Melanie Lavelle

Students learn more in an online environment than they do in traditional courses. Online courses give students full control over their own learning, students are able to work at their own speed. Students love the flexibility it offers. It is imperative for students to have good time management skills in an online course. Offering a way to communicate and encourage students in an online environment is important. 

Making and retaining contact with your students is vital in knowing how they think and what specifically interests them in the content. Designing instructional flow should continue throughout a course to keep every student engaged and active in their own learning process. Just because something worked for one student don't assume it will work for others. It's important to stay engaged, observant, and connected. Then respond and adapt. 

Passive learning is necessary to build off of the content in order for students to better understand. However, in an online environment, the lack of feedback is a disadvantage. It is then important to engage with students with active learning activities.

The module assisted me in learning how it is the instructor's responsibility to plan the course to make it engaging. However, it is the student's responsibility to be in charge of their learning and learning space. Also, you do not need to be in a classroom to promote active learning.

Communication and customer service are important and go hand in hand. It is important to learn effective communication skills in order to solve problems. 

Technology provides another platform for trades students to apply what they learn and improve their learning. Utilizing technology and online learning can enhance learning trades and problem solving skills.

It is important for students to participate in the presentations in various ways. The module is informative and provides skills to enhance critical thinking skills and problem solving.

Great information.  Testing should be student-centered and learning outcomes oriented. Holistic assessments help to encourage different types of learning methods. Traditional assessments are content specific and do not truly assess what a student may have learned. Effective learning and the forms of assessment continue to change.

Great information that I could apply to my on-line courses.  There are some fantastic ways to create ways for students to interact with each other. Using portfolios is ideal for students. One benefit of learning what instructional technology tools can offer is to assist in helping to promote learning. 

The information was very useful. I plant to use some of the strategies presented. Knowing how to address and meet all types of learning styles is imperative to a successful hybrid experience for the instructor and the students. Students should be encouraged to be aware of their own learning styles so that they are engaged and productive in their learning.