Conference:
ECER 2009
Format:
Paper
Session Information
Contribution
The research aims to develop a pragmatic blueprint for online teaching by investigating - “How is effective e-learning created in online asynchronous discussion forums by e-moderating practitioners?”.
I shall discuss my research aim by identifying current e-moderator characteristics relating to pedagogical issues within asynchronous e-learning environments.
Four pertinent research questions will be scrutinized, namely,
a) What personal attributes contribute to effective e-moderating?
b) How do e-moderators respond to cultural diversity within global contexts?
c) How do e-moderators handle conflict amongst e-learners?
d) How do e-moderators perceive best professional practices in asynchronous
electronic discussion groups?
By presenting an outline of my research methodology I shall illustrate how I have implemented personal construct theory (Kelly,1955, 1991). An earlier area of my research regarding e-moderating competencies (Rogers 2003/04)
investigated E-moderating within online Asynchronous Discussion Forums through, a Leadership (transformational & transactional) Paradigm Lens.
Rogers (2004)
I shall discuss my interview techniques, used to elicit e-moderator perceptions of best practice in enhancing learning on asynchronous electronic discussion boards. My design for the analytical research tool incorporates a repertory grid methodology. This approach encompasses the emergence of bi-polar constructs elicited from the implementation of groups of triads relating to e-moderating competencies (e.g. weaving, scaffolding, knowledge construction, summarising, archiving and socializing).
Method
The methodology used in the first study (Rogers,2004) aims to address e-moderator perceptions of their onlines roles through a leadership paradigm lens according to the concept of leadership formulated by Avolio and Bass (1996/1999) encompassing factors relating to transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles. The research instument for this was a multifactor e-moderating questionnaire where the data was subjected to a principle components analysis.
Secondly a methodology based on personal construct psychology (Kelly, 1955) elicited further e-moderator perceptions of their online roles within asynchronous communities of practice where the sample population was drawn from active practioners in Higher/.Further Education in the UK.
Resultrs were tabulated according to the selection of elicited bi-polar constructs (emergent and implicit) to identify "what's going on within constructivist/collaborative e-learning environments" regarding pedagogical insights.
Expected Outcomes
CONCLUSION
Expected results were to be identified regarding e-moderating styles of intervention or non-intervention as the case may be within such e-learning environments. The question as to what degree a pedagogical presence should acquire a transformational or transactional style is discussed in the light of a number of factors that have emerged already in the research.
Currently the research shows favourable leaning towards a transformational online pedagogy where e-moderator feedback is a crucial factor to e-learner capacity for effective knowledge construction within collaborative peer-groups. This contrasts to findings in early e-moderator research studies that abound in the necessity for e-tivities (Salmon, 2000, Berge, 1996) which would be classified as an on-line task-oriented pedagogy, i.e. transactional style of e-moderating in the current research (Rogers, 2008) Again a number of questions arise to further research pedagogical issues for e-moderating in asynchronous e-learning communities of practice in a wider context of cultural diversity.
References
Rogers, M.S. (2004) Investigation of E-moderator Perceptions of their online Roles using a Leadership Paradigm Lens
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