Guide on the Side
I enjoy being the "Guide on the Side". From my first course teaching online, I quickly adopted this as a best practice philosophy. As the online students rarely post their photos, the instructor is working with a faceless group. No verbal cues or clues to assess whether or not the student is "getting it". In guiding the student through the course, you learn about the student, their issues, concerns, and questions. The student can learn at their own pace, and as the instructor, you learn how to assist each student in maximizing their understanding of the course material.
Dr. Vicki,
You are right Vicki; and modeling the openness will make it easier for them (and you).
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Linda,
You make a great point. Online learning can make the students to understand their own learning pace. Helping them identify that is a challenge and an opportunity.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi Linda: You are right on many levels. Having worked with adult learners my entire career (which spans 112 years), I've found that adult learners prefer a "guide on the side" approach. In fact, that's the difference between andragogy (facilitating adult learning) vs pedagogy (teaching the child). You're also right about that anonymity factor since we can't see them and all we know about them is what they want to tell us in their bios--which some don't post at all. To me the key is in establishing rapport early on with posting my own biography, expectations and announcements. Once the students see how open I've been with them, they'll usually open up to me. Vicki
