ONTL 650 Blog Part 1 Learning

When given the opportunity to write about what I’ve learned so far in the online teaching class, I thought about the strengths and weaknesses of online learning. When I began this class, I knew of the obvious strengths and weaknesses, but some of the material that I have read so far introduced me to advantages and disadvantages that I never even imagined! In this piece I will review what I have learned about the ups and downs of online learning. I will also touch upon some of the things that I have learned contribute to becoming an effective online instructor.

The obvious weaknesses of online learning included classes that are better served in person. (Example: surgery, dental hygiene, sports with physical movement and public speaking). As stated in my previous blog, one of my most lively discussion threads reviewed the subject of public speaking as a hybrid, blended or web enhanced class. (Week #3 Mini-Case) Some thought it is best taught as a web-enhanced class (myself included) others thought it could be done totally online. With the proper technology, almost anything could be taught online.

Curriculum must be properly developed in order to meet the needs of the online student. Classroom methodologies that are successful do not necessarily translate to successful online programs. www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/overview/weaknesses.asp

Other weaknesses of online learning are students and instructors who lack minimum computer knowledge. I have had the unfortunate experience of having an instructor who had a web-enhanced workshop that she knew very little, if anything about running. She had no practical application skills of running the web component of the class. It was pretty bad that she did not know how to maneuver her class site, but it was ridiculous that she rarely came to the site to read our post. My fellow classmates say she was a good teacher. The final straw for me was when she failed to grade 25% of her students work! My “A” became a “C.” I had to report her to the Dean. She was traveling all over the world as an expert in her field, but left 25 students hanging back in Illinois!

Another challenge to online learning is having reliable equipment. Even with the best equipment sometimes things just go wrong. According to our reading, even the most sophisticated technology is not 100% reliable. An Internet connection can fail or your computer could crash. One helpful thing that our instructor cautioned us about is not submitting assignments close to the deadline dates. If you give yourself more time, you can seek alternative means of submitting an assignment instead of posting it late due to unforeseen circumstances.

The instructor must be able to create a positive supportive community in the online classroom. A sense of community is what Professor James Golding called it when I interviewed him for one of my discussion threads. Golding told me that an online teacher must build a sense of community. He gave me some of his views on online teaching. He says that in face-to-face classes there is live interaction and adjustments can be made quickly. That is not so for online classes. To deviate from the material can cause a chain reaction that students may not be able to easily recover from.

He states he likes the convenience of online teaching and the connections with students daily, the flexibility and interactions with all the students and the time-based student learning. He also thinks that students need to know that the instructor is not available 24/7. The online teacher must be prepared to work harder and read a lot more material than in a traditional classroom. Golding states making set times for scheduling is important…if you do not you may find yourself at the computer all day.

Strengths of online learning include flexibility in time management, no on campus trips and learning and studying in the comfort of your own home.
http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/overview/strengths.asp

I have learned that constructivism is popular in an online environment, because it allows the students to feed off of one another's learning experience with written interactions. I believe the constructivist teacher does allow their students to build from their experiences in this collaborative learning venue. The readings describe the constructivist teacher as a good facilitator who coaches and helps students to better understand. If we are active in our learning to navigate online teaching, we will also perhaps have a better grasp for what our future students will experience in our classes.
www.vccaedu.org/inquiry/inquiry-spring-2007/i-12-Carwile.html

The following website included a wealth of information about online learning. Staying the Course. Online Education is a great source for answering fundamental questions about the nature and extent of online education.
http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/pdf/staying_the_course.pdf

I’ve learned that teachers who recognize different learning styles may assist their online students by structuring assignments to address their needs. The basic learning styles I learned were:

The Visual/Verbal Learner: information presented in written format is best. These learners benefits from textbooks and class notes. They like to study in quiet rooms alone. Color-coding, flash cards and printouts will benefit this learner.

The Visual/Non Verbal Learner is drawn to symbols and pictures. Illustrating graphs with key words will assist this learner.

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners do best when they are physically engaged. In class, demonstrations benefit this learner.

Audio/Verbal Learners benefit from working in groups and talking out loud. Tape-recorded lectures or audio textbooks will engage this learner.

Another tool I’ve grown to learn more about is a web log or blog for short. A blog can be used to document almost anything. For this class it was to be used for reflection. This blog that I am writing is a reflection of the learning objectives that I have been able to learn so far.

The Wimba live classroom is a tool that puts the class participants together at the same time online in real time to interact with each other. This reminds me of an interactive phone call. It’s exciting technology that allows students and instructors to meet without leaving the comfort of their own homes.

We have briefly been introduced to e-portfolios. The use of this tool is described as a way to assess student learning in authentic ways. They offer students a way to showcase their work when seeking employment or, after graduation, as a way to demonstrate professional accomplishments.

During the last few weeks, I have learned that being an online teacher is really a lot of work. It does appear to be for instructors who are very organized and disciplined. There is still so much more for me to learn. I will see my way through this class and hopefully be able to decide if online teaching is a good fit for me.