their own cases related to a
learning performance objective or topic under study. Data is
fabricated by the students. Davis and McCallon (1974, p. 137)
call this the most versatile and useful method. Questions can
be invited from the sites.
CHAPTER PRESENTATIONS. The readings are divided
among groups represented by each field site as well as the
origination site. Each team is required to make a short
presentation on one of the readings or chapters to the whole
class. After the presentation the team provides handouts of the
chapter or reading and discussion follows. These can be
presented under the document camera.
CHARACTER DIALOGUE. The teleinstructor assumes
the role of one or more characters and speaks through the
character or creates a dialogue between the characters. A
student at any site could role play a second character and
dialogue with the teleinstructor. A script outline is an option.
Accents can be used for emphasis if they do not demean or
negatively characterize any special group. Characters can use
puppets, masks, or artifacts to reinforce the role.
Example: The teleinstructor prepares several short skits to
be presented at the origination site. The skits are designed to
be interrupted so that students at the field sites as well as the
origination site can “supply appropriate dialogue for the
50 * Chapter Five

situation presented or evaluate and discuss specific comments

made by the cast members.” (Bonwell & Eison, 1991, p. 47).
This allows focus to be given to specific problems inherent in
the class content, and allows the teleinstructor to evaluate the
students’ grasp of the conceptual material.
CHECK LIST. Students are provided with a checklist of
items to be discussed about a preselected topic. As each item
is covered the students check it off on the list. An option is to
have students establish priorities among the items at each site
and then discuss why they prioritized as they did (Pike, 1992).
(See also Rank/Report.)
CHICKEN OR THE EGG. This is associated with visual
analogy. The student is given a concept and asked to identify
an artifact that could represent it visually. Alternatively, the
student is given an artifact and asked to identify which
concept the artifact represents.
Example: Ask the groups to call out several verbs, then
several nouns. Write these to the left of the screen or ona
television-formatted paper (3 x 4 aspect ratio) to be shown on
the screen. Next, ask the student group(s) to give a matching
number of words. Write these at random across the paper so
that three columns are left blank, left to right. Ask the student
group(s) to fill in the three columns so that the words are
logically related, going from either abstract to concrete or vice
versa. The analogy can be drawn from the logic of the
connectors. For example, the student is given the concept of
“red blood cell.” One artifact could be a truck since both the
red cell and truck are used to transport things. The student
could be shown an artifact and asked how it could be used as
a visual analogy. For example, the student is shown a
mailman’s hat. If the topic under study was teaching, the
student could respond that both the teleinstructor and the
mailman are expected to deliver a product-learning and the
mail respectively. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
(Scannell & Newstrom, 1991, p. 253).
CHOICES. Given data on a controversial issue or event,
the student is given several choices of different points of view
to cover: Economic, social, military, or ethical. At the
conclusion of the brief discussion (3-4 minutes), the student is
asked to extrapolate the possible consequences of the point of
view selected. The student is given one week to prepare.
Students at the field sites comment and pose questions. (See
also Consequences.)
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 51

Example: In-tray exercise. Students are given specific roles:

“Imagine that you are a... (business professional,
housekeeper, instructor) and your “in-tray” contains these
documents. You have half an hour to deal with these items
(some are problems, some could be communications) in the
most effective way you can.” The students need to prioritize
and realize that his/her actions and inactions will have
consequences. (Jones, 1988, p. 44).
CLINICS. A real life problem is given to each field site.
The sites may divide into work teams of three or four to solve
the problem. The individual sites then compare their solutions
to those of the other field sites and the origination site. Timing
is critical to this activity. Teleinstructors must allow enough
time to discuss the reasons procedures were selected by each
team (Hart, 1991). (See also Simulation.)
CLOSE TESTING. Students fill in the blanks of a
handout. The teleinstructor has purposely prepared the
handout with omissions of vocabulary or other information
(formulae, dates, facts, etc.) that are relevant to the particular
unit of study. Students may work in a dyad (pair) or small
groups to fill in the blanks that they may have missed, but
may not use books or notes. Recall is the only available
source to the students. The answers are then verified by the
origination site students.
COLLAGE, GROUP. The collage is a technique to get a
group of students thinking visually about a topic under study.
It consists of pictures, graphics, words and phrases, and short
quotes from newspapers, magazines, and other sources. A
large sheet of paper or cardboard, 30" x 40", is divided into
nine equal sections with two horizontal and two vertical lines.
The intersection of each of the lines forms the focal point of
the collage. One of the intersection points represents the main
theme and the other three intersecting points represent three
subthemes. All sites collect pictures and other appropriate
materials, but one site is selected to build the visual themes.
The other sites mail the materials to the site constructing the
collage. When completed the collage is sent to the
teleinstructor who has it photographed or copied in black and
white. The final photo is divided into the nine sections with a
black marking pen. It is copied and sent to each site for
discussion. ;
CONCENTRIC CIRCLES. Usually used with large
groups of students in a flexible room. A small group of five to
52 « Chapter Five

seven students forms a circle within the larger group and

conducts a discussion on an assigned topic. The outer circle
takes notes and listens critically. At a given point, the two
circles reverse roles with the outer circle conducting the
discussion and the inner circle listening. This can be
conducted at the origination site or the field sites. (See also
Fishbowl and Fishbowl, Variation.)
CONCEPT INTRODUCTION. The origination site
teleinstructor draws two to three boxes on a flip chart or
under the document camera. Concepts are listed in each box.
Students at the field sites are to formulate a definition for each
concept. Then the student shares the definition with a partner.
S/he listens carefully to the partner’s response. The pairs then
form teams that create a new definition, incorporating the
input of all members. The team definition must have
unanimous approval, and all members must be able to explain
their new definition to the class as a whole (Johnson, Johnson,
& Smith, 1991). Field sites can be used to make partners and
the class can then create a new set of answers or definitions
based on everyone’s input.
CONSEQUENCES. After reviewing the course terminal
learning performance objectives, students are asked to discuss
the consequences of non-mastery of the objectives. The
comments are summarized by the teleinstructor as the
rationale for the course. Included in the summary is a
statement of why the learning performance objectives are
important, why they are of value to the student; and how they
can be used immediately. This technique can also be applied
for each teleclass learning performance objective. This
procedure should not exceed five to six minutes of class time.
(See also Choices.)
CONTRACT, LEARNING. A formal written agreement is
negotiated between the teleinstructor and the student to
complete a mutually agreed upon task or skill. The contract
includes a rationale as to why the student considers the topic
to be important, the learning performance objective(s) to be
mastered; all activities to be completed; and a statement as to
how the teleinstructor and student will assess the outcomes
(Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991).
CONTRACT, STUDY GROUP. Students at each site
agree in a written contract to meet at set times after class and
assist each other to master specified areas of competence
(Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991).
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises © 53

CONTROLLED DISCUSSION. After a short

presentation students ask questions and make comments
about the concepts covered during the presentation for a
period of time specified by the teleinstructor. The focus is on
one aspect of the presentation identified by the teleinstructor.
A variation is to appoint a listening team made up of one
student from each of the field sites. Their objective is to
identify specific areas that need to be clarified and discussed.
(See also Adversarial Presentation.)
CRITICAL INCIDENTS. This technique is a small piece
of a complete case method. The students are given a
description of an incident that happened but with too little
information to make a decision. The teleinstructor has all of
the necessary data but shares it only in direct response to a
student question. The critical incident is printed on a handout
and read out loud by the teleinstructor as the students listen.
Each field site then works for 5-10 minutes and can ask
questions of the teleinstructor at any time. Another example
of a critical incident technique is to give an explanation of a
situation or a concept to the students and ask them to generate
a critical incident from the given data. (See also Case Study,

Example: Students are asked to describe a good supervisor.

The students think of the best supervisor they have known,
and then write a 2-3 sentence description of an incident that
led them to think of this supervisor as exemplary. Theywould
then think of the worst supervisor they have known and write
two or three sentences describing an incident in which they
were involved that explains why they chose this person as a
non-exemplary supervisor.
CROSSFIRE. This is a closely moderated, heated,
confrontatory, and argumentative discussion on a
predetermined controversial issue. The topic is given to four
student panelists prior to a teleclass so that they can prepare
background material. Two student panelists will argue pro and
two con on the issue. One student panelist is asked to make an
opening statement. After this it is a free for all. After about ten
minutes, students at field sites question and comment. The
panelists are allowed to respond at any time.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE. Used when definitions are
important to remember. Short crossword puzzles of 15-25
terms are developed. All students work in small groups for
10-15 minutes. The first group to complete the puzzle
54 « Chapter Five

correctly receives a prize. This can be used successfully with

the Internet as well as in a live teleclass. A neutral moderator
(student or teleinstructor) at the origination site can be used as
a “thesaurus.”
CRYPTOGRAM. Used for vocabulary building and the
recall stage of knowledge. The teleinstructor creates a word
puzzle using a substitution code whereby every letter of the
alphabet is consistently replaced by another letter or number
throughout the puzzle. The solved puzzle can reveal a
message (key concepts, formulae, some theorem). Clues can
be given for a few letters or a hint as to the message itself.
(Thiagarajan & Thiagarajan, 1995, April). This is a good
exercise for a small group or a dyad.
DEBATE. An organized and civil argument unlike the
crossfire. The topic is provided in advance to the students for
preparation. The debate proceeds for about 15-20 minutes.
Field students then comment and ask questions.
DEBATE, SELF. The teleinstructor (or a student) plays two
opposing sides in a mock debate. Using costumes, hats,
visuals, or puppets representing each side of the question, the
debater delivers support for each side of the issue. (See also
Dramatization, Quasi; and Theatrics.)
Example: The teleinstructor wears a red, white, and blue hat
and extols the virtues of the American government. S/he then
puts on a beret representing France and extols the virtues of
the French party system (Bonwell & Eison, 1991, p. 48).
DEBATE, STRUCTURED. The teleinstructor explains the
ground rules and then presents a short synopsis of both sides
of a current issue or topic. The field sites are grouped into
teams of three to five students with equal numbers on each
side of the issue. Each team chooses a presenter. The teams
are given 5-10 minutes to prepare their key points and two to
three minutes to present its side of the argument. Rebuttal
time is allowed during the teleclass or at the next teleclass
session.
DEBRIEFING. After a field trip (real or virtual), the
teleinstructor and students discuss key impressions and
respond to prepared questions. One site or all sites prepare a
written report on the field trip. The report can take the form
of a general summary or a response to specific questions,
including feelings and attitudes towards the topic covered
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 55

during the field trip. Any pictures, 35mm slides, or videos can
be used. (See also Field Trip and Reflections.)
Example: Each student records his/her feelings in a journal
that may be shared with the group/class.
DEMONSTRATION. This is a structured performance of
an activity, piece of equipment, or procedure, developed to
show rather than tell students how something is done.
Students are shown the correct steps and sequence to perform
the task or procedure. A good demonstration uses questions to
engage the students such as “What do you think will happen
if?” (Bonwell & Eison, 1991, p. 12; Fox, 1989, p. 123; Schneier,
Russell, Beatty, & Baird, 1994, p. 516). Students at the field
sites can follow up with a practice or simulated activity to
reinforce or assess the learning from the demonstration.
DEMONSTRATION WITH PRACTICE. The
teleinstructor conducts a demonstration or a procedure. The
same equipment or material is available to students at the field
site, which they utilize to repeat the demonstration or
procedure. A site coordinator, if available, provides corrective
feedback.
DIALECTICAL NOTEBOOK. Students are assigned
readings outside of class. While reading, each student selects
3-6 noteworthy excerpts to question. Students prepare the
notebooks with separate columns for the page number,
excerpt quoted, and comments/questions. During class,
students exchange their notebooks with a partner, who makes
additional comments or clarifications and returns the
notebook. The original student reads the comments by the
partner and records new comments. Time is given at the end
of class for further clarification (Kadel & Keehner, 1994).
DID YOU NOTICE? This is a follow up technique to draw
the attention of the student to significant points of a videotape
or some other type of demonstration or presentation. Students
are asked if they noticed something that happened, and then
discuss the point in question. It may be necessary to rerun a
video or audio segment. Coordination of the exercise is
paramount so that all students will be able to participate in the
discussion. (See also Facts and Inferences and Facts and Only the
Facts.)
DISCOVERY. The teleinstructor gives several examples of
a concept and several non-examples (Don’t confuse A with B.)
Students are asked to work in pairs or small groups of four to
56 * Chapter Five

seven and make generalizations about the concept, rule or

procedure.
DISCUSSION, FREE GROUP. Students conduct a
discussion on an important topic selected by them or assigned
by the teleinstructor. The discussion can originate from any
site. The teleinstructor moderates and comments. A time
framework is provided for the students. They could be
required to make a recommendation or reach a logical
conclusion. This exercise is excellent for combining several
field sites together. Students are given names of students at
other field sites for interaction.
DISCUSSION, STEP BY STEP. A carefully prepared set
of handout notes with a sequence of questions is provided to
each student. Each site prepares responses before or during
the teleclass. All students have an opportunity to respond. The
teleinstructor moderates.
DRAMATIZATION, QUASL The teleinstructor speaks
with authority, empathy, intensity, and high enthusiasm. Hats,
puppets, umbrellas, articles of clothing, or artifacts are often
used to emphasize key points. Students are frequently
engaged in the conversation. (See also Debate, Selfand
Theatrics.)
DRILLS. Drills can be used when material has to be
memorized. They are also used when repetitive skills practice
is needed. Students work in pairs and through the use of flash
cards, mnemonics, or other strategies, and take turns drilling
each other. This can be followed with a short graded or
ungraded test.
Example: Students are paired with counterparts at other
sites. A set of flash cards is given to each field site. Students
take turns giving the answers to their partners. This can be
used with audio only or with video. The teleinstructor
moderates.
EXAMPLE GENERATION. Given a problem, concept,
situation, or principle, students are asked to identify examples
and non-examples for a topic based on their background and
experience. Students can generate their examples out of class
to be presented to the field sites in real time.
Example: In a real estate class, students are called on to give
examples of eminent domain for their geographic area.
EXPLORATION. A special handout such as a technical
form or artifact is presented as an independent handout rather
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 57

than as an integral part of a study guide. The students are

asked to explain its application to the topic under study.
Example: A calendar is passed out to a Spanish class.
Students explain that numbers, dates and assignments are to
be filled into the calendar. The students explain that the
exercise itself applies three of the basic areas of foreign
language competency: listening, reading, and writing.
FACTS AND INFERENCES. Students are given a
handout with two columns labeled “Facts” and “Inferences”
prior to watching a number of quick scenes from a video.
After watching the video, students, working individually or in
pairs, classify the concepts or ideas in the scenes as observable
facts or inferences implied in the scenes. The video clips are
replayed to verify whether the students inferred certain
characteristics or actually observed them (Newstrom &
Scannell, 1980, p. 29). (See also Did You Notice? and Facts and
Only the Facts.)
FACTS AND ONLY THE FACTS. The students view a
three- to five-minute video scenario. Working in small groups,
they distinguish between the facts and the inferences
presented during the scenario. Each field site contributes in
turn. Any student can challenge anyone’s facts. In this case,
the sites vote as to whether to accept the “fact.” The video
scenario can be replayed to check for the inclusion of certain
disputed facts (Newstrom & Scannell, 1980). (See also Did You
Notice? and Facts and Inferences.)
FIELD TRIP. These are taken before a teleclass and
discussed during the teleclass class. The teleinstructor can use
a videotape taken during the field trip or a set of 35mm slides.
(See also Debriefing and Reflections.)
FILL-INS. The student fills in key words or phrases in a
study guide as an teleinstructor presents the information and
writes out the key words or phrases. The fill-ins can be part of
either a word picture or a structured-note outline. The fill-ins
cue the student to the most important parts of a presentation.
These are usually used for information transfer or simple
comprehension. (See also Structured Notes and Swiss Cheese
Notes.)
FILL-INS, REINFORCING. The student fills in a word or
phrase in response to a question from the teleinstructor. The
teleinstructor then writes the correct fill in. The student
modifies his/her fill in (Cyrs & Smith, 1990).
58 * Chapter Five

