Online vs. Blended vs. Face-to-Face Venn Diagram

The role of the online instructor is certainly different than that of the traditional classroom teacher. Rather than being the purveyor of information and knowledge, the online instructor is much more of a facilitator, guiding learners to information where they gain their own knowledge and develop their own understanding of the information.

In this way, the online instructor serves a more critical role than a traditional “sage on the stage” instructor in that they 1) must be knowledgeable about the information that the students are learning, and 2) must be knowledgeable about how the students are learning. Instead of the focus being entirely on the content, the focus in an online classroom is on the student – are they accessing the information (preferably media-rich to accommodate most learning styles), and are the students getting an appropriate understanding demonstrated by activities, assignments, and discussions? If not, is the instructor communicating with the student to make certain that they have the support in order to do so? This shift in focus on facilitating understanding and learning instead of curriculum coverage certainly makes one rethink the role of a teacher.

Other characteristics of the online instructor include being comfortable and capable with using technology, highly organized with excellent writing skills and the ability to communicate often with students and parents, subject matter expert, and able to adapt to meet the diverse needs of their students.

Reflection:

In an online and blended environment, there are several changes to instructional methodologies that need to happen and skills and strategies that need to be improved or expanded upon in order to best support student learning. Content for online and blended environments must be well thought out and planned as there is little or no opportunity for direct instruction. Units, activities, projects, and assessments must designed in such a way that the student can move through the content and not be hampered by lack of clarity in instructions, foundational skills, or resources.  In many ways, it is more challenging to prepare for an online and blended environment than a face-to-face, traditional environment due to this depth of necessary planning. There is no "winging it" in online teaching!

Teachers will also have to alter the way they engage with their students and more attentive to the nuances of communication through the online environment. Rather than simply being able to check for understanding, a teacher will need to reach out to student through email or discussion boards, and if necessary, follow up with a phone call or a GHO or Skype session in a purely online environment. Being attentive and proactive in communicating may stave off unanticipated misunderstandings.