Participation
I think engaging a student in on-line is far more important than a traditional classroom due to the distraction factor someone may have working from home. A job, family, and or technical difficulties. If frustration levels rise, the participation will be effected
Beth, you make an excellent point regarding "the distraction factor from home. "As both and online instructor and an online student, I know that my time is at a premium and definitely affects my participation as a student. Some weeks, I participate only enough to earn my points, honestly.
Yes, this is a concern for the adult student since they generally have busy lives. Having students participate in Threaded Discussions is very important. They can be involved as time permits for them. In the classes I teach, students receive a grade for their involvement. If they respond to the question, they receive points. If they respond to other classmates' comments, they earn additional points. This method encourages each student to stay involved.
Yes, requiring participation in discussion threads is a great way to get students involved. Thanks for your comments!
I teach entry level students in their very first class in our program. One of the biggest challenges for me is helping them manage their time so they are not trying to get their individual projects done a few hours before the deadline. I try to help them understand the need for pacing themselves but some have trouble and find themselves behind on their work or submitting materials that are clearly not very well considered.
That is a great point Joel. Are there things that you have found that are helpful to students in terms of getting them to organize their time?
Jennifer,
like you I teach online and I am an online student. I feel that a teacher that has been an online student will be more effective in the classroom. We understand the challenges of our students and know how to engage them better.
Great point Chris. Do you have any tips you can provide the group on what you felt was most effective in engaging you in the learning as an online student?
On that same token, I think that online learning is more effective in this way. It's easy in a traditional classroom to sit in the back and not interact, but I think online learning encourages greater interaction with the student.
This is a great point. Online learning takes self discipline and when a student is frustrated the lack of participation shows. I believe it is important to keep motivating and encouraging people at all times. Frustrations will pass.
Online learning can encourage more participation because of the discussion posting requirements. I also think that some students might be more comfortable participating because they can hide behind their computer instead of having to talk in front of the whole class. Thanks for your comments.
Hello Everyone,
Yes, I agree engaging a learner in the distance learning environment is important because you want to keep that learner interested, focused and on track. Learners working at a distance can sometimes get side tracked and once one falls behind it may be difficult to get back on track.
I think you bring up a good point. Teaching online with the experience of being an online student I think does help use as instructors to better understand our students. I know at times I have encountered many of the challenges that our students face. I always let my students know that I am aware first hand of the many challenges they as students will face and I always try to provide techiniques that work for me that they can apply to their own online experience.
That is terrific Ashley. Being able to relate your own online experiences with your students is a nice benefit.
I have never been an online student and am about to teach my first online course. I think it is extremely beneficial to have had experience as an online student if you are going to teach online. I can see how asychronous participation is beneficial as students can do this at their convenience and points are awarded for doing so. Thanks.
I think when you are first starting to teach online, it would be an advantage to have taken classes online as a student. However, as you can experience teaching online, those advantages will even out.
Good luck with your first online class David! Stay organized and stay on top of your grading--it can quickly pile up!
Yes, many of the online classeshave different posting requirements. Facilitators/Instructors need to explain the concept of substantive comments (provide 2 to 3 sentences of substantive feedback for each assignment) and try to lead the class with questions and comments in the discussion area to help them with producing quality comments. Hence, the feedback for assignments is key in helping the student to improve. Feedback is essential as questions should be responded to within 24 hours of receipt. As far as the discussion board, students are encouraged to participate
When I was taking online classes, I found it helpful to work on a schedule. I had specific times when I logged to participate in discussions, do homework, etc. This helped me to focus my attention on my class and avoid some of the typical distractions. I also found this helped me to avoid committing "drive-by posts" as I was trying to do something else.
I encourage my students to actually schedule time for their online class as well. It can be any time of day, but it becomes part of their daily/weekly activities.
I agree that it is very important for students to receive comments that they can use to improve their performance on an assignment. In order for that to happen, the feedback needs to be clear, specific and constructive. Thanks for your comments Lydia.
Those are great tips to share with students on how to organize their time to be a successful online student. Thanks for sharing it with us Jo Ann.