FILM/VIDEO PREVIEW. Prior to previewing a film or

video, the teleinstructor discusses the vocabulary may be
discussed as well as a particular point of view presented by the
producer. Ideas and vocabulary can be presented from the
origination site to the field site for viewing prior to showing
the video or film.
FINAL EXAM. Give a copy of a final exam the first day of
class with each question rated as recall, comprehension,
application, or critical thinking. Explain to the students that
recall and comprehension questions will read the same as the
learning performance objectives. Application and critical
thinking sample questions are exactly that. The real final
exam question will use different sets of data.
FISHBOWL. One student volunteers or is selected to
study an issue as a pre-teleclass activity because of his/her
experiences and background. Unless two-way video/two-way
audio is used, this activity takes place at the origination site.
The student sits in the middle of a circle and the other
students sit around him/her. The “expert” is grilled by the
students at the site for 10-15 minutes. Students at the other
sites take notes and formulate their own questions. The
teleinstructor or another student summarizes (Jones, 1988).
(See also Concentric Circles and Fishbowl, Variation.)
FISHBOWL, VARIATION. The teleinstructor at the
origination site chooses a topic and prepares questions related
to the topic. The sites are divided into two groups based on
polarized attitudes. Arrange a circle of chairs for those who
will be in the “fishbowl” first at each field site. Place a ring of
chairs for the other team outside the first circle facing in. The
outer circle is instructed to take notes on the points being
made by the inner circle, but are to remain quiet. The field
site moderator conducts each session by asking open-ended
questions to ensure participation for a specific period of time.
At the end of the allotted time period, the groups switch
places. At the end of the session, the two groups (a) form one
large group and debrief on areas of agreement or
disagreement or (b) break into small groups of three to
debrief. A summary of the results of the debriefing is
presented to the other field sites before the end of the
telelesson. (See also Concentric Circles and Fishbowl, Variation.)
FLASH CARDS. Used at both origination and field sites
for memorizing information such as abbreviations or
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 59

terminology. Three-inch by five-inch cards are printed on one

side with the abbreviation or term. The definition is printed
on the reverse side. Students are broken into small groups of
three to five. Each group quizzes its members for a defined
period of time and then a self-test is administered. This
exercise can be followed by a mastery quiz.
Example: The students are divided into two teams. The
teleinstructor alternates asking the teams to explain/define a
term. The teams respond as a whole. Teams are given points
for each correct answer. Incorrect answers are subtracted from
the team score. The team with the most points wins. To avoid
unhealthy competition, this activity should be limited to 20
minutes or less.
FOCUSED DISCUSSION PAIRS. Dyads are used to
learn the information. Each dyad presents a joint answer to
each question in a series. The dyads can be composed of
students from all of the field sites as well as the origination
site. The information is then presented to the class as a whole
(Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991.) (See also Snowball Group.)
GAMES. Games are similar to simulations except that the
participating students compete with each other to win or lose.
There are rewards of some type for the winners and no
rewards for the losers. Games are built around specific
objectives to be achieved (Newstrom & Scannell, 1980).
GOURMET LEARNER. Food is used to develop visual
analogies. Each site is asked to bring food items and describe
how they could be used to develop the analogies in the topic
under study.
Example: A plastic hamburger is presented to the class from
the origination site unless two-way video/two-way audio is
available. The various components of the hamburger (bun,
meat, pickle, etc.) are presented as analogous to various
components of a lesson. The student then ties the whole visual
to its parts and demonstrates it to the class.
GRAB BAG. Small randomly selected items are placed in
a paper bag by the teleinstructor and/or students who were
asked to bring a single small artifact from their homes.
Working in small groups of five to seven students, the groups
are asked to construct something that could be used to teach
in one of their disciplines. All of the items must be used. The
final product is described at each field site. This is a synthesis
60 * Chapter Five

skill that requires at least 15 minutes and is enhanced if two-

way video/two-way audio is available. (See also Tiinker Toys™.)
Example: Using a ball point pen, an apple, a paperback
book, and a sock, the group could make a mast with a banner.
The idea is to be creative.
GROUP EXAM. Divide the class into groups of three.
Each student receives a copy of the exam, but the group must
decide on each answer. Only one exam is turned in per team
and all members of the team receive the same grade (Kadel &
Keehner, 1994).
GROUP WORK. Students are given a problem or
situation to solve in a 10-minute time period. All directions
and rules are provided in a handout. This could be used as a
competitive activity with the first site solving the problem
given a prize. This exercise works well with audio only or
with two-way video/two-way audio. The origination site
teleinstructor can monitor the progress of each group and
direct time on task as needed.
GUEST INTERVIEW. The teleinstructor or student at the
origination site (or field site if two-way video/two-way audio is
available) interviews a guest expert on a previously chosen
topic. After the interview, students at the field sites ask
questions of the guest. This exercise can best be used in real
time. If audio only is available, the questioners should identify
themselves and give the site from which the question comes.
Using video, the field sites may identify themselves so that the
guest will know the sites represented by each question. This is
especially important for current events when the guest is from
the public sector. (See also Guest Speaker.)
GUEST SPEAKER. A short presentation (less than 20
minutes) is made by a known expert in an area, and followed
by questions and comments. This teleinstructor of record
should provide a specific topic and subtopics to be covered.
The students should be provided with a biographical sketch of
the speaker, topic and subtopics to be covered, new ~
vocabulary, and a list of any points that they should pay
special attention to. Where applicable, the speaker could tape
his/her presentation. The various sites could then preview the
presentation and follow up with questions using two-way
audio. (See also Guest Interview and Symposium.)
HANDOUT. Special documents, reports, pictures, or
graphics are sent in advance to each student for discussion
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises © 61

during a telelesson. Each item is preceded by key questions to

direct the student’s attention. The handouts can be read
before a teleclass, or, if short enough, during the teleclass. If
more than one handout is used, they should be color coded or
paged for easy reference during the teleclass.
HOT SEAT. The teleinstructor is presented with a new
problem developed by the students at a predetermined field
site. This problem is either sent by mail to be opened the day
of the teleclass or faxed at the beginning of the teleclass. The
teleinstructor thinks out loud as s/he attempts to solve the
problem in front of the students. Students question why the
teleinstructor is progressing in a certain way and may suggest
alternative solution paths. This demonstrates the way an
individual teleinstructor goes about solving a problem. The
objective is not to solve the problem, but to demonstrate the
problem solving process. (See also Alter Ego, Fishbowl, and
Interview, Instructor.)
ICE BREAKER. Ice breakers are activities used at the
beginning of a teleclass to reduce stress, gain the attention of
the students, introduce people, focus attention on the learning
objectives, or make an important teaching point. Ice breakers
can be in the form of an exercise, activity, joke, story,
anecdote, or analogy (Newstrom & Scannell, 1980).
IN-BASKET. A set of unsorted memos, letters, and reports
are provided to the students individually. Field site students,
working individually at first, sort through the materials,
identify problems, identify alternative courses of action, and
prioritize the items. The groups at the field sites then discuss
why they prioritized them as they did. Each individual student
is then allowed to rethink his/her recommendations before
writing a final response. These are then discussed with the
teleinstructor and among the sites. (See also Card Sort, Choices,
and Simulation.)
INCOMPLETE STATEMENTS. The teleinstructor
provides incomplete statements such as “My feelings about
this issue are... .” Students are asked to complete the
statement on a handout. They share their feelings and discuss
the issue. The students can also use journals as ways to
express themselves, choosing to share their feelings on
occasions. (See also Reflections.)
Example: Pairs, then groups of four share their feelings
about an issue, as time and attendance allow.
62 * Chapter Five

INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES. These provide an

opportunity for the students to practice skills. They could
include labeling, rank ordering, multiple choice, true/false, or
completion items. The statement is printed on one side of a
card and the definition or answer is printed on the reverse
side. Each group quizzes its members for a defined period of
time and then a self-test is given that is ungraded. The
exercise is completed in a defined period of time. Students
correct each other’s exercise and discuss all items. The
teleinstructor moderates dialogue among the field sites.
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT RECITATION/
PRESENTATION. Students select or are assigned a topic to
be presented in a three minute time period. Presentations may
be given at any site if visual materials are not used. If visuals
are necessary, the visuals are sent to the teleinstructor for
airing if two-way video/two-way audio is not available. The
presentation itself can be made from the field site. After the
presentation, students question and comment. (See also
Teleteaching, Peer.)
Example: A specific report is given on trends noticed by
Habitat for Humanity, which plans to build more homes in
Africa as the political situation allows. The student presenter
selects three or four criteria to support the premise of the
topic. Questions from the separate field sites follow with the
presenter/student summarizing the report.
INTERVIEW, INSTRUCTOR. Students interview the
teleinstructor from the field sites on a topic of their selection.
Each site selects one topic from the telecourse and is given
five minutes to interview the teleinstructor. The teleinstructor
does not know the topic in advance. This is a good technique
for the students to explore the values and attitudes of the
teleinstructor. (See also Hot Seat.)
INTERVIEWS, STUDENT. Students form dyads at their
field sites and interview each other on a given topic fora
prescribed period of time (two to three minutes). This is a
good technique to explore values and attitudes toward a topic.
A student is chosen at each site to summarize the interviews
and report to the other sites, through the teleinstructor, any
consensus from his/her particular field site. The teleinstructor
and other students comment on each presentation and
attempt to make some generalizations.
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises © 63

JIGSAW PROCEDURE. The origination site

teleinstructor distributes a set of materials that covers the
information to be learned. Each set needs to be divisible into
the number of students per team per site. Student groups then
discuss the section of information they have been given and
become “experts” on it, so that they are able to present the
information to the entire class. This is a good technique for
problem solving skill development. Mastery of the
information can be evaluated through oral or written exercises
for the entire class. (See also Learning Cell.)
Example: The students present the information orally only
via two-way audio or usually via two-way video/two-way
audio. The information can also be presented via one-way
video/two-way audio from the origination site and the
students can ask questions using fax or audio connections.
KNOWLEDGE SHARING. The origination site
teleinstructor provides questions based on the current content
for the field sites. Students answer the questions alone as best
they can. The students next mill around the room, finding
others who have answers they don’t have. Allow 20 minutes
for this activity. At the end of this time, students share answers
and review the information.
LABEL A DIAGRAM. Each student is given an unlabeled
diagram, graphic, or picture. During a presentation by the
teleinstructor or another student, the students copy the labels
as they are filled in by the presenter. (See also Word Picture.)
LAUGHING AT OURSELVES. Students are asked to
create some good humor or jokes about the topic they are
learning. This could be made as an assignment or the students
could be given three minutes during the teleclass. Students at
each site are asked to respond. At the completion of the
exercise, students are asked what they have learned
(Newstrom & Scannell, 1980).
LEARNING CELL. Students are divided into pairs and
are given a specific reading assignment or choose an
assignment from a pool of them provided by the
teleinstructor. The assignment, not longer than 5-10 minutes,
is read during the teleclass period. Each student prepares a
series of questions derived from the reading assignment.
Students then take turns asking each other the questions. At
the completion of the exercise one student from each site asks
two questions of all sites. This exercise is especially good for
64 * Chapter Five

use as a summary at the end of a unit or module. Handouts

can be faxed or e-mailed to the sites prior to class. (See also
Jigsaw Procedure.)
LEARNING MODULE. These are self contained and self
directing packages of teaching-learning materials that contain
all print and non-print materials in a variety of mediated
formats. These are sent to the field sites one or more weeks
before the topic is covered. The students, working in small
groups at the field sites, complete a series of learning activities
that are discussed during the teleclass. Learning modules are a
good way of preparing for a teleclass or videoconference. It
assures (theoretically) that all students start at the same
information level.
Example: A box containing seeds, soil, instructions, and
pictures is sent to a botany class to plant the seeds in order to
determine which family it belongs to.
LEARNING PARTNERS (DYADS). Students are paired
for the comparison of short discussions, values exploration,
note comparison, or for short exercises and activities. Dyads
work well when the teleinstructor does not have time to form
small groups, with large field sites; and is best used in
synchronous applications.
LECTURETTE, FLIP-FLOP. Two teleinstructors give a
presentation while alternating segments. One teleinstructor
presents the topic while the other gives examples and non-
examples. One short segment of the presentation can remind
the other teleinstructor of anecdotes or stories. One
teleinstructor makes significant points and the other generates
questions to ask the students. After a student responds to a
question, one teleinstructor might comment and pose another
question. This technique enhances the presentation but needs
practice and good transition statements between the two
teleinstructors. If synchronous audio only is used, it is
advisable for the teleinstructor to call the names of site
members often so that the other students can keep the names
of the students straight.
LECTURETTE, INTERRUPTED. A short (10- to 15-
minute) presentation, or a number of three- to five-minute
presentations by the teleinstructor followed by a number of
other involving learning activities. The teleinstructor tells the
students not to take any notes while s/he is speaking. The
teleinstructor lectures for ten minutes and then tells the
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 65

students to spend two minutes individually summarizing in

writing what was said. At the end of this time the students are
given three minutes to compare their summary with the
person next to them. Students then question the teleinstructor
for clarification. This process is repeated several times during
the telelesson. The purpose of the short presentation is to
provide new or synthesized information in a direct and highly
organized fashion. Handouts with fill ins are appropriate for
short presentations if the intent is information transfer (Cyrs,
1994; Fox, 1989). (See also Presentation Delay and Summary.)
LECTURETTE WITH LISTENING TEAM. A listening
team is a small group of 3-5 students who are assigned to
clarify all or part of a presentation. This helps the students
stay focused and alert during a telelesson. A teleinstructor or
guest presenter gives a short 10-to-20 minute presentation.
Each of the field sites is given a listening assignment about
some aspect of the presentation such as unstated assumptions,
data support of the conclusions, clarity of communication,
point of view, biases, etc. After the presentation,each site is
given 3-5 minutes to prepare and organize their comments
and questions. The teleinstructors are allowed to respond. (See
also Listening Groups.)
LISTENING CRITICALLY. Questions are sent to each
site that will be answered in a defined time period during a
telecourse. Each site can act as a team or several teams can be
created at each site. The site or team that answers the most
questions in writing wins a prize. This is a forced attention
technique.
LISTENING GROUPS. Divide the class into four groups
(or use four different field sites). Assign a role for each group:
questioners, agrees, nay-sayers, and example givers. During
the short presentation, each group is to listen so that it can
respond in its assigned role. Groups should ask two questions
based on the information, tell which points in the short
presentation the team agreed with and why, explain why the
team disagreed with two major points, or give two specific
examples of the application of the short presentation
(Silberman, 1995). (See also Lecturette with Listening Team.)
LYRICS, SONG. Students are asked to identify why song
lyrics (from any source) reinforce significant learning points in
a lesson. The segment of the actual song can be played or
sung by a student. It is important that the lyrics be provided in
a handout.
66 « Chapter Five

Example: Several song lyrics can be provided that deal with

gangs. A discussion on gangs follows: how and why they are
formed, characteristics, ways to avoid, etc.
ME AND YOU. This is a good icebreaker to get students
to know each other at the field sites. Form pairs and have one
student tell his/her partner some interesting things about
themselves. The second partner does the same. Each student
then introduces the other. A variation is to ask each student to
write on one side of a page, a biographical sketch. Each
student exchanges in pairs and asks further questions.
ME SLOW LEARNER. Each site is given a distorted
passage to read in teams of two or more without the students’
prior knowledge that the information is distorted. Questions
or directions are then handed out to the site teams. These can
be attached to the back of the passage or faxed by the
teleinstructor, or placed on the screen for viewing. Given 10
minutes, each group answers the questions and/or follows the
instructions. At the end of the time period, the groups interact
and get feedback from one another. This is an excellent
activity for two-way video/two-way audio so that the groups
can watch one another during the exercise (Jones, 1988,
p- 79).
Example: Students are given instructions to connect a three-
core electrical flex to a plug but are given the wrong plug.
MINDMAPPING. Send a short explanation on the
principles of mindmapping. Ask each student to create a
mindmap for a given class and send it to the teleinstructor.
MIRRORING. While students are engaged in an assigned
role play, other students may enter into the role play by
moving beside one of the players and translating what s/he
says into what s/he really means. This almost becomes an
alter ego. It is conducted at the origination site if one-way
video/two-way audio is used. At the completion of the role
play, students at the field sites question and comment. This
exercise is excellent for reinforcing the concept of clarity of
communication. The camera can be used for close-ups and
panning of the participants. (See also Role Play, Reversal.)
MNEMONICS. Given data to be remembered, students,
working in small groups, are asked to combine the first letters
of a series of words or whole words into memory devices
called mnemonics. This skill is taught as a memory device in a
high content memory course.
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises © 67

