Teaching and Organizing a Virtual Learning Environment --> Guide on the Side
The journey of exploring the nuanced facets of online teaching has been enlightening. The core takeaway is the transition from the traditional role of a teacher to a facilitator, which is akin to being a 'guide on the side' rather than a 'sage on the stage'. Here’s a summary of my understanding and how I plan to implement these insights in my virtual classroom:
Identifying Facilitation Methods:
Online Facilitation: It's about steering the learning experience more than dictating it. The role morphs into being an enabler who assists in the learning process, fostering a conducive environment for learners to interact, explore, and learn at their pace.
Student Autonomy: Encouraging students to take charge of their learning is crucial. This can be achieved by creating a framework where they can explore, make mistakes, and learn in a supportive environment.
Different Teaching Approaches: The spectrum of teaching approaches from teacher-centered to student-centered, each with its level of interaction, provides a blueprint. I plan to adopt a blended approach to balance directive teaching with facilitative interactions.
Developing a Facilitation Plan:
Learner-Centeredness: The focus will always be on the learner. This involves creating a partnership with students to solve problems, investigate concepts, and discuss issues. It's about guiding them through assignments as they begin to own their learning journey.
Problem-Based Learning: Introducing real-world problems to instigate curiosity and engagement. This technique will make learning more meaningful and application-based.
Informative Feedback: Providing timely, personalized, and constructive feedback to ensure the learning path is on the right track. Encouraging peer feedback can also foster a sense of community and shared learning.
Evaluating the Facilitation Process:
Engagement Metrics: Observing student engagement, their interaction with the material and with each other, provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of the facilitation process.
Student Performance and Feedback: Evaluating assignments, discussions, and course evaluations will offer a comprehensive understanding of the learning outcomes achieved.
Continuous Reflection: Reflecting on the course design, communication, and facilitation strategies to identify areas of improvement. This includes reviewing student grades, course evaluations, and also my communication and response times.
Reflecting on the Facilitation Process:
Holistic Review: Assessing the course from a bird's eye view to see if the objectives were met, and where the gaps are. This includes reviewing student engagement, communication, and achievement of learning outcomes.
Technology Utilization: Ensuring that technology serves as a tool for enhanced learning and not a hurdle. Being adept with the LMS and other tech tools is essential to guide students smoothly through the course.
Community Building: Facilitating a safe and supportive environment where students can interact, debate, and learn from each other. Encouraging respectful discourse and valuing diverse perspectives will be at the core of this community building.
The 'Guide on the Side' model resonates well with the ethos of online education, where the learning landscape is democratized, and the teacher evolves into a facilitator. This transition is what I aim to achieve, creating a learner-centric environment that not only imparts knowledge but also nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and a collaborative spirit among students. Through continuous reflection and adaptation, I aspire to refine my facilitation approach to meet the dynamic needs of online education and ensure a fruitful, engaging, and enriching learning experience for all my students.
