Troy,
That is true! That is one of the major differences between f2f and online instruction. In the online environment, you are the "face" of the institution. For better or worse, you are their contact.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Marjorie,
That is true! We don't have to provide all of the assistance but we have to lead them to the resources that will help them.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Marjorie,
What a great observation. I actually use this type of need to develop community among the group. I have a general discussion area that students post all questions about the course their first before they email me. If another student answers the question, they earn participation points. This really develops the classroom relationship and gives students each other as resources.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Nicole,
Great post. Yes, we want guide the without hand holding. We may not have the information but we need to know where to find it and guide students there. I also think we need to be aware of resources that might be needed and communicate that to the institution.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Elizabeth,
Great post! You are right about advising through feedback; I don't think we should use grading as it just focuses on the grade. I like the term evaluate as that is more than the grade.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
William,
That is true, you are the "agent" for the institution for them. You may be the only person affiliated with the institution they communicate with. Because of that you don't have to have all of the answers, just know where to find them!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I think it is important for the instructor to take on those roles because of the nature of the online platform. Because we don't meet with our students face to face, so much can be lost in translation and the students can get lost in the cracks so easily. Providing support in areas other than just instructing helps make the students feel more comfortable with the course.
So, working as an instructor, social director, program manager, and technical assistant, we provide the necessary support in multiple areas that help the student be successful. I was a little surprised when I started working online how much time I had to spend as the technical assistant. I just assumed that if a student was signing up for an online class, they would already be comfortable with technology in general...NOPE! :)
I think the four roles are important because an online course can be a very isolating experience and it may not always be obvious who the BEST contact for a given matter might be. Therefore, an instructor will often be consulted for matters beyond curriculum such as technical support (i.e. "My assignment won't upload") or social support (I.e. "I'd like to post to the discussion board but I just don't feel confident in my abilities").
Josh,
Wasn't that a surprise? Many students have very shallow technical skills. For many of your online students; you are the only connection they have to the institution. You don't have to know everything but you have know where to find it.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Rob,
Great point. The instructor may be the only person that student has confidence in. You have to be all to them at times.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The reson why is becuse you have a lot of duties to fufill and always got to be prepare to face them.
hyram,
What makes this more important in the online environment than in the f2f environment?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I am not sure that there is only one role that is most important for a facilitator to take on. the roles of instructor, social director, program manager, and technical assistant are important, depending upon the context. I think that the role that the course did not specify is that for all intents and purposes the facilitator IS the school for a student. In a phrase, I call this role "school representative". The facilitator is the person who the student identifies with the institution. This is the role that I believe is the kost important.
The primary reason as instructors we wear different hat/shoes is to keep the student engaged in their own educational process. We must provide the concepts they need to learn; give appropriate feedback and motivate them to learn while giving them the tools for that learning.
Donald,
I agree with you. Many times the online instructor is the face of the university and is the only connection the student has to the university
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi Dr Wilkinson;
I feel that Online Facilitators wear more than "four pairs of shoes" in that we are also an educational counselor, special ED instructor, and mental health counselor.
Many times our students come to us for career advice and whether or not a class is necessary or the career path they have chosen is right for them.
We also have students that have special needs that are presented to us at the beginning of the quarter that have to do with either physical or mental exceptions that need to be made for an individual.
Third, we see more and more students that are interested in various areas of the medical field because they have had so much exposure as a patient. We are seeing more and more students that have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, ADD, ADHD, PTSD, depression, etc.
Fourth, we have students that are struggling in their personal lives and we assist them with finding the right advocacy groups to aid them with finding a place to live, daycare, medical assistance, transportation and book funds, etc.
So, F2F and online, I wear many pairs of shoes and need Dr Scholl's insoles to make them comfortable and adaptable to all the circumstances. Yes, there are times that some students need our help not just to help them with uploading an assignment or group project but to help them with everyday life. No matter what age, they become our charges that we guide not only in class but thru life to give them every opportunity to become a success.
Jenny ,
True and many times we are the connection they have to the university. That is such an important role.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Andrea,
Ok, I LOVE your post. You are right, there their are more than four pairs. As an instructor, you as you open yourself for communication and relationships with your students you do become a person they trust and with that comes. . . . more shoes!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Online Facilitators or Instructor must be a guide for the students. The facilitator must be there to lead and instructs students to ensure each is learning.
It is really important for online instructors to know that they come across to the student as wearing several hats of facilitator, instructor, social director, evaluator, mentor and most importantly role model.
