Linda,
I agree with you, but this does vary depending on resources of the institution. I agree that it is important to know where to tell students to go (for help). You are the students first contact.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Erica,
What a great post. None of these are easy and many times we are better in one than the other.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Beth,
It is really tough! The expertise need to "wear" each pair of shoes may vary and that is tricky. Great post.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Terry,
That is true. Sometimes the shoes can be helped with resources from elsewhere, but you are right; you are the institution first contact.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kimberly,
yes, you are right. I also think you make a great point. There are different shoes students wear also.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Michael,
I love what you said about shoes. You are right. Great answer.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kenneth,
True. Maybe we should call it juggling hats. What do you think is the most difficult?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Annabel,
Great answer! What is the one that is the hardest for you to provide?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hello Cynthia,
The hats sometimes changes on a hourly basis, especially if one teaches multiple classes. I love my schedule book, since it keeps me on-task as I am completing items for multiple courses. Do you have any tips on ensuring that you complete all of the required tasks?
Warm Regards,
Annabel
Hello,
The facilitator wears four "pairs of shoes" due to the various roles that they play in the online environment. The first role is the instructor. The instructor guides the student through the course material and assist the students with understanding the content. The second role is the social director. The social director assists with the collaboration in the classroom and student engagement. The third role is the program manager who organizes the course and provides students with reminders on due dates, etc. The final role is the technical assistant. The technical assistant provides students with assistance with the LMS system.
Michael - I am wondering about the soft skills - motivator, facilitator (make the act of communication easier), and resource provider.
As online facilitators, we need to be an instructor, social director, program manager and technical director because they are essential in helping the students achieve their goals in the course.
Bottom line is everyone learns at different paces, levels, and by different venues. Being able to get feedback from students is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Identify those in need rather than keeping the fast learners busy can get lost. Its often those who don't speak up are the ones in the greatest need.
As in any profession, one must serve in numerous areas. A doctor not only diagnoses, but communicates with the patient-to explain the illness, treatment, or further information
As a teacher, we also serve in numerous areas, as the lesson stated. All four roles work together in order for us to be able to communicate with our students and the end result is a knowledgeable student.
An online facilitator needs to wear "four pairs of shoes" because being an instructor of an online course is much different than a face to face class.
There is no face to face interaction and the instructor has to play a more flexible and dynamic role in order to successfully teach the class.
The students need to be guided in an individualized way that is tailored to their needs at the time of the course. Also, it's important to keep the students engaged in the learning process.
Thank you. Elizabeth Dunham
I think it is important for an online facilitator to wear four "pairs of shoes" because as instructors we must be involved in the multiple facets of class. We will not have a successful session if we "drop" in to lecture the material during a synchronous chat but have little contact outside the chat with students. On the same note, we will have very little success in communicating important information about our area of expertise/subject of the class if we exclusively strive to create a socially inclusive environment in the classroom, but provide little feedback or information about the subject. I think it comes down to a balancing act. I like the metaphor of wearing different hats. It is as though each instructor is running a mini school.
As an instructor the we must take on these four "pairs of shoes" so we can engage students in the learning process, and provide direction and support to the student. This helps us to manage online discussions and motivate students. The hard part here is getting the initial engagement with the student. Without any contact, it is really hard to work through other areas in teaching on line.
Perry
Teaching on-line is so much more challenging than teaching on-ground. There is always the possibility that the technology will fail when working on-line. Consequently, the instructor needs to able to adapt when this happens.
Although studies show that students who are reticent in ground classes frequently enjoy discussing on-line, there are still those who are hesitant to share their thoughts. So, the role of the instructor changes again. We must offer prompts to help the shy student participate.
On-ground teachers wear different shoes, too, but the shoes are bigger for the on-line instructor.
To cover our feet ;)
As facilitator and content expert we need to guide students through the course framework and the material. We need to provide feedback and assessment of all work submitted so a student knows what they are getting and what they need to focus more on. And finally, we need to think technology to troubleshoot student obstacles in the course.
Online facilitation is multi-faceted with skill sets plural brought to bear. The course eliminates "grader" as a skill set, but I find this is dependent upon the institution and what they consider to be the responsibilities of their online faculty. Many do include grading as a position and duty/responsibility.
I often find the "social director" hat the most challenging. Building rapport from a distance, establishing trust & mutual respect in facilitator/student relationships is a challenge sometimes due to the nature of non-verbal communication being set-aside.
I set expectations with my students online that I am not a "referee", I'm a "facilitator", and I expect them to work out differences in the academic environment amongst themselves. If they cannot, as a last resort, I will arbitrate bad feelings between class members but typically it doesn't get that far.
Thanks.
