Being an effective instructor comes down to more than just the class structure and delivery of the content. You must be able to be an administrator, an effective communicator outside of class, and a shepherd for the students in order for them to gain as much knowledge as possible during their time with you.
This session emphasized the importance of communication and how teaching styles play an important role in the over-all learning outcomes. Evaluating teh course and using communication and surveys together pesents a more definitive picture.
Thought this was interesting:Online instructors/facilitators wear "four pairs of shoes" : instructor, social director, program manager, and technical assistant.
As an instructor you have to make sure you give enough feedback to each students, answer their questions, and help clear up any confusing. Make sure as the instructor you are fostering a learning environment and make sure everyone is learning together as best as you can.
In this topic I found various key points I agree with. One is that learners should be responsible for their own learning but the instroctor must facilitate the learning, and another is that facilitators wear different hats. Therefore, I have to know when and how to were each hat.
I plan to review my course(s) holistically, by content, and by assingment to assess how successful I am in facilitating student learning and waht can be done to improve student learning.
One trend of network teaching is to become the promoter of knowledge through network environment. One definition of "facilitation" is the help process, which is actually the role of the instructor in an online environment. A successful online teacher depends not only on the students' communication skills, but also on his / her communication skills. Online lecturers / counselors wear "four pairs of shoes": lecturers, social directors, project managers and technical assistants.
clear communication and assessment is important
As an instructor we have other responsibilities to ensuring the students are learning such as facilitating and guiding our students. We also have to be clear in our responses and information provided need to be evidence based learning and our own experiences to help bridge the gaps of the learner.
Online teaching can be difficult to actively engage students, it is important to try different methods to engage.
CTC
This block did a good job of explaining the role of the instructor as a facilitator. I am currently assisting with virtual learning for a 4th grade class and it is challenge to keep them engaged and to really know how well they are following a lesson.
Online Instructors have many roles: instructor, social and program directors as well as tech support. Students need to know what is expected per the instructor and clearly stated in the syllabus. Students also need to know how to clearly use the technology provided. Instructional feedback is most important form of communication with students, but there may be various ways to enhance discussions, engagement among and between students as well as with the instructor.
In order to have a successful online course, an instructor must use the syllabus to communicate to the students what is expected from them in the class. Use evaluations and assessments done by students to determine how successful your deliver of the course was.
An online instructor plays many roles. One of the most important, is the "guide on the side". Provide students with the tools, content, and support necessary for success. Feedback is key!
Successful students require feedback. Additionally, courses need to be evaluated and re-evaluted and improved upon. Providing feedback to students and getting feedback from students is critical.
positive engagment and open communication helps prevent lack of participation
As a facilitator it is essential to provide timely feedback to students. It is also improtnat to promote student engagement to ultimately increase learning.
Communication, fostering a learner-centered environment, structuring problem-based learning, and providing meaningful, informative feedback are all essential tasks for instructors. However, students are responsible for their own learning and providing informative feedback makes instructors a "guide on the side."
I have often thought that students who were online learners were self-motivated on their own. And now I feel that is not always the case. I need to be more of a facilitator and work with the students to understand what I am trying to convey to them. Typically, my syllabus has been on-ground for students, and now I am learning to put in an online-based section, and cut out on-ground sections. This has not been easy, and I am trying to work through errors so students can benefit from having what is expected of them.
Due to differentiated learning styles, it is helpful for instructors and students to establish an open line of communication to ensure a clear and effective lesson.
To make sure the assignments are clear so there isn't any confusion. If you expect students to do well on a assignment and multiple students don't do well, the instructure may have not explained things clearly.
