Organization and knowledge of program navigation are key component of online learning.
I have learned in this module that it is important that the teacher knows the material, both the learning topic and technological approaches from the education learning platform. Communication and responding to learners is also very important when it comes to teaching virtually.
It essential to provide needed technical support to students in timely manner. I learned about the component that define the course framework including course learning objectives, assignment and due dates, instructional strategies and grade.
I found it helpful to be reminded of all the organizational tasks that need to be attended to before class starts. There are always a lot of them.
The bacis thing I learned is that all instructors teach differently.
The structural integrity of the online course is what struck me the most. I teach in a young CTE program, only in its third year, and I am the second teacher this program has had. One of my major issues has been establilshing clear structural integrity in the program since that was not established before I took over teaching. As we are in the online learning, i have found this to be even more difficult. As I look to how we will approach next year's classes, I will keep this in mind. I want my lessons to have the same structure both online and offline.
This was an introduction to the CMS to be used. A course must be simple to navigate, be interactive, and learner-centered. I have learned that in order to help students there has to be access to content and technical support.
As a new online instructor, it is important for the instructor to completly understand the system that the course will be delivered. Students will be easily frustrated and if the instructor can't "fix" the issue, the student will be lost.
In summary, I've learned various things:
Different teachers will reach course objectives in different ways.
Students and teachers both should be comfortable and knowledgable about the layout and course structure, including where to find everything, and how students will be assessed.
Technology support is very important to students being comfortable and not getting frustrated.
The instructor of an E-Learning course must be very organized and proficient in his subject matter. The relay of this information to an online student is critical to the student becoming proficient in the material. Instructions must be specific and easily understood by the student reading the directions and then carrying out the projects, readings, quizzes, etc.
You have to know how the course is set up. This will allow you to know what to expect from the students.
I will need to familiarize myself to this system. And, I didn't know that you may need to drop particular participants from the chat sessions when they ignore warnings and consistently deviate from the topic.
As an online instructor I can provide my students with a sense of security by being available and responsive.
In order to keep students engaged, I must learn to use a variety of interactive methods for my instruction.
It is essential to familiarize yourself with all aspects of the online learning system.
Online courses require knowledge of the delivery method (CMS) and content.
I printed the list of course delivery techniques and strategies so I can discuss them with my PLC. There were definitely some techniques that I had not yet considered, and some that I will have to reach out to admin for guidance on (access to quizzes and assessments at any time, do students have to complete in a linear way or can they hospcotch, can they only move on if they have mastered one or can they "skip" if needed and come back to).
Really realzing that learning support must come from the online instructor, and technical support must be provided as well. Going have to be prepared to keep them learning. Having a Plan B if needed...
I want to put effort towards establishing quality courses using the 4 key points outlined. To do so though I will have to consider students' different learning styles and technology knowledge.
A quality online course should be structured with modules and lessons; be easy to navigate; create/stimulate intellectual interaction and include active learner-centered activities.
