Asynchronous Functions in the Instructional Environment:

Legal Studies 223, Investigative Techniques

 

 

 

Instructional Environment

 

            Investigative Techniques is an undergraduate course offered only face-to-face in UMUC’s Legal Studies program.  It covers fact- and evidence- gathering techniques including interviews and document/record searches.  Students use case law to develop investigative strategies and conduct mock investigations.  Prerequisites are Introduction to Law, Legal Ethics, Legal Research, and Legal Writing and experience using e-mail.  A textbook will be assigned for the course.

I propose a fifteen-week hybrid with twelve students divided into “partnerships” of two.  Anecdotal data indicates a population of students who need to transition into distance education.  Such transition is often necessary since fewer courses are being offered face-to-face.  The hybrid can ease the transition.  In addition, the face-to-face meetings will allow instruction and demonstration of skills such as in-person interviews that obviously cannot be accomplished via asynchronous technology.  Finally, as a useful core-skills course it should be made available and attractive to more students.

The class meets face-to-face seven times, including in weeks one and two to pave the way for collaborative work in virtual sessions.  In other meetings, students will be shown and will practice investigative techniques using appropriate technology.  Meetings will occur in a computer lab to facilitate orientation to technology (weeks one and two, e-mail and listserv; week eight, conferencing) and instruction in online investigative tools.  In virtual weeks, asynchronous tools allow instructor and students to discuss content and assignments in the large group, partners to collaborate outside the large group, and students to consult with instructor both in and outside the large group.

 

Asynchronous Technology’s Support of the Instructional Environment

 

            Asynchronous technology is the cement of this learning community.   Communication during virtual weeks can decrease isolation students may experience.  (McCormack & Jones 1990).  In addition, asynchronous technology is preferred given the nature of virtual activities.

            During virtual weeks, asynchronous technology allows students time to contemplate others’ contributions and to organize their thoughts.  (Ehrlich 2002)  For this course, it is superior to synchronous interaction since work product is archived, allowing students to more easily incorporate it into collaborative assignments.  (McCormack & Jones 1990)

            Asynchronous technology likewise allows the instructor to keep students on track during virtual weeks.  (Edelstein & Edwards 2002)  Feedback via listserv and conferences facilitates vital problem-solving skills as students can visualize the collaborative process via the discussion threads.  (Ehrlich 2002)  Further maintenance of the instructor-student “connection” occurs as the instructor addresses students’ questions via all three technologies.  (Ehrlich 2002) 

While feedback is not immediate as in synchronous meetings, the asynchronous feedback can be more thoughtful and thus further deeper learning.   (Ehrlich 2002)  Also, this writer offers that students may not miss synchronous feedback in virtual weeks since face-to-face meetings are part of the course plan.  

            Lack of immediate feedback in virtual weeks does not detract from the value of asynchronous technology.  In addition to the above-mentioned advantages and utilization of tools as discussed below, asynchronous technology affords students greater flexibility in virtual weeks.  The hybrid model itself is flexible since students are not required to report to class every week.  Allowing students to use asynchronous technology between meetings enhances the overall flexibility of the course.

 

Instructional Uses for the Asynchronous Technologies

 

 

E-Mail

 

            Use will begin before meeting one to introduce students to instructor, classmates, course format, and e-mail interview techniques. Students will e-mail introductions to everyone, ask one classmate a question regarding his/her introduction, and reply to a fellow student’s question. 

Through week seven, partners will use e-mail for private collaboration on assignments.  E-mail is appropriate since partners will not produce complex collaborative documents during this time.  Throughout the semester, students may use e-mail for private consultations with the instructor.

            At meeting one, students will practice e-mail interviews in the computer lab.  Between meetings one and two, partners will conduct interviews of each other and compile a collaborative list of questions for a mock client interview in meeting two.

            Before meeting two, the instructor will use e-mail to keep students on task, summarize meeting one’s content, and invite questions.  Students will be encouraged to copy everyone when asking questions.  If necessary, the instructor will distribute questions and answers to everyone to ensure the group’s benefit.

