Even though I have taught online for three years, I was delighted to revisit important themes such as understanding the CMS in order to best organize my course for effective and efficient delivery while also being engaging in the best interactive process.
As an Instructor, success in the e-learning environment will requires the application of my subject matter expertise that is addressed by the course, plus;a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the course content, command of the Learning Management System including the course delivery format,and command over student reporting featuresto simplify class management and ensure students remain effectively engaged.
The importance of the structural integrity of the online course. How this can help in engaging learners and instructors.
Teaching online is complex, just as teaching in a classroom. An online course is not just doing assignments and taking exams. It has to be well-structured. It is sad that managment that wants an online course in a business environment does not grasp the complexity.
Reply to michele bellomo's post:I agree that navigating the system and building a sense of comfortability is most important.
It is important to understand your role as an instructor, as well as, the role of the student. The instructor should be well versed on the curriculum and prepared to troubleshoot technology. Along with troubleshooting technology, instructors daily word duties are based on the technology platform used to teach/learn. With that said, instructors communicate, grade work, monitor progress, and based their duties around technology.
It is important to plan ahead and know each area, as this will help with student participation and retention.
Quality Online Courses have the following:
Structure, knowledge of CMS, and communication are key.
Meeting the individual needs of the students will be a challenge, not impossible but will require new venues. Online has developed a new face in educcation and will require that we all participate in the learning process.
you must know if the student is comprtant with technology and do they have a computer or device that will let them use the course
Comprehending the course content and course delivery format is crucial. Familiarizing myself with the course delivery techniques and strategies will give me a better insite as to my students learning needs and to help them success in my course. I need to put myself in my students shoes!
That course structure is key. Having modules and within those modules we need to have lessons and then topics within those lessons. I need to have a clear understanding of the course content.
There are definite technology issues that can occur and to be able to 'fix' them is so important. There are many things to think about when it comes to participation, discussions, what order, and how open the modules will be to self-pacing.
In going through this module several things stood out. The role of the instructor in an online forum is just as important and will require a lot of work to ensure student buy in and ultimately there success!! Engaging students is only half of what the online instructor will need to do. Understanding the system and not just the content is criticl to ensure each student has the chance to be academically successful!
I believe that I need to have a clearly defined structure to ensure success for all participants. I need to make sure the modules are adaptable and responsive to the needs of the learners. I need to allow for variation and provide students with support. Communication is key. Having clearly defined goals and desired outcomes will help structure the course.
It is essential that instructors know the structure/organization of an on-line learning platform and their role within the course. Being supportive of students with both learning and technology is important, as well.
The one topic that I had not previously thought about was having asynchronous content. Having to give feedback to students in two (or more) different units seems possible; however, the possibility of the faster student giving answers to slower students would lead to having a larger reliance on tests and quizzes for grades. You then would run into the issue of having quiz and test questions being given out to the slower students. If this became a problem, then having a randomized questions from a bank for tests/quizzes may have to be considered.
In the current situation (COVID), the idea of a student orientation to the CMS really resonated with me. We didn't have time to do that where I work and although many teachers were already using some sort of blended learning tools, I think students have really struggled with the navigation of various systems.
I can see how e learning can benifit students that miss classes when we are enrolled in regular classses as well.
