Mari Pfingston-Bigelow

Closing the loop involves assessment and revision in order to make sure that student outcomes and academic learning are in line with the goals of the course and the goals of the institution. Many forms of assessment that involve both students and stakeholders help to make this a more effective process.

Formative assessments seem especially helpful for reinforcing student knowledge and encouraging reflection at the end of a lesson or full day of learning. The 'muddiest' question tyle of assessment would help students reflect on where they need clarification, and allow the teacher to gain valuable feedback if there are any trends in confusion.

It is important to outline communication standards in the syllabus, and be very detailed in explaining the communication that is expected of them. Providing a detailed and dynamic FAQ also allows important information, or frequent questions, to be communicated to all students at once, helping students to feel supported while also lowering the amount of individual questions emailed from students to the instructor.

I learned different methods to keep students engaged, and to present material using a variety of formats in order to teach towards different learning styles. I liked the lecture video that focuses on 3 different aspects of how the instructor is affecting eh student - delivering content, challenging assumptions, and helping the student learn something about themselves.

I learned that the first day of the course can be a very valuable time for setting expectations, providing motivation, giving students a warm welcome, and providing overall clarity and goals so that students have a clear roadmap for what the rest of the class entails. 

I gained helpful insight into some factors that will affect the type of preparation required and the type of expectations that need to be set for students from the beginning - such as having a clear understanding of the entrance knowledge and skills that students possess, the level of proficiency required, and having a standard of behavior/the balance between knowledge and skill development that's required.

I've learned some ways to develop more as an instructor, such as focusing on all 3 aspects of being an effective instructor - the technical, professional, and personal components. The short videos were also helpful tools for my own learning and breaking up the sections of written material.

I learned that it is important to come into the e-learning space prepared to have students with different learning styles, and who may have different needs and ways of interacting within discussion forums. Knowing how to engage and hold boundaries with different types of students will help greatly in managing an e-learning classroom.

I learned that good feedback and responses are critical in the e-learning environment, especially because of the lack of nonverbal communication. Reponses that help to build confidence and encourage learners to keep going is important, as well as well-worded constrictive criticism. 

I learned that it is very important to take the initiative to establish a relationship with each student, and this can be done at the onset of the class by make sure that each student posts info about themselves, and sending a personalized message to each individual student.