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Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it is inspiring change. -William Arthur Ward
Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it is inspiring change. -William Arthur Ward
Online learning can be a great experience for many students. Establishing meaningful, rich instruction for students through effective use of interactive technologies can be a particularly powerful strategy for enhancing student learning outcomes. Instructors need to make beneficial connections with their students, and yet, the research shows that instructor connections are weaker in online courses. One of the best ways that online instructors can be effective is to be present in their courses.
What does it mean to be present in a course? Being present is the key to making meaningful connections with your students. Although many times instructors have good intentions and see themselves as present in their courses, the students feel differently. Online instructors need to engage their students and have them connect with interactive technology. They need to incorporate into their courses various platforms of technology so they can interface with their students effectively. This will provide student engagement as well as show that the instructor cares about their learning and progress.
Reflection
Reflection
Where I was.
Where I was.
Before I started teaching online, I was unconvinced that this type of course could bring the breadth and depth of a face-to-face course. I was unsure of the amount of social interaction that took place between the instructor and the student and if it was going to be enough to really understand the content. Many times online courses were more like long distance courses where the students would have to find their way through the course with no instructor actively present. However, listening to students' comments about their experiences with online learning made me realize that these types of courses could be valuable and engaging if presented effectively. Realizing a self-paced environment is not for everyone, students who participate have to adapt and delve into this type of platform. I hoped that online teaching could be just as rewarding as teaching in my face-to-face classroom, just in a different way; because good teaching is good teaching.
Where I am.
Where I am.
Through more research, I began to learn just how large an impact of social presence in online learning is crucial to a student's success. My courses at @ONE were very valuable in helping me identify best practices and strategies that I could use with my online course. I found that many of the strategies suggested were easy to implement and it made a big difference in my being present. My @ONE courses also discussed the importance of Universal Design. They showed me that representing the most important information in multiple ways supported the learning styles of all my students. I now am more present in my course each week by communicating more often with students to show them that I am committed to their learning. If a student misses an assignment, I follow up with why they missed it. If they need help or support, I am there to provide it. I make sure that I address each student by name to be more relatable and share stories of my own experiences. Providing meaningful, immediate feedback will benefit all students and equip them with the tools they need to improve their learning. I will continually introduce a variety of approaches each semester to improve my presence in my course.
Where I'm headed.
Where I'm headed.
Knowing what I know now, I am committed to continuous improvement in my coursework. I have modified my teaching practices to focus on providing my students with rich, rigorous instruction using effective interactive technologies to be more present. Curriculum that is thoughtfully created and inviting will engage students more in my course, and thus, it will most likely result in a more interesting course overall. Using plenty of interactive tools, various medias, lots of visuals, and other high interest activities, will help keep my students engaged. Making my online course more enjoyable will entice students to be more involved. Small efforts can have a big impact. I plan to apply these same principles to all of my courses.
The teacher must adopt the role of facilitator not content provider. ― Lev S. Vygotsky
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