Designing Online Courses-ONTL-7101

I have to admit that when I first began to contemplate what it would be like to take this course, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I never thought of myself as a designer in the basic sense but after thinking about it some more, I realized that we are all designers to some degree or other. The only difference is what we are actually designing. For example, a cook has to design and then cook a meal; a person who makes clothes conceptualizes them on paper first (design) and then makes them. An architect designs buildings; and so forth and so on.

I had some reservations about designing online courses because along with laying the course out in great detail the way I want students to see it, I know I will have to ensure that nothing is overlooked, or, if it is, something that will not require an in-depth amount of tweaking. Of course, as courses go through their evolution, they will have to be updated and tweaked but that is just another part of the process, kind of like adding an addition on to a house that a family has outgrown.

In the previous two (2) courses, Introduction to Online Teaching and Learning and Online Facilitation, I learned that online courses have to be user-friendly, not overly packed with information, have to be easily navigable, and instructions have to be presented clearly and it is probably a good idea to have important items in more that one place so that they are not overlooked or buried. "The devil is in the details" is a cliche, albeit an accurate one.

In considering the course I would like to attempt to design as an online course, I think my class room experience will be invaluable in terms of what to include, how to include them and will also outline some challenges that I have to address. For example, in the traditional class room environment, I already require students to collaborate in groups to create and present projects/assignments. This fosters group cohesion, an important ingredient in online teaching and learning. Also, I usually have students complete at least one or two presentations to become acquainted with speaking in front of an audience and addressing questions. In an online environment, presentations (i.e., Powerpoints) would work well, especially within a Course Management System (CMS) such as Blackboard.

I think the differences between an online class of this nature versus the traditional classroom environment are mainly in the tools used. For example, all information in the traditional class would have to be reflected in the online environment. The only issue I forsee that may present a challenge is how I would address meeting the needs of disability students and how that would look in an online class.

In this course, I want to learn more about the design process in greater detail, examine some courses with different design elements, and if/how the technology is roped into this process. Additionally, I want to learn more about the best practices so that my designed course ensures that students will have the best learning experience.

Facilitation Week Reflection

Online facilitation was not too much different from facilitating in a classroom environment, although the tools may be different. In the beginning stages of this class, I must admit that I was unsure of the expectations and what was involved in online facilitation. This was especially daunting since student facilitation was to begin in the first few weeks of class but as I read the requirements in the syllabus, everything became apparent.

  
A effective  facilitator, whether online or in a traditional learning environment, weaves in the above items as part of his or her facilitation to maximize the learning session. One of my initial apprehensions was the fact that  I was unfamiliar with WIMBA from a moderator's point of view and  unfamiliar with Blackboard Collaborate in all aspects. I felt overwhelmed at the prospect of having to learn the functionality  and also be able to effectively weave in course concepts that may be new.

Synchronous Session

In synchronous sessions, facilitators must have at a minimum, a basic understanding of the concepts to be presented. This can be a challenge, especially if the concepts are new and unfamiliar. Facilitators must also conduct research to gain a knowledge outside course materials to supplement the sessions. It has been my experience that any questions related to course subject matter can and will be asked by participants. As such, facilitators must take the initiative and conduct independent research in anticipation of  such questions to be able to respond intelligently. To prepare for the synchronous session, I looked at other information to supplement the presentation. Additional information always makes it more interesting since participants may learn something new. I was also able to prepare by collaborating with my co-facilitator to divide up the content.

As far as the synchronous session was concerned, I was not surprised by input from the participants but I was pleasantly elated to know that the software was not that difficult to navigate.  Additionally, I have seen synchronous facilitation in the business world with similar software so my perspective did not change.

Asynchronous Sesssion

As far as responding to student posts, I was not sure what questions would be asked and how I would respond. Also, I wondered if there was something I missed that students would have a question about. The great thing about asynchronous sessions is that I had the chance to think about and reflect on my answers without the pressure of providing instant feedback. If there was something I was unsure about, I had the opportunity of time on my side. The challenge with the asynchronous sessions was to keep abreast of all the different posts to provide prompt feedback, one of the holy grails of online facilitation.

Overall, I believe both sessions were fairly successful.

Facilitator Roles-ONTL 651

The section on facilitator roles provided valuable information on the tools that instructors utilize online to enhance the learning experience for students. In this section, I learned about how social networks can be couched into online instruction, their uses, various course management systems (CMS), the typical week in the life of an online instructor and how to manage activities, setting the stage for for students before the course begins, and pedagogical roles in online instruction.

Pedagogical Roles 
 



Instructors have to motivate and coach students to success. On the other hand, the student also plays a role in taking responsibility for completing assignments in a timely manner and communicate with their peers, especially in group discussions. Additionally, effective pedagogy involves a respect of a diversity of opinions, values and experiences, otherwise known as cultural sensitivity. The effective online instructor will also be able to manage these same dynamic between student-to-student interaction.

