Nikia Williams

Although students can learn by themselves, it is out job to guide them to extended learning through a variety of ways including explaing and justifying their positions on topics at hand, having students to deeply think about their ideas/repsonses over a short time period and then revisit it and definitely asking open ended questions.  Reflection plays an essential role in learning environment period, but especially distance learning.  In order to have a strong cooporative learning environment, you must start out strong by establishing norms or ground rules that must be followed.

As instructors, we will need to try our best to make the learning environment fun.  We also need to explain the "why" to students for completing various assignments to get buy-in from the.  It is essential that you communicate with students frequently and consistently.  If need tips on integrating technology into your classroom, it is suggested that you collaborate with the instructional designer.  Finally, assessing students is very important, but them knowing the parameters of what you are assessing is even more important.

Technology is great when it works, and effective communication is key especially in an online environment.  Always have a back up plan in case technology fails you.  Be sure to communicate  effectively and provide adequate feedback to students online.  It is important in any environment, but especially in the online environment.

It essentially explains that it is all about students being held accountable for their own learning.  We as teachers are here to support the students, however we can only lead them to the water, we can't make them drink it!  This is even more pervasive in an online learning environment. Since students are a part of an online environment but are still in their own everyday home environments as well, they are responsible for being active and essentially a 'boss' of their own learning by sharing ideas, collaborating together their peers, writing and reflecting etc.