Dr. Lawrence C. Ragan discusses that the online classroom holds some interesting challenges. Bad habits can overflow into the virtual classroom. In the article Principles of Effective Online Teaching, Ragan admonishes instructors to "Show up and teach."
In taking online courses myself, I've noticed that many professors are 'virtually' non-existent. I felt that for the most part, I was teaching myself and hoping that I was getting it right. While there is a big difference in the face to face environment and the virtual world, there seems to be two completely different schools of thought as to how these courses should run. There are those instructors who take great care in building their courses with plenty of activities for students to respond to each other, and then there are those instructors who basically say 'hello' and 'good-bye,' and leave one with a sense of what just happened here?
The online community makes the classroom VERY large, but it doesn't have to be impersonal. While it is great to have the students collaborate with each other, it is very nice when the professor gets in there as well and guides the discussion. Besides, we all want to know what the instructor thinks - he/she is the one with the knowledge!
Online community teaches us quite a bit about a vanishing art - communication. And just as there are outgoing speakers and introverted folks, the same kind of personality can come through online. This forum can be great for those who are a bit more hesitant, because they shouldn't have to worry about what others will think of them (since they can't be seen anyway), so it puts most people on equal footing.
I wholeheartedly agree with your comments about how important the role of the instructor is in online courses and how vital a positive atmosphere can be for learning. From your experience, what are effective ways for an instructor to prevent feelings of impersonality in online courses? We've discussed some ideas such as giving regular feedback, providing a welcoming forum for introductions, and through the use of profile pictures, but any other advice you might have would be much appreciated :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that I have felt that I was teaching myself in online classes before! It's pretty frustrating when you've paid a lot of money to be there and really do desire to get something out of the class. I'm hoping that I can learn to effectively get students to delve deeper into their learning.
ReplyDeleteThanks for these thoughts, Sandy! Speaking from my perspective at Chicago Semester, it's also a great opportunity for faculty to model professional communication to students. One of the skills we teach students who are working internships in a professional setting for the first time is how to communicate formally over email. Many students defer to texting shortcuts, emojis, all caps, or no caps at all - so having an instructor's presence is needed on this level as well. The instructor sets the pace and the tone for the dialogue in the course.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point Kendra. I had not considered how important it is for the instructor to model appropriate written correspondence.
DeleteExcellent point Kendra. I had not considered how important it is for the instructor to model appropriate written correspondence.
DeleteSandy, I'm a bit on the fence here. I have taken online courses in which the instructor was sort of in the background, but yet noticed. I kind of liked that myself. I also felt like I was teaching myself, but I didn't really mind that. I think I often do that anyway when I'm not in a formal class setting. As long as the instructor facilitates (in bold), in a way that allows motivated learners to learn, I'm for it. The problem, however, is that not all students are motivated, and for them the instructor may have to take a more active role.
ReplyDeleteSandy, I'm a bit on the fence here. I have taken online courses in which the instructor was sort of in the background, but yet noticed. I kind of liked that myself. I also felt like I was teaching myself, but I didn't really mind that. I think I often do that anyway when I'm not in a formal class setting. As long as the instructor facilitates (in bold), in a way that allows motivated learners to learn, I'm for it. The problem, however, is that not all students are motivated, and for them the instructor may have to take a more active role.
ReplyDeleteI too enjoyed the part of having freedom to teach myself, but then I'm one of those obnoxious people who is very driven and has to get everything done a week ahead of time or I can't sleep at night. My concern is for those students who are not quite as motivated. Granted, those people probably should not be taking an online course, but once they're in it, they probably would want to stay with it. It's always great to hear from the instructor - and some are great at it and participate all the time. But there are those who are seldom heard from - just like some of the students. It would be great to have a 'magic pill' of some sort to get people (students and/or professors) to engage a bit more, but there are always those who find something better to do with their time, even though in the long run they are hurting themselves.
ReplyDeleteMy son has taken an online course that turned out to be an independent study. There were supposed to be opportunities for peer-to-peer engagement, but there were none. This has led me to assume that all online courses ARE independent study courses. I think it is important for instructors to make clear (to themselves and their students) whether the class that is offered online is actually an independent study.
ReplyDeleteMy son has taken an online course that turned out to be an independent study. There were supposed to be opportunities for peer-to-peer engagement, but there were none. This has led me to assume that all online courses ARE independent study courses. I think it is important for instructors to make clear (to themselves and their students) whether the class that is offered online is actually an independent study.
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