I would disagree with that statement as I have found the same students in both environments and the responsibility of the instructor to facilitate in either are the same. We must keep the student's interested and recognize the different personalities and learning styles that appear in the class room.
I think the responsibilities are very similar. In both environments the instructor must be organized, timely, and interesting. The instructor must present the material in a way that captures students attention and interest. The instructor must not only provide constructive feedback that helps students perform better in future weeks, but he or she must also choose tone and words that convey compassion and encouragement.
The responsibilities are the same whether you are teaching online or in a traditional classroom setting. In each arena, the instructor is responsible for delivering the material, fostering understanding and encouraging student success. Teaching an online course, I find that the DEMANDS on the instructor does not equate to teaching the same course in a traditional classroom setting. Teaching online is demanding in that an instructor has to maintain his/her presence in the classroom, facilitate discussions, effectively communicate and provide written feedback constantly. All of these things are much easier to manage when you see the students in a traditional classroom setting.
I agree and disagree. The bottom line is that there is an instructor imparting knowledge to a student. The medium could be face-to-face interaction with contextual cues, or technological mechanisms without contextual cues. I think each teaching modality brings its own source of challenges. However, as the end of the day, the goal is still to provide the student with a quality educational experience.
- Dr. Eileen Wibbeke
I agree to some extent. I have had the opportunity to teach the same course both online and on ground. There were many aspects of the course that were exactly the same. I had the same expectations of learning for my students in both situations. I will say that I felt that I needed to maintain much more contact and visibility with my online students. I knew that the lack of contact in just a couple of days could mean that I have lost one of my online students. I feel that it was easier to teach the on ground students because of the consistency of the contact. In addition, I was challenged to come up with more innovative ways to explain my concepts so that I could present them to my online students. I think that this has made me a better teacher and strengthen my overall curriculum delivery whether on line or on ground.
Faith ,
Not a specific one, this varies by class. You will find the first time you do it you will likely have too little information, but you will improve each semester. Review the other responses in the forum here and you will find some common threads and ideas: Communication processes, times, format; student expectations, grading, contact information, etc.
Herbert Brown III
So, I wonder, do you have a guidline to writing the syllabus information: hours, timeframes students should expect responses, etc. Is there a general guidline? Thanks
Faith ,
That is true to a point. However, as an instructor you have to be flexible too. Sometimes I give them a "quick" response so they know they reached me successfully, then when I can , I follow up with more detail. You should make sure you clearly articulate on your syllabus the hours and timeframes students should expect responses. 24-hour response, etc...
Herbert Brown III
I think that students who are online might forget that the teacher is not always online/available for them. I have not taught online and wonder how you specifically direct students to stick to normal working days and hours - I assume that there are time limitations that must be addressed upfront, and stuck with because it could become a nightmare for the instructor. Being the teacher means you have to teach the students discipline and good timing.
Herbert,
The responsibilities of teaching basically seems to be the same. Teaching, discussing/communicating, assessing, observing student response, giving feedback......
Really the only difference is the 'student population', which can change the dynamic of the class regardless of whether it is online or traditional.
Lauree Lee
I agree that teaching online is different than ground based. Having taught both, I feel like teaching online invades your life to a greater extent. I have chats at 10pm at night and 9am Sunday morning. I email at midnight. But, I can do all of this in my pajamas and I can answer emails while my 2 year old plays in the same room. I also have found that the online learners tend to be mature students who take their education seriously.
I think teaching is teaching, no matter how it is presented. I have always seen myself more as a guide on the side, even when I was teaching in a traditional environment. We still have the responsibilities of being available to students, knowing the subject matter well, being responsive, providing timely feedback that is objective and detailed, and providing engaging learning opportunities that help students learn how to learn. No matter the teaching format, those responsibilities are not going to change.
Rebecca
I actually disagree with this statement. Whether one is teaching in a traditional classroom setting or in an online classroom setting, the responsibility is student learning. This responsibility does not change regardless of the setting. The way the instructor approaches this responsibility might change. For example, it would be difficult for a traditional classroom instructor to have a discussion on a topic and elicit all 40 students' responses. There is just not enough time to do this. In an online course, a discussion board is the majority of the class.
I feel that I have more responsibilities for the online portion of my classes. I make it a point to be available "online" at all hours of the day even though I am more often then not busy away from the classroom. I work hard to provide an answer within 60 minutes or less. I feel that I work extra hard for the online portion of classes to keep everyone involved and on the right track to complete their assignments.
Sarah,
This is why we are seeing more and more blended classrooms because instructors want to blend the best of the traditional and online environments and learning tools. When done right, blended classrooms are very effective.
Herbert Brown III
Sarah,
This is why we are seeing more and more blended classrooms because instructors want to blend the best of the traditional and online environments and learning tools. When done right, blended classrooms are very effective.
Herbert Brown III
I agree that responsibilities are different. Teaching online is more of a 24/7 environment and can be difficult to shut off what you need to do and must be communicated to the students in how timely you will be to respond to them. Of course in the traditional classroom, class is over and they can email you or wait for class next week.
Grading and correcting online is easier and I think the responsibilities are always getting redefined as online teaching progresses.
Sarah
The challenges that come with online teaching are far more daunting than teaching in a brick and mortar setting. The responsibilities are greater given the typical geographic dispersion of the classroom, across mutiple time zones, and at times the team collaboration actually happens at different ends of the earth. Time management becomes a priority in balancing a professor's availability with the assurances that every student is progressing effectively and at the same time has an equal opportunity for having his or her questions answered in a timely fashion including feedback on homework assignments. In many cases, the visual perception of the physical classroom is missing along with the sensory interactions between student and teacher, often taken for granted in an institutional setting yet often desired and missed by the distance learner, can become an impediment unless counteracted by means of planned video stimuli or other visual techniques. Maintaining interest and avoiding "death by powerpoint" becomes more of an art rather than a science especially when eye contact and body language are hidden from view:->)
Christine,
I like your final statement. I think we have ALL experienced that at some point while teaching online. I revise my courses and materials each term and find I get more and more specific and detailed each time.
Herbert Brown III
The biggest difference in teaching online for me is that I need to be much more available than a traditional classroom. In a traditional classroom, everything (pretty much) takes place in that teaching slot. That, for me, is the biggest difference. Oh, and I have learned to be extremely clear teaching online! If you don't say it right the first time, you have a ticking time bomb on your hands, and a lot of clean up to care of.