Examples:
MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.
ROY G BIV (colors of the color spectrum): Red, Orange,
Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.
MODELING. Students are shown an ideal product or
situation, or a person who is an ideal model for something.
Through questioning and discussion, they are able to explain
why this is a “model” of what it is, should, or could be.
Example: A “trigger video” clip is shown to the class that
contains 3-4 characteristics of good group decision making.
The students then discuss these different characteristics and
how they model excellent group work. Each field site presents
one characteristic. The entire class then adds descriptors at the
end of the site description, with the teleinstructor moderating
input from each site.
NOTETAKING. Students at all of the sites take free-form
notes based on the short presentation. At the end of the
telelesson, questions are solicited from all sites and feedback is
encouraged. These methods can be used with any type of
presentation. If asynchronous, the students can fax or e-mail
their questions in to the teleinstructor or each other (Hart,
1991).
Examples:
Topical outline: The origination site teleinstructor
provides an outline form as a handout for each site to fill
in as the short presentation progresses. The students then
interact in groups of three to check for correct
information. The group then summarizes with the
teleinstructor moderating.
Matrix: The teleinstructor offers as a handout a matrix
instead of a topical outline. The main points are labeled
and the students fill in the boxes during the telelesson.
ONE-MINUTE EVALUATION. At the end of a teleclass,
pass out a half sheet of paper and have the students answer
one question in one minute.
* What was the most important thing you learned today?
* What was the muddiest point I made in class today?
* How could I improve my teaching?
ONE-MINUTE SUMMARY. Students are given one
minute at the end of class to summarize a major point of the
68 * Chapter Five

lesson that day or ask a question about some confusion they

may have had. The students share their summaries, questions,
and thoughts with the rest of the class, allowing anyone at any
site to respond (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991). The
origination site teleinstructor allows 10 minutes for this
activity. This activity can be conducted every third lesson so
that progressive evaluation is maintained.
OPTIMISTIC/PESSIMISTIC PANEL. The whole panel
argues for 5-10 minutes on the optimistic side (best case) of an
issue and then argues for the same length of time on the
pessimistic side (worst case) of the same issue. This takes place
at the origination site unless two-way video/two-way audio is
available. Students at the receive sites discuss the issue
through questions and commentary with the panelists. They
are then polled by the teleinstructor as to which side of the
issue received the strongest and most defensible arguments
from the panel.
OUT TO LUNCH. Two teleinstructors are taped having
lunch together at the origination site while discussing
opposing key points of an issue. They often use food, eating,
manners, or table utensils as analogies. This can be quite
humorous. The camera can be used for close-ups of the
performers and for panning the audience.
PANEL DISCUSSION. A panel of 4-7 experts gives a
limited presentation on an assigned topic. Usually each expert
is given 3-5 minutes with a moderator keeping close watch on
the time. The panel, located at the origination site, is
moderated either by the teleinstructor or a student. A variety
of points of view on the topic are given. A question and
answer period follows from the field site students. This can be
combined with a listening team. (See also Press Conference.)
PANTOMIME. This is a nonverbal portrayal of concepts or
key ideas in a television lesson. The mime, either the
teleinstructor, student, or third party, would act the skit out at a
site while students try to guess the point made from the other
sites (Davis & McCallon, 1974, p. 133.) Discussion follows.
PARAPHRASE. After a brief presentation, 3-5 minutes,
the teleinstructor asks students at the field sites to paraphrase,
or summarize in their own words, what was just said.
POLLING. A “hot” topic or issue is selected by students or
the teleinstructor. Each site is polled and the responses tallied
at the individual sites. As the results are called in, a final tally
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 69

is presented. A discussion of the results follows. A second poll

can be taken if appropriate. (See also Survey, Site.)
PRACTICE ACTIVITY. Students practice a specific skill
at the field site under the direction of a site coordinator. This
includes fine motor skills such as focusing a microscope or
soldering. If site coordinators are not available, students can
work in pairs using assessment criteria supplied by the
teleinstructor. After a short presentation/demonstration by
the teleinstructor, students ask questions at random from the
field sites.
PRESS CONFERENCE. The television lesson is
presented as if it were a press conference. Students ask
questions at random from field sites after a short presentation
by the teleinstructor. Questions can be asked spontaneously
by individual students at sites, by a spokesperson for an entire
site, or by listening teams focusing on one part of an issue.
Explain the ground rules before the press conference: make it
fast-paced, keep your responses short, and provide references
when appropriate. The press conference is good as a review of
a unit or series of lectures (Frederick, 1987). (See also Panel
Discussion.)
PROBLEMS. Working alone, in pairs, or in small groups,
students work out given problems within a specific period of
time. A countdown clock with low background music on the
television monitor would be very helpful. The teleinstructor
then discusses the correct answers with field students. Ground
rules such as time-on-task are very important for the students
to understand. Site facilitators monitor the time-on-task and
give feedback to the field sites. (See also Questions and Answer
Pairs.)
PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTION. In either a text or
mediated format, programmed instruction can be used before
or after a teleclass to build recall skills such as vocabulary,
medical terminology, or basic definitions in a discipline.
Programmed sections can also be used for short 5- to 10-
minute periods during a teleclass.
Example: One student at a field site describes or defines a
term. Others in the group listen carefully and quietly. Three
questions for clarification are allowed, but no criticizing is
allowed. The group must then reach consensus on each term.
Allow 2-3 minutes per term (Meyers & Jones, 1993, p. 67).
70 * Chapter Five

PROGRESS QUIZ. These are short self-tests that are not

graded. The answers are provided to the student immediately
so that they can diagnose their own learning progress. The
purpose of the self-test is to provide a quick feedback
mechanism for students to check their own progress towards
mastery of the learning performance objectives. (See also
Quizzical.)
Example: The origination site teleinstructor calls out the
questions one at a time, allowing 30-45 seconds for the
students at all sites to prepare an answer. The teleinstructor
then calls on the field sites to respond. Students are allowed to
ask questions as needed.
PSYCHODRAMA. This is a structured role-play in which
the students take on the role of a person in an event or
incident. Given clear goals and directions, students prepare
with background readings and are then assigned a role.
Students are provided with a structured script of a general
scenario. They are invited to conduct the psychodrama at the
origination site or at any of the field sites.
PUZZLE. Students are given a puzzle to solve that is
constructed around a specific skill. Students are highly
engaged during this type of activity. The origination site
teleinstructor can use puzzle pieces that contain specific
words, phrases, or concepts that interconnect. The results of
the puzzles can be shown via television as each team finishes,
sharing the concepts, or information. Students are allowed to
comment on “problem pieces” of the puzzle.
Example: Pieces of an interactive study guide are given to
students at each site. They have 3-5 minutes to assemble the
pieces correctly. The field sites then compare puzzles.
PYRAMIDING. Given a problem, students first work
alone for a specified period of time, and then work in pairs,
comparing results. The students then work in fours
comparing, refining, and revising their conclusions and
recommendations. Students are allowed to interact with other
field sites to form groups larger than two if necessary. (See also
Snowball Group.)
Example: Students are given the question “What are the
qualities of a good instructor?” Individually each student lists
several qualities. Pairs are made to add to/revise the list. Two
pairs work together to add to/revise the list. Four pairs then work
together to arrive at consensus by adding to/revising the list.
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises 71

QUESTION AND ANSWER PAIRS. Students read an

assignment before class and prepare a set of questions based
on the readings. When class starts, students are randomly
assigned a partner. Partner A asks a question from his/her list
and partner B answers it. The pair rotates back and forth until
all questions are answered. The pairs can be formed using
students from the field sites, working one pair at a time as
time allows. This procedure can be used with two-way audio,
fax, and two-way video/two-way audio. If computers with
modems are available, they can also be used for more
interchange. (See also Problems.)
QUESTION OUTLINE. Key questions are outlined
sequentially for a presentation in a handout. The teleinstructor
poses the question and then proceeds to answer it. The
students are allowed to take notes on each question and,
working in pairs, compare notes.
QUESTION SHARING. Students are given reading
assignments for the next teleclass and are asked to generate
two or three questions. These questions are asked by
individual students at different field sites. The teleinstructor
moderates. A variation of this technique is to have all students
at a field site select the best questions to ask of other students.
Each student must tell why his/her question is important
(Bonwell & Eison, 1991, p. 14). The teleinstructor asks the
students to write down, “A question I still have about (topic)
but have been hesitant to ask is...” These are sent in by fax,
mail, or with the homework and are addressed at the
beginning of the next class in a general way from the
origination site.
QUESTIONING. Initiated either by the teleinstructor or
student. Quality questions initiated by the teleinstructor must
be preplanned and written out prior to a teleclass. Students
should be taught how to ask quality questions.
Guidelines for phrasing questions:
* Ask clear, concise questions.
* Cover only one point per question.
+ Ask reasonable questions based on the level of expertise.
* Ask challenging questions.
* Ask honest, relevant questions.
* Closed questions are used to control the discussion.
Open questions create involvement and discussion.
72 * Chapter Five

* Open-ended questions usually begin with what, how,

why, when.
Example: The teleinstructor asks an open-ended question to
stimulate discussion and models the level of questions
expected (Boehrer & Linsky, 1990).
QUESTIONS, PLANTED. This technique is used to
stimulate field site students to ask questions. The teleinstructor
identifies one question for each site. A student is contacted
prior to class and asked to assist the teleinstructor. The student
is told that the teleinstructor will send both a question and the
answer. At a given signal during the television lesson, the
student asks the question. The teleinstructor gives a whole or
partial answer, then redirects the question to the student who
answers it. The other students at the field sites do not know
initially that the questions have been planted. This stimulates
questions from the field sites.
QUESTIONS, STUDENT-GENERATED. Students are
taught how to ask questions at the factual recall,
comprehension, application, and/or critical thinking levels.
Each question asked by a student is classified by other
students and the classification is confirmed by the
teleinstructor.
QUICK ANSWER. Ask a question and request all students
to write answers for one or two minutes. Working in pairs,
students compare and adjust their answers. This might be
repeated several times with two or three different pairs. The
teleinstructor then requests someone from a field site to
summarize his/her answer and possibly write it under the
document camera. Other students are then asked to respond
and add data.
QUIZZICAL. After a short presentation, students, working
in pairs at field sites, ask questions of each other that focus on
the presentation. These questions are based on the learning
performance objectives that have been provided to the
students at the beginning of the teleclass. The quizzical is not
graded. Responses are discussed and shared among field sites.
This technique provides feedback to students regarding their
level of mastery. (See also Progress Quiz.)
Example: A lecture is given on brain waves. Students then
pair up and ask general and specific questions based on the
lecture. Answers are corrected through use of a handout given
by the lecturer, class notes, or another small group.
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 73

RANK/REPORT. Given a series of current items/issues,

students rank the importance of each and report the results to
other sites through the teleinstructor. A justification of each
item is presented. The results are then discussed among the
sites with the teleinstructor acting as a moderator. (See also
Check List.)
RAP IT UP. Each site is given one line of rap about a key
teaching concept and several key points about the concept
(other synonyms can be substituted). Each site is given three
minutes to compose a short four or five-line rap song.
Example:
RAP LINE: “Lecture is dull, everybody knows”
KEY POINTS: Excitement; participation
Variation: Each field site is given one line of rap. It is up
to the field sites to determine where their line fits into the
whole song.
REACTION PANEL. A presentation by a teleinstructor,
student, or guest speaker is followed by verbal reactions from
a small group of experts or students. There is a question/
answer period from the field sites.
READ, DISCUSS, REPORT. Students read a short
assigned article or report during the teleclass (usually no
longer than five minutes). The assigned article is short,
focused, and relates to a specific learning performance
objective. The article is then discussed among the field sites. A
final written report is usually required.
Example: Read the first chapter of One Hundred Years of
Solitude as a pre-class assignment. During class, discuss the
relevance of the names of the characters. Share your
conclusions/findings with your group. Prepare a three-minute
report for the other field sites with your collective conclusions.
READING ALOUD. Prior to the class a short article,
report, or dramatic reading is provided to several students at
the origination site to read aloud during a teleclass. All field
site students discuss this during the teleclass. Manners of
presentation are contrasted. Either technique or content is
discussed. This technique is especially good for either two-way
audio or two-way video/two-way audio.
READING CRITICALLY. The teleinstructor presents to
the class a short reading assignment to be completed during
class. The assignment contains specific applications of the
74 * Chapter Five

topic under study. The class performs the work independently

for 10 minutes then pairs up or gets into teams of three or
more to complete the assignment.

REFLECTIONS. Students work in pairs. The teleinstructor

hands out sentence starters. The team picks any two starters
such as “I was surprised...,” “ I have been wondering if...,” “I
realized that...,” “Today I learned...” Students share their
thoughts. Content as well as presentation is considered in the
reflections. Different groups share with the entire class
(Meyers & Jones, 1993, p. 85). (See also Debriefing and Field
Trip.)
Example: At the end of a presentation demonstration the
students comment on:
1. Availability of information during the demonstration.
2. Whether the student could see the demonstration and
understand the process.
3. How well the teleinstructor defined terms, demonstrated
the process, explained the procedure.
RESPONSE CARDS. The field site teleinstructor passes
out 3" x 5" index cards. The field site students are asked to
respond to one of several questions posed by the origination
site teleinstructor. Questions pertain to the subject matter at
hand. The cards are collected, shuffled, and passed out to the
classes, either at random or from a left to right direction. The
origination site teleinstructor then repeats the questions or
solicits responses from the various sites that will aid the classes
in recalling the question in mind. Different field sites can also
be called on to respond to the questions, with responses
discussed among all sites. This works well with audio as well
as video.
Example: During a discussion about presentation skills, the
teleinstructor asks the students to respond to the following
questions:
* What are the most frightening aspects of presentations?
* How do I begin a presentation?
* How do I end a presentation?
* How do I engage my audience?
The teleinstructor collects the questions and addresses
them collectively or individually at the end of the
presentation, giving time for feedback to each site.
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises © 75

REVIEW PAIRS. Given a short case study, the students

read it first alone and outline it. The students are then asked
to compare answers and respond to given questions.
ROLE PLAY. Students are given a role to play in a defined
situation. The teleinstructor provides either a broad outline or
a narrow event that is acted out spontaneously by students.
The skit simulates a real life situation. It is used to explore
attitudes and values and to practice nonverbal presentation
and communication skills. This technique provides feedback
to the students about their own behavior. There are three
types of role plays:
* Free-form: The students are provided with a general
scenario and then are expected to fill in their own details
from their past experiences.
* Prescribed: Students are given a highly prescribed set
ofinstructions on the given facts and their stage behavior.
* Dramatic reading: Students act out a given script. After
the role play, the field sites provide real-time feedback to
the students. The origination site teleinstructor moderates
the discussion and feedback, ensuring that all sites are
provided an opportunity to participate.
(See also Clinics; Role Play, Reversal; Role Play, Rotation; Role
Play, Scripted; Scenario, Written; Simulation; and Skit.)
ROLE PLAY, REVERSAL. In this type of role play, roles
are reversed. “You play me, and I will play you. I want to see
how you see me.” This is an intense and sometimes emotional
technique. It is an impromptu presentation. It is best used with
two-way video/two-way audio for instant feedback. (See also
Mirroring.)
ROLE PLAY, ROTATION. During the role play, students
are substituted for players. The theme of the scenario is
continued. At the end of the role play, discussion follows
regarding the differences in character demonstrated by the
different actors for each role (Hart, 1991). (See also Simulation
and Skit.)
ROLE PLAY, SCRIPTED. Students are given a detailed
script of a situation or scenario that they are to play. The
script provides character roles, background data, a crisis, and
a general direction for the event.-Students supply original
dialogue and, when the script ends, may either bring the event
to a conclusion or leave it open. (See also Simulation and Skit.)
76 * Chapter Five

