Guest Facilitator Satrohan Mangal

Hi All, I agree with your observations about some of the challenges of delivering and managing some types of instructional transactions in an online environment. These are some of my thoughts on the subject that I would like to share with you. With the advent of e-learning, some institutions strive to place all courses of programs online; even though, as you pointed out, the content of some courses may not lend itself to the requisite instructional treatment to facilitate meaningful learning experiences in an online environment. The end result in such situations is that those institutions receive course evaluation results… >>>

You are definitely applying effective strategies for establishing and maintaining relationships among your students and between yourself and your students. The posting of a bio is the first assignment we recommend for any course. One of the areas less likely to be addressed is having adequate knowledge of the entry-level of students in your course. When there are pre-requisites for your course, you can discern entry-level knowledge and skills by reviewing the Syllabus of the prerequisite course; or if the Professor of that course is available, you can discuss the nature of what he or she has coverd in the… >>>

I agree, Charles. I have shared below some of my experiences and thoughts on this question. My sincere apologies for the delay in responding. I was away last week in the U.S. to conduct training. I alloted yesterday to respond; however, I experienced problems with my ISP. I have worked with quite a few universities to launch online programs in the field of Health sciences. Among these are Sargent College of Boston University who have launched a Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy and a Doctoral Degree in Physical Therapy. Then there are Vanderbilt University and George Washington University who have… >>>

Communicating and managing expectations, stating policies, and encouraging participation are powerful strategies. I agree that the effort may be similar; however, in my opinion, the effort can vary in degree. Let's make a comparison. Apart from delivering lectures, other tasks Instructors have to complete in a traditional classroom setting are: • Grading assignments • Providing constructive and informative feedback in a timely manner • Record-keeping • Submitting grades in a timely manner • Maintaining office hours • Enforcing policies • Initiating disciplinary action • Counseling students Instructors in an online environment are required by most institutions of learning to complete… >>>

In full agreement— self-discipline is an essential ingredient to successful online learning. As a matter of fact, self-discipline leads to success in other areas of our lives. Some argue that in an on-the-ground setting we cannot cater to learners' preferred styles of learning—a goal not easily achieved in an online setting when one considers some unavoidable constraints that are usually placed on course development—funding and time being the two most predominant. Yet, students have had tremendous success in online learning environments. In an online environment, there is more time and more opportunities to express, share, and evaluate ideas particularly through… >>>

You have mentioned the primary strategies for gaining an understanding of your students. The only addition I would like to suggest surrounds the entry-level skills of your students. I have trained a Professor a few months ago who would be developing an online version of his course. There is another course in the program upon which his course builds. In addition, he acknowledges that the expectations of students enrolling in his course can vary from one student to another; nevertheless, he wants to strike a balance in the content domain of his course so that he can fulfill the majority… >>>

I agree. With the advent of e-learning, some institutions strive to place all courses of programs online; even though, as you pointed out, the content of some courses may not lend itself to the requisite instructional treatment to facilitate meaningful learning experiences in an online environment. The end result in such situations is that those institutions receive course evaluation results which point to student dissatisfaction. On the other hand, I have worked with Instructors in the Pharmacology and Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and similar fields who adopt a combination of on-the-ground classroom delivery and online learning. Now having said… >>>

Marcia, the answer to this question goes beyond managing students who are procrastinators. Apart from delivering lectures, other tasks Instructors have to complete in a traditional classroom setting are: • Grading assignments • Providing constructive and informative feedback in a timely manner • Record-keeping • Submitting grades in a timely manner • Maintaining office hours • Enforcing policies • Initiating disciplinary action • Counseling students Instructors in an online environment are required by most institutions of learning to complete the same tasks; however; the means through which to complete these tasks differ in an online environment. For example an Instructor… >>>

It is true Marcia, that self-discipline is an essential ingredient to successful online learning . As a matter of fact, self-discipline leads to success in other areas of our lives. Some argue that in an on-the-ground setting we cannot cater to learners' preferred styles of learning—a goal not easily achieved in an online setting when one considers some unavoidable constraints that are usually placed on course development—funding and time being the two most predominant. Yet, students have had tremendous success in online learning environments. In an online environment, there is more time and more opportunities to express, share, and evaluate… >>>

This is a complete and satisfactory answer, Marcia. The only addition I would like to suggest may not necessarily apply to your courses. I have trained a Professor a few weeks ago who would be developing an online version of his course. There is another course in the program upon which his course builds. In addition, he acknowledges that the expectations of students enrolling in his course can vary from one student to another; nevertheless, he wants to strike a balance in the content domain of his course so that he can fulfill the majority of his students' expectations. He… >>>