Developers could be technological wizards but the users of an online course should not be.
Hi Shelly,
I agree that the developers of online courses need more than a basic knowledge of technology. While they do not need to know everything (that is what tech support is for), they do need to know enough to incorporate a variety of elements in their course development. They also need to be able to assist students with basic assistance in the online course.
Best,
Kelly
Decide what type of online teaching best fits you. Look at your background, education, skills and experience to determine which would work best for you.
Create a course outline and syllabus. You should spend a good deal of time going over the information you will be teaching and thinking of how it will be organized and presented.
Familiarize yourself with the technology you will use. If you are unsure of how to use it, check for training sessions regarding the technology you will be using. If no formal training is available, make sure you are as familiar as possible with the technology before the course begins.
Meet with your students. The first day of "class" will be very different from the first day of class in a traditional school setting. In addition to giving an overview of the syllabus and what the class will cover, you probably will need to go over any technical problems on the student end.
Teach the course. Encouraging online discussion, both with you as the teacher and among the other students, is a great way to add to the course. Make sure you are available to help any student who may be struggling. Be sure to check your e-mail frequently.
Ask for feedback. Hearing good and bad comments from students will give you an idea of the strengths of the course and a good idea of what needs to be tweaked for the next course.
Tylana,
I love networking. I guess that I why I love this class so much. There is always a new idea popping up!
Shelly Crider
Martin,
That is funny but true! It does depend on who you ask. Much like if you ask your accountant if you can wait until April 13th to bring your taxes to him/her!
Shelly Crider
This is very true. It is simply learning the system and then applying technique to the learning styles for that environment. It is most important to keep a student engaged in the content of the course. Technology can be an added bonus in many learning situations, but being a technology wizard is not a mandatory requirement in order to provide a rich and full learning experience for the student.
A diligent course developer or instructor is aware of their educational institutions resources. Networking is extremely important to stay abreast of current technological changes and issues. We cannot be experts in everything, but we can definitely make sure we have support personnel who are easily accessible in our contact lists. Knowing who to go to for specific issues will save course developers much time.
They do not have to be technological wizards; however, they do need to be application and content development specialists. In other words, course developers need to be highly trained in the use of their learning environments and be able to use all of the necessary application tools appropriately.
Course developers do not need to know all of the programming languages and computer codes that lie beneath their chosen platforms; they do need to be able to utilize them to their fullest capacity, as relevant to their objectives.
Of course, it depends on who you ask. ID in a business environment often looks for someone who has both content and technical expertise. The goal is to save money but in the long run, the result is often a course that "tells" rather than "teaches". The role of the instructional designer is like the role of the web for the spider. While almost invisible, it supports everything around it.
Lyn ,
Me too! Instructors cannot be online 24/7. There needs to be a place to make students feel comfortable going to when they need immediate help.
Shelly Crider
Lyn ,
Oh so true....knowing your students will help in development of courses.
Shelly Crider
Andrea,
Most schools have a preference for citing. The colleges that I teach at use APA style.
Shelly Crider
Andrea,
As the expert might have to contact you for your knowledge in the content area!
Shelly Crider
Chatrione,
You have to love software that comes with detailed instructional notes and videos.
Shelly Crider
Eman,
I so agree! Students want us for our expertise in the subject!
Shelly Crider
Roberta,
We all like to be entertained!!
Shelly Crider
Nicole,
I love trial-and-error learning! I believe this helps us improve the course itself!
Shelly Crider
Speaking of tech support... I think it is important that students have access to tech support too.
Sometimes students ask me tech questions about how to trouble shoot some problems they are having with the course interface. It is such a relief to be able to refer them to the tech support team to help them, since I am certainly not qualified to help them with those kinds of questions. Lyn
I also agree that a team approach works best. I have worked with developers many times on course content.
They do not need to know my course concepts, just how to present them well. ;-) And I don't have to be a tech wizard, but I love to learn more of the "bells and whistles" of how to get content online in the best way. Lyn
Hi all, I think that depends. I have taught for colleges in which I did all of the course design myself and put it into the course platform. I have also taught for schools that have course development staff that input the content, working with instructors of course as subject matter experts.
The development process as presented in this EL101 class is not really a technological one, it is an analytical one which all instructors / developers can use.
However, part of developing an online course does at least mean understanding the technology that students and instructors will be using. Lyn