Social World-Building Community
How does one build a community in an online course? This can be challenge since there is no face-to face interaction and there is no real way to harness community the way it would be done in a traditional classroom setting. There are steps an online instructor can take, however. Communication is a great way to begin. Instructors can assign group projects with communication requirements between students (i.e wikis, chats, discussion boards). The more communication that takes place, the more likely community can be built. Ice breakers are other tools that instructors can use to build community. For example, when students upload their pictures so that others can put a face with a person, this can make the environment more warm and inviting. Another way is for students to share information about themselves and their experiences with others.

Social Networks and Bookmarking
 

Just about everyone nowadays has had some exposure to social networks such as Twitter and Facebook or knows someone who use them. These are used to share information and ideas. Since communication is a large and important part of online learning and instruction, these can be great resources for the online classroom. One obvious advantage is that many are already familiar with Facebook and Twitter. Discussions can take place between students in these environments. On Twitter, maybe someone with great information on course content can be followed for the latest updates. One has to be careful in using social networks, however, because on the flip side, there is also a lot of non-credible, often questionable exchanges that take place on these networks. Educational environments usually do not allow content as such. Because social bookmarking is a relatively new concept to me, I wonder how it will play out over the long time in online education. Here is a short video on the ABC's of social bookmarking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeBmvDpVbWc

Managing Online Courses
This can be a challenge for even the most experienced of instructors. Communication is key, along with effective time management skills. How does an instructor manage posts from many students, grading, give feedback, monitor communication, and stay abreast of the latest technology? The answer is very carefully. Quick feedback (i.e., within 24-48 hours for posts and a week for grading assignments may be best practices). Students seem to adapt better when feedback is constantly in motion during the process rather than at the end. Announcements are also another great communication tool in a CMS since many times this is what students see first. There are many online resources available to assist online instructors in learning about best practices and course management tips. Bookmarking them for later use is a great idea. The following links offer more tips:
http://www.ponce.inter.edu/html/retencion/11stratmanageonlinecourse-oc.pdf

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=course+management+system&view=detail&mid=64796A3BE57AF788271264796A3BE57AF7882712&first=21

Reflections on Changing Roles and Pedagogy-Part 1

As I move forward in class two of the online teaching certification program, it is not hard to notice that the facilitation piece follows a logical pattern. As such, this course is much easier to grasp because it taps into the concepts learned in the introductory course.

In part one of the facilitation course, I actually learned how to create an audio introduction. It had not occurred to me that audio introductions were even possible in this way and it propelled me to constantly think of ways to deliver content outside the box in an untraditional way, while effectively meeting objectives in an interesting manner. The software was surprisingly easy to use for me.

Next, I was surprised that part of the learning in this course will be hands-on. Specifically, each student will take a lesson to facilitate to the rest of the class. While I think learning by doing is an excellent way to drive home course concepts and grasp them, use of the technology made me somewhat nervous. The good thing about it is that students have a choice between using Wimba and Blackboard Collaborate as a tool. This lets us know that there is more than one tool available to support online instruction and we should learn to tape into those resources.

Facilitating online means that instructors have to manage discussions to reach students to ensure that they have grasped course content. An instructor can achieve that by designing course content that is interesting. Some ways to do that are to utilize multimedia and social networks as support tools and ensure that links are live so that students can access them. Social networks are online communities where students and instructors can share ideas and experiences. For example, a student can follow a mentor using Twitter as a resource. Another dynamic to manage facilitation is to offer feedback and grades in a timely manner, and when students have questions, communication should be frequent. A start page can connect social sites that students and instructors choose to use in one place. Managing student interaction (nettiquette) is important as well since electronic communication is in and of itself another language and conflict can ensue.

In online instruction, I learned that the role of the instructor changes from the top-down model to a student-centered model. This increases student learning because instructors cater to different learning styles of students and also realize that student learning encompasses their own particular experiences. To that end, there are four (4) basic roles of an online instructor: Pedagogical, Managerial, Social and Technical. How well an instructor masters these skills will make the difference between a competent instructor and an exemplary one (of course there can also be incompetent category as well).

Technology



Technology is a big part in the online environment and from my experience, there is a learning curve with learning and using technology and I will have to spend a fair amount of time becoming adept at using it. For the instructor, technology also involves creating digital content, course design and setting up communication sessions (collaborative, synchronous, and asynchronous). The following link demonstrates some strategies that can be used in an online class:

http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~zariski/tlf/zariskiatlf2000.htm

Pedagogy

An instructor must be able to communicate to reach students and be able to assess (measure) learning and grasp of course concepts. This is where the technical role meets the facilitation role. Frequent feedback and open communication can serve to achieve this objective.

