Tracy,
LOVE THIS! yes we do master some. I agree if we are to continue in academia and do it well, we have to be flexible!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Mara,
Well, I think students share more than they used to. They share all with facebook, why not share with you!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Mara,
Wow, this does give you time to focus on student interaction. So, are students just graded on the assignments? How do you distinguish your online courses from traditional correspondence courses?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
David,
Great insight! Even in an online environment, students can determine problems with an instructor.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Cynthia,
What great insight. What great commitment. Your arms must be sore switching the different hats :) Facilitation does take work and time but is well worth it.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Facilitators wear more than four pairs of shoe sometimes. We have student swho come from a variety of backgrounds. Their backgrounds vary on work experience, business exposure, and self management style.
Because of this, my role as a facilitator is to reach this variety of students with a variety of teaching methods.
It is usually capped at 35 students but I do think that it is too many as well.
The online facilitator is the first contact person the student "meets". This is also the opportunity for the facilitator to create a safe environment so the student can ask questions or express concerns.
Aida
I agree that we must wear many hats and also be effective in guiding our students to the common goal of the online class.
I agree with some points you made. It's as if we are the infantry/ the foot soldiers/ on the front lines. If something goes wrong within the class or they don't understand a question, they turn to the instructor first.
I sometimes consider myself as the help desk or receptionist. We are the first person they come in contact with. They may not know the University president or may spend more time with us than their advisors. They've heard our voice and they know our email. We may not be able to reboot their computers, but we can guide them to IT (and check back to see if the issue was resolved).
It's not uncommon in life to want an "inside man/ woman" in a company. If I have a problem with my insurance, I want to talk to my agent. I don't want to speak to a machine or a customer service representative (who I've never met and will probably never speak to again).
We are the "face" of our schools and good impressions are important. I smile at the fact that students send me long venting emails (where at the end of the email, they have nothing bad to say to me). They just needed to get it out. Sometimes they don't want you to fix it and sometimes they do. But the fact that you are there to read/ listen makes a world of difference.
I think any teacher, instructor, facilitator is a "guide" of some sort. You’re taking people from a place where they don’t even know they don’t know something to a place of knowledge—even if it’s “just†opening their minds to the idea that there is something beyond what they already know. I think where we focus our attention differs depending on our institution, our class content, if we’re online or not, who we are as individuals, who are students are, etc.
Reminds me of situational leadership.
Each student is different. There are a variety of influences exerting force on the students, and each handle their situation differently. We as instructors then must also be prepared to cope with each student on an individual/situational basis.
In many cases the online faculty member may appear to be independent and "in control" of the course. However, online instruction works much like a matrix organization. There are the Administrators, Staff, Advisers. auditors, accrediting agencies, quality control people, etc., that all exert force on the instructor. If we wear all these shoes, in my opinion, it is because we are attempting to interact/interface with all these "forces" to ensure that "education" takes place, and that individual students are motivated to continue on.
These are really great examples and suggestions. The facilitator really is an "all things to all students" type of person.
This is so true. It is amazing the things you learn about a student and how you have to adjust things to help accommodate their personal life into their learning needs.
Often times the online facilitator is the only contact a student has that they feel comfortable with, within an institution. They will come to you with all questions and concerns and in order to keep them engaged and happy in the class, you need to be their "one stop" especially as it relates to your particular course environment.
Dawn,
Great point! If you are not a lifelong learner, this isn't the business for you!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Lori,
that is a great point. The instructor is indeed the face of the university.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jeanice,
Yes, I think we will have to add more shoes to our toolbox!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Yolanda,
Yes, we need to create "creatures" of good habit. I am stealing this from a post done earlier.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
