Setting Up An Online Learning Experience

In setting up an online learning experience, there are three questions you need to keep in mind. (Only 3? no, but here are three important ones). 

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

If you don’t know what is available as well as how it could be used, you may be missing opportunities that you would have otherwise utilized.

In considering the types of distance between students, instructors, and content (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Avcek. 2011), one type of distance is familiarity with the technology. If the instructor/facilitator is not familiar with the technology, this type of distance is unnecessarily increased.

Nevertheless, it is not necessary to “tackle all the tools that are available” (Boettcher & Conrad 2010 p. 57). Learning how to implement available tools can be never-ending (p. 58).

It is also important that the students know how to use the technology. The “first week is the time to ensure or refresh students’ familiarity” (p. 71) with the processes and tools that will be used in the course.

Why is it essential to communicate clear expectations to learners?

For in-person college courses, expectations are clarified almost without thought by the ability to ask questions at each meeting of the class. Because of this, distance educations students often assume a professor will be available “all the time” (p. 77). Expectations on the part of both students and instructors is essential because the assumptions of face-to-face education easily get lost in the distance of distance education.

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

Be aware of the potential cultural diversity of the students coming into the course. For example, asking students to post a picture of themselves might be met with resistance of people who, because of race, image, age, or other factors would prefer not to share a picture of themselves (Laureate Education 2010). By extension, any learning experience or learning object might have elements that unknowingly cause greater and unnecessary distance.

Be prepared to contact students individually if their initial engagement in the course is limited.

References

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

Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Launching the online learning experience [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S.E., Albright, M. and Zvacek, S. (2011). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education. Pearson Education:Boston MA