AS THE CONTACT FOR THE STUDENT, YOU NEED TO FULL FILL ALL THAT IS REQUIRED TO HELP THE STUDENT DO WELL. YOU CAN ASSUME THAT SOMEONE ELSE WILL HELP THEM, OR DEAL WITH PROBLEMS OR ISSUES.
In this type of setting yes, as an instructor, but for good dialogue to go between the classroom there is a need for social director. Program manager is key to organization of work needed accomplished. Lastly, when dealing with technology the instructor needs to know the programs to show the students how to navigate through them.
The online facilitator must keep the student moving forward through the material and the learning process. If s/he did not wear many hats the learning process may become interrupted or delayed and this would reduce the quality of learning and the student's interest level. The facilitator is trying to remove as many obstacles as possible to keep the process moving.
You do have to have many roles, from the guide by the side to the facilitator to social director. While that is many hats to wear it can only benfit the student
The four roles are critical. The breakdown in my mind is for the instructor to provide the course deliverables so that successful outcomes are reached. The social director role is to foster ccllaboration amongst students, the program manager designs the content and the technical assistant must be savvy in the tools needed.
I find that the social diretor of the four stands out as being the one that will measure the success of the on-line class. If there is adequate conversation/collaboration between students and the facilitator this will lead to successful outcomes. Leave me be clear often times one can gain insight within a five minute period that may have taken another member of the group (i.e. facilitator) hours to get the point (s) across in a F2F environment or on-line.
Diana
I agree, I feel that feedback and communication are key to success for both the instructor and the student. Getting feedback from our students is the only way we can grow our potential to motivate and engage our students.
I feel it is important for the online instructor to wear the "4 pair of shoes" to provide inromation to help learners complete tasks, to help suggest ideas or learning strategies along with helping learners with content with prior learning. The "social director" facilitates high interaction and collaboration in a course to achieve learing at out comes of a higher level.
"Program manager" runs the administrative duties, designs content and guides students to manage their class and workload.
"Technical assistant" assist the students in be profiecant in the LMS and technical process. All four are very important in the online course when managed well the instructor and students are sure to be successful.
I believe all four pairs of shoes are essential for ensuring an engaging experience for the online student: instructor, social director, program manager, and technical assistant. If I place more emphasis on one role, it may cause me to lose focus in the other areas. For example, if I decide that I will place more of my attention on technology and its application in the classroom, will that lead me to place less emphasis on content? I believe that I need to provide equal attention to all four roles.
As the instructor, my role is to provide the information and tools the students need to complete the course deliverables. Did I clearly explain the course expectations, the assignments, and the course objectives? I have a responsibility to help students connect the dots between the course material and their real world experiences. My role is to facilitate learning and provide the resources the students need. I find this role to be the easiest. I feel very comfortable with this role.
As the social director I have a role in facilitating collaboration to ensure a high level of interaction. This interaction among students is the priority, as that helps to build a rich learning community. The discussion board is an excellent place to play social director, as are the small groups. Posting stimulating questions on the weekly DB threads and putting thought into group assignments are important. In my classes I set up a couple additional DB threads to help foster communication among the students. One thread is called “Virtual Cookout†where the students post as they enter class for the first time. We share virtual lemonade, hot dogs and chips as we share a bit about ourselves. The students seem to really have fun with that, asking for refills on lemonade, etc. I post another DB thread called “Real World Café†where students are encouraged to share real world challenges and issues they are facing and ask for feedback and suggestions from their peers. They also seem to love that opportunity and I often see students connect at a deeper level.
The third role is that of program manager. With this “shoe†I am responsible for designing the content and then guiding students through the course material. Some students also struggle with time-management and stress-management and I can offer tips and suggestions and even partner with their academic advisor to help them develop the skills they need to successfully complete the course.
Finally, I have a role as a technical assistant. As an online instructor it is essential that I maintain a good level of proficiency with technology. Not only do I need to have a good understanding of the software (such as Word, Excel, etc) but also the virtual campus and the functionality of the campus. When the technology is effective students will see me as a resource that is easy to connect with. My live chats must be technically smooth and I must be able to troubleshoot when minor issues arise. This helps to ensure a more comfortable, stress-free environment for the students.
For me, the social director role is the easiest as I thoroughly enjoy developing relationships and helping students develop relationships. I find my own satisfaction is heightened when I see students who are engaged, and interacting with one another on the DB and in the small group projects.
Clearly explained and I very much agree.
Online facilitating encorporates ironing out the wrinkles that may occur along the way. Putting on many hats and being flexible is key.
You are right about the technical assistant. I also agree with your comment that there is too much one-on-one communication in an online course. It is easy but not efficient or productive for the instructor or the student.
I agree with everything you said; but shouldn't we be this way all the time whether the class is online or face to face? Just thinking. . .
