According to Dr. Engvig (n.d.) online education is a swiftly developing, highly incoherent field. It fascinates specialists from varied academic backgrounds but these specialists have very little shared experience therefore this cause major setback when planning and implementing online education. Another challenge is that most instructors and professors teaching online is in lack of educational background or have very little. Their only structure is their own education, which typically consisted of a “sage on the stage” instead of a “guide on the side” approach needed in online education. Teaching online in the beginning is similar to trying to operate a car in a bizarre country. You are familiar with driving, just like you are familiar with teaching, except it is hard to get the hang of operating a car in a strange place. Setting up an online environment is an essential step to creating a positive learning experience. As Yu-Mei & Chen (2010) point out “educators hold the beliefs that learning takes place in a dynamic learning community where students actively construct knowledge through meaningful interactions, whereas a successful online learning community should possess three elements—cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence” (p.289).
What is the significance of knowing the technology available to you?
The significance of knowing the technology available permits one to create a set of learning experiences and challenges for their students. The first initial step is that the course facilitator will be required to become familiar with the institution primary tool, the course management system (CMS) such as the Blackboard (Boettcher, 2010, p. 97). According to the research of Tella (2011), “course management system is identified as a class of information systems that administer teaching and learning as well as created to support and enhance the organizational processes of content creation, storage and retrieval, transfer, delivery and application (p. 56). However, the Blackboard provides information or content to support teaching and learning (Tella, 2011).
Due to facilitating a class for the first time, a facilitator should focus on the essential tools such as uploading text documents, setting up and creating class discussions, and setting up and using the gradebook. (Boettcher, 2010, p. 57). As the facilitator progressively instructs online courses, he/she will become more familiar with all of the essential tools that are accessible. In order to effective manage large classes; I feel that it is vital that the facilitator split the discussions into groups. This will help prevent students from feeling overwhelmed in the discussion forum. This will also provide a facilitator the opportunity to make personal connection with students to avoid “cookie cutter” experiences in the online environment (Palloff & Pratt, 2010).
Why is it essential to communicate clear expectations to learners?
It is essential to communicate clear expectations to learners because high expectations are premeditated to generate a credible and pertinent space between participants’ current and future performance. Instructors need to make sure that the entire environment is supportive and non-threating in order to persuade learners to take risks, turn temporary failure into enduring success, as well as expand their learning skill (Smith, n.d.). A welcoming learning environment that conveys trust and respect is required before expressing high expectations so that learners are apt to respond more optimistically to high expectations (Smith, n.d.). For instance, the use of a rubric for a specific assignment is beneficial, because it scores utilizing a matrix with diverse characteristics basing it on a three-point scale system (Boettcher, 2010, p. 96). Yet, the rubric should be clear, precise and understandable to the student.
What additional considerations should the instructor take into account when setting up an online learning experience?
Since this course, I have become familiar with the use of technology as a means of integrating it into the classroom to foster students learning. I find the blog to be very beneficial in helping nurture children’s creativity and imagination in the classroom. I have learned that Web 2.0 can motivate and engage students. As an educator, it is my task to hook the most unwilling learner as well as boost students’ academic achievement which can be done by means of utilizing the Web 2.0.We must bear in mind that we now live in an international, knowledge-based economy. Our students must be able to master the necessary 21st century skills in order to survive in the world beyond the classroom such as exploring the Internet, assessing data, working collaboratively, and thinking critical.
I have learned that in order for an online course to be pleasant and effective, the instructor must do four things: 1) prepare the students for the course by mean of social presence; 2) design an effective course; 3) be visible in the entire process; and 4) create an effective learning community. I have learned that you must reach out to your students to let them know that you care. As Dr. Palloff and Dr. Pratt point out “they need to see you as a human being and know that you are concerned about them.
References
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Engvig, M. (n.d.). “Online learning: All you need to know to facilitate and administer online courses.” Retrieved on July 11, 2011 from http://www.engvig.com/pdfs/mona_online_learning_all-you-need-to-know_overview.pdf
Pratt, K. & Palloff, R. (2010). Laureate Education, Inc. (video).
Smith, P. (n.d.). 3.1.7 Setting high expectations. Retrieved July 12, 2011 from http://cetl.matcmadison.edu/efgb/3/3_1_7.htm
Tella, A. (2011). Reliability and factor analysis of a blackboard course management system success: A scale development and validation in an educational context. Journal of Information Technology Education, 10, 55-80.
Yu-Mei, W., & Chen, D. (2010). Instructors as Architects-Designing Learning Spaces for Discussion-Based Online Courses. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 39(3), 281-294. doi:10.2190/ET.39.3.e
Since starting this Masters program I can now define distance learning as: “An interactive and formal education process which brings together diverse and culturally different groups through the use of information and communication technology”.
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing to consider as the face of distance learning change is what different learning and teaching strategies should be used if the students are to be engaged (Simonson et al., 2009). As distance learning evolves we may see traditional class room subject being taught online and this will mean that greater consideration will have to be given for the pedagogies for content delivery; for example, in terms of laboratory and practicum experience, how can these be structured and/or modified for delivery through a distance learning program? Student performance evaluation will be another consideration in terms of what evaluation methods and procedures are most appropriate in each distance learning setting.
This will call for the instructional designer to be creative in the use of – for example – the use of technology such as wikis, blogs, social networks, video-conferencing etc to promote and sustain dialogue, communication and meaningful discussion among online students.However, I believe that the attempt to make all learning experiences equivalent may prove futile in some cases irrespective of the competencies of the ID, if the technology is not available to the student.
References
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education
Hi Jacqueline,
ReplyDeleteNice work! I particularly like the fact the you stressed humanizing the online learning experience by stating that online facilitators must demonstrate that they care. Without the demonstration of genuine positive regard for students, the instructional impact is far less potent than it would be otherwise.
As I stated in my post to Selga, it is indeed true that collaborative learning as a learner-centered approach rather than teacher-centered will best facilitate peer interaction and your suggestions towards the use of technology in the online class will encourage a successful online environment. For this to happen, it is true that the role of the teacher changes from transferring knowledge to students (“sage on the stage”) to being a facilitator (“guide on a side”).
ReplyDeleteYour discussion on the use of the syllabus etc to communicate critical information to the student is enlightening. I do agree with you that it is essential to communicate clearly, the expectations of the course to the learner because this would ensure that they understand the course requirements and therefore promote a better learning environment (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010).
In relation to the use of technology in the classroom, before an online instructor enters the course, he/she must ensure that they are familiar and knowledgeable of the tools as well.
It is important that instructors also encourage the learner to use graphics, animation etc as part of their assignments so that the learner gets used to using the software. When the students use the tools the instructor has to use them also and this becomes a learning experience for the instructor as well.
References
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Jackie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a well-presented and informative post! Your four essentials at the end of your post for an instructor are very applicable in most online learning environments. I especially agree with your point that the instructor must be"visible in the entire process". During my last course, I was simultaneously facilitating an online course for teachers regarding the use of Web 2.0 tools. Between my summer schedule, other duties delegated from my office, vacation and emergencies, I learned the importance of this statement. Of the three presences mentioned in the book The Online Teaching Survival Guide, I think the teaching presence is the most important. The course that I taught was created by another school district and I noticed, as I went along, many discrepancies and invalid information and links/resources. In hind sight, I should have taken time prior to the course to check the course materials and to outline how I was going to mentor the participants of the course through their inquiry of Web 2.0 tools. Great point! Thanks for sharing.
~Tia
Resources:
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass