This was a great preview of how the online format looks. It also gave good insight on how instructors will be supported during online delivery.
I learned how important it is to have technical support as well as educational support.
on the technical end I would make sure I knew how things look and operate on the student side. So that I would be able to help them along. I also would make sure the students and myself are trained on how to use the online system. On the educational end It is important that the material be well organized and presented in a manner that is easy to comprehend and study.
There are a lot of other things, not just content, that come in to play when teaching online. I need to be familiar with all of those things especially the platform and all of its components.
I've had it confirmed that it is important for the platforms for online learning to be fully supported; both for the student and the instructor. This has always been my biggest trepidation regarding online learning and teaching.
Understanding of the course content is critical to delivery. Preparation of the lesson by the instructor is now and always has been one of the most important aspects of teaching.
It is important to understand the CMS and familiar with course delivery techniques and strategies, however, it will be both challenging for students and teachers in our current learning environment.
The most beneficial to myself was the idea of an orientation to the CMS. I think we believe that all students know technology so they should be able to understand and find things easily, however, that is not always the case and we need to make sure to teach them that step before going forward to class "material" interaction.
Many tools are available to navigate the coarse. And resources are available if help is needed
I learned that in order for an online course to be effective, you have to consider not only the content, but the method or manner in which it is delivered. It must be properly organized and the students must have ease of access in your course order to get the most out of the instruction.
That instructors need to me mindful on how course content is presented to students. When creating a course try to look at how the material is presented through the view of a student. What would a student's preception be? Is this content clear and easy to understand?
The online learning process requires that the course author creates a structure and learning process that utilizes all of the elements fo ensure student success.
The administrator of the course must ensure there is an adequate timely technical and course content support system in place.
The instructor is not just familiar with his subject matter but is also fully comfortable with the CMS and in organized and stays on all of the administrative requirements of the system.
The student must participate in all activities and the system must force them to interact on a regular basis.
I learned the basics of how an online course is set up. This course also reinforced the idea that I must have a good understanding of the material in my online courses before beginning any type of instruction. Without a good handle on how the CMS works prior to starting with the students, questions that arise as we proceed will be much more difficult to answer than they would be with just a little bit of extra prep time. I feel that it’s also necessary to make sure that any technical questions that arise on my part are better answered during my preparation because tech-support is typically asynchronous communication and not really able to be answered “on the fly“. I did like the tip on knowing how the different chat functions work so that you can remove people from the chat if they continually stray off topic or become problematic in someway. This can happen at times with online learning, and can be difficult to deal with if you have a good rapport with your students already.
To ensure learners participate in distance learning I believe giving points for attendance will help encourage the students to participate. I will check into how to start the point process at the beginning of the next semester. By starting at the beginning of the semester, it will give students knowledge on how the points could help them at the end of the semester.
Reply to Gina Barton's post:I love what you said here Gina - about taking time to find out your student's needs - that is awesome!
Toni
Reply to Lisa Brown's post:Hi Lisa - I, too was thinking the same thing!
Toni
I appreciated the reminders - having been teaching online for almost 12 years - I had several "ah-ha" moments - which I love. One of the key pieces that I want to remember is that every online instructor is different as are even some of the online classrooms. It's important for us as instructors to fully understand the LMS system ourselves and that way be able to easily put our students at ease thorugh instruction and repetition.
As educators, we need to be aware and understanding of online learning barriers. Knowledge of the online platforms and course material can decrease wait time to respond to students questions. Being able to aid students with how to acces IT and commun issues effectively. I learned that if barrie to online learni can be reduced studstuden frustration would be minimal.
The importance of orientation to not overwhelm an IT Department, but also to decrease student frustration.
Course Delivery is the twin of providing great content to the students. Knowing how the course can be delivered effectively begins with knowing the platform or CMS in which you are working. Being able to confidently navigate is essential. Knowing everything about the system and what you can do will allow you to provide the students with the best online experience.
It is quite important that the students feel comfortable working within the CMS and the use of the computer. Providing support through the instructor and the online help desk is a necessity for success.
From where I sit, the characteristics of a good classroom and course management are fundamentally the same as they have been throughout history. Only the format and the mode of delivery have changed--radically. As the "old geezer" that I am, I revel in the vibrance and vitality of the face to face learning experience. Yet, the online platform has given us a positive platform from which we can more effectively manage teaching. It gives us the opportunity to be more focused, with less distraction, on the task at hand. The one fly in the ointment can be the technological side when Murphy's Law pays a visit and everything that can go wrong does. Great technology without great teachers acomplishes little and, by the same token, great teachers without dedicated IT in an online format is about the same. (Voice of experience). The teacher and IT personnel need to be walking hand in hand for this venture. Life jackets on; then jump into the water.
