Changing Roles and Pedagogy

It's a Bird?.... It's a Plane?... No,.. It's Super Online Instructor.....!!!

While it is true that good teaching is effective regardless of the setting, there are several differences between teaching face to face as opposed to online teaching. The consistent presence of the instructor and the facilitation in the online discussion process is a valuable asset to promote desired student learning outcomes.

Every educator hopes for their students to succeed. When students are required to to participate and receive feedback on their discussion posts, the class in enriched. Online discussions are more effective when student grades are tied to their efforts, discussion groups stay small and posts are focused. By providing both informational and acknowledgement feedback students will be provided as clear idea of what is required of them. Instructors should be clear about what they expect from discussions, and students should be evaluated and guided toward those standards.

Facilitators of online classes should strive to project sincerity and flexibility. The job requires instructors to be comfortable with written communication. A instructor that is not an advocate of the effectiveness of teaching online, compromises the learning experience.

When students not only having credentials in the subject matter, but are trained in online teaching methods the class is improved. Online discussions should be used to share knowledge, increase reflection and challenge critical thinking.

The first week of class is the perfect time to address access and technology issues, while getting to know the students. Once class is up and running, instructors can introduce key concepts and provide new perspectives while reinforcing creative and insightful responses.

The asynchronous discussion board is the hub of the online course. Much like traditional classes, instructors will encounter difficult student behavior. Redirection and encouragement can be helpful in many of these situations. Group activities increase collaboration, and student to student interaction.

The online instructor has various roles. They guide and provide resources by asking questions designed to provoke thoughtful answers. Instructors provide a structure designed to be a launching pad toward self directed student learning. They emphasize key points, while introducing multiple perspectives. The online teacher sacrifices some control to encourage the student to take and active role in their educational experience. They are the guide to students, as they navigate their own role changes in the online learning process. The online student can not sit back and simply receive and memorize information in online learning. Students must be self-motivated, independent and manage their time.

Face to face instructors must stay current in their field, but online teachers must additionally stay current with online technologies enlisting any available faculty support. Instructors should take a frank self evaluation of their strengths and areas where they need to focus efforts toward successfully navigating the personal changes and challenges as the strive to become increasingly effective online instructors.

Then they will be on the road to becoming Super Online Instructors....

Designing Online Courses

Introduction to Online Teaching has been completed and I am onto Designing Online Content. Once again I am feeling stress from the overwhelming amount of content and resources available to the online instructor. My goal is to approach everything with an eye for what is most effective for my objective which is to provide exemplary courses that teach psychology in an active and comprehensive manner.

I am very excited to start the design process. The organization, planning and artistic aspects of design appeal to me. As a student I have become aware that a properly designed course can be the difference between an average and great learning experience. It is of note, that active facilitation of a well designed course is also necessary.

I find it daunting when I consider the amount of detail involved, the deliberate planning and executing of every aspect, and the amount of work ahead of me. But, none-the- less, I am looking forward to the challenge.

I have decided to design a fully online course for Abnormal Psychology. Let's hope I did not bite off more than I can chew!

Facilitating Online Learning... The First Week

It is the first week of Facilitating Online Learning which is the second course in the sequence to Online Teaching Certification. I am required to sign up to act as a facilitator for a week in the class. I will be expierencing the instructor role of responding to asynchronous discussion threads with feedback that is informative and moves the discussion toward further learning using facilitation strategies taught in the course. In addition, I will be delivering a synchronous virtual classroom session on Wimba. The session I signed up for is called "Common Problems In Facilitating" which asks me to apply information learned throughout the course to solve common problems encountered in online teaching.

How do I feel about this assignment? Like someone pushed me in the deep end of the pool.

I am excited to have a chance to facilitate and look forward to the experience. I feel confident that I can handle Wimba, and other technical issues. However, I am concerned about the subject I will be teaching. I find it daunting to be asked to facilitate a subject where I am currently a student and lack expertise. I expect this will be the most difficult aspect of the assignment for me. I definitely expect to find this exercise challenging yet rewarding.

My plan is learn from my fellow students while being supportive of their efforts. In addition, I intend to PREPARE. I believe that the best thing I can do to combat my anxiety is take the course one day at a time, and work hard.

It is time to dive in!