            E-mail supports Sutton’s (1999) four models of interaction.  E-mail in this course offers a unique opportunity for learner-content interaction.  Along with allowing students and instructor to discuss content, e-mail also permits students to practice e-mail interview skills.  It allows for learner-learner interaction as all students participate in collaborative activities and partners collaborate on assignments.  E-mail facilitates learner-instructor interaction when instructor and student communicate regarding content.  Finally, e-mail allows learner-interface interaction since the course requires students to use the technology to demonstrate the e-mail interview.

 

Listserv

 

            Listserv will be used for entire-class communication from weeks three (first virtual week) through seven.  A bit more complex than e-mail, this writer sees listserv as an effective bridge between e-mail and conferencing. 

            In week two’s meeting, the instructor will introduce the listserv, explain rules, and ensure that everyone subscribes with appropriate configurations.  Students will also practice posting to the listserv. 

            During virtual weeks three, four, six, and seven, the instructor will:  distribute prior meetings’ content and reminders and tips for assignments; post discussion topics/questions and collaborative activities to reinforce content and skills; convey information to prepare for upcoming meetings; share supplemental resources such as Web links; and invite general questions.  Students will be required to discuss the instructor’s topics/questions via the listserv.  Since partners will also collaborate via e-mail, the instructor’s and students’ use of the listserv during virtual weeks will ensure continuity of the larger learning community.  Finally, the listserv archive ensures that students can access all posted messages.   

            This listserv supports all of Sutton’s (1999) interaction models.   Learner-learner interaction occurs as students discuss content and participate in problem-solving and other collaborative activities with the entire class group.  It supports learner-instructor interaction as the instructor keeps students on task and responds to students’ discussion posts.  Learner-content interaction occurs as students contemplate and discuss investigative techniques and other course content.  Finally, learner-interface interaction occurs as students subscribe, set configurations, access the archive, and use the technology to communicate with instructor and classmates.

 

Conferencing

 

            Beginning in week eight, WebTycho conferencing replaces the listserv, except for private instructor-student consultations.  Study group conferences replace partners’ e-mails.  Before week eight, students must complete WebTycho orientation.  WebTycho features will be reviewed in week eight’s meeting.

            The instructor will establish a study group for each partnership to use as the sole means for communication and collaboration (including via the “collaborative document” feature).  Instructors can respond to assignment-specific questions and comment on collaborative documents in process.

The instructor also will establish an entire-class conference for each week during weeks eight through fifteen.  In each conference:  the instructor will recap class meetings and post reminders and tips for assignments, information for upcoming class meetings, collaborative activities, and discussion topics/questions; the entire class will discuss topics and participate in collaborative activities; and students can post general questions.  As partners are sequestered in study groups, large-group conferences keep the learning community intact.  Finally, all postings are archived in the conference for easy access.

Conferencing supports Sutton’s four (1999) interaction models.   Learner-learner interaction occurs as students participate in collaborative activities and discussions in the large-group conference and as partners collaborate in study groups.  Conferencing supports learner-content interaction as students read and respond to content in the large-group conference and as partners work in study groups with the content to produce collaborative assignments.  Learner-instructor interaction is supported via both large-group and study group communications.  Finally, learner-interface interaction occurs as students use features of large-group and study group conferences to communicate and complete assignments.

 

 

References

 

Edelstein, S. and Edwards, J. (2002).  If you build it, they will come:  building learning communities through threaded discussions.  Retrieved April 2, 2006, from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring51/edelstein51.html

 

Ehrlich, D. (2002).  Establishing connections:  interactivity factors for a distance education course.  Retrieved March 10, 2006, from http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/vol_1_2002/ehrlich.html

 

McCormack, C., & Jones, D. (1990).  Enabling communication. Building a web-based education system, (pp. 197-231). New York, NY: Wiley Computer Pub.

 

Sutton, L. A. (1999).  Interaction.   Retrieved March 10, 2006, from http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~mcisaac/emc703/leah5.html