DAY 2: THE PLATFORM
What were the key messages that Russell was putting forward about teaching online?
Today's content resonated a lot with me because setting up the platform as a course creator has been one of the big challenges lately. And with some of Russell's points I could reflect easily on things that I might have been doing wrong, but also with things that might be fine.
I feel that in the past I used to put up too much content. Now that I think of it, not only is it ineffective and can make students feel easily lost and disengaged, I also think it's rather irresponsible. Our adult students may be passionate about learning English but don't have the time to be looking for the material or spend time time doing things that may not be so relevant.
One of the tips that I think is key is to plan well perceiving the whole module as an ongoing succession of experiences that link smoothly from the platform to the live session or face-to-face class.
Consistency in the layout and design and the sequence of learning events events.
Cohesion: the factor that glues the two settings together.
Clarity: in the instructions and the display of the content.
Collaboration: creating space and occasions for learners to engage in collaborative tasks, which is something we did several times today. For instance, the initial forum in breakout rooms were spaces to discuss and try to reach an agreement based on the forum contributions the day before. It was actually through getting us students to work together on the content produced by the other participants that my attention was grabbed and was I involved. I felt every step of it was relevant.
What will you take from today's session? How might they impact on your use of the platform?
There are several practical ideas I will take from today's session: From now on I will definitely work towards keeping the platform simple, in terms of demand, and visually, too. Particularly in the earlier stages of the school year the first activities should be mostly focused on modeling and acquiring a learning habit rather than carrying out very complex tasks. And I will also try to make sure that students are well aware of what they have to do: clear instructions and navigation should facilitate this.
There is another thing which I enjoyed learning, and has to with educating and training the learner. As we mentioned in one of the previous lessons, one of my biggest concerns is that learners may not always engage with some of the tasks proposed in the platform, which then affects the live or face to face session. But Russell pointed out something which might be the right way to address the issue: it's about getting learners to understand from day one how the learning is going to happen. Perhaps not so much about telling them or repeating it all the time, but carrying on with simple tasks so that eventually the learner is on board. This is something I could learn thanks to Russell's advice, but also with the activities we were involved in, as I could realize how important it is, from the learner's point of view, that each step in the module is part of another one.
What did Russell miss? Are there things you have learnt about the platform that you think are key points?
There was a slide in the video lecture which I found very thought-provoking, and I would probably like to discuss that a bit.
The work in the platform: as learners move up in their level, the platform gains more relevance and becomes the main area where autonomous learners carry out most of the work. Does that mean that in a blended learning environment, which is usually conceived as 50/50, we should be open and more flexible, and give the live session less relevance 70/30?? That made me think because in our plans we don't seem to have space for that kind of adaptation, but it would probably make sense.
