I have now come to end of part one of the second semester. I
am well on my way to becoming an online instructor! In lesson one, I had to
identify and discuss the difference between teaching online and teaching face
to face. For me teaching face to face
has its challenges. First, I think it can be more intimidating speaking in
front of a large audience verses speaking to the same audience from the comfort
of your home office. I believe that in face to face teaching the instructor has
to perform on the spot whereas in online education the instructor may be able
to look up answers to student questions, can proceed more carefully when
answering questions, and may provide more detailed answers. The most important
and widely accepted role of the online instructor is the role of the
guide. The online instructor takes on a
more “guide on the side” role than in a traditional classroom course, where the
instructor may represent the most expert person in the class. Many times the
instructor may define the problem, but it is up to the online learner to take
the necessary steps to analyze the problem, or dig deeper in a subject to
acquire the knowledge that they seek. In other words, the online student takes more responsibility
in one’s outcome of learning, and may look at the online instructor as an
adviser.
As I engross myself in becoming an experienced online instructor, I
feel that I must always keep the essential ingredients for
learning in a social community in mind.
These ingredients are inclusive, organization, self-management, and
participation. These are the essential
ingredients for learning success in a social community, such as an online
course. I believe it is imperative to have different representations of
learning methods. These unique learning
methods will be invaluable material that can be incorporated into online
lessons and assist in helping the many unique online learners that enroll in
your class.
As
I progressed in lesson two, I learned some valuable tips when trying to
establish a vibrant online community of learning through the use of the
discussion board. These strategies included providing prompt feedback to the
student, encouraging the student to post their questions about the course in
the discussion board instead of emailing the question, creating a frequently
asked questions section within the discussion board, and providing criteria for
the student responses. One of the most important lessons in this section was the importance
of providing the student with prompt effective feedback that stimulates the
student to dig deeper and to ask questions. I think the valuable part
of online learning is the active discussion boards. It is within the discussion boards, the student
is reading and interacting with their peer's thoughts and opinions on subjects.
Many times during the discussion threads students include helpful
websites or new technology for the class to explore or assist them in
completing their assignments more efficiently.
In
lesson three, I got to focus more on what challenges an instructor will face as
they move from the traditional classroom to the virtual classroom. Online learning has been a huge adjustment for me. I
have years of experience of the traditional classroom. I have adapted my learning habits, thought
process, expectations based on my classroom experiences. It has been an
interesting educational journey for me. This new experience of online learning
has been a fascinating and unique journey, where I have continued to evolve my
thought processes, teaching habits, and organization skills that will be more
suitable to the online learning environment. As I continue to progress through
this course, I will be gathering priceless pieces of technology, knowledge, and
teaching strategies that will broaden my scope of practice and keep my students
at the edge of their seats J.
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