Michael,
I agree that the online facilitator needs to take on all of these roles. In an online enviornment they may be the only person a student has contact with. This is not the case in a traditional ground setting.
Jim
Kelly,
It is important for the the online facilitator to wear the four pairs of shoes: teacher, IT expert, course manager and cruise director because students need support in all of these areas to have an effective learning environment. In a traditional ground situation, various people can fill these roles. In an online environment, the facilitator is the only person with the opportunity to fill all four.
Jim
I feel it is important for an online facilitator to wear four "pairs of shoes", due to the fact that students will present problems that are not associated with academics, directly. The facilitator must be skilled in many facets of learning. Since the academia is malleable, flexibility is a quality that should be shared by every instructor. Moreover, instructors should be able accommodate within reasonable limits. Furthermore, through optimal communication techniques, a jack of all trades may lend to a tendency towards become a master of "some".
-Tracy
That's for sure. I've had students in the past with all sorts of problems, such as the student whose husband announced during the last week of class that he was leaving her for an older woman. Talk about a blow to her ego! And then there are those who lose jobs, lose homes, lose family members, lose health... I don't remember things being this rough when I was an undergrad 30 some years ago, but maybe I was just insulated...
In the situation I teach in, the course is developed by the school and the assignments are common across all sections of the class, as is the syllabus. The main leeway I have is in the content of the chat sessions; however, students are not required to attend these. I do have some input into the design of the class through the survey the school does of faculty at the end of each session or when they decide to update a class.
Flexibility with and the appearance of knowledge about the topic of the course reflects an instructor with the technical knowledge that a student will recognize. In addition the student must perceive the instructor as concerned about their (student’s) learning outcome. The student must feel that in the facilitating of the course by the instructor he or she has the best interest of the student at heart. This does not mean an easy grader but rather someone who truly wants the students to grasp the assignment content and become its master.
Hello Kim,
We also use ebooks, so during the first live chat session, I do a virtual demonstration of how to use the e-book effectively (e.g. add a note, highlight text, go to a specific page, look up a concept, etc). This also motivates students to actually read the textbook when they see how easy it is to use and read the e-book.
Cynthia
The change of hats occurs on a daily basis in online teaching -- guiding learning, fostering and assessing communication and engagement, designing and guiding students through content, evaluating students’ work and assessing my own facilitation based on assessment and ongoing feedback from students (e.g. what would you like to see me do more of? less of?), and at times, providing tech support.
Most online students are working adults with limited time to devote to their online courses, and some only access the course two or three times a week, so it is important that the course content is organized in an uniform and concise manner each week so students know they will be supported and not overwhelmed as they work through assignments at their own pace each week.
Students enter the course at any given time in the week and expect to see the “Live Chat Preview,†“Live Chat Recap,†and “Mid-Week Checklist†posted in announcements. They can also expect to have handouts and model assignments in the instructor files area to guide their learning of assignment expectations and producing quality work. Live Chats are conducted for my classes on MTW, so that students learn what is expected early in the week– what they must do, what they must read, and what they must view to work on assignments that week, what support is available, and then, the remainder of the week, students can focus on completing the assignments. My overall goal is to motivate students to be responsible for their own learning, so I am more of the “guide on the side†in the course who provides direction and resources, and then, monitors their process and intervenes when needed.
Based on a holistic review of student evaluations and assessment of students’ learning (e.g. specific assignments), I am always making adjustments to my roles as facilitator, social director, program director and tech support.
For instance, I am setting of upcoming courses today, so I am in Program Director role. Overall, it is a straightforward process (uploading interactive handouts and model assignments, posting expectations/policies, student support information, first week’s live chat preview, etc). In addition, I am revising some content for the first unit of study based on assessment of students’ reflective essays in their final discussion assignment in my previous courses.
It is going to be a busy day for this program director!
Much in the way I wear many hats in my field (Visual Communications) I wear many hats as an instructor. Another wonderful reason to pursue teaching as we are learning and growing right along with our students. Our careers are dynamic as much as the learning is.
It is important because the facilitator must be the face of the university for the course and must be there to support the learner and provide the necessary instruction.
Don't forget the part about being a counselor/psychiatrist!!
The first would be as an instructor of the material taught --to be sure that the student is successful in understanding the course content.
The second would be the I am guiding the student and providing the necessary instruction to expose the items taught in a coherent yet interesting way.
Thirdly would be to be sure that the student is finishing the expectations of the assignments on time and done in an efficient and high-standard manner.
Lastly, being proficient with the technology is essential optimum teaching and learning, for both the instructor and the student. The better each of us knows the equipment used, the more time can be spent in mastering the material and content.
Michelle,
Wow, you said reflective. . .. So you think we need to