James, I agree with the positive view of the employer toward applicants that are working full time and taking continued education at the same time. This also applies to students taking on- site classes and are interested in furthering their education in a shorter time frame. I, myself, am taking an online course while working full time and taking continuing education classes of similar content at the location where I instruct classes. What are your views on this?
Brad,
You bring up an interesting point regarding the thin line between making students self-reliant and having them feel that they are teaching themselves. I find this in the traditional classroom as well as the online classroom.
I believe that the key is preparation. Here are some things I do:
- Rather than simply have students read the textbook, I provide them with a PowerPoint presention, including audio, which outlines the major points that I would include in a lecture on the material.
- I am in my online classrooms every day and I respond to every post. This is a little time-consuming but I believe that the time is well spent.
- Feedback is given to all quiz and exam questions. Students know the correct answers and are given the textbook references for every question they miss.
- I respond to emails within a few hours.
- My students have my cell phone number and are encouraged to call me.
- I return their phone calls
- I post announcements several time throughout the week to guide students in the right direction on projects and assignments.
If I put my mind to it, I could probably come up with some more suggestions. Since this course is more about course design than implementation, I think that the important thing is to make tools available to online instructors that will allow them to teach.
:)
Thanks for asking... Jane
Jane,
I think that creating students that are more self-reliant is certainly a part of online courses. However, I think that ensuring they do not feel as if they are "teaching themselves" is critical to a course's success. Increasingly, students who are classified as "at-risk" are being drawn toward online education becuase its flexible schedule allows them to work multiple jobs and raise a family while still imporving their education. I would think that if these students felt as if they were "teaching themselves" they would be much less engaged, not retain the information beyond its need for the coursework, and be more likely to drop-out, and potentially not return to any institution. Which is of course the polar opposite of why we are all doing this!
What online methodologies have you found the most successfull for keeping students engaged and feeling as if they are not "teaching themselves" and are truly a part of a learning community/classroom?
Debi,
You bring up a good point about online students being more self-reliant. I hadn't given this trait much thought until now.
You also mentioned that online students have demonstrated the ability to work well independently. Although they must be self-motivated, online students most often engage in group activitiesand collaborative learning, which is accomplished through discussion forums and asynchronous chat sessions. A well-developed online course will make sure that students don't feel that they are "teaching themselves."
Do you agree?
:)
Jane
I agree- times have changed and online courses vs in house courses are no longer an issue. I would also hire the candidate that best suits my companies needs. Actually, I feel that the person who dedicates themselves to online courses and does well shows more self reliance and has already demonstrated the ability to work well independently.
I think it has more to do with today's market. Most people are working while trying to further their education. The amount of education required to keep a job or obtain a job in today's market has increased greatly. Most jobs require some sort of continuing education, and the best way to get that is online. This has translated to online education, which has evolved even more. The employer sees someone who not only works full-time, but also completes more education. This accomplishment can only be viewed as a positive to employers.
James,
Your post is proof that the perception of online education is evolving. It hasn't been that many years ago that online learning was thought of as substandard; somewhat like correspondence courses.
Do you think that online learners have certain qualities or traits that are important to employers? If so, explain. :)
Thanks,
Jane
