Introduction To Online Teaching Certification Course - The Half Way Benchmark

Looking back on the first half of my introductory course to the Online Learning Certification program, I am amazed how at the amount of ground we have covered.

We have learned about the Online Learning Environment, Models of Online Learning, Learning Styles, Teaching Styles, Accessibility Issues, E-portfolios, Wimba, Blogs, Group Teaching Projects and more. All this and we are only half way through the class!

When I started the class I checked the syllabus, and became anxious yet excited about learning so many new computer technologies. I had no idea how many resources were available to enhance an online course. I lost my anxiety as I became more competent in the computer applications, and now look forward to the second half of class. Bring it on!

Beyond the computer skills I have gained, I paid special attention to the areas of the course that focus on teaching and learning. Obviously, it is mandatory for an online instructor to be competent in teaching. I have enjoyed participating in discussion threads and group activities.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I felt as connected to my classmates in this class, as I have in face-to-face classes. I have found my student-instructor interactions at the same level compared to my face-to-face classes. My instructor has responded quickly, consistently and provided helpful critiques of my work. I plan to live up to her example.

I have found the assumption that online learning lacks interactivity and a sense of community to be false. In this class I have experienced an interactive community of learners. If an online instructor uses the email, Wimba, discussion threads, activities, chat rooms and conferences available and productively, students will not feel disconnected.

Unique characteristics that define online learning (most commonly asynchronous text-based interaction) can actually lead to enhanced or hyper communications (Walther, 1996).

I completed a survey and found my learning style was balanced. I now know that I want to enhance any courses I design with activities that suit all learning styles. Visual, Audio and Kinesthetic learners can be engaged in many ways which we began to apply in our group teaching project.

http://www.eazhull.org.uk/initiatives/KingswoodFS/learning_styles.htm

It has become clear to me that my learning and teaching styles should be considered when I design courses. I plan to develop strategies that improve student comprehension by reflecting on the strengths available to my learning and teaching styles.

I want to build courses from a constructivist approach so that the educational experience is an active process. I have learned that my innate teaching style is as a facilitator. I plan to focus on integrating this style when teaching psychology by facilitating student-centered discussions and activities. Designing group activities that promote active learning and student-to-student problem solving will improve student comprehension and memory recall of key concepts.

In addition, I have learned about the challenges that disabled students encounter when they take online courses. Whenever possible I plan to keep these students in mind. By adding audio and visual content for accessibility reasons, benefits can be extended to all students.

I am convinced that becoming certified in online teaching is going to enhance my online and face-to-face teaching skills. The current generation of students has been enmeshed in connective technology.

More than one-third of public university faculty have taught an online course while more than one-half have recommended an online course to students, according to an unprecedented study of administrative and faculty views toward online learning released today by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning. (http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/pdf/staying_the_course.pdf)

Online teaching is no longer the future. It is the present.

Walther, J. B. (1996). Computer mediated communication: Impersonal, interpersonal, and hyperpersonal interaction. Communication Research, 23(1), 3-43.

Self Selected Blog About Wimba

I found Wimba interesting. I have been a student in classes that used Wimba but found during the class demonstration that it can be used in many new and innovative ways.

21st century students are growing up in a world where they are as comfortable texting and facebook posting as they are with face to face communication. Many students start college later in life, stay in school longer and juggle work and school commitments. The tools are available to allow instructors to be more creative in the way they engage an increasingly diverse student population.

Having been exposed to Wimba classroom as a student, I found myself interested in how Wimba can be used to increase student engagement with teachers and other students. I wondered what practical or creative uses instructors found to remove geographic barriers to learning and enrich traditional classroom experiences.

A Day in the Life links to Dr. Gary O’Connell and how he enhances his classroom with Wimba Collaboration Suite.

http://www.wimba.com/assets/swfs/DIL/DayintheLife-HE.html

Wimba can be used to archive lectures. While especially appropriate for an auditory learning style, archived lectures benefit all learners. Students like to be able to review lectures and “rewind their instructors.” Lectures can be archived MP4 files that students can access on computers, ipods or MP players.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_3JYflilHI

During the demonstration Professor Engle mentioned using the doorbell feature for office hours which led me to consider if there are other ways to bring services to students via Wimba.

Some schools are using Wimba Pronto to offer school services. The Pronto application has been very successful for community colleges. Pronto gives immediate access to school services for commuting students. Providing easy access to services can be challenging for schools when the student body does not reside on campus.

Pronto is instant messaging that integrates with Wimba classroom. Students can check who is online and discuss class materials anytime, anywhere, and share applications with one another. Computer help, library services, tutoring, financial aid and advising can be set up and manned by university employees. Schools can provide students access to these services during hours that services are available on campus. Surveys have shown that most students that live on campus still prefer to use Wimba Pronto when given the choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z39qYKDQAk&feature=related

As technology has increased, the needs and demands of students have changed. Technology has changed the role of students, educators and administrators in higher education.

Reflections From An Anxious Student

When I registered for my first class in the online teaching certification sequence I was excited. I have taken many online classes and found them both challenging and interesting.

The Online Teaching Certificate will take me one step closer toward my goal to teach Psychology in traditional and online classrooms. I hope this class will make me more marketable in the limited job market our economy is experiencing. I am attracted to teaching online for the same reasons I enjoy learning online. I find the medium both flexible and informative. I expect the time commitment and workload to be higher in online teaching, because I have found this to be the case as an online student. I think this class will prove to be invaluable to my goals because it combines the experience of online education from a students perspective, while learning the necessary skills of educating effectively in an online environment.

Then class began. Although I am still looking forward to the class, I became overwhelmed. I began to worry about my schedule and the amount of work required. I wondered if I could handle the demands of learning new computer skills. In addition, I was concerned if I could write a blog, when I have never read one. Late one night, nearing panic mode I asked myself why I went back to school.

That is when I knew I needed to get a grip. I know why I went back to school, and how fortunate I am to have this opportunity. I realized that I often feel overwhelmed when I look at the big picture. I am more successful when I take things one step at a time. It is daunting to worry about if I can accomplish everything required to succeed in this course. However, I do feel confident I can do what is required today.

I realize that I must stay organized and need to dedicate the appropriate amount of time to this course. But I know from past courses, that if I break the work into smaller chunks I will be less stressed. Basically, I need to stop being anxious, move forward and jump into the blog.

I checked out the tips for successful online learning. It suggests logging on to course every single day, and I can do that. It says to be polite and respectful. I always try to do that, but I will go over the netiquette information knowing that things can be misconstrued in an online environment. I browsed that Pedagogy and Learning links and find them helpful.

I notice in this course and in application of teaching online, there is a huge amount of resources available to students and educators. It seems that the amount of information available could be a blessing and a challenge simultaneously.

But there I go again trying to tackle too much at once and getting stressed. For today, all I have to do is finish some reading and my blog. I think I can do this.