Roy,
Yes, the mental/emothional state of the receiver at the moment the message is received can have a significant impact on how it is received. Many times I have found things to be 'read into' a message that simply were not a part of the message the sender intended. Very good point.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
And on top of that, you have to be careful not to be misunderstood. Face to face comments will be supported by your body language, which might assist you in conveying the right message, whereas online, your words might have a totally different impact than what you meant.
Roy
Mariya,
Very good. You have outlined a comprehensive summary of the online teachers' mission. Well stated.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
No, I don't agree. I think online educator has even more responsibilities than the traditional teacher at school.
Teaching by discussion, in an online class environment, requires a learner-centered approach that relies on the participation of all - teacher and students. Students need clear guidelines and preparation for effective discussion participation.
The teacher's responsibility to keep discussions on track.
This also involves contributing a lot of knowledge and experience.
The online teacher's role is complicated. This involves planning and organization tasks, the course objectives, syllabus, assignments, grading policies, rules and expectations, as well as managing the text-based interaction among the students.
Online teachers also are responsible for the social interactions among students in an online class - need to encourage interaction, group cohesiveness, and communication among students and between student and teacher.
Gwendolyn,
Very good. You are correct that the instructors should provide equal educational opportunities,where possible, whether online or face-to-face. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I disagree. I think that its just different not that one is beter or worst the the other. As instructors we should stride to make your on line learns feel like they are in a classroom. I stay in contact with my online learners as much as I stay in contact with my classroom learners because I use the socaila media devices for both. So I blend everything together so learning is equal but different
Jenny,
I thank you for your candid input. Some on this forum may not understand to what you are referring. Could you identify a few of those "abundant ways" that are not available online? Thank you very much for your contributions.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Though theoretically one might say that they are the same, practically speaking they just are not. There just is more abundant ways to impact student's learning ability when it is in a traditional classroom setting.
Alicia,
Quite right, they do.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Class management and quality interation, go hand and hand!
Amy,
This is an excellent perspective you have provided. Your rationale is well evidenced. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I agree and disagree. I think an online course requires a different set of responsibilities than a traditional classroom setting. For instance, a traditional classroom meets typically a 1-3 times per week, whereas an online course requires participation and presence at least 5 days during the week.
Most questions and concerns are addressed during the class period for traditional courses, but questions and concerns should be addressed at any point during the week in which these concerns are communicated.
I think grading in an online environment can be more intensive as discussions are apart of the grade, yet they are just apart of the class setting in the traditional classroom.
I also think an online environment requires the instructor to be more engaging. A traditional classroom has the added benefit of seeing the students face to face, while an instructor must still be engaging, in this scenario the instructor is a step ahead by just having the students physically present. Online instructors must work to engage students, as most of the online instruction is student led.
Therefore, I think both require a great deal of responsibility, it really is a discussion of the differences, rather than the same level.
Kimberly,
I believe you're very accurate that not everyone can teach online. Even some of the best teachers in the traditional setting find the transition difficult because the tools of engagement have very different dynamics. It is a different skill set. Good post. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Totally disagree! I often tell people who ask about teaching online (thinking it is quick, easy money) that it requires hard work, organization and dedication. It does. I have a check list that I follow every day of what I have to do. You never want to fall beind or miss an important element in your plan.
The responsibilities are MORE I think. I think that you have more to manage. You get more questions. Your stuents expect quicker responses. Not everyone can teach online - I really believe that. You have to relly enjoy it, because it is hard work (if you are good at it).
Kim
Alicia,
Your sentiments are shared by many dedicated online instructors. Additionally, many instructors provide "hours of operation" that indicate response and availability expectations on which students may rely. Establishing these parameters often makes the class management tasks much more reasonable for the instructor and still provides a student with a high level of quality interaction. Thank you for your insights.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I stronly agree, it is very time consuming to be an online instructor. There is the matter of communicating back and forth through email and the time it takes to express your question. It can be very tedious to an instructor to be interactive with the students 24/7 days.
sahbaa,
Yes, encouraging the student to discuss challenges with you in a respectful manner is a direct route to a resolution in many cases.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
i disagree, you should try your best to let the students talk about the anger and this happen when there is a good relation ship between both
ROSA,
Your focus on instructor availability is a critical point. Well stated.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I do not agree that teaching online is different than teaching in the traditional classroom. The reason being is because the content should be the same. However, the delivery of information is different in both realms. Remembering that students can be intimidated by the course if they do not have face-to-face content is important. Being available to them as promised in also essential.