Example: Brother/sister roles from a dysfunctional stage/

screen family are played by two students who use their own
speech patterns. After the role play, discussion of
interpersonal relationships and communication follows. The
site facilitator coordinates the discussion.
SCENARIO, VISUAL. A short video clip (an original
production or edited from commercial videos) that presents a
real life situation which the students are expected to discuss.
The origination site teleinstructor begins the discussion and
then all sides participate while the teleinstructor moderates.
Commercial videos must follow copyright laws where
applicable. (See also Trigger Video.)
SCENARIO, WRITTEN. A brief one or two paragraph
description of a real or fabricated situation is analyzed in
stages by the students at each site. Each student presenter
functions as the teleinstructor. Each site is allotted time to
present its conclusions and recommendations to all the other
sites. Discussion follows among the sites. This process can be
used equally well with audio or video. (See also Simulation
and Skit.)
SIMULATION. Real life cases, problems, or scenarios in
which students must role play. A critical situation is discussed
and analyzed and group decisions are made about how to
resolve the situation. Good team building skills result from
this activity. Smith (1986, June) offers an eclectic definition of
a simulation. “Simulations are controlled representations of
real situations, calling for students to respond, and providing
some form of feedback to those responses. Instructor
simulations are those simulations intended to result in
predetermined learning outcomes” (p. 36). In a simulation the
students must deal with the consequences of their responses.
They offer a unique opportunity to present consistent and
replicable situations. (See also Clinics; Role Play; Role Play,
Reversal; Role Play, Rotation; Role Play, Scripted; Scenario,
Written; and Skit.)
Example: Simulated teleconferences by students serve as a
controlled practice. The conference can be prerecorded and
played back during class time. Each field site is encouraged to
provide constructive feedback to the students in the
simulation.
SKIT. This is a brief, three- to five-minute play or portrayal
to make a specific point. It could be used as a theatrical device
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 77

to begin a television lesson. Unless two-way video/two-way

audio is available, a skit would be initiated at the origination
site. Field sites then discuss the point made in the skit. (See
also Role Play; Role Play, Reversal; Role Play, Rotation; Role Play,
Scripted; Scenario, Written; and Simulation.)
Example: Sales people watch a skit between a potential
customer and a salesperson. Discussion follows regarding how
to close the sale.
SMALL-GROUP PROJECT. Each site is given a project
activity prior to the teleclass that is to be completed in a
defined period of time during the teleclass. The results of the
project are presented to all sites. If one-way video/two-way
audio is available rather than two-way video/two-way audio,
handouts are sent at least a week in advance of the teleclass.
The results and conclusions of the project are discussed after
the presentation. Field sites whose numbers are too small may
use fax.
Example: Your group is charged with rewriting the attached
memo. Use clear, concise language. Keep it simple.
SNOWBALL GROUP. Given a problem, exercise, or
activity, students first work alone, then in pairs, and finally in
foursomes. During this time the students at each site compare
and revise their conclusions and recommendations based on
feedback within the groups. (See also Pyramiding.)
Example: Using the Snowball Group process, how would
you advise the new instructor shown in the trigger video
entitled, What Would You Do?
Note: Field sites with too few students to “snowball” may
use fax, telephones, and/or computers to interface.
SPOT CHALLENGE. The teleinstructor stops at an
appropriate point during a telelesson and asks the students to
provide examples (for instances) and non-examples (don’t
confuse A with B) for the topic just covered (Silberman, 1995,
p. 21). Each field site is asked to respond. (See also Whips.)
Example: Would field site X please give an example of...
STORYTELLING. Students are asked to think of incidents
in their personal and professional lives that illustrate a key
point in the lesson. When conducted informally, the
presentation becomes more spontaneous and realistic. This
works well with audio as well as two-way video/two-way
audio. (See also Vignette, Personal.)
78 * Chapter Five

Example: Each student is asked to think of a time in their

life when either the student, a family member, or friend faced
a cheater and how they reacted to the situation. Please note
the time, place, and setting. Give names of relevant people.
The story should not exceed three minutes.
STORYTELLING, GROUP. The origination site
teleinstructor builds the background and starts the story. Each
student then adds a sentence to build the story until all have
responded at least once. Each field site is represented. New
characters and plots are woven into the story. The
teleinstructor can add a sentence as needed to keep the focus
of the group on the original subject.
Example: “Tim was in the parking lot when he saw Tom get
out of his car. Tim wanted to talk to Tom about...” then pass
the story on to a student. The teleinstructor may call on the
student or go in some type of predetermined order.
STRUCTURED NOTES. A topic is outlined in some
detail. Key words and phrases are left out and must be written
in by the students. Fill ins provide heavy prompts and cues to
the most important ideas. (See also Fill-ins and Swiss Cheese
Notes.)
STUDENT-GENERATED QUESTIONS. On a regular
basis, the students ask open-ended questions based on any
aspect of the course. Any topic is subject to questioning. The
class then prioritizes the questions and the teleinstructor
answers as many of the questions as possible or redirects the
question to another site or individual student. An alternative
to asking the questions in class is to e-mail or fax the questions
to each site ahead of time so that each student can read the
questions before class (Bonwell & Eison, 1991). This activity
provides opportunity for review and feedback of information
already covered in the presentations or other class activities.
STUDY GUIDE, INTERACTIVE. A highly structured set
of student notes, graphics, pictures, graphs, charts, and
activities used in connection with a telepresentation. Key
notes, fill ins, phrases, or visual graphics are printed in logical,
numbered segments called displays.
SUCCESSIVE STRATEGIES. A variety of different
instructional strategies are used in succession within a single
teleclass. For example, a trigger video is followed by a short
discussion. Conclusions or recommendations are then role-
played by selected students. Students follow this by writing a
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises © 79

short reaction paper to their experience. The reactions can be

faxed, e-mailed or sent to the teleinstructor with the
homework. The entire class can share in the activity
synchronously. Use only one concept at a time so that
reinforcement will be easier.
Example: Introduce the concept, define the concept, play a
trigger video that demonstrates the concept, role play to apply
the concept, and finally hold a discussion or debriefing.
SURVEY, SITE. This is a survey of students at the
origination and field sites on an important issue under
discussion. It can deal with opinions and values toward the
issue. All surveys are immediately tallied and the results
discussed. The use of response pads will greatly facilitate this
technique. (See also Polling.)
Example: Please rate each of the five questions on the scale
of one (1) to five (5) with five being the highest.
SWISS CHEESE NOTES. The students are provided with
a detailed outline of the presentation. Key words have been
left out and must be filled in. Swiss cheese notes are similar to
structured notes, except that Swiss cheese notes contain more
detail. It is often in full narrative form. The purpose of this
technique is to heavily prompt and cue the students to the
most important points of the presentation. (See also Fill-ins
and Structured Notes.)
Example:
Learning can be classified into main domains. These
include:
ily or intellectual domain.
Y. or attitudinal domain.
3 or physical domain.
SYMPOSIUM. Several 10 minute presentations on
different aspects of the same topic are presented by a group of
experts on the topic. These are usually conducted from the
origination site unless two-way video isavailable. The sites
then ask questions. (See also Guest Speaker.)
Example: Three experts on electricity transference give their
preferred method for transference. They each cover cost,
availability, and practicability. Questions from the field sites follow.
TELELECTURE DELAY AND SUMMARY. The
teleinstructor asks the students to take no notes for 8-10
80 * Chapter Five

minutes during which time s/he lectures. At the conclusion of

the short presentation, the teleinstructor asks the students to
summarize the key points of the short presentation for 2-3
minutes. At the end of this time the teleinstructor asks the
students to form pairs and compare their summaries for
inclusiveness. The teleclass is opened for clarification and
discussion for 3-5 minutes. At the completion of this activity
the teleinstructor continues with a second short presentation
and the process is repeated. Planted questions at each field site
may aid in prompting discussion. This exercise improves
listening skills. (See also Short Lecturette, Interrupted.)
TELELECTURE, INTERACTIVE. A presentation is
usually a one-way, nonstop presentation by the teleinstructor
for the entire teleclass with minimal interaction. This can be
adjusted when the objective is information transmission. The
teleinstructor prepares a detailed handout in outline form with
key concepts left blank. The student must fill in these concepts
as the lecture progresses. This can be accomplished with
minimal key words connected with lines and geometric
shapes (Cyrs & Smith, 1990). (See also Study Guide, Interactive;
Swiss Cheese Notes, and Word Picture.)
TELETEACHING, PEER. A student is selected to
conduct a short teleclass at the origination site or at a field site
if two-way video/two-way audio is available. Given a topic,
the student draws from his/her personal experience. This
requires careful planning and monitoring prior to the day of
class. The student presentation could use an interactive study
guide and word pictures or require that the student provide a
summary of the presentation. Peer rating against specific
presentation criteria is often used. (See also Individual Student
Recitation/Presentation.)
TELEVISION COMMERCIAL FOR TEAMS. Each site
breaks into teams of 3-4 students. The teams are requested to
create a 30-second television commercial using primarily
sound bites that describe the characteristics of a topic under
discussion. A time limit of 5-10 minutes is imposed on this
activity, or it may be required homework. Each commercial is
read or performed and each site critiques. The criteria can be
generated by the students or provided by the teleinstructor.
THEATRICS. This consists of the use of theatrical devices,
magic tricks, hats, artifacts, costumes, or other techniques to
reinforce an important learning point and capture the
attention of the students. The strategy must relate to and
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises ¢ 81

reinforce the learning objectives or it will be lost. Students are

prompted to ask questions regarding this technique. (See also
Debate, Self; and Dramatization, Quasi.)
Example: A teleinstructor walks into the teleclass wearing a
fishing hat, hip boots, a fishing vest, and carrying a casting rod
and opens the class by saying, “Fishing is just like teaching. It
depends on the types of fishing lures that you use. Why is this
so?”
THREE POINTS. Each student is asked to summarize the
three most important points of a presentation. The students
are given three minutes to compose their summaries. The
teleinstructor then writes down what s/he thought were the
three most important points. Discussion follows.
TINKER TOYS™. This strategy requires time spent
outside of class. Prior to the presentation, each site breaks into
small groups of three students. Each group is provided with a
set of Tinkertoys and a specific set of directions. The students
are directed to develop a product with two moving parts, title
it, describe its functions, and to write and assemble a user’s
manual. After constructing the product, each small group of
students is required to demonstrate their product to all other
sites. A copy of the manual is provided for each site. (See also
Grab Bag.)
TRIGGER VIDEO. A short three- to five-minute segment
of video either produced by the teleinstructor or edited from
commercial video. It is designed or selected initially to elicit
an emotional response from the students rather than a
reasoned response. The video can be shown to all students
from the origination site or copies can be sent to each site for
viewing. The students are asked to view the situation, identify
the problem(s), identify alternative courses of action, review
the consequences of each alternative, and then make a
recommendation or come to a conclusion. Recommendations
from each field site are compared and discussed. Trigger
videos are often confrontatory, dramatic, abrupt, open-ended,
and focus attention on a controversial issue. (See also Scenario,
Visual; Video Clip Preview; and View a Play.)
Example: View the opening scene from the video, The Eiger
Sanction, in which a student tells the professor that she would
do anything to get an A in order to’maintain her scholarship.
Notice how the professor responds to her. Discuss the facts as
you see them. Discuss sexual harassment between student and
82 * Chapter Five

professor. What did you observe? How and between whom

did the harassment take place?
TRUE OR FALSE. The teleinstructor forwards a list of
true/false statements about the topic for the teleclass. Students
are assigned several statements and asked to identify them as
true or false. Each student reads the statement and assesses
whether it is true or false. Discussion follows.
Example:
True or False:
il Conflict resolution requires active listening.
2. Speech means story telling.
3), Feedback is always written.
VALUES CLARIFICATION. Students explore and
express their personal and professional values on given topics
through the use of values exercises. These values are then
discussed among sites with the teleinstructor acting as a
moderator.
Example: Draw a line down the middle of a vertical sheet of
paper. On the left side list all of the people who have asked
you to their home for any reason during the past year. On the
right hand side list the names of all of the people that you
have invited to your home for any reason during the past
year. Draw a happy face next to those people that you were
pleased to see in both columns. Draw a sad face next to those
people in both columns whom you have no desire to see
again. Place a star next to your three favorite people in both
columns. After a series of questions, the students are given
three minutes to write down what they have just learned about
themselves. They are then asked if they would like to share
their thoughts.
VIDEO CLIP PREVIEW. This is a short video scenario of
2-10 minutes duration. It is designed or selected out of a
commercial video to reinforce a key teaching/learning point
in a television lesson. Attention is focused on new vocabulary
and key concepts that are outlined in a study guide. The
origination site teleinstructor should tell the field sites what
they will be viewing and what concepts, vocabulary, etc. to be
aware of or to look for. The field site moderator can observe
reactions to the video and these reactions can be compared by
site (Hart, 1991). (See also Trigger Video and View a Play.)
 Engaging students at field sites: Activities and exercises © 83

Example: View scene number three from The Bells of St.

Mary in which the pastor discusses with the Mother Superior
how a cutoff score of 70 percent for passing was established.
Do you agree with the pastor or the Mother Superior? Discuss
this in a group of three students for five minutes and then
document your position in display number two.
VIEW A PLAY. The students view a segment of a play
either from the origination site or from a video sent to
individual field sites for viewing. Prior to viewing, students are
cued to significant points in the video. They can have
questions outlined in a study guide, discuss the points to watch
before viewing the video, or discuss the points after viewing
the video. (See also Trigger Video and Video Clip Preview.)
Example: View the video entitled Peege. Note the special
relationship between the grandson and grandmother and his
level of understanding of her special situation. Note also the
relationship between the father and his mother. Please
summarize your thoughts in display number seven.
VIGNETTE, PERSONAL. Given a topic or learning
performance objective by the teleinstructor, the students are
asked to relate it to their real personal or professional
experiences by telling a brief story about it. Either they are
given 3-5 minutes to prepare or they are given this task as a
homework assignment. Some teleinstructors provide the
students with a storytelling template outlining how the story
should unfold. These stories are shared and discussed during a
teleclass. (See also Storytelling.)
Example:
Topic: Assessment
Vignette: A memorable experience when the student was
assessed The template includes what happened, who was
involved, feelings and reactions, and the end result.
VISUAL ANALOGY. After discussing the components of
an analogy (unknown topic, connector, analog or known
topic, and similarities or differences), students are shown how
to visualize the topic. The students are shown an artifact and
asked to develop an analogy to a topic under discussion. They
are also given a concept and asked to develop a verbal
analogy and then suggest how to visualize it. (See also Analogy,
The $10.00.)
Example: Red blood cells are like a truck. They can both
deliver and remove something. Red blood cells deliver
84 * Chapter Five

oxygen to the cells and take away waste products. Trucks

deliver goods and can take away waste containers. Use a toy
truck as the visual when developing the analogy.
VOTING. After a discussion on a pre-selected topic,
students are asked to take a position on it. They are asked,
How many of you:
* agree a lot
* agree somewhat
* disagree somewhat
* disagree completely
* want to stop the discussion
* want to continue the discussion
WHIPS. Using key questions or sentence stems, students
are asked to give quick and short responses. The teleinstructor
can call students by name or field site. Anyone who doesn’t
wish to answer passes. This can also be played as a game with
the individual or site answering the most questions winning a
prize (Silberman, 1990, p. 17). (See also Spot Challenge.)
WORD PICTURE. Word pictures are graphic organizers
that show the visuospatial relationships among ideas. They
consist of geometric shapes connected by lines to show
components or relationships and arrows that demonstrate
cause-and-effect relationships. Key words and phrases are
placed in the geometric shapes. Some key words are left out
for the students to fill in during the presentation. (See also
Label a Diagram.)
 Chapter Six
123 of the Most Important
Things That | Have Learned
About Teaching and Learning
at a Distance

— . Not all knowledge to be learned resides with the

instructor.
i Instructors can learn a lot from their students.
SS Many students have life experiences that are worth
listening to.
4. It is very hard to admit that you don’t know something.
5. Talking is not teaching.
6. Instructors do not motivate their students. They create
an environment in which students choose to motivate
themselves.
N Teach with passion.
Se Enthusiasm generates enthusiasm.
SS Tell students why they should learn something, the
benefits to be derived from learning it, and how they can
use it immediately in their lives.
10. Believe in yourself as a teacher and your students will
believe in you.
11. Be the best you can be today when you teach and then
be better tomorrow.
12. Always find positive things to say to your students in
person and in writing.
13. Think of ten different ways to say thank you and use
them in every teleclass.
14. Learn with your students and tell the students you are
learning with them.
15. Be available before and after class in real and delayed
time.

