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....