I can see how important it is to be flexible and adaptive as an online facilitator. You must have excellent communication skills and be able to motivate and inspire students simply from your words. Feedback is so important in the learning process. When the instructor has the respect of the students, students value and process everything remark and reaction. Students are very impressionable when they are open to learning. Instructors must be aware of what and how they communicate so a positive relationship is maintained throughout the course.
The instructor is the facilitator, social director, program director and evaluator. I would also add that the instructor is the technical assistant, ensuring that things are working as they should for the students and knowing who to go to for help. Students online can achieve a level of social interaction that approaches traditional classrooms if the effort is put into it. That means the environment is conducive, but there is also the expectation to communicate freely with the instructor and the other students. There is so much more that can be gained from the online classroom when the instructor in truly a facilitator and sets the tone for student engagement through involvement with other students. There is the tendency to do too much one-on-one communication in online classrooms when the experience can be rich for the student by gaining insights from peers. There is also the support that students get from people who are going through many of the same trials and tribulations. The instructor must model behaviors to students who are new to the online environment by modeling posts on the discussion boards, allowing for student evaluation of classroom processes, and probing and summarizing during chats to get the participation and discussion of all attendees. At the end of every course the instructor should be able answer the question, “Did I do all I could to make this the best learning experience for the student?†Part of the answer lies with the students and the instructor cannot be thin-skinned about getting feedback from them, peers and other stakeholders to improve facilitation and other skills.
The instructor role, followed by the program manager role, have consistently been the easiest as they are essential in any type of learning environment and are generally expectations when assuming a leading role for a class.
The social director role is a fun yet challenging role. Given all the individual differences among students, combined with the varying group dynamics within any given class and the lack of F2F contact, a variety of strategies must be used to successful facilitate collaboration. This role requires understanding each student and observing synchronous and asynchronous interactions among students to recognize and build upon approaches.
Which one is the easiest role for you to be?
The hardest role for you?
The online facilitator must wear “four pairs of shoes†– those of an instructor, social director, program manager, and technical assistance – as the facilitator is the primary and regular contact that a student has with the institution. As such, the facilitator provides the information, direction, and support in various areas to ensure that learning outcomes are achieved. The facilitator’s role must be viewed as all-encompassing.
• The instructor role is evident but can often require additional planning and creativity in an online environment given the unique circumstances, such as the lack of face-to-face contact and thus the inability to interpret body language cues as well as verbal cues if audio is not used.
• Collaborative learning is a critical component of an online course so fostering a learning community by helping students make the essential connections to enhance their knowledge and experiences warrants the social director role.
• The program manager role is consistent with the accountability and responsibilities that a facilitator should have for any course. The input and delivery of content should support learning objectives and be modified as appropriate. The instructor must also provide students with guidance on strategies to use the LMS, course resources, and individual skills (i.e., organization and time management) to successfully advance in a course.
• The online environment by nature is highly dependent upon technological tools so the online facilitator, as the primary contact point, often becomes the “first stop†for technical assistance. A notable comfort level with the technology along with an ability to effectively communicate proper use of it is an important aspect of being a facilitator. This role also includes helping students help themselves by pointing them in the right direction for assistance with a technical support or help function as was indicated in other postings.
You have brought up an interesting point, and that is forcing students to use the help desk or support rather than contact you. I think it is similar to the issues in a f2f course when students just ask and don't investigate an answer.
In an online environment, the instructor is the course, from the distance learner’s perspective. It is reminiscent of the original European definition of a university, with the faculty being the “university†or repository and gatekeeper of the knowledge. The school was referred to as the University at XYZ City, not the University of XYZ City, which is the modern description. In the role of being the “universityâ€, the online instructor must fulfill many roles, as that person is often the only access the student has to the school. The instructor must explain the learning environment and student expectations. The instructor must guide the students along their journey to enlightenment, with modeling, mentoring, and motivation. The instructor must help the student that is having difficulty or strays from the path, and most importantly must provide feedback and evaluation.
- Bill Lembke
Hmmm ... for me, none of these roles are particularly challenging, but my position may be relatively unique.
I began working with the online delivery of content over a decade ago, when I started to develop Web sites as supplements to my face-to-face courses. Back then, there were not a lot of educators doing this and not much in the way of support. However, just as in the traditional classroom, student response and participation served as quick and poignant feedback concerning which roles worked well in online environment. It did not take me long to discover the benefit of being both an instructor and a social organizer.
In addition to this, I presently serve as the Dean of Instructional Technology for an online college, which means I may have a little more insight into the details of school administration and technical support than the typical instructor may. I strongly encourage my students to take advantage of my role when it comes to these areas.
The disadvantage in this for me (from a time management perspective) is that students I have had in past classes often bypass our tech support or student services system and contact me directly when they have minor issues.
That being said, even though I may complain about it, I am proud that I was able to serve them well enough to establish those roles as something that extended beyond the classroom.
