SETTING UP AN ONLINE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
As educators, we prepare ourselves with the essential tools for learning when teaching in a face-to-face environment. The online learning environment is no different. We as educators have to come prepared with the ability to understand and use the essential tools within the virtual learning environment. Several key factors in setting up an online experience include knowing the technology available to you, understanding how to communicate clear expectations to learners and considering any additional factors that would make setting up an online experience successful.
What is the significance of knowing the technology available to you?
Knowing the technology that is available to you allows the instructor to establish and create learning experiences that engages and challenges the students.
Basic Tools include: course template, discussion forums, grade book, blogs, audio software, Wikis, Course Management System, plagiarism software, social networking sites, and synchronous tools.
It is vital that you add tools only as you are ready. If a tip suggest a tool that is not available to you or you are not quite ready for, simply adapt the tip as makes sense to you and come back to it for further consideration the next time you are teaching the course (Boettcher, J & Conrad, R p. 58).
Why is it essential to communicate clear expectations to learners?
Communicating clear expectations is essential because it ensures that the learners understand what to expect from the instructor and what the instructor is to expect from the learners. Sometimes using a set of tools may not work well which a sometimes set up an area for possible misunderstandings. Clarifying how all this will work and sometimes might not work can help create a smooth and trusting learning environment (Boettcher, J & Conrad, R p. 55).
What additional considerations should the instructor take into account when setting up an online learning experience?
When an instructor is setting up an online course learning experience, additional considerations
or elements should be:
•Finding out who is responsible for setting up the course site
•Review text
•Prepare an online syllabus
•Weekly teaching guide
•Set up a discussion boards & rubrics
•Become familiar with library access
•Technical support
•Plan a course schedule
•Assessment plan
•Review action plan
•Ask for feedback from another instructor ((Boettcher, J & Conrad, R p.66).
A successfully launched online experience should have the look of a virtual community where learners are communicating and interacting with each other, the instructor and the resources. Many factors contribute to this success. The components that would assist me in setting up this online instruction include finding out who is responsible for the course set-up, weekly teaching guide, and tech support. As the roots of a tree help to support a growing tree, these components serve to support online instruction.
References:
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
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I could not agree more with your idea that it is extremely important for a facilitator to use the options available to them from the certain CMS. I believe that we, as teachers and ID's, must pick the most appropriate functionsfor a given course.
ReplyDeleteDo you tend to use the same ones-ie- discussion boards, wikis, etc.- in each course or do you vary the additions to the subject matter at hand?
I tend to use the same ones but try to do so in different ways.
Great point about the correlation of being prepared as a traditional classroom educator and as an online facilitator. I think that in an online classroom it is almost even more important than preparing well in a traditional classroom setting. If we are not prepared in this arena this can lead to a myriad of issues.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!!!