Goal 2

Summary:

Student interaction plays a major role in the success of the courses I teach. My course work has helped me understand how to best incorporate student interaction into the classroom, even online. I consider myself a hybrid teacher teaching, teaching both face to face and online courses. Through study and experiencing learning as an online student I’ve been able to explore foundational principles of distance education. I’ve been able to implement new technologies and distance education practices into my course design. My students are now interacting in a more productive way. I believe distance education has a bright future. I’m seeking to give the online students I teach a more real life, engaging experience. This is accomplished as I introduce them to new ways of interaction.

Reflection:

Prior to starting the program my experience with online learning was limited. I’ve certainly learned a lot from my coursework, but perhaps the greatest lessons have come from the example of my instructors. I’ve gleaned from the way they structured a module, given feedback, and set up communication channels. These are abilities I’m working towards in my own teaching. I’ve learned to appreciate how much work goes into setting up an online course when I had the opportunity to develop a module for a class I created in my ITEC 5030 class (see Canvas Design Lab). For my module I created a discussion page which I facilitated over a 3 day time period. I also incorporated an instructional videos and Powerpoint presentations (see Online Education in the Medical Field). It took some practice and patience, but I was able to gain some needed experience using Canvas. I’ve also gained a tolerance for video recording myself. Not something I necessary enjoyed, but it can enhance an online learning experience. Student interaction plays a major role in the success of the courses I teach. My course work has helped me understand how to best incorporate student interaction into the classroom, even in an online environment. I consider myself a hybrid teacher, teaching primarily face to face, but also interact with learners online. Through study and experiencing learning as an online student I’ve been able to explore foundational principles of distance education. I’ve been able to implement new technologies and distance education practices into my course design. One practice I've focused on is providing effective feedback. Feedback should be given promptly with specific detail to allow the student learning experience where they can express themselves. In my ITEC 5020 course work I recognized the opportunities online learning could offer religious education. Religious education is a more unique setting when compared to a traditional classroom. The research that has been done on religious education online is limited, but I desired to gather what was out there and also contribute work of my own (see Article Review 5020). As I reviewed various studies and compared them to my own setting I found that online education applied to religious studies are effective. Most of the world’s major religions have sought to reach out beyond all boundaries. Past efforts have been very successful. In Christianity the Bible itself is a great example of distance education and the reaching abilities it had in its early stages. The Epistles found within the New Testament were originally letters written to followers and congregations limited by their geographical location. These sacred writings were in fact early forms of distance education. The advancements we have today with technology and instructions are offering learning opportunities anywhere.

Artifacts