Managerial



Another skill of an exemplary instructor is the ability to manage online conflict, motivate students to learn, and time management since so much information will be presented.

Social

The social role intersects with the pedagogical role in that instructors must be knowledge builders and be able to meet students within their specific learning styles. This builds on the constructivism theory of online instruction and means that all objectives must be geared toward student-centered learning.

I am looking forward to learning more about the dynamics of online facilitation and would like to understand how it differs from the traditional classroom setting.

Facilitation Online-Expectations and Concerns

s the title of this course suggests, facilitation will be the main focus during this semester. As such, one of my expectations is that we will be required to delve into and analyze all aspects of the facilitation role as it relates to the online learning environment, and activities will be centered around that. It is expected that as educators or those who are following that path, facilitation is one of the most important dynamics of interaction between students and a good facillitator helps to make their learning experience easier.

Having taken the first class in the online certification program, I was introduced to a wealth (almost overwhelming) amount of information and at times it was difficult to keep up, even though I pride myself on being a reasonable time manager. It would stand to reason that each class is progressively more challenging and I have to strategize on the best way to keep up. Also, just from reading the syllabus, it appears that this class will have a large subjective part built into it as far as facilitation is concerned. While that in and of itself is not an issue, learning the functionality of the tools and utilities will be a challenge and require much practice.

As noted above, I believe that faciltation is very important in the learning process. An educator can possess the most advanced of degrees and have the largest cache of knowledge but if they do not know how to impart that knowledge or use it effectively in the classroom (in this case, online), it would mean very little. An analogy would be someone who has a backyard well full of oil, but no tools to mine it out for use.  I am very interested in learning how to utilize tools to maximize student-centered learning online.

Reflections on the Online Environment-Part 2

How People Learn

I never considered that there are scientific theories that measure how people learn but when one actually considers it, it makes sense. People are different and how they tackle assignments and absorb information would be different as well, at least in theory. Having said that, because people learn in different ways, instructors have to be sensitive to that to meet their learning needs.

The difficulty can come in as far as deciding which learning theory to use for specific assignments but the answer may be to incorporate several different pedagogies throughout the course. There is no one-size-fits all approach. Also, it does not matter if the teaching is in the classroom or in an online environment. This forms the basis of a student-centered approach and, hopefully, a more well-rounded learning experience for students.

During this session, I learned that there are seven principles centered around effective teaching and learning online (listed below) and most of them I have attempted to foster in the traditional classroom environment. The online environment presents a challenge as far as the modality used to achieve these objectives.

Seven Principles

• Encouraging contact between students and faculty [where communication is enhanced];
• Developing cooperation among students [by incorporating team building exercises and fostering group work cohesiveness];
• Encouraging active learning where students by [building in challenging real-life scenarios where students have to conduct their own research];
• Providing prompt feedback [to provide guidance and recommendations on completing assignments];
• Emphasizing time on task [which encourages building time management skills];
• Communicate expectations [to ensure students know what is expected];
• Respect diverse talents and ways of learning [by encouraging students to respect each other’s opinions, be mindful of netiquette].

 Instructional Strategies

There are a few strategies I would weave into an online teaching environment. One would be project work where I provide a means for students to gain experience they can apply that is interesting and challenging. This strategy also houses others such as role playing, case studies, and collaboration and in this sense, the students get a well-rounded exposure to many of them.

The other instructional strategy I would choose to weave into an online course would be that of case studies. Case studies provide real information of issues that actually occurred and examines the approach and response that was utilized to resolve the issue. I am a firm believer that instructors have to teach the theoretical and conceptual but they also have to link those to reality-based applications and case studies provide that link. In essence, students are prepared intellectually and through practical application and simulation.

Technology

Technology is a huge part of designing online courses and there are many to choose from; some are expensive and others are free. The challenge for the instructor is deciding which one will be best to utilize (i.e., multimedia, static text/images, wikis, video clips, conferencing, etc). In my disciplines, I think multimedia technologies are best because they can be interactive which makes the learning experience more interesting. As a group project, we were commissioned to research Internet sites that would work well in an online environment and link them to a rubric to determine how effective they would be. We provided a rubric and annotated bibliographies of websites that fit that met that criteria. The link can be accessed at:

http://annotatedbibliographygrp1.wetpaint.com

Reflection

Overall, this course has been very challenging in terms of course concepts use of technology and time management, however I do feel that online teaching is a good fit for me. There is still much to learn but hopefully I will become more familiar with online teaching as a concept over time. My only concerns are about managing time and communication better and learning about digital content used in actual course design as this is new to me. I am up to the challenge though and am looking forward to exploring new horizons.  It is challenging, probably harder than traditional classes but it also has its rewards.