85
86° Chapter Six

16 . Never assume what a student knows or can do

something without verifying it.
17. Make students stretch their minds and think for
themselves.
18. Give students a sample final exam the first day of class.
19: Model what you believe in.
20. Share your professional values and biases.
2 One size never fits all students.
22) Be clear and concise in your expectations of what is to
be learned. Share the class and course learning
performance objectives.
23: Don’t trust technology. It is never really transparent. It is
usually translucent.
24, Know the opportunities and limitations of the delivery
technology that you are using.
EY Have contingency plans when you are teaching with
technology. Be prepared for the worst.
26 . Students never learn from the technology. They learn
from the way instructors communicate through the
technology.
2d. Technology can never replace the value of a live
instructor.
28. You were never 18 in 1999.
29. Never embarrass a student in any way.
30. Instructors are empowered to change the lives of their
students.
31. Helping students to identify, clarify, and explore
alternative values may be more important than learning
facts.
32. Making students remember unconnected facts is
irrelevant. Showing them where to find the facts is a skill
that will be used for a lifetime.
Teaching is more than data dumping.
34, Make your non-verbal communication consistent with
what you are saying.
35 . Get students involved in their learning from their heads
to their toes.
 123 things | have learned « 87

36. Students don’t care unless they share.

37. When you ask a question, remember to balance the
gender and ethnicity of the respondents.
38. Love and respect your students and they will return it.
39. Take a student for a ride and they will arrive at where
you want them to. Teach them to drive and they will be
able to go anywhere.
40. Have fun when you teach and your students will learn to
laugh with you.
41. Use lots of humor but don’t tell jokes.
42. Respect diversity and you will be respected.
43. Help students to grow from where they are now not
where you think they should be.
44. Create curiosity in your teaching content.
45. When appropriate, let students participate in the
decision of what to learn.
46. If for some reason you don’t like a student, the problem
is yours.
47. Never generalize from a few particular instances.
48. Whenever you give an example (for instance) always
provide a nonexample (don’t confuse A with B).
49. It is not important what a student knows. It is important
what the student can do with what is known.
50. Stop talking so much and let students learn.
ol Learn with your student because no one is smarter than
all of you.
De. Wrap your most important learning points in a relevant
story.
53. Use lots of attention-focusing strategies.
54. Students can learn at different times and in different
locations as well as at the same time and in the same
location-the classroom.
OO: Students learn only when they want to learn.
56. You can bring a student to a fountain, but you can’t
make her drink unless she is thirsty.
a7. Your students will have a greater impact on the future
than you will.
88° Chapter Six

58 . Create high expectations and students will reach out and

stretch.
oY! Students have different learning styles. Use a variety of
teaching strategies.
60. Assess only what you teach and tell students to learn.
61. The fountain of knowledge and source of truth does not
always reside in the front of the classroom.
62. Students today have always known electronic
technology such as the CD, the computer, and the VCR.
They have learned a great deal through it.
63. Students learn as well, as fast, and as much from
electronically delivered instruction as in a traditional
classroom.
64. The primary role of teachers as knowledge sources and
transmitters is shifting to that of learning facilitators and
mentors.

65. Teacher-centered education as we have known it

historically is shifting to a learner-centered paradigm.
66. We are in the process of taking the “house” out of
schoolhouse and moving towards the whole community
as the primary resource.
67. A researcher creates new knowledge. A teacher
communicates that new knowledge in ways that students
can understand. Teaching and research are separate and
unequal.
68. The three characteristics of great teachers are
enthusiasm, clarity of communication, and interactions
before and after class.
69. Create opportunities for students to think critically
rather than to parrot.
70. Communicate with as many senses as possible for
permanent learning.
cA Don’t kill ideas by waiting until tomorrow.
1%. There is no such thing as a dumb question-only the one
not asked.
73. Let your students see what you are saying by visualizing
it.
74 . Talk with pictures.
 123 things | have learned « 89

195 Have fun with magic illusion and transition to a key

teaching point.
76. Startle students occasionally with a provocative
statement or question.
77. ‘Teach students, not subjects.
78. Teaching is like fishing. Sometimes they bite and
sometimes they don’t. It depends a lot on the type of
lure that you use.
79; Lecture only 8-12 minutes before you involve students in
their learning in some way.
80. Create a safe environment in which students feel
comfortable to express their ideas.
8 bot. Fill students’ souls with dreams and help them to make
those dreams come true.
82. If in doubt, don’t.
83. Be a thief of good ideas and then give credit to the
originator of the idea.
84. Students can be arrogant and impatient. So can teachers.
85. Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are the best
that you can be. Mirrors can’t lie.
86. Top quality teaching doesn’t just happen. It takes
planning.
87. Assumptions about teaching and learning drive your
actions.
88. If you don’t know where you are going when you plan
your classes, you are likely to land up somewhere else.
89. Critical thinking cannot be taught through lecture. There
must be active student involvement.
90: Talk at students and they will forget. Involve them in
their learning and they will remember.
9 —. Excited teachers excite students.
92. Create a stimulating learning environment with the use
of visual analogy, storytelling, and magic illusion.
93. There are few good answers, only good questions.
94. Students learn as they are tested, unfortunately. Test for
recall and the student will remember. Test for critical
thinking and the student will learn to think critically.
95, When you ask a question on television, wait at least 8-10
seconds for a response.
90 * Chapter Six

96. There are only 60 minutes in a teaching hour on

television. No more.
ere What we want a student to learn is more important than
what we teach.
98. A course syllabus or telesyllabus for distance learning is
the most important communication device that an
instructor can use to provide useful information. It is a
legal covenant with students.
99: If it isn’t in writing, it does not exist.
100. Teaching is not talking at. It is talking with.
101 You can’t wing it on live interactive television or you will
get wung out.

102. Look around you 360 degrees. There are teaching

artifacts everywhere.
103. Laugh at yourself frequently on interactive television.
You are the biggest joke.
104. Students are more interested in people than things. Let
them know who you are.
105. Develop a personal signature that sets the stage for every
class.
106. Take some chances by trying new ideas. If they bomb,
find out why. If they succeed, find out why.
107. Whenever you step beyond the bounds of the ordinary
and try something different, there must be a goodness of
fit for you.
108. Reward students with understanding, kindness, and
humility.
109. Listen frequently to students. They might have
something worthwhile to say.
110. Let learning drive your selection of technology.
111. Your visual image on television is whatever you want
and practice it to be.
lik: What we see in our students is based mainly on what we
look for.
113. There are three types of instructors: Those that you have
to listen to; those that you can’t help listening to; and
those that you want to listen to.
 123 things | have learned 91

114. Traditional courses cannot be transported to a television

or World Wide Web environment without significant
modification.
V5: You can spell the word cooperation with just two letters—
WE.
116. Knowledge can be written in ways other than written
words. It can be communicated through the use of
symbols, graphics, pictures, diagrams, and maps.
Lt7. For a magic trick to be effective in teaching it must have
a good transition to the key teaching point.
118. Good questions don’t just happen. They are written and
planned in advance.
Ho: The first seven seconds of a television class are the most
important. This is when the student forms a visual
impression.
120. Non-verbal communication on interactive television can
be as important as what is said.
jal Active learning involves students in their own learning
both alone and in small groups.
122. Active learning is the ability to get students to do
something with what they have learned and then to
think about what they have done.
123. Stories and anecdotes reinforce key teaching points and
establish a personal rapport with students.
 AppendixA

Using Trigger Videos to

Develop Critical Thinking Skills

F,requently used instructional strategies for critical thinking

include such techniques as case studies, simulations, role-
playing, scenarios, and games. One technique that combines
many of the features of these strategies, and that is relatively
inexpensive to develop, is the trigger film or trigger video. A
trigger video is an involvement strategy that frequently leaves
many things unsaid. It therefore stimulates more viewer
participation. The video clip acts as a catalyst by presenting in
a crystal clear segment of time, a myriad of selected, but often
ambiguous, details concerned with a provocative topic.
Details are designed and calculated to evoke, or trigger viewer
response.
The emphasis of the scenario is the subject matter rather
than the production. Other than a reasonably good picture
and audio, production quality is deemphasized. There is
minimal or no editing. This can be precluded with good
preplanning. Since the clip is very short, reshooting is easy in
case of error. Produced with a small video camcorder and
using students and colleagues as talent, the teacher outlines a
role-play situation with varying levels of detail. The level of
detail can be used to allow the viewing students more or less
latitude to make assumptions about antecedent events not
shown in the video clip. The more assumptions that the
students are allowed to make, the more they can affect the
final solution or recommendations. In some instances you
may not want to allow the students to make any assumptions
and therefore you must provide all necessary data. The
students will deal with the information provided within the
video clip only.
Trigger videos are used to open a class discussion. A three-
or four-minute trigger is presented and the students are asked
to describe what they see and what the implications are for
some topic under study. This could be a dramatic scenario
that requires a conclusion or a recommendation. Triggers can
present a partial scenario that requires a recommendation and

92
 Using trigger videos to develop critical thinking skills « 93

then the second half of the trigger is shown with a professional

acting out what should be done. Triggers can be shown at the
beginning of class to create a basis for discussion. Brief
documentaries such as a medical emergency, bridge collapse,
or natural disaster could be used to begin an analysis of a
problem. Historical propaganda films are an excellent source
of triggers.
Another technique is a simple dialogue between two or
more people. As the dialogue unfolds there is a prejudice,
bias, or use of faulty information. Non-repeatable events such
as time, motion, costly or dangerous experiments can be used
to build observational skills. Another very interesting
technique is to have the students create a trigger video to be
used by other groups of students for analysis.
Most trigger videos use dramatic scenes to present a
problem. After viewing the original or commercial trigger,
students, working in small groups during and/or after class,
are asked to describe exactly what they have seen and discuss
the facts only. They then begin to make inferences and
assumptions; describe the problem or opportunity; identify all
legal, political, economic, ethical, and practical implications;
explain all possible courses of action and the probable
consequences of each course of action; and then make a
recommendation based on the criteria provided by the
teacher or generated by the students. The analysis can take
one or more class periods. After the student group has made a
recommendation, the teacher critiques the recommendation
or turns the video back on for a resolution of the problem by
the professional in the film.
Trigger videos can be produced locally or edited out of
commercial videos. A powerful source of trigger videos can
be found in the wide range of commercial movies available at
video rental stores. Scenes can be identified that provide a
dramatic incident or social dilemma dealing with specific
concepts, principles, and ideas covered in class. Institutional
copyright policies should be reviewed.

Strategies for effective use of trigger videos

Prior to viewing
* Discuss the theme or bias the-author/scene will portray.
+ Direct the students to focus on a specific comment or
character.
94 * Appendix A

* Raise questions to be answered.

* Focus on the environment.

During the viewing

Stop the video at a specific point:
* Raise questions.
* Comment on what has transpired.
¢ Ask for reactions/feelings.
¢ Ask what the students would do in this situation.
¢ Ask for available options for the character.
* Ask to explore the consequences of actions seen.
* Identify values expressed in the scenario.
* Are the values overtly stated or implied from some type
of action?
Follow up
* Identify other scenarios that refute, contradict, parallel, or
reinforce the point of view expressed in the trigger.
* Produce a three- or four-minute scenario that improves,
expands, condenses, or reinforces this concept.
* How would you present this point of view?
* What other media can you identify that you could use to
reinforce this (these) ideas?

Examples of scenes edited from commercial

rental videos include
1. Participants are asked to watch three two-minute video
clips of different teaching styles presented in the videos
entitled, Flatliners, The Paper Chase, and Dead Poets Society.
After viewing these video clips, the participants are asked
to discuss what they have seen and how they think each of
the different teaching styles would impact on their
students. Students are then asked to write a one page
summary on their own perceived teaching styles and
which of the three videotapes best represented their
“teaching style.”
2. Movie: The Eiger Sanction
Topic: Sexual harassment
In the opening scene Clint Eastwood is an art teacher
addressing his last class. A female student approaches and
 Using trigger videos to develop critical thinking skills * 95

says that she fears she will get a poor grade and would do
anything to keep her “A” grade. Her manner is
provocative and sensual. It is obvious that the student is
sexually harassing the teacher. Stop the video and ask
what the participants have observed. The teacher tells the
student to go home and study her “a..” off but reaches and
pats her on the butt. The situation now changes from
harassment of the teacher by the student to the student by
the teacher.
Ask the audience to role play. Point to one participant and
ask that person to put him/herself in the place of the Dean
of Instruction. The student comes into the Dean’s office
very upset and claims that the teacher touched her. What
would you say to the student and then to the teacher?
What are the facts?
oe Movie: Summer School
Topic: Sexual harassment
In an early scene after class a first year female teacher
criticizes a student for a poor and challenging attitude in
class. The student grabs and kisses the teacher. She slaps
him.
Ask participants how they feel. Write down two or three
words that describe their feelings as soon as the video is
turned off.
Ask how the participants would handle this situation if
they were the teacher.
If that teacher came to you right after the incident and
sought your advice, what would you tell her to do?
~ Movie: Ford: The Man and the Machine
Topic: Self esteem
In a scene Edsel Ford shows his father his new car that he
feels will improve on the Model T. The engineers that
designed the car with Edsel are present. Ford grabs a
sledge hammer and smashes the car in front of Edsel and
the engineering team that built it. Ford tells Edsel that
there is only one boss at Ford and that is his Pa. Rejected
and embarrassed, Edsel walks away.
Ask participants to write down in one or two words how
they think Edsel felt at that moment.
If Edsel came to your office and related the story that had
just taken place, what would you say to him?
96 * Appendix A

6. Movie: Gross Anatomy

Topic: Grade spread
An anatomy teacher announces in an anatomy lab that
there will be two As, four Bs, three Cs, and four Ds and
Fs. Students are shocked as cadavers bounce up and
down.
This is competitive, norm-referenced grading. Is this a fair
system? What are the alternatives?
How could the teacher know before the test was given
what the grade spread would be?
7. Movie: Glory
Topic: Need for training/harassment
In an early scene, new black recruits have had no training
in marksmanship. One young recruit is a crack shot and
breaks several bottles. The white commanding officer
approaches and asks the new recruit to take a shot, but
keeps yelling for the recruit to load faster and faster while
he shoots his Colt revolver behind the recruit’s head. He
notes that a good soldier can get three aimed shots off in
one minute. Training and discipline are needed.
How would this scene be viewed today?
Is this harassment?
Was this a fair and just action for the C.O. to take?
8. Movie: 12 Angry Men (1957)
Topic: Bigotry
A young man has been accused of murder. He looks East
European. There is a discussion scene during which one
juror keeps referring to “them” and “those people.” The
juror is summarily rejected by the other jurors.
Ask if participants have ever known anyone like this
juror?
Who are “them” and “those people?” What do these
remarks indicate?

