The module offers us very valuable information about engaging students in the E-learning process and the importance of understanding the nature of both Asynchronous and Synchronous Discussions, as well as the learning styles of the students to successfully meet the course goals. Besides, the module gives us some guidelines for providing feedback in the E-learning environment,
Some of the key aspects highlighted are:
Asynchronous discussions do not happen at the same moment. They occur at different moments and extend over a period. They can be viewed as the heart of an online course Students are able to participate and express their views and opinions in asynchronous online discussion forums and have more time than they do in a traditional classroom setting to read, evaluate, and assimilate the information being shared before they post their own responses. Participation in asynchronous discussions among learners may not be spontaneous, which means that we may have to intervene. We need to structure asynchronous activities in such a way that they promote interaction among our learners
Synchronous Discussions occur in real time and are known as chat sessions. A general recommendation is not to use synchronous discussions to teach critical course content unless we are dealing with one student at a time. or if we are using a video conferencing tool. Among the disadvantages of using this type of discussions are:
- Scheduling students across different time zones or who work shifts could be a real challenge.
- The text on chat screens advances rapidly, thereby having a negative impact on slow readers.
- Analyzing and summarizing individual student input to chat sessions could also be a real challenge.
- Fast typists are likely to dominate the chat session
The module suggests that one the factors for synchronous discussions is to provide learners, well in advance, with the information they will be required to prepare for the session, so that they have an adequate preparation time to reflect on the topics of the session, formulate questions, and gather the information they will need to make an intelligent and meaningful contribution.
Three main variables that influence student participation and interaction are related to the learning styles exposed by Bergquist and Phillips (1975). According to these authors, there are three learning styles that avoid involvement.
- Avoidant: They are not interested in learning the course content. They do not communicate with other students or the instructor.
- Competitive: The goal of students belonging to this category is to outperform other students. They feel they must compete with other students for the instructor's attention, and for high grades. They view the learning experience as a win-lose situation in which they must always win. This competitive behavior can drive away other students from participating
- Dependent: They demonstrate little intellectual curiosity and complete only required learning activities. Usually, they regard the instructor and peers as sources of structure and support. Also, they look to authority figures for guidelines on what to do and must be told what to do.
Guidelines for providing feedback in the e-learning environment.
In a traditional classroom setting, learners benefit from immediate verbal feedback as well as non-verbal feedback in the form of body language such as smiles, nods, confused looks, frowns, etc., but in an E-learning setting, a great part of the message can get lost or be misunderstood. The ideal feedback should be worded in way to encourage participation, confidence, and motivation. Feedback should also be constructive criticism if there is a need. The module recommends that instructors
- Provide feedback on a timely basis.
- Word the feedback messages in such a way that they build confidence within learners and encourage them to continue to pursue the objectives of the course.
- Choose the correct tone and wording when the feedback includes criticisms
- Seek feedback from students on a regular basis by soliciting them some feedback about how the course is progressing or what they want. Also, if the course is fulfilling their expectations
- Use an e-mail system to provide feedback to students on their contributions to discussion forums, and to advise them of their score on each discussion forum.
