Friday, July 16, 2004

I have now made the transition to Groove v3.  I think the program is great.  Now, the challenge is to learn how to use the new program features. This morning, I was perusing the Groove Forums and decided to read comments on the "What do you think of Groove" discussion page.  As usual, some people liked Groove, some did not.  One comment caught my eye.  Someone was describing how he(she) has used "Skype" in combination with Groove in order to overcome the weak voice chat feature in Groove.  I was excited to find someone else who is willing to "blend" technologies in order to achieve a desired outcome. Following is the reply that I posted to the person's forum comments.  Hopefully, my reply might start a dialog. Rick's Reply to Groove Forum Comments: You made a great observation (i.e., Groove + Skype provides a very workable combination for collaboration).  Unfortunately, in past versions of Groove the voice chat feature was not good.  As a work-a-round, I tried using Skype to provide the voice feature.  The result was quite good. With the latest version of Skype, up to five Skype users can join a conference call.  This combination of technologies has worked very well.  Essentially, with the "Groove + Skype" combination, you can do just about everything that you can do with services like WebEX and LiveMeeting.  With this approach, cost savings are incredible and everything can be done over the Internet (i.e., there's no need to tie up a telephone line). I'm an accounting professor at California State University, San Bernardino.  I teach online courses.  My research for the past couple of years has focused on "blending" technologies in order to deliver online courses. In my course design, I combine Groove with a course management system (CMS).  The CMS provides a website/portal.  I use Groove to create study groups.  Rather than limiting the course design to one platform (e.g., CMS), I use multiple platforms and connect them through hyperlinks.  In most cases, the transition from one platform to another is seamless. This coming fall quarter 2004, I am taking the instructional design model another step forward.  We are going add another platform to the model that will enable Groove v3 to become a web-based program.  The instructional design model will now look like this: CMS + Groove v3 + "Blended Groove" (PopG) + Skype + Special-purpose programs "Stepping outside the box" by mixing-n-matching technologies can result in some very exciting technologies.  Every program has its stengths and weaknesses.  Accept them and add something else to the "mix" that solves a problem. Best wishes, Rick Lillie (rlillie@csusb.edu)   9:38:13 AM    comment []

