Setting Up An Online Learning Experience

I broke my hand and had micro surgery on Friday.  I will post when I am not under the influence of narcotics, and can concentrate for longer than 5 minutes.

Chris

Setting Up An Online Learning Experience

            Much like teaching in a traditional classroom, online teachers, over time, will develop tools that they can use in an online environment.  It takes time and patience to develop your skills, but the quicker you develop those skills, and the more techniques you have under your belt, the smoother transition your student will have into your course.

What is the significance of knowing the technology available to you?

            Knowing your technology is not only important to you, it is important for your students.  Most online learners are older and unfamiliar with the technology that will be used in you CMS.  You will need to familiarize yourself with all of the technology available, not necessarily because you are going to use it all, in fact, it is recommended that you only use two or three of them and become very familiar with them.  Also, technology and its tools are constantly changing, so keeping up with those changes is important to stay relevant.  Fortunately, the changes that are happening are making using technology and its tools easier and more user friendly.

Why is it essential to communicate clear expectations to learners?

            Boettcher & Conrad (2010) state that clear an unambiguous guidelines about what is expected of learners and what they expect from an instructor makes a significant contribution to ensuring understanding and satisfaction in an online course (p.55).  Distance learners are spread out over time zones and different countries.  Clarification of expectations provides for a trusting learning environment.

What additional considerations should the instructor take into account when setting up an online learning experience?

            One important aspect of online learning was mentioned by Drs. Palloff & Pratt in the Laureate Education video (n.d.), is that one must be sensitive to a student’s desire for anonymity.  Many people choose online learning to remain anonymous as not to be judged by others.  These students may need a little extra attention in the beginning of the course to get them to actively participate.  It is suggested that you start using the students name as soon as possible, make personal connections with them, and ask probing questions to students who need to provide more information. 

            The instructor’s participation in the first two weeks should be often.  Making your presence known to your students affords them a level of comfort in your class and allows you as the instructor to try to identify and connect with the student who seems to be distant or non participatory.  It is suggested that the instructor be present several times a day every day for the first few weeks.  This builds up a rapport with your students and there is a level of trust and community within your course.  Boettcher & Conrad (2010) list the three presences that an instructor needs to have.  They are social, cognitive, and teaching.  Social presence is getting to know one another such as sharing personal favorites or short bios.  Cognitive is by getting students to express their desire to understand ideas more deeply and creating a dialogue of what students know and how they know it.  Teaching presence has two stages.  The first relates to the preparation materials, such as course syllabus, discussions,, assessments, and recommended resources.  It is based on assumptions of what the student already knows.  The second consists of “ all of the monitoring, mentoring, questioning and shaping of the growing knowledge of particular learners in a class.” (p. 54).  This is the facilitation and direct instruction aspect of teacher presence.

What did you learn that would help you implement effective online instruction in the future?

                        There is an overwhelming amount to consider when preparing a course for online learning.  Not only do you need to focus on the content of your course, there are the tools that need to be used, the elements of and online course, the student’s prior knowledge, and your presence in the course.  It may seem overwhelming and daunting, but following the tips, and tools in the Boetcher & Conrad book can give you a good outline in how to begin to build your course and what to consider while building your CMS.

References

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (n.d.).  Video.  “Launching the Online Learning Experience.”  Laureate Education Inc.  Retrieved from: http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6493411&Survey=1&47=7369045&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

 

Online Learning Communities

 This week we were asked to reflect on our learning about online learning communities.  The following questions seek to discover the benefits of online learning communities, and how students perceive that community.

How do online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses?

“Learning communities create a dynamic where facilitators and learners are equal participants” (Laureate Education, n.d.).  Learners in an online environment have the unique situation in that the learners are able to direct their own learning.  They are given the task of challenging each other, being able to draw things out of each other and professionally give each other feedback.  The goal is co-created knowledge and meaning.   A students’ perception of learning becomes deeper from these experiences, and they are happier with their results.

What are the essential elements of online community building?

There are three main elements that form an online community.

People-have to interact with others, social presence.

Purpose-how the people are brought together, in this case an online class.  This element comes with guidelines and policies to help the class develop.  Not only are there classroom guidelines, but there are also state and federal guidelines that must be followed in an online class.

Process-how the course is delivered.  Set up process for a learner-to-learner environment.  They need to engage with each other to make meaning. 

Not one of these can be dealt with in isolation.  They all interact with each other.

How can online learning communities be sustained?

Some strategies for sustaining online communities include holding a new student orientation.  This gets the student to know the CMS, what online learning involves, and who the members of their program will be.  Make the classroom feel warm and inviting rather than cold and formal. A learner-to-learner environment helps students become more confident in taking charge of their own learning, where by they start to become practitioner-scholars.  They will take that experience with them to the next class, and their sense of presence starts to grow. 

What is the relationship between community building and effective online instruction?

“What a faculty member does makes a difference in what students do” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010).  When a student feels that they are part of the learning community, they become more actively involved in their learning.  It is up to the faculty member to connect with their students right at the beginning of class and it is even suggested by Drs. Palloff & Pratt to visit the class multiple times per day during the first two weeks of the course.  The instructor is responsible for setting up and maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for students to engage in meaningful learning experiences. The instructor needs to be and equal level in the class, and they need to be present throughout the entire course.

What did you learn that would help you become a more effective instructor in the future?

Community is very important in online instruction.  There may be people in a class that are isolated, not just in the fact that they are alone in a room taking your course, but also geographical location.  By establishing a learning community, students feel more impelled to log on and engage their fellow classmates in their learning.  People will become a more active learner when they feel that they can be comfortable being who they are on-line, and know that others will challenge them in the course, and that they can draw from others expertise to increase their knowledge of the subject matter. 

Drs. Palloff & Pratt also make some suggestions to set up your online community to help students feel more comfortable in your course.

Make the course easy to navigate
Make the classroom feel warm and inviting rather than cold and formal
Visit the classroom multiple times per day during the first two weeks
Welcome students to post a bio
Respond individually to their bio
Relate to something personally

Post an icebreaker for students to get to know one another on a different level (Laureate Education, n.d.)

Following these strategies will help me to be able to engage my students in the course and make them more comfortable in my learning environment.

Chris

References

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (n.d.). [Video] “Online Learning Communities.”  Laureate Education. Retrieved from: http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6493411&Survey=1&47=7369045&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1