Finding the right trigger videos and video

scenarios
If you meet one of your former students in a shopping mall
three or four years from now, what would you like them to
remember about the courses that they took from you in
 Using trigger videos to develop critical thinking skills * 97

college? List below the specific things that you feel are the
most important things that you would want the student to say.
1
Zs
3.
In addition to the three items that you listed above, what
are three of the most important points in each of your
courses? Write these key words or concepts on a 3" x 5" card
and begin to look for video clips that would introduce,
reinforce, or provide examples of these important ideas.
ir
De
3.
The use of trigger videos and video scenarios offers an
excellent way to bring case studies to life. Once a teacher has
identified the 3-5 key points in a telecourse, video clips can
be identified. In addition to movies, look for television
programs that deal with your subject. Don’t overlook
advertising. It can offer many possibilities for short themes.
Trigger videos and video scenarios are good subjects for
upper level students for small group and individual projects.
Give the students the key point(s), some guidelines, and offer
special credit. The potential is unlimited.

Locally produced trigger videos

Several examples of short case studies that could be translated
into locally produced trigger videos include:
* A new teacher meets his class for the first time. As he
begins to introduce himself to the class, the classroom
door opens, his distraught wife runs into the classroom,
and screams, “You cannot treat me that way any more.”
In a hysterical and uncontrolled fit of anger, she throws a
set of keys at him and declares that she is filing divorce
papers that afternoon. She turns, runs out of the
classroom, and slams the door. The shocked teacher,
obviously embarrassed, looks at the class, picks up the
thrown keys, excuses himself, and walks slowly out of the
classroom. As he reaches the classroom door, he turns,
walks quickly back to the podium, and states with
enthusiasm, “Although this is your first class, write a story
about what you have just witnessed.”
98 « Appendix A

- A person dressed in a raincoat and standing in front of a

drug store on a rainy evening walks quickly toward the
store. Upon entering, this unknown person (you cannot
tell if it is a man or woman) walks toward the counter.
The pharmacist awaits with a smile as this nervous
customer approaches. The customer hands the pharmacist
a tightly folded piece of paper. The pharmacist smiles and
opens the folded paper to find a fifty dollar bill and the
printed words “One pint of paregoric (a prescription
drug).” At this point the videotape is turned off and the
students are asked to record exactly what they just
observed and if they thought there was a problem. After
discussion and consideration of the possible alternative
courses of action, the students collectively reach a
consensus as to the problem and the correct course of
action. The videotape is then turned back on and the
students view how a professional pharmacist handled the
situation.
* During a lecture in social work two students (both adults)
talk constantly during the presentation by the teacher to
the point that several other adult students are visibly
annoyed and complain to the teacher during the break.
Students viewing the videotape scenario are asked to
articulate the problem, identify several courses of action
that the teacher could take, and then make a
recommendation as to how to handle the problem. The
videotape is turned back on and the students view how
the teacher handled the problem.
An English teacher is sitting in her office one week after
the semester has closed. Grades have been sent to the
students. An irate student walks into her office
unannounced. The student asks why she received a B in
the course when all of her work except one paper (a B-)
was A work. The teacher states that in her judgment the
student deserved a B and no more. The student screams
that she will appeal the grade. The teacher calmly states,
“So be it.”
Other interesting ideas for triggers or scenarios
* Yes/no to drugs
* Elderly person opening a can of dog food
* A senior citizen and an insensitive teenager
* A physically challenged person encountering a barrier
 Using trigger videos to develop critical thinking skills * 99

¢ Street people discussing values

* Emotional interactions between two people of same or
opposite sex
¢ Drunk driving and children
* Sexual harassment in a classroom, library, or at a school
social function
* Pro-lifers picketing a medical clinic
* Student cheating as observed by third party
* Abusive treatment of wife or child
* Student or employee requesting to copy computer
software that has a copyright mark
* Student threatening suicide
* Decision to give money to a specific charity
* Bribery via telephone
* An intoxicated person requesting another drink
* An employee taking a pencil or stapler from an office
* Driver giving license and $20.00 bill to a police officer
who has just stopped person for a traffic violation
* Young man being told he is HIV positive
* Conflict between child and parent
+ Student is told by nurse that her pregnancy test is positive
* Role play conflict situations
* Older person shoplifting

Trigger video production guidelines

The design of trigger videos requires that the teacher follow a
number of guidelines for effective implementation. These
include:
* They should be short (1-4 minutes), simple, and
uncomplicated.
- A limited amount of information is addressed.
* The trigger should be directly related to a learning
performance objective. This can be stated prior to
showing or after discussion of the video.
* The scenario appears to be a real situation for the student
viewer.
* The chosen topic should be readily identified by the
student audience.
100 * Appendix A

A trigger is designed to provide an initial stimulus only.

Therefore, a completely detailed scene is not required.
* The trigger should conclude at the climax or high point to
generate lively discussion. The unresolved conflict should
have alternative solutions unless there is one “correct”
solution.
- Participants in triggers should not moralize, sermonize,
provide “messages,” or “right” answers, unless this is part
of the purpose of the trigger.
¢ In some instances, the end or conclusion is left to the
student participants.
* Menges (1979, May), when describing the impact of
triggers, said, “Energy for discussion comes from feelings
and unanswered questions triggered by the tapes” (p. 14).
* The final production is tightly sequenced. The most
important elements of the situation are extracted from a
much larger slice of life.

General discussion questions to generate

maximum impact
Before and after viewing the trigger video, there are a number
of questions that the teacher can use to maximize participation
in discussion of the scenario. Questions can also be used to
focus attention and set the stage.
1; What are the facts presented in this scenario? What is
happening? What facts are known?
. Is the environment similar to or different from places you
have experienced?
. Is the scenario realistic?
. What circumstances might change how these people act
or react to each other?
. What assumptions can you make about the unstated facts?
6. Why do the participants in the scenario act and react as
they do? How do you feel that they should have acted?
. Given the same circumstances and time, how do you feel
that you would have acted?
. What do you think each of the participants is thinking and
feeling? How would you feel and act in this situation?
. Would you have handled the situation differently?
 Using trigger videos to develop critical thinking skills + 101

Throughout this section we have reviewed a special

learning strategy, the trigger video, to create an environment
for students to learn and practice critical thinking skills and
the need for purposeful and formal teaching of these skills. It
was noted that critical thinking cannot be taught by the formal
lecture. Students must work in small groups and be given the
freedom to explore alternative solutions.
 Appendix B

Scenarios

A variety of professional development scenarios have been

provided. It is the process of scenario design that is most
important not the specific content.

Scenario: Example 1
Just Teach the Way You Have Always Taught!
As a member of a large high school department, you have
always been active in departmental affairs. Your reputation as
a good teacher is well established. Your department head
asked you several weeks ago if you and several of your
colleagues would teach a distance learning course with two-
way television next school year. It is now February and the
next school year begins in early September. As you spoke
with teachers from several other high schools in your school
system who have had some experience teaching with two-way
television, you learned that there are several videotapes of
their courses available. An experienced television teacher
gave you and your colleagues two videotapes to preview. The
first is a course taught by a teacher in another high school who
had no training on how to design or modify a course for
television teaching. In fact, she was given less than one month
notice that she would be teaching this course. The second
teacher from a different high school had attended several
training programs on teaching with two-way television given
last semester.
You and your colleagues view the two tapes together and
make a list of the ways that the two teachers instruct on
television. How do the teaching characteristics of the
untrained and trained teachers differ?
In the “Untrained Teacher” column answer, “What
problems will teachers encounter when they are not trained to
teach at a distance with any of the delivery technologies or
combinations of the technologies?”
Under the “Trained Teacher” column answer the question,
“What will distance learning courses look like when teachers
are trained to teach at a distance?”

102
 Scenarios * 103

Time: 5 minutes
Untrained Teacher Trained Teacher

Scenario: Example 2
Distance Education: Should Our School System Become Involved?
You have been invited by the principal of your high school to
meet with the vice principal, district curriculum coordinator,
director of Media Services in the high school, manager of the
local public television station, director of Instructional
television for the district, and 3-5 teachers of your choice for
the purpose of exploring the feasibility of a distance education
program to deliver courses off-campus and to other high
schools in your district.
After significant discussion, you are asked to form a study
team to explore the possibilities of establishing such a
program. This includes: program priorities, costs, support
services, teacher training needs, additional equipment needs,
delivery options, and possible administrative reorganization.
Your team is also asked to identify policy issues that will have
to be addressed: copyright, ownership, royalty sharing,
preparation time, teacher incentives, and any other issues that
the team can identify. You are also asked to identify which
internal service organizations in the school district should be
involved.
Summarize what the research says about the effectiveness
of distance education in the public school sector; what
external support might be available; who is doing what
successfully at other public schools around the country; and
what types of experiences other school systems have had with
this type of program.
You have three months to prepare your final report. How
much of a budget will you need and for what purpose? You
will be released from all current duties to complete this task.
The team will have unlimited access to all administrative and
support groups in the school system.
Your task for the next 30 minutes is to determine what
questions need to be addressed and where the answers to
them could be found. Please form a team of 3-5 teachers and
appoint a team spokesperson.
104 * Appendix B

Scenario: Example 3
Technology, Teaching, and Learning: The Chicken or the Egg
Your name is Sharon Forsythe and you are 45 years old. After
receiving your Ph.D. in economics from Yale in 1975, you
accepted your first and only teaching position at York
University in California. Today, after 20 years of teaching, you
are well established in your profession, and well-respected
and liked by your colleagues. You have received several
national awards for your research and been awarded two
commendations for outstanding teaching on your campus.
Recently, you have been asked by the president of your
university to form a committee of one faculty member from
each of the colleges to recommend a delivery system or
combination of systems for a new distance learning program
that will be instituted within the next year. York University
does not have an instructional television department, but the
audiovisual department has a small television studio. There is
a full time graphic artist in this department. There is also a
separate teaching improvement department. The presence of
the university on the World Wide Web is dependent on
individual instructor initiatives.
During the first several meetings of this committee, a
number of members have strongly suggested that a World
Wide Web delivery system be instituted campus-wide. Other
members have suggested that the university purchase a two-
way video/two-way audio delivery system. Two of the
members feel that distance learning is simply another passing
educational fad and will not last. After listening to the
arguments for the different delivery systems, you ask why the
WWW or interactive video or audioconferencing should be
instituted. One of the committee, Peter Conrad, states that the
quality of any of the distance learning delivery systems cannot
be as good as the on-campus courses and that the overall
quality of the courses will be denigrated. He states that he
cannot understand why the administration would want to
begin such a program in the first place. Several of the other
committee members agree with Peter. You ask if technology
should drive teaching and learning or if teaching and learning
should drive the selection of the technology? At this point the
committee members are quite confused. One even asks to
disband the committee. Each member is asked to look into the
advantages and disadvantages of each of the delivery
 Scenarios * 105

technologies—audio, video, computing (WWW, Internet,

computer mediated instruction), and print. They are asked to
report their findings at the next meeting in three weeks.
Directions
During the next 15 minutes, working as a committee team,
please appoint a spokesperson and recommend which of the
delivery systems or combination of systems should be
implemented at York University and the reasons for the
choice. Cost is a consideration but not the determining factor.
Use your knowledge of distance learning and any experience
that you may have had with it. You may not ask any questions
of the instructors at this point. You will be asked to make a
one-minute summary of your recommendations.

Scenario: Example 4
Culturally Sensitive Instructional Development
Your distance education division has been committed to
design six telecourses to be delivered via live interactive
satellite television (one-way video and two-way audio). These
telecourses will be videotaped in hopes of leasing or selling
them with complete study guides after they have been used
and evaluated. The six instructors (three Anglo males, one
Hispanic female, one African American female, and one
Asian male) who will be teaching these telecourses have all
taught at least one live telecourse. All are experts in their
subject area as well as good instructors. The audience will
consist of multi-national, multi-cultural, and multi-religious
students. At least half of the students use English as a second
language.
You are one of the teleinstructors. Your corporation has
brought the six instructors together to explore how to develop
telecourses for such a diverse audience. Meeting with you are
members of your distance learning support team including the
project manager, the head of the instructional design group,
television personnel, graphic designers, and an evaluation
specialist.
The project manager is aware that each of the telecourses
will have to be very sensitive to the cross-cultural aspects of
the teaching and course content as well as the verbal and non-
verbal presentation. S/he asks the teleinstructors and support
team, working as a whole, to identify what aspects of the
telecourses need to be modified to be sensitive to these
106 * Appendix B

diverse audiences. What assumptions would you make and

what would you recommend?
Time: 20 minutes

Scenario: Example 5
Teaching at a Distance: Is There a Difference?
During the past several semesters Estella University, your
institution, has started a distance learning program mainly
through interactive television. Some instructors have
expressed an interest in combining other technologies with
the interactive television such as the Internet, World Wide
Web, and audio conferencing. The institutional needs
assessment indicated that an MBA program (or other
program) would be quite successful. You are a tenured
associate professor of management (or other discipline ) and
have been asked to teach a three hour graduate course next
fall (it is now March). Several of your colleagues in
engineering, who have taught on interactive television, have
suggested that it is almost the same as traditional teaching.
You observe several of their classes and note that they spend
most of their time writing formulas, solving problems by
writing, and lecturing. Since that is not the way that you teach
in your discipline, you suspect that there could be some very
real differences to the way that you will have to teach on
interactive television, especially if you use some of the other
technologies. Your department head has offered to support
this new interactive television course with $500.00 in
additional funds for instructional materials. S/he has also
offered planning and development time of six weeks at full
pay during the summer. You have been told that you can
expect about 10-12 students in your on-campus teleclass with
an additional 10-12 students at two or three field sites.
Your task, working in a team of three to five participants
with an appointed recorder, is to determine how teaching in a
teleclassroom would be different from teaching in a traditional
classroom and what type of training you feel is needed. Also,
identify what criteria you would use to select and integrate
with the interactive television the other technologies of the
Internet, WWW, and audio conferencing?
You may make any assumptions about this task. Please
write these assumptions below. You will be asked to share
your findings with the whole group.
 Scenarios * 107

Time: 20 minutes (or longer if appropriate)

Assumptions:

Scenario: Example 6
Involving Students from Their Heads to Their Toes
You are team teaching the telecourse entitled XYZ with two
other instructors. As the primary instructor you are preparing
the teleclass. The learning performance objective is cognitive.
Your approach to teleclass teaching is the highly active
classroom. This means:
A. Involve the students immediately at the beginning of the
teleclass in a meaningful activity related to the major
learning performance objective.
B. After the short activity, discuss what the students have just
learned and done and why it is important to them.
C. Ask the students how they can apply the data or skill in
their personal and professional lives immediately.
The learning performance objective for your teleclass is
primarily cognitive:
Given the 160+ possible activities and exercises, select two
that would meet the requirements of the learning performance
objective. Re-write the exercise/activity to meet the content
needs.
Use the following criteria to assist you in the selection of
the exercises/activities:
+ Is the learning performance objective primarily cognitive
and at what level: recall, understanding, application, or
critical thinking?
- Are there any affective implications during the mastery of
this objective?
* What is the product or outcome of the activity/exercise:
solution, recommendation, or summary?
* Is a group leader required as well as a recorder or
presenter?
* What are the logistic requirements for: equipment,
materials, artifacts, or personnel?
* Must the activity be completed during a single teleclass?
¢ Is there work required after the teleclass? How much?
Where must it be performed?
108 * Appendix B

- If the students are all separated at different field sites, how

can they contact you: telephone, e-mail, or audio bridge?
Who will make these arrangements?
Time: 10 minutes

Scenario: Example 7
Distance Education: What’s Involved?
You have been invited by the president of your university to
meet with the Academic Vice-President, Vice-President for
Business, President of the Faculty Senate, Director of Media
Services, Manager of the Public Television Station, Director of
Instructional Television, and six Deans for the purpose of
developing a distance education program to deliver courses
off-campus at the upper level undergraduate and graduate
school.
After significant discussion, you are asked to form a study
team to explore the possibilities of establishing such a
program. This includes: program priorities, costs, support
services, instructor training needs, additional equipment
needs, delivery options, and possible administrative
reorganization. Your team is also asked to identify policy
issues that will have to be addressed: copyright; ownership;
royalty sharing; cost centers; preparation time; in-load or
overload; and any other issue that the team can identify.
You are also asked to identify which internal service
organizations should be involved; summarize what the
research says about the effectiveness of distance education;
what external support might be available; who is doing what
successfully at other universities and colleges, and what types
of experiences have other institutions had with this type of
program.
You have nine months to prepare your final report. Your
budget is $35,000 (?) which may be used for any purpose
within the scope of the study. Additional funds will be made
available as you can justify them. You will be released from all
current duties to complete this task. The team will have
unlimited access to all administrative and academic units of
the campus.
Please form a team of 3-5 participants and appoint a team
spokesperson.
Time: 30 minutes
 Scenarios * 109

Scenario: Example 8
But, This is the Way We Have Always Done It!
When you arrive at your first class, you look around and see
students everywhere, probably as confused as you. What do
you really see-students of mixed backgrounds, culture and
age? You focus on some of the older students and ask yourself,
“What are ‘they’ doing in my class?” Some look as old or
older than you. Why would they be taking this upper level
history class?
You collect the course cards; hand out the course syllabus
(two pages lean), introduce yourself, and begin to review the
topics that “you” will cover in the course. Mid-term and final
ee dates are mentioned as well as dates that all papers are
ue.
After about 20 minutes into this first class, three “older”
students get up and leave somewhat annoyed and with a lot of
fanfare. Startled by this distraction and a little embarrassed
you wonder why they left the way they did and so soon.
Later that afternoon you spy one of the students that left
your class this morning in the cafeteria. You decide to talk
with him. As you approach, this student sees you and tries to
avoid any eye contact. He knows you are headed his way. You
introduce yourself, “Hi, ’'m Professor Nagle. You were in my
history class this morning and left early. Could I sit with you
for a few minutes and chat a bit?” The student flushed,
knowing that he was cornered. “OK,” he responds,
reluctantly. Professor Nagle sits down with his stack of books
and offers his hand in friendship. “I’m John Duff, the student
responds.” Professor Nagle guesses that John is about 42 years
old and must be a junior since he was in History 310. He
smiles and says, “John, I’m curious as to why you left my
course in such a short period of time this morning. You and
the other two students seemed quite agitated. Did I say or do
something that disturbed you?” Looking at Professor Nagle,
John responds that he didn’t feel that the course was right for
him at that time. Professor Nagle looks puzzled and says,
“John, I had not even finished reviewing the syllabus when
you got up and left, obviously annoyed. How could you
possibly know that the course wasn’t right for you?”
Hesitatingly, John responds, “Professor Nagle, you’re right. I
didn’t give you much of a chance. I may have been too
abrupt. I’m sorry if I looked annoyed. But, I really was at the
110 * Appendix B

time.” John shifts his weight nervously. Professor Nagle

encourages him to continue. “What I heard you saying
indicated that this was purely a lecture course with little
opportunity for me to get involved. I’m not interested in
learning a lot of factual data about history. I can read and
study that on my own if it is of interest and applicable in my
career. For the past three years most of my courses have been
strictly lecture with minimal or no interaction on the part of
the students. In too many of my courses, questions were
discouraged. I read the text and completed all outside
readings; regurgitated back the data on the tests that were all
true/false and simple multiple-choice. By the way, they were
all machine scored. I got an “A” in every course and didn’t
learn a thing. What did I contribute? Nothing. I honestly
believe that attending those classes was a waste of my time. At
least half of my classmates had a lot of different experiences in
their careers and could have contributed a great deal to the
classes. I would have liked to share their values, attitudes, and
points of view about history but everything centered around
the instructor lecturing and sometimes even pontificating. I
really think that students with a great deal of life and career
experiences have a lot to offer in class, don’t you? It appeared
to me that your class was just another one of ‘those’ classes
where my ideas and opinions won’t matter. I’m looking for a
major either here or at another institution that will provide me
with the opportunities and experiences that will allow me to
grow and mature intellectually and explore my values and
with instructors that will listen to my opinions and values.”
Professor Nagle sat back, blushed, felt a quick rush of anger
and replied, “But John, this is the way we’ve always done it in
our classes.”
After Professor Nagle left, John decided to vent his feelings
and opinions with the Academic Vice President. He called
and has set up a meeting tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m.
You are the Academic Vice President. After listening to
John’s concerns, what would you say to him?
1. What are the facts of the scenario?
2. What were the assumptions that Professor Nagle used to
develop his class?
3. What is the psychological and philosophical basis on
which Professor Nagle developed his class?
4. What kinds of data does Professor Nagle need, if any?
 Scenarios * 111

5. Why did John feel as he did about the class?

6. What could Professor Nagle have done in his class to
make it attractive to John?
Time: 10 minutes

Scenario: Example 9
Developing a Telecourse
Your academic department has just received a grant to
develop six telecourses for delivery on the World Wide Web.
The department chairperson has asked for their course for this
project. You have decided to explore the possibilities and
have set up a meeting with the Director of Distance Learning
at your institution. You have been using e-mail for several
years and have some experience locating instructional
materials while surfing around on the Web. You are an
untenured assistant professor who will be considered for
tenure in two years.
During your meeting with the Director of Distance
Learning, you begin to identify issues that will help to
determine the success of your telecourse. You also begin to
identify those stakeholders who could have a positive
influence on the success of your course.
Directions: Your task, with a team of participants, is to
brainstorm those issues that need to be addressed to assure a
successful telecourse. Also identify those stakeholders on your
campus that need to be involved.
Time: 10 minutes
Issues Stakeholders

Scenario: Example 10
Why Should I Do All of This?
During a meeting with one of your key instructors during a
break at the beginning of a workshop on telecourse
modification, the following comments are made by the
instructor.
“Why should I do all of this to modify my course to teach
at a distance? What you are suggesting will take three to five
times as long to prepare my course. All I have to do is to
teach my course the same way I have always done in my
regular classroom. No one has told me that I have to do it any
differently except you. I use lots of overheads. I involve my
112 * Appendix B

students in activities. I use lots of handouts. So what is the big

deal?”
Inference: What’s in it for me (WIIFM)?
Background data on this instructor:
* Rank: Tenured Associate Professor of management.
¢ Years of teaching: Eight years of upper division
undergraduate.
* Formal training in college teaching: one year as a GTA.
* Teaching awards: Outstanding teaching of the year last
year.
* Publications: 19 refereed journal articles and one book.
* Consultant: 21 paid and 6 pro bono.
* Teaching Support Center: frequent user.
* Method of teaching: primarily lecture with about 15%
discussion.
* Teaching observations by departmental peers and support
staff.
Directions: Please respond to this instructor in a short
paragraph.
Time: Five minutes

Scenario: Example 11
Involving Students at Field Sites
You are team teaching the telecourse entitled, XYZ, with two
other instructors. As the primary instructor for XYZ you are
preparing the teleclass. The learning performance objective is
cognitive. Your approach to teleteaching is the ADA strategy.
This means:
A. Involve the students immediately in an activity.
D. After the activity, discuss what the students have just done
and why it is important.
A. Ask the students how they can apply the data or skill in
their lives.
The learning performance objective for this teleclass is:
Given the 160+ possible exercises/activities, select two that
would meet the requirements of the learning performance
objective. Re-write the exercises/activities to meet the content
needs.
 Scenarios ° 113

Use the following criteria to assist you.

Selecting exercises and activities for use at field sites.
1 Is the learning performance objective primarily cognitive:
recall; understanding; application; or critical thinking?
. Are there any affective implications?
. What is the product or outcome of the activity-conclusion;
solution, recommendation, or summary?
. Is a group leader required? Recorder? Presenter?
. How much time is needed during the teleclass period?
. What are the logistics for equipment, materials, artifacts,
personnel?
. Will the activity be completed in a single teleclass?
. Is there after teleclass work?
. If the students are all separated, how can they contact the
instructor and each other? By telephone, e-mail, audio
bridge? Who will make these arrangements?
 Appendix C

Potential games

What is a game?
here are some basic components of a game:
* The game is linked to a learning performance objective
and a rationale as to why the game is used by all
participants.
¢ There is a clear description of the types of acceptable and
unacceptable behaviors that are part of the game activity.
* There should be a clear description of the benefits to the
student of playing the game.
* There is some competition for a winner at the completion
of the game but not necessarily a score. There are losers
and some type of payoff such as praise, a candy bar, a gift
of some type, or a posted winner.
* All of the participants are highly interactive and
cooperative within the playing teams.
* All participants know exactly when the game is
completed.
Kirby (1992) notes that there are 19 definite advantages to
the use of games.
1. Anonymity. All team participants have an equal chance to
play the game. Less extroverted students can choose to
actively participate or they can choose to take a passive
role without fear of penalty.
2. Developmental. There is more than one way to skin a cat.
For each learning performance objective there are many
different game possibilities that could be used. Identify as
many different games as possible for the same objective.
Remember, the game must be at the same level as the
cognitive or affective objective.
3. Experiential. It is what the participants in a game do rather
than what they only know that makes a game so
important. The process of active participation is as
important or more important than knowledge alone.

114
 Potential games * 115

. Experimentation. A game provides a safe environment to

practice skills without fear of negative consequences.
Games provide an opportunity to explore values and
attitudes as well as apply problem solving skills.
A . Flexibility. The conditions under which the game is played
can be varied to meet the needs of the participants. A
game can be accommodated with more or less time or
termination if the conditions warrant.
. Full participation. During a game everyone is involved at
varying degrees. Reticent participants are encouraged to
offer their ideas and solution as well as the more vocal
participants. The instructor functions as an observer
rather than as a participant.
Group responsibility. It is the group rather than the
instructor who must make decisions and
recommendations. It is the objective of team building and
team responsibility that is a major feature of games.
Games build the philosophy that “No one is smarter than
all of us.”
. The learning cycle. Games allow participants to move
through all four stages of a learning event as identified by
Kolb (1984) and Honey and Mumford (1986). The
Activist needs active participation within the group to
learn; the Reflector needs to think about the experiences
learned during the game process after participation; the
Theorist needs to understand and identify the details of
the principles under which the game was played; and the
Pragmatist is primarily concerned with how to apply what
was learned during the game.
. Memorability. Games are fun and provide for memorable
experiences. This helps the participants to remember
what they learned when playing the game.
10. Motivation. When participants have fun playing a game,
they want more of it. Competition in it self can be fun if it
is seen as meaningful and relevant. Fun for its own sake
will always be suspect within a learning environment.
11. Multiple relevance. In addition to achieving the known
objectives of the game, it is highly possible that there are a
number of unintended outcomes as well. This can be even
more important than the learning performance objectives
of the game.
116 * Appendix C

iby, Payoff for all participants. Although games are designed for
one team to win, there are many advantages to all other
members of the game as well. There should be no
negative connotations for the team(s) that do not win.
These teams must see the benefit of participation in terms
of the cognitive and affective learning that took place.
13. Peer learning. The real learning during a game comes from
peer interaction. The instructor is not the major source of
information and problem solving. The participants will
learn from each other. The participants must see the value
of the contributions from each of the team members. This
is an attitude that is transferable to many real life
situations.
14. Physicality. If participants see the game as realistic and
relevant to their own lives, they will participate more
openly and actively. This will help to put participants in
an environment where they can explore and identify their
own feelings and attitudes about an issue. This is the
foundation for self-awareness.
15. Process issues. Game participation provides an opportunity
for participants to be themselves and not conform to a
pre-conceived role. The role playing during a game
approximates the way a participant would approach real
life situations. This can become a topic of review and
discussion when the game has been completed.
16. Rapidity of learning. Learning during participation in a
game is compressed and accelerated.
17. Realism. Games provide realistic everyday life experiences
in the context that a participant might be involved. This
degree of reality is not available in many other types of
teaching/learning strategies.
18. Risk taking. Within a supportive team environment,
participants can take risks to solve a problem that they
might not otherwise take in the real world. Loss of face
can be minimized in a supportive environment if ground
rules have been established at the beginning of the game
and risks are encouraged.
19: Skill development. A number of games require the
participants to use organizational skills that are not part of
the actual game. These unanticipated outcomes may be as
important as the stated objectives of the game (pp. 4-9).
 Potential games * 117

There are a number of stages that a game will go through.

Kirby (1992) identifies eleven logical stages:
l. The offer. A game is offered to a group rather than
imposed as an alternative learning strategy. This follows a
clear definition of the problem, situation, or opportunity
to do something different.
. The group is divided into participants. Glasses/no glasses;
men/women; colored dots; playing card color or playing
card suits, etc.
. Game introduction. This includes the title and rule
explanation and statement of the learning performance
objectives. Also consider a prize for the winners.
. Demonstration. After an explanation of a demonstration, a
game is played to reinforce the key concepts of the
demonstration and check for understanding.
. Clarification of any rules or procedures that must be
followed when playing the game and what constitutes a
winner.
. Playing the game. The instructor may participate or not
participate.
. Observing the game as it is played. Take notes for later
feedback.
. Stopping the game. This can be a natural conclusion, timed
against a clock, or based on participant consensus.
. Feelings. Participants may want to talk about how they felt
about the game.
10. Feedback and discussion. This may be the most important
component of a game. Encourage the discussion from all
participants.
GB Ending. Review the game objective and review what was
observed.

The games
Provide a list of games to each team. Appoint a spokesperson.
Give three minutes to adapt the game for teaching in a chosen
dis cipline.
1 . Pin the tail on the donkey 5. Jeopardy™
2 . Spin the wheel 6. Monopoly™
3 . Musical chairs 7. Charades™
4 . Bingo 8. Scrabble™
118 * Appendix C

. Dominos™ . Cribbage™
. Clue™ . Solitaire
. Chess . Make believe
. Crossword puzzles . Trivial Pursuit™
. Encryption . Combine any two games
. Spelling bee into a third

. Marbles . Matching concepts &

. Hide and seek
. Your age...
. Old Maid™
. You name the game
. Name That Tune™
. Pick Up Sticks™
. Riddles
. One potato, two potato
. Matching
. Rhymes
. $64,000 Question™
. The hats (food,
clothing, other topic)
. Beat the Clock™
LA is like a
because (visual analogy)
. Roll the dice
. 20 questions
. Simple Simon
. Let’s review
. Make up...
. Greatest character I ever
knew...
. Let’s pretend
. Name that card...
. Connect the dots
. Fish
. Checkers™
graphics
. $10 analogy: Shopping for
ideas
. Who am I? (Bag on head):
descriptors
. Unlock the door
. Dice memory
. Guess how the magic was
done?
. Let’s construct...
. Create a picture
. Legos™
. Treasure hunt and grab
bag
. Long ago and far away...
. Paddle ball
. Logistics
. Red light, green light
60. Jacks
61. Mind maps
62. Poster cluster-synthesize
63. Mix and match concepts
and graphics
64. Puppet tree
65. Catch a concept with
Velcro™ of teaching
66. Question darts-levels 1, 2,
3, 4
67. Drop the handkerchief
68. Blind man’s bluff
 Potential games ¢ 119

69. Wheel of Fortune™ 72. Gourmet concepts

70. Family Feud™ (recipes)
71. Pick a number from the 73. Mother, may I
bowl-levels 74. Let’s change places-I’ll be
you and you be me

Two examples of a complete game, Grandma’s Trunk and

Future Perfect: The Family Timeship Game, have been provided
in this appendix.

