Lourdes Wiley

Thankfully I have not had students who are overpowering dominators or intimidators. I also try very hard to make expectations and policies clear from the beginning. I have certainly had lots of experience with "noisy" students and those who are more avoidant. I apreciate how this module spells out clear suggestions for dealing with all of the identified challenges. One big challenge in the environment I am teaching in is that students have had unclear expectations as nobody realized the Covid online situation would go on for so long. These students never planned to do e-learning and are really struggling… >>>

This module provided a lot of beneficial information on how to use asynchronous discussion effectively. It also clealry explained the value of this method in an online learning environment. This type of communication is tricky versus a traditional classroom format because in communication, we cannot see nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, tone of voice, etc. Having a clear netiquette policy in place is vital to ensure that this technique is used appropriately. This method is challenging for me because I have never received much value from it myself as an online student. I think it can go either way… >>>

Even in a virtual environment, presence and relationship with each student is critical. Being online requires a bit more creativity as we lack the direct person-to-person time that we have in a traditional classroom. Students want to know who we are and it is meaningful and leads to engagement if we can also learn about them and express interest in them as individuals. I am pleased to see that many of the approaches recommended in this module are techniques that I have used in traditional classroom settings and will continue in the online format.

With online learning, organization and ease of use from the student end is critical. An instructor can still be creative and use various approaches to teach, but the course must be simple to navigate and well organized. In transitioning to online instruction, I agree that consistency and organization are the most important components to ensure student success. Students still need availability and live support from the instructor when needed. Faculty must be knowledgeable about how to appropriately use the online learning platform to meet the necessary criteria for a successful course.