Thursday, May 13, 2004

There's an old adage that says,  "When you're up to your ass in alligators, it's difficult to remember that your purpose was to drain the swamp."  This is where I've been for several months (i.e., up to my nose in developing and testing methods for teaching online courses).  Now, I'm stepping back from it all for a moment or two and am attempting analyze what I have learned thus far. The distance-learning instructional design model that I'm developing includes several technology-related variables.  A key variable is the computer monitor screen.  In my mind, for the distance-learner who wants to use the Internet as a path to learning, the computer monitor screen is the center of the universe. Realizing this, the designer of a distance-learning experience should learn to "look through the eyes" of the learner and see what the learner sees on the computer monitor screen.  With this vision, the challenge is to mix and match technologies in a way that will make the learning experience come alive for the distance-learner.  This is what I call "blending." For a long time, I created and maintained my own course website.  However, after learning about a course management system (CMS) called HTML-eZ, I decided to use it in lieu of doing all of the website work myself.  It's so "eZ" to use (sorry, no pun intended here) and so flexible that the switch to eZ was a no-brainer decision.  If you're interested in learning about "eZ" click on the following link. Learn About HTML-eZ I use eZ as a combination course website/web portal.  The key to making it work is hyperlinking.  A student clicks on a course option in eZ and seamlessly goes to the learning experience needed at the moment.  This is where the blending of technologies (i.e., the mix-and-match process) comes into play. I use a variety of software programs to create distance-learning materials.  For example, when I create streaming lecture discussions, I use PowerPoint to create the slide show.  I then record a soundtrack (.wav file) that I insert into each slide.  This approach enables each slide to stand alone which is important for playback. Once I am satisified with the PowerPoint program, I import the PowerPoint file into Impatica for PowerPoint.  Impatica then converts the PowerPoint file into a Flash file (.swf) that is embedded into an HTML page.  Impatica uploads the HTML file to my web-host account.  I then include the hyperlink in my course materials that the student accesses through eZ. This process (PowerPoint + Soundtracks + Impatica) enables me to deliver archived streaming lecture discussions that can be viewed by students whether they are on a 56K dialup (or less) connection or a high-speed connection.  For example, this approach solved the question of how to deliver streaming material to an AOL-level user.  It works! While eZ includes a "group pages" function that enables study group collaboration, I much prefer the richer user-experience provided by the Groove workspace.  To to this, I modified my instructional design model to include more than one platform.  This required that I "step outside the box" of my design and run parallel platforms.  Once I accepted this idea, I decided to try running multiple platforms.  The design model then looked like this: eZ + Groove + Other Platforms By "other platforms," I am referring to other technological capabilities.  For example, on Jeroen Bekkers (Suite 75) weblog, Neil Finlayson talks about using "Skype" with Groove.  I've had my students doing this for some time. By combining Groove + Skype my students are doing essentially the same things that can be done through web-conferencing programs like WebEx or Live Meeting.  The bottomline to this blending of technologies is powerful collaboration at a very cheap price.  If you would like to learn more about Skype click on the following link. Learn About Skype While using multiple platforms works and definitely opens doors to a wide variety of learning experiences, this complicates things for the online learner in that the learner needs to switch between platforms.  I keep looking to the power of hyperlinking for a solution. One way that some of my students have been able to simplify the process is to use "GotoMy PC" as a way to make Groove a web-based program like eZ.  This approach enables the whole distance-learning process to be web-based.  The principal limitation to this approach is that in order to use "GotoMyPC," a student must have an always-on Internet connection such as cable or DSL.  Not all students can afford this approach. An alternative approach that I'm exploring is to access Groove through PopG's "Blended Groove."  A student could simply click on a button on the eZ course page and access Groove in a seamless manner like any other element of the course material. Now, my instructional design model is beginning to look something like this: eZ + Groove + PopG + Skype + Other Platforms (through hyperlinks) The power of this design is that the distance-learning experience can be rich and varied, synchronous or asynchronous, while placing an emphasis on collaboration.  A student logs into the course website on eZ.  Most course features can be accessed through the click of an option's button.  Hyperlinking makes most of the process seamless. Skype runs on each student's computer.  Therefore, not all platforms can be hyperlinked. I have done a lot of work to get to this point in developing my distance-learning model.  It's now time to start writing about the model, my research findings, and possible implications for distance learning.  With a little luck, I'll get a publication or two out of all this. As always, I'm open to sharing what I've learned with others.  Your comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Dr. Rick Lillie (CSUSB and UCLA Extension) Email:  rlillie@csusb.edu       10:19:21 AM    comment []

Sunday, March 14, 2004

This past Friday, March 12, 2004, I was a speaker at the "Wiley Accounting Futures Conference 2004" in New York City.  The conference focused on the many changes that are taking place in accounting education, both at the university and professional-practice levels.  Following is a link to the conference information page. Link to Conference Information Webpage My presentation was entitled, "Live and On Line- Resources and Tactics for Motivating Students and Building Effective Accounting Courses".  I demonstrated several of the approaches that I am taking to developing and delivering online accounting courses.  We talked about ways that technologies can be blended together to create innovative online learning experiences. Participants' interest really peaked when I described how my students are using Groove to work together in study groups.  I compared Groove to course management systems like Blackboard and WebCT.  Groove's capabilities clearly stood head and shoulders above the CMS programs.  Interest climbed even higher when I described Ashok's GXcel and DocMan tools for the Groove workspace. (Note:  From my comments, you can probably tell that I'm slightly biased when it comes to Groove.) I generally get a lot of follow-up questions from participants when I speak at a conference like the one in NYC.  No doubt, there will be several faculty members who attended the conference who will adopt Groove for use with their courses. I really enjoy helping faculty members incorporate technology into their instructional design.  Small steps often lead to exciting learning experiences for their students.  "Sharing" brings me a lot of joy and personal satisfaction. Dr. Rick Lillie (CSUSB) Email:  rlillie@csusb.edu     1:58:01 PM    comment []

