Setting up an online learning experience

Introduction

Setting up an online environment is critical to creating a positive learning experience. While there are a number of issues to consider, I will focus on three areas, namely, the need to understand the technology and learning environment, the need to communicate clear expectations to learners, and other special considerations that the instructor need to take into account. 

What is the significance of knowing the technology available to you?

Technology plays a critical role in online learning because it “mediates the separation between teacher and learner” (Sumner, 2000, p. 271) and helps to provide online learners with equivalent learning experiences to face to face learning environments (Simonson, n.d.). It is therefore important for the instructor (and the learner) to have an appreciation of technologies used in online learning environments and to develop skills to use these technologies effectively.

While it might neither be practicable nor desirable to acquire all the knowledge and make use of all the available technological tools at once, there are some essential tools that the instructor needs to be conversant with. Essential tools highlighted by Boettcher and Conrad (2010) include the following: course management systems; email and discussion boards; audio and video resources; web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis and media sharing sites; plagiarism detection software.

Why is it essential to communicate clear expectations to learners?

Communicating clear expectations to learners helps to give them a sense of direction in an environment where they are largely responsible for their learning. The syllabus and weekly teaching (and learning) guide are examples of important communication tools. Although the syllabus performs the same function as in the face to face environment, the online syllabus clearly “sets out the overall course plan with performance goals, learning outcomes and requirements” (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010, p. 64).

What additional considerations should the instructor take into account when setting up an online learning experience?

One important consideration that the instructor should take into account is the need to ensure that the learners are engaged from the beginning. There is need to build a learning community and establish social presence. Social presence helps to improve learner comfort levels and the sense of being around other participants (Palloff & Pratt, 2005). An activity that can be used to open lines of communication in a learning community is an icebreaker (Conrad and Donaldson, 2011).

References

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2005). Online learning communities revisited. 21st

annual conference on distance earning and teaching. Retrieved from

http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/resource_library/proceedings/05_18

01.pdf

Simonson, M. (Walden University). (n.d.). Theory and distance learning. Equivalency theory.  [DVD].

Sumner, J. (2000). Serving the system: a critical history of distance education. Open Learning, 15(3). Retrieved from http://pages.towson.edu/bsadera/istc717/modules05/module8/3888263.pdf

 

 

Online learning communities

http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com

 

Palloff and Pratt (n.d.) have identified the following main elements that make up an online learning community: people and the purpose that connects them together; process, such as the rules of engagement among community members; social presence and how it gets developed. Learning in online learning communities is a shared responsibility in which every member of the community including the student and instructor contributes to the learning process while supporting each other.

Social presence and community building

The benefits that arise when a course is delivered using the learning community concept include student satisfaction, reduction in attrition rates, increased positive perception about learning, and increased motivation to succeed. Online learning communities can be sustained by improving the levels of social presence among participants (Palloff and Pratt, n.d.). Social presence helps to improve learner comfort levels and the sense of being around other participants. Recent research has shown that social presence contributes positively to learning outcomes and learner satisfaction (Palloff & Pratt, 2005). Social presence has also been identified as one of the “most significant factors in improving instructional effectiveness and building a sense of community” (Aragon, 2003, p. 57).

Strategies for sustaining social presence

Aragon (2003) has recommended the following strategies for creating and sustaining social presence in online environments: welcome messages from the instructor; student profiles at the beginning of the course; use of audio messages; class sizes of not more than 30 students per instructor; use of collaborative learning activities; active participation in discussion boards by students and the instructor; providing frequent feedback to students; sharing personal stories and experiences; addressing students by name and allowing students options for addressing the instructor.

References

Aragon, S.R. (2003). Creating social presence in online environments.

New directions for adult and continuous education, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Retrieved from http://portfolio.educ.kent.edu/daltone/cmc/articles/jp_aragon.pdf

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (Walden University). (n.d.). Online learning communities. [DVD].

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2005). Online learning communities revisited. 21^st annual conference on distance earning and teaching. Retrieved from

http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/resource_library/proceedings/05_1801.pdf

 

Online Instructional Strategies

During the next eight weeks, this blog will focus on online instructional strategies. I look forward to sharing information with you.

Illinois Online Network

 

Although the online learning environment is different from the traditional classroom setting, the University of Illinois  has suggested that most instructional strategies that have successfully been used in the traditional classroom can be adapted to facilitate online learning.

Web sites visited:

http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/instructionalstrategies.asp