Reflections on the Online Environment-Part 1

Initial Perceptions

When I began this course, I was filled with thoughts of what it would be like. I had taken online courses before, however, that was a few years ago and I was sure that the world of online teaching, online communication, and the technology that supports these dynamics had changed just by virtue of how everything in life seems to be moving very fast and evolving. To finish the course, I will have to budget my time accordingly and interact with others to increase my knowledge. I was not aware that there was more than email or discussion posts to contact others but there is also chat and a wiki page.

Becoming Familiar with Tools

I was familiar with WebCT but had never heard of Blackboard. Other terms that I had only heard of in passing or maybe even utilized but was unaware of their composition were “Wiki”, and “Blog” and the first part of the course introduced me to them. After reading up on and experimenting with them, I realized that I only needed to become familiar with them as tools and I found actual use of them was quite user-friendly, to my delight. Also, these tools are used universally and have become acceptable standards.

Social Constructivism Theory and Implications

The online course delved into some interesting and involved topics that were, sometimes, challenging to say the least. For example, after reading about social constructivist theories and how they are related to online learning and teaching, I became somewhat overwhelmed. As I studied and perused the information further, it began to make sense and I began to connect the dots and began to think about ways I could incorporate the information. When one thinks about it, the social constructivist teaching and learning models make sense. One of the models that I identify with (Carwile, 2007), states that learners move from being a passive recipient to the center of instruction that involves collaboration and interactions, with their life experiences woven into the process (mental construct). From an instructor perspective under this model, the role is more of that of a facilitator who fosters student collaboration. The fact is, a student-centered model places the student in the best position to build knowledge in self-learning and group settings. Although online learning is more difficult because it requires me to be more disciplined with my time, conversely, I am allowed to tie what I am learning together with my own experiences. In this sense, it makes learning easier for me. 

Types of Online Courses

I also reflect on the various types of online courses (i.e., fully online, hybrid, blended and web-enhanced). I had never considered that courses may work better blended or as a hybrid, especially when the course may require actual hands-on experience, such as one would find in a science or medical-based class. In any case, when designing a course in any of the above categories, certain criteria must be met for it to help students meet learning goals. Content should be written in good English, be easy to understand, pages should load quickly, outside experts used when appropriate and material should follow a logical sequence. One of the most important elements is that it should be designed in such a way that it caters to all of the learning styles indicated below. Sometimes weaknesses can become apparent if online courses are not designed with the above in mind. Existing courses can be enhanced by uploading course information with instructions in a progressive format with visuals and maybe even audio or video clips.

Learning Styles

 (Google Images)

While working in corporate America, I had had some exposure to learning styles but not to the extent presented in the course. People learn in very different ways and in ways that maximize the learning experience for them. There is actually a science to learning styles and each of us affects towards one and pieces of other styles to some degree. My preferred learning style is the Visual/Verbal style. I tend to like to study alone in a quiet room and see information in my "minds eye" when trying to remember something.

At other times, depending on the project, persons may substitute one learning style for another and move along the continuum. While much research has been done on learning styles, one popular one is the Diablo Valley College (DVC) survey which measures if one learns best in:

• Visual/Verbal Style where information is presented visually and in written language formats;
• Visual/Nonverbal Style where picture design and visuals work best;
• Tactile Kinesthetic Style where “hands on” works best; and
• Auditory/Verbal where auditory and oral language works best.

I believe that the Gardner learning style list was more comprehensive than that of the DVC and it included eight (8) styles).

  

Group Interaction

I learned that working in group projects can be easier if there is a quarterback or group captain with strong leadership skills. The caveat is that “strong” does not necessarily translate into demanding or not being part of a team. While group projects can have their advantages, I learned that the greatest advantage is that one can lean on team members for support in areas where they may have less knowledge and they can also offer new and innovative ideas to help reach the goal. As long as the online environment is safe, with guidelines for interaction including proper netiquette, relationship building and group cohesiveness can be achieved as well.

Teaching Style

(Google Images)

I was not surprised to learn that my teaching style is geared more toward that of a facilitator, versus a delegator, however, I did have to bear in mind that as a facilitator, in designing and teaching online courses, that students learn in very different ways and I have to constantly adjust my teaching styles accordingly for their benefit.

E-Portfolios

This is a great way to showcase talent and demonstrate proficiency to academic and business arenas. I had never seen an e-portfolio before but I was impressed with the samples. Not only does an e-portfolios bring everything together in one place but it can also give a sexy and professional look. My strategy to create my e-portfolio will be  to utilize Wetpaint Wiki and keep the content simple and easy to read and follow.