Cappuccino U

For Educators: How To Mentor Your Online Students

There's a lot of discussion about why more and more students are turning to online education, but what are the benefits for educators? Just as it's a major draw for students, online education affords teachers more flexibility when it comes to giving lectures, communicating with students, and explaining lessons. While you will still have to put in a lot of time and effort into researching and uploading material and outlining lessons, you're not restricted to showing up to class at specific times. Online schools also give all kinds of educators – especially those who are still working as professionals in other industries – the opportunity to reach out to a broader range of students all over the country or the world, who may not have had the chance to enroll in and live at a traditional university.

Despite this increased access, challenges reaching your students and mentoring them the way you want do exist when you are all engaged in an online learning system. There's probably no way to find out what your students look like, and this barrier could make some students or educators feel disconnected from each other. And if you're not meeting in class each week, it's harder – if not impossible – to engage in the small talk or discussions that ultimately lead to a more personal relationship that gives you a more cohesive understanding of your students' background, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. College professors often serve as mentors for their students, not just in terms of grades or individual assignments, but for helping them adapt to living on their own and succeeding in the real world. Despite your physical separation from your students, you can still serve as this

When you first make contact with your group of students each semester or quarter, send them a friendly e-mail strongly encouraging them to communicate with you via chat, e-mail, Blackboard message boards or other platforms. Explain that communication is vital to their class participation grade but that you're available to discuss any issues that might be bothering them, that they want to explore academically, or that they're considering professionally. Once students start e-mailing you and responding to study sessions online, it will be easy to spot the ones who are more comfortable with online communications versus the ones who tend to hold back. Try to respond quickly to e-mails and posts so that students understand you are really paying attention to them, and be sensible about posting publicly or sending private e-mails if that's what's more appropriate.

When students come to you with problems, it's important for you to help them focus on the positives. Your job is to point out what he or she does well, and how his or her strengths can help solve the problem. Also remember that you aren't the only individual capable of solving a student's problems, and be generous with referrals to other counsellors, professors, and experts who you think would be a good match for your student. From helpful websites to friends of yours to teachers or organizations located in your student's city, you can help just by pointing him or her in the right direction.

Don't let the distance upset you. Even if you were able to meet with your students in your classroom and your office, you wouldn't be able to solve all of their issues. Open up communication lines early and always do your part to share your knowledge and respond quickly to their posts and questions. Being an online educator can be just as rewarding as teaching at a traditional university, and just as collaborative.

This guest post is contributed by Jessica Cortez, who writes on the topics of online degree programs. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: cortez.jessi23@gmail.com.

Online Learning

New Approaches to Learning

An article in Fast Company entitled How Web-Savvy Edupunks Are Transforming American Higher Education is one the best summaries I have seen with regard to the future of informal and formal learning.

Institutions that continue to operate as they did forty years ago when the word computer meant a huge machine in a temperature-controlled room will ultimately lose students, research funds, and the respect of students and the public. Recognizing that the 50 minute lecture and traditional textbooks, exams and curricula may not be sufficient to meet the needs of students or the public is essential to the renewal and survival of universities and colleges.

Professional Development

TEDTalks : Liz Coleman's call to reinvent liberal arts education.

If you have not listened to some or all of the TED Talks I suggest that you start with this one. Liz Coleman, President of Bennington, challenges Americans and the rest of us to become involved first in reinventing liberal arts education and second in changing the world through our involvement with education, government and society.

We need change and we need it desperately. Dr. Coleman leads the way as does TED.

Subscribing to TED Talks on iTunes is free. It's one of my favourite series of podcasts.

History of Jazz: Podcasts by Gordon Vernick

I'm taking a class in the history of jazz this summer. That's not a correct statement: I'm learning about the history of jazz by listening to a series of excellent podcasts created by Dr. Gordon Vernick, Associate Professor of music and coordinator of Jazz Studies at Georgia State University and produced by WMLB 1690 Atlanta 'Voice of the Arts.'

I play jazz but I've never studied it at a university or college. I've learned from listening, playing and working with fellow musicians. The universities I attended did not have and still do not have jazz programs. But I now have the opportunity, through podcasts and other internet sources, to learn from some of the best academics and musicians in the world.

I discovered this series yesterday and have now listened to several programs on my iPod while I worked in my garden. It's a very complete series and I'm looking forward to hearing all of the podcasts.

All of us have learned most of what we know by informal learning. There are no exams, no accreditation, and, in most cases, no fee. We learn what we want when we want to learn. Podcasts allow us to learn from some of the best lecturers and experts in many fields.

Georgia State offers History of Jazz and many other series on iTunes U. Thanks to Georgia State, Dr. Gordon Vernick and WMLB for making these programs available.

Cappuccino U 2.0

I've updated Cappuccino U: A new way of working and learning and posted the new version. This is not a major revision, but there are some new links and discussion. It's still free, published with a Creative Commons license.

Cappuccino U has been downloaded by more than 11,000 people in various countries since it was posted in November, 2006. It has not been advertised or promoted other than by those who have read it and written about it in blogs and other publications. I've received more comments about it than about anything else I've written or published.

Thanks for reading Cappuccino U and passing it on to others: and thanks for e-mails and other correspondence about the ideas in this book.

Creating a Podcast

Would you like to be a podcaster? You may have particular goals for a podcast series: or you may have always wanted to be on the radio. Whatever your reason podcasting is not a difficult task, but it does take time and effort to do it well.

There are numerous methods with which one can create a podcast. I'll discuss some of these and will provide links to some of the many excellent sites which explain how to use podcasting software and hardware.

Most of my examples and links will deal with Apple's GarageBand and QuickTime Pro. I'll also discuss Audacity, which may be used by Windows, Linux and Mac users.

The first step in creating a podcast is planning. Who is your audience and how will you reach them? How will they know that your podcast exists? Let's assume that you've done that and that you'll be making your podcast available through iTunes and via your website as well.

Use a written script, but make it sound live. One can deviate from a script, add to it, and, of course, edit it. But trying to do programs without at least written discussion points is difficult and risky. Interviews are different, but the interviewer still may want to have written questions or topics.

If you've had radio or public speaking experience you'll know something about voice quality and the benefits of using quality microphones. Many podcasts are made using inexpensive USB microphones and even microphones that are built into computers. The resulting podcasts are usually of reasonable quality. Recording Your Podcast is a clear, concise summary of what makes a good recording.

Apple's Podcasting Recipe: Producing a successful show is free, on-demand, three-part seminar on high quality podcasting using GarageBand. There are many other descriptions of how to create a podcast, but this one is in-depth, entertaining and easy to understand. It's an online seminar that you may go back to several times as you create your podcasts.

Audacity is free, open-source software for recording and editing sound which can be used on Windows, Linux and Mac platforms. It's relatively easy to use (see Tutorials and How to Podcast).

While GarageBand and Audacity are powerful, professional programs QuickTime Pro is relatively easy to use and produces high quality podcasts. Creating Audio Podcasts and Creating Video Podcasts provide the information needed to record podcasts with QuickTime Pro on the Mac. QuickTime Pro can also be used to create audio podcasts on Windows.

Completed podcasts must reside somewhere: iTunes links to podcasts, it does not put them on its servers.

I've used Typepad for Spotted Cow Press podcasts since I have a TypePad blogging account with space to host these podcasts. See TypePad's Podcasting Made Easy and Create A Podcast.

One of the easiest ways of posting a podcast is to use iWeb with GarageBand. I have a Mac MobileMe account so posting is easy and fast. iWeb can also export your podcast to anywhere using FTP.

I posted a podcast entitled The Cypress Hills using iWeb as a demonstration for this blog entry. I used GarageBand and recorded my comments using a Zoom H2 microphone.

One can also export a podcast to disk from GarageBand and then use it in any blog or website.

Creating a podcast is similar to creating a brochure or a visual presentation (Keynote or PowerPoint). First, we understand what can be done, and, second, we do it. There is a learning curve, but the process gets easier as you gain experience.

Podcasts and Learning

While many educators have ignored podcasts as learning resources creators of podcasts have been developing and posting audio, video and enhanced podcasts by the hundreds of thousands and learners of all ages have been using them to supplement or replace formal classes.

In a recent article University Challenge: The Dawn of the Cyberstudent in The Guardian Harriet Swain surprised even those who work with cybereducation with the numbers of students who are using podcasts.

'In a single week, the Open University (OU) records about two million downloads from its presence on iTunes U, a source of higher education podcasts and videos freely available on the web. About 87% of these downloads are from outside the UK. "I'm betting most of them have been downloaded by US students studying at American universities," says Peter Scott, director of the OU's Knowledge Media Institute. He predicts that students will soon be mixing their higher education experiences from resources all over the world, choosing to study at Harvard, say, while listening to lectures from Oxford, taking part in discussion groups at the University of Mumbai, and sitting exams somewhere entirely different.'

Two million downloads in a single week from a single institution, with 87% of these coming from other countries. Obviously what is being offered is valuable. It's free, of course, but no one will download even free material if it's not useful.

iTunes U is one of Apple's most innovative programs. The guided tour explains what it is and how to use it. It's easy: go to iTunes Store, then to iTunes U and search for topics, institutions or names.

Professors in some institutions have their lectures recorded and posted on iTunes U. While access to lectures may be limited to those on a particular campus most are available to anyone, anywhere. While most of the Universities and Colleges in iTunes U are from the USA there are many from Australia and Europe as well as a few from Canada (University of British Columbia, University of Lethbridge, University of Western Ontario and Queens University).

iTunes U allows instructors to use class time for discussions and other activities rather than relying on the traditional 50 minute lecture ('I'm up here and you're down there. My job is to talk and your job is to write what I say and reproduce it later.') It also allows students to listen to material more than once, at any location they choose. Many innovative and progressive instructors are using podcasts and other new technology.

There are some podcasts developed for the use of K-12 students in several American States. These are available on iTunes U.

Learning resources are not exclusive to educational institutions, as I've explained in Cappuccino U. Other institutions, private firms and individuals publish podcasts. iTunes U includes podcasts from museums, galleries, foundations, television stations and libraries.

I'm amazed and overwhelmed by the learning opportunities available from iTunes U, other podcasts, blogs and social media. I can learn virtually anything I want to learn from what I download at no cost. I could sit at my desk – or on a lawn chair in my backyard – and learn just by turning on my computer or listening to my iPod. And I do.

If I were a student choosing a University I would choose an institution that would allow me to mix my experiences from resources throughout the world, as Peter Scott suggests in the article cited at the beginning of this post. I would include some travel in my educational plans so that I could learn on site as well as online. However, if I were pursuing a University degree while working full-time or part-time asynchronous learning would be the logical choice.

Currently most educational institutions have no arrangements to share courses and instructors with other institutions and no interest in pursuing such an approach. Students will not allow this one size fits all approach to continue. They were born digital and they will want to work with institutions that use technology and resources effectively.

People who do not need or want degrees will simply take courses or learn informally from whatever source is the easiest and most effective.

Play with podcasts. Find them, listen to them on your computer or your iPhone or iPod (and, yes, there are other players), watch video podcasts, ask your friends about podcasts they enjoy.

Once you listen to a lot of podcasts you may decide that you'd like to create some yourself. The wonder of new technology is not how it works or whether you know the details of the technology: the wonder is what we do with this technology and how each of us may think of new, unique uses for it.

Have fun. That's how we learn.

Professional Development

An Introduction to Podcasting

If you're new to podcasting (either using or creating podcasts) this posting may be of interest. If you're a veteran user or creator you may find a few interesting points or links. In either case I'd be interested in your feedback.

The term podcasting is a portmanteau (I don't get many opportunities to use that word) of iPod and broadcasting. Podcasts are audio or video digital files which are available on the internet and can be downloaded to computers and mobile devices. They may be downloaded to a computer and then to an iPod or other similar device. Most, virtually all, podcasts are available at no cost to those who download them.

The most common way of accessing podcasts is to go to iTunes , then to iTunes store,and then to Podcasts. Search ITunes Store (upper right corner of the page) for subjects, authors or key words. If, for example, you typed Photography you would find listings of podcasts at the bottom of the page.

For an example of a fine audio podcast scroll to LensWork or go back to the Search iTunes Store box again and type Lenswork. You'll see two Lenswork series of podcasts. If you click on either you'll hear the latest program; if you click on Subscribe on either of these the latest podcast, narrated by Brooks Jensen, will be downloaded to your computer: and every time a new podcast is posted it will be automatically downloaded to your computer. Lenswork also produces an excellent black and white photography magazine.

One does not have to go to iTunes to get a podcast. For example, one can access LensWork podcasts on their site rather than through iTunes. Podcasts may be found in blogs as well as on websites. They must be on a server. iTunes connects to them and facilitates subscriptions and searches. It also provides a description of the podcast.

Podcasts may be video, audio or enhanced (includes photographs or graphics).

Video podcasts are essentially video lectures or relatively short interviews which are similar to what we see on news broadcasts. Some video podcasts are created by professional studios while others are made by amateurs with inexpensive video cameras and software.

The presentations from the annual TED Conference ('Inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers') are available for viewing and downloads as video podcasts. Production qualities are high and the lectures are excellent. We watch the presenter and the presenter's graphics, we see the audience, and we feel as if we are there. I recommend these lecture highly.

But video podcasts need not be highly produced. Take one video camera and a camera operator, a classroom at the University of Vermont, a famous west coast author (Eden Robinson), a professor of Canadian Literature (Paul Martin) to introduce her, and a classroom of interested students. Mix well. The result in this case is an intriguing presentation and discussion which will stay online for years. The cost was minimal. Paul has also produced a podcast in which discusses how he uses podcasts in the classroom and in online teaching.

Enhanced podcasts incorporate images (photographs and graphics) into the podcast. One can easily add images using Apple software such as GarageBand, but there are ways in which this can be done using Windows. iPods are the only portable devices that will play extended podcasts.

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) produces enhanced podcasts and other innovative mulitmedia products. You can access the podcasts at SFMOMA's site or through iTunes.

Jeff Curto uses enhanced podcasts in his History of Photography and Camera Position podcasts. The enhanced format allows him to discuss particular photographs or use photographs to illustrate a technique or approach. Like most podcasters, Jeff is always pleased to get responses to his podcasts. He often discusses the comments and questions he receives from listeners/viewers at the beginning of Camera Position podcasts. His History of Photography podcast is recorded during the class he teaches on this subject.

In the next posting I'll discuss podcasts and education, both informal and formal.

Solitary Learning

We have been taught that most learning takes place in classrooms where, as a result of listening to lectures and doing exercises, we learn from those who apparently know so much more than we do. In the traditional school system we're then tested on how well we can reproduce what we've been told. In elementary school we were given extra marks if we could reproduce that information neatly.

If our teachers, our parents and society did their jobs well we became excited about learning, and we were innoculated with the curiousity virus. We continue to learn daily and can't imagine stopping that process. We learn alone, although facilitators can often help us to learn more effectively.

I enjoy solitary learning: reading, finding new knowledge on the web, observing people and nature. I do some of that in my office and my yard, but I do a lot of it in my Cappuccino U locations in this city and elsewhere. I travel with my iPhone and my laptop, but when I'm in a local coffee shop I'll take only my iPhone.

Weekends, evenings, and early mornings are great times for solitary learning, but so is the time we spend travelling by public transit, and the time we spend waiting for others to arrive at meetings or appointments.

No one learns for us and no one can keep us from learning new ideas and information. Technology and society have made knowledge and creativity accessible to us all: but each of us chooses what we do with these opportunities.

Professional Development

Cappuccino U: The Podcast

I had the recent privilege of having my son, Paul Martin (the Canadian Literature Professor at the University of Vermont, not the former Prime Minister), interview me on a Spotted Cow podcast. We discussed Cappuccino U and its implications with regard to learning, teaching and operating a modern University.

You'll find the podcast using iTunes, searching for Spotted Cow Podcasts, or you can go to my podcast site. I think you'll enjoy the discussion.