Creating or Adapting a New Game

Game title (make it precise and catchy):

Short summary (include original game title it was adapted

from):

Learning performance objective(s), primary domain, and

cognitive level:

Time to complete:

Participant grouping strategy:

Directions:
Se ee... aR... ae eee

epee ssl): Geis 45 4 2

ie Se eee ee es OE ee
oo a ee
120 * Appendix C

Materials needed:

Game variations:

Comments:

Future Perfect: The Family Timeship Game

Participants are asked to speculate about what a school or
college will look like in the future when their youngest family
member is their age today. All responses are accepted and
then discussed.
Learning Performance Objective
Using what you know about college life today and your
knowledge about new developments in information
technology, describe what a college education will be like
when your youngest family member is your age today. This
will probably occur somewhere between 2020 and 2050.
* What is your age today (no one will look)?
* How old is your youngest family member today?
* In what year will this youngest family member be your
age today?
 Potential games * 121

Directions
List the different ways available to you today to transmit
information such as the telephone and computer.

Check how many of these information technology tools

were widely available in 1960.
Describe what the college campus will look like when your
family member attends in the year when they are your age
today.

Would you believe it!

Grandma’s Trunk: The Game of Distance
Learning
Brief Summary
This is a version of the children’s game, Grandma’s Trunk,
that tests memory skills on any item that could fit into
grandma’s trunk such as clothing or food based on the letters
of the alphabet. The game was adapted to help instructors
122 * Appendix C

remember items in the area of teleteaching. Most of the

concepts will have been introduced during the class or
workshop.

Directions
For each letter of the alphabet, think of a concept that applies
to teaching at a distance, any educational principle, or
technology used to deliver instruction. Write the concept in a
one sentence explanation next to the letter the concept begins
with. The concept does not have to begin the sentence. As
you progress through the alphabet, you must repeat each prior
concept without reference to the written list. You do not need
to repeat the one sentence explanation. For example, if your
letter was “D” you must repeat the concept for “A,” “B,” and
“C.” Say, “Grandma’s trunk had a (n). Each member of the
first team to complete this exercise will receive a prize.
Judging panel
A panel of your colleagues will judge the appropriateness of
each response. Any of the terms on the list provided will be
acceptable. If a different concept is used other than those
listed, it must be accepted by the judging panel.
Learning performance objective
Identify a concept in distance learning, teaching, or
technology that relates to a letter of the alphabet, repeating
each item until the entire alphabet is completed without
reference to written notes. This is a level 1 memory skill.
Participant grouping strategy
Form groups with the person to your left and to your right.
Materials needed
Paper and pen.

Time: 8 minutes

Distance learning alphabet

A active learning; address; adult learner; advanced
organizer; affective; analogy; analog; analysis; anecdote;
animation; application; architecture; artifact; artificial
intelligence; aspect ratio; assessment; asynchronous;
audio bridge; audioconferencing; audiographic;
audiovisual
 Potential games « 123

backbone; backup; balance; bandwidth; bar code; baud;

binary; biographical sketch; bit; black box; body
language; bookmark; boot; brainstorm; breakout session;
branching; bridge; broadband signal; broadcast television;
browser; bug; build-up; bulletin board system; bullets;
bundle; byte
C-band; cable; camcorder; canned; capacity; caption;
capture; cathode ray tube; centering; central processing
unit; centi-; channel; character; chat; chip; chunking; clip;
clip art; clone; close-up shot; closed-circuit television;
compact disc; compact disc-interactive; comprehension,
computer-assisted instruction, computer-based
instruction; computer-mediated instruction; computer-
managed instruction; coaxial cable, CODEC; cognitive;
color bars; compressed video; compression; conferencing;
content expert; copyright; corner insert; crash; critical
thinking; crop; cue; cut; cut-in; cyberspace
data; database; debug; decompression; definition;
delivery medium; delivery system; depth of field; desktop
camera; different time; different place; digital (digitize);
direct broadcast satellite; directory; dish; disk drive; disk
operating system (DOS); diskette; display; dissolve;
distance education; distributive education; diversity;
document; downlink; download; downtime; dramatic
incident; dress; dropout; dub; digital video; dyad.
earth station; edit; educational television; edutainment;
electronic learning; electronic mail; emoticon; encryption;
enthusiasm; entry level skills; Eudora; export; external
disc; extreme close-up; evaluation; eye contact
facilitator; facsimile; faculty issues; fade; Federal
Communications Commission (FCC); feedback; feed
forward; fiber optic; field production; field site; file server;
file transfer protocol (FTP); fill-in; fire wall; flaming; flip
chart; fiber optics (FO); foamboard; focus; font; footprint;
format; frames per second; freeze frame; frequently asked
questions (FAQ),
gain score; game; garbage in/garbage out; gender;
genlock; giga; gigabyte; glitch, grabbers; graphic
hacker; hairy arm teaching; handout; hands-on; hang-up;
hard copy; hard disk; hardware; high definition
television; headend; headroom; hertz; heuristic; high
definition television (HDTV); highlight; higher order
124 * Appendix C

learning; home page; horizontal; host system; hypertext

markup language (HTML); hyperlearning; hyperlink;
hypermedia; hypertext; hertz
I icebreaker; icon; image; imaging; imagineering;
independent study; individualized interface; instruction,
information center; input/output; information highway,
information technology; insert edit; instructional design;
instructional strategy; instructional television fixed station
(ITFS); instructional strategy; instructor-centered,
integrated services digital network (ISDN); interactive;
interactive study guide; internal storage; internaut,
Internet; intranet; iterate; involve; ISAT (instructional
systems approach to teaching); interactivity;
J Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG)
K kilo; kilobyte; key word; kilohertz; knowbit; knowbot,
knowledge; KU-band
L_ laptop; Lavaliere microphone; learner-centered; learning;
learning activity, learning contract; learning performance
objective; lectern; lecture; legibility; levels of learning;
light table; line-ofsite; link; liquid crystal display (LCD);
light pen; listserv; local area network (LAN); logistics;
long shot; low order learning; low orbiting satellite; lumen
M magic; marketing; market niche; master; marker;
marketing; media; mega; megabyte; megahertz; memory;
menu; merge; metaphor; microchip; microsm; Microsoft
Explorer; microwave; miniaturization; mission; mixer;
modem, montage; mud object-oriented; morphing;
Mosaic; mouse; moving pictures experts group (MPEG);
multi-user dungeon (MUD); multimedia; multipoint;
mute
N nano; nanosecond; narration; narrowband; National
Television System Committee (NTSC); needs assessment;
net; netiquette; Netscape Navigator; network; neural;
newsgroup; niche; non-verbal; noise
O omnidirectional, on-demand; one-way video; online; on-
site; optical disc; origination site; overhead television
camera; overload; ownership
P pacing; packaging; PAL; palmcorders; pan; parabolic
dish, paradigm; passive learning; password; personal
computer, performance-based instruction, peripherals;
personal digital assistant (PDA); personal signature;
picture-in-picture; pixel; place; platform; playback;
 Potential games + 125

policy; point-to-multipoint; Point-to-point, POTS (plain

old telephone system); presentation; print; public
television; puppet
SKIP. NO CONCEPTS WERE FOUND FOR THIS
LETTER.
radio frequency; random access memory; read only
memory (ROM); real time; receive site; reconfiguration
guidelines; recovery; redundancy; released time;
reliability; remote; repetition; resolution; response
system; reward; router; royalty sharing; rule of thirds
satellite; satellite footprint; search engine; self-assessment;
security, semiconductor; server; shelf-life; special interest
group; signal; silence; silicon chip; site; smart
environment; simulation; smiley; software; sound bite;
speakerphone; special effects; special interest group
(SIG); stage fright; still frame; stimulus variation; story;
storyboard; storytelling; structured notes; stimulus/
response learning; student reference manual; study guide;
subject matter expert (SME); summative evaluation;
superhighway; support services; surfing; synchronous;
synthesis; system(s) approach
talking head; target population; taxonomy; teach;
teaching strategy; team; technology; teleclassroom;
telecommunication; telecomputing; telecommuting;
teleconferencing; telecourse; telelecture; telelesson plan;
telephone; teleprompter; telesyllabus; television,
template; tera; terabyte; terminal learning performance
objectives; test (testing); text; theatrics, time-based
corrector; timing; touch pad; transistor; transition,
transponder; transport; trigger video; tripod; twisted pair,
two-way television
ultra-high frequency (UHF); uniform resource locator
(URL); underline; uplink, Usenet
valid; verbal presentation; vertical; video; video cassette
recorder; video graphics adapter (VGA); very high
frequency; videobridge; videocassette recorder (VCR);
video clip; videoconference, videodisc; video scenario,
videotape; videotape master; video game; vignette; visual;
voice; voice-mail; virtual; virtual reality; vision; visual
indicator; visual thinking; voice-activated
126 * Appendix C

W wait time; web browser; web page; webquest, web site;

whiteboard; wideband; wide area network (WAN); World
Wide Web; word picture; workbook
X Xerox
Y You Get What You See (YGWYS)
Z zoom; zoom lens
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 Index
active learning, 7, 13, 15 consequences, 52
active review, 46 contract
adversarial presentation, 46 learning, 52
affective domain, 5 study group, 52
attending, 5 controlled discussion, 53
characterization by value, 5 critical
organization of values, 5 incidents, 53
receiving, 5 thinking, 4, 5
responding, 5 crossfire, 53
valuing, 5 crossword puzzle, 53
alter ego, 46 cryptogram, 54
alternative teaching strategies, 2, 6
analogies, creating, 47 debate, 54
analogy, 47 self, 54
the $10.00, 83 structured, 54
analysis, 4, 5 debriefing, 54
application, 5 delayed time, 1
application activities, 29 delivery system, 17
assessment, vi, 2, 6 demonstration, 55
asynchronous, 44 with practice, 55
attending, 5 dialectical notebook, 55
attention span, 13 did you notice, 55
audience engagement, 47 discovery, 55
discussion
brainstorm session, 47 free group, 56
brief reading, 48 step-by-step, 56
buzz session, 48 diversity, 8
dramatization, quasi, 56
card sort, 48
drills, 56
case studies, 7
dyad, 64
case study, 7
complete, 49 entry level, 24
mini, 49 skill, 8
chapter presentation, 49 evaluation, 4, 5
character dialogue, 49 activities, 30
characterization by value, 5 example, 26
check list, 50 generation, 56
chicken or the egg, 50 exercises, 27
choices, 50 experiential teaching, 21
clarifier, 38 exploration, 56
clinical experiences, 22
clinics, 51 facts and inferences, 57
close testing, 51 facts and only the facts, 57
cognitive feedback channels, 2, 6
domain, 4 field
taxonomy, 4 experience, 21
collage, group, 51 trip, 57
competency-based learning, vi, 2 fill ins, 57
comprehension, 4 reinforcing, 57
concentric circles, 51 film/video preview, 58
concept introduction, 52 final exam, 58

136
 Index ¢ 137

fishbowl, 58 cell, 63
variation, 58 contract, 52
flash cards, 58 domains, 3
focused discussion pairs, 59 expectations, 1
module, 64
games, 7, 20, 59, 114
gourmet learner, 59 partners (dyad), 64
performance objectives, vi, 2, 3,
grab bag, 59 24
grading game, 11
graphic
oe organizer, > 10 se aH
flip-flop, 64
ag interrupted, 64
eras with listening team, 65
het listening
: ) critically, 65
gues groups, 65
interview, 60
lyrics, song, 65
speaker, 60
magic illusion, 10
handout, 60
me and you, 66
high expectations, 7 me slow learner, 66
hot seat, 61 mediator, 38
ice breaker, 61 mindmapping, 66
IMPPACTS, 7, 23 mirroring, 66
in-basket, 61 mnemonics, 66
incomplete statement, 61 modeling, 67
individual motivation, 10
Pit act 62 ; : non-example, 26
student recitation/presentation,
Gaadialvted hi V7 62 notetaking,
; 67
ee aNpga novel activities, 30
information activities, 29
instructional one-minute
strategies, 16 evaluation, 67
systems approach to teaching, 1 summary, 67
instructor-centered teaching, 17 optimistic/pessimistic panel, 68
interaction, 14, 16 organization of values, 5
interactive teaching, 18 orientation activities, 29
intervention specialist, 38 out to lunch, 68
interview, instructor, 62
panel discussion, 68
interviews, student, 62
pantomime, 68
involvement, student, 16
paraphrase, 68
ISAT model, vi, 1
peer review, 9, 36
jigsaw procedure, 63 participation rating scale, 41
performance-based, vi, 2
knowledge philosophy of teaching, |
recall, 4 planted questions, 71
sharing, 63 polling, 68
label a diagram, 63 practice activity, 69
laboratory experiences, 22 press conference, 69
laughing at ourselves, 63 principles of teaching/learning, 7
leader, 38
probing questions, 31
learning problem solving, 4, 5
activities, 27 problems, 69
138

programmed instruction, 69 guidelines, 37

progress quiz, 70 participation rating scale, 41
psychodrama, 70 project, 77
puzzle, 70 essential tasks, 38
pyramiding, 70 snowball group, 77
spot challenge, 77
question stimulus variation, 27
and answer pairs, 71 storytelling, 10, 77
sharing, 71 group, 78
student generated, 72 structured notes, 78
questioning, 71 student involvement, 2, 6, 16
outline, 71 student-faculty contact, 9
questions, student-generated questions, 78
planted, 72 study guide, interactive, 78
probing, 31 successive strategies, 78
quick answer, 72 survey, site, 79
quizzical, 72 swiss cheese notes, 79
rank/report, 73 symposium, 79
rap it up, 73 synthesis, 4, 5
rating scheme, 4 teaching strategies, alternative, 2, 6
reaction panel, 73 team projects, 36
read, discuss, report, 73 telelecture
reading delay/summary, 79
aloud, 73 interactive, 80
critically, 73 teleteaching, peer, 80
real time, |
television commercial for teams, 80
receiving, 5 theatrics, 80
recorder, 38 three points, 81
reflections, 74 time
responding, 5 management, 8
response cards, 74 on task, 8
review pairs, 75 timekeeper, 38
role play, 75 Tinkertoys™, 81
reversal, 75
trigger video, 7, 18, 81, 92
rotation, 75
true or false, 82
scripted, 75
role playing, 19, 74 values clarification, 82
rule values-based questions, 32
selection, 4, 5 valuing, 5
using, 4, 5 video clip preview, 82
view a play, 83
scenario,
vignette, personal, 83
visual, 76
visual analogy, 10, 83
written, 76
voting, 84
scenarios, 7, 20, 102
short term teams, 39 whips, 84
simulation, 7, 19, 76 word picture, 10, 84
skit, 76
small-group
activities, 36
assigned roles, 38
assigning membership, 39
cooperative projects, 37
 139

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é About the Author....

Thomas E. Cyrs, Ed.D.

Tom Cyrs is the author of many articles as well as several major —
texts: Teaching at a Distance with the Merging Technologies: An
Instructional Systems Approach; Teleclass Teaching: A Resource _
Guide, second edition; Essential Skills for College Teaching: An
Instructional Systems Approach, third edition; and Handbook a the
Design of Instruction in Pharmacy Education. In addition he has ,
authored numerous monographs and workbooks. His newest book to
be released in the first half of 2000 is titled, Interactive Television
for the Public Schools: A Guide for the 21st Century Teacher.
Tom is also a highly sought after speaker and trainer in the fields —
of distance learning and college teaching. He is well known for his
energetic, dynamic, dramatic, and thought provoking presentations,
use of examples and stories, visualization with puppets and a .
illusion, and high levels of audience participation. |
As president of his own training company, Educational pavaloginent
Associates, Tom conducts one- and two-day workshops for
instructors and administrators dealing with all aspects ofsaga |
at a distance with all of the major delivery technologies. In _
addition he conducts special workshops dealing with policy an
administrative issues that impact on distance learning prograr
Details of these workshops can be found on his wee ae
www.zianet.com/edacyrs/.
Tom is a Professor Emeritus in the Center a Pi done
Development at New Mexico State University in aesCruces,N
Nae USA. :
ae

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