Friday, January 02, 2004

The Fall Quarter 2003 ended the second week in December 2003.  Wow!  What a quarter it was. It's been quite a while since I last posted to my blog.  I have been up to my nose working on a distance-learning research project that focused on blending technologies to enable teaching "Intermediate Accounting" in an online format. I had approximately 100 students from both California State University, San Bernardino and UCLA Extension enrolled in my online classes.  The fieldwork part of the research study was finished with the completion of the Fall Quarter 2003 classes.  Now, I'm busy compiling the data.  Once the compilation is completed, the research team will begin analyzing the data. The "Groove Workspace" was a key technology used in my study.  My California State University students used Groove to work together in study groups.  Through the Groove Workspace, they collaborated to solve a variety of problems. I also included a variety of other technologies in the study.  Through future blog postings, I will describe the research project in greater depth. If anyone who reads these and future comments is involved in distance teaching and learning, I would appreciate hearing from you.  I would like to hear about what you are doing with blending of technologies.  I'll be happy to share my experiences with you. Happy New Year!  "2004" holds tremendous promise and potential for distance teaching and learning. Dr. Rick Lillie rlillie@csusb.edu   9:51:24 PM    comment []

Friday, August 29, 2003

The beginning of the Fall Quarter 2003 is rapidly approaching.  I am developing a blended course design for my accounting classes at CalState - San Bernardino that includes four different, but complimentary technologies.  The four technologies include: Groove (Study Group Collaboration) HTML-eZ (Course Management and Content Delivery) Wiley eLearning Courseware (Interactive Electronic Textbook) MSN Messenger v6.0 (Audio/Video Conferencing) Click to View Course Design Diagram Rather than relying on one program technology to do everything, I am blending multiple technologies, each of which brings unique capabilities and tools to the virtual classroom.  Interwoven with these technologies will be an old-fashioned technology called the printed textbook. The blending of these technologies is the focus of my research into distance teaching and learning.  It will be interesting to see how the blending of these four technologies affects the learning performance of distance learning students. As always, I would appreciate your comments and suggestions. Dr. Rick Lillie rlillie@csusb.edu 9:13:06 PM    comment []

Monday, August 25, 2003

Speaking at the 19th Annual Conference on DistanceTeaching and Learning at the University of Wisconsin - Madison was an incredible experience.  In addition to speaking at the conference, I attended workshops and short presentations that dealt with various aspects of developing and delivering course materials through an online format.  One of the most beneficial aspects of the conference was the opportunity to talk with peers who are experimenting with and developing alternative ways to create and deliver distance learning materials. I gave my presenation on Friday morning of the conference.  The audience was very interested in how I use Groove to teach and administer distance learning courses.  I have had several people contact me since the presentation asking for more information about Groove. During the presentation, I compared Groove with LMS systems like Blackboard and WebCt.  Additionally, I talked about a variety of software programs that I use to develop course materials and to support the Groove workspace. My presentation is now available on the Internet.  If you are interested in viewing the presentation, go to http://mslive.sonicfoundry.com/forum2AM1/index.asp. Select the playback speed that works best for you (e.g., Broadband).  When the player begins, you can listen from the beginning of the presentation or slide the "button" on the front of the player to the right, almost to the "bar chart icon."  I am the third speaker in the program (i.e., Introductory speaker, first speaker, then me). I look forward to your comments. Best wishes, Rick Lillie rlillie@csusb.edu 9:25:56 PM    comment []

Friday, August 08, 2003

This coming week, I will be presenting a case study at the "19th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning" at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.  My topic deals with the blending of synchronous and asynchronous formats in a virtual classroom.  "Groove" is the virtual classroom that I will be describing. Recently, I began using a terrific video-conferencing program called "Sessions," created by Wave3software.  Check out the company website at www.wave3software.com. "Sessions" works through the Internet and does not require the use of a telephone connection.  The quality of the audio and video is the best that I've experienced. "Sessions" will enable me to work one-on-one with a student.  It also will allow me to video-conference with multiple people at the same time.  This is a significant improvement over Net2Phone which provides only an audio connection and limits the conversation to two people. I would like to use MSN Messenger, Net2Phone, and Sessions to supplement the "voice chat" feature in the Groove workspace.  The Groove workspace works extremely well.  The voice-chat feature needs a lot of improvement. I'm always looking for ways to create the "warm nose feeling" for distance learning participants.  The "warm nose" is that feeling of comfort and satisfaction that comes from personal interaction. My instructional design model began with archived materials on my website.  Then, I expanded the model by adding Groove to the equation.  Now, I'm expanding it again with personal contact software. Groove + Website + Personal Contact The possiblities for improving the "warm nose feeling" are increasing at a fast rate.  This is very exciting. Dr. Rick Lillie CSUSB rlillie@csusb.edu 12:12:02 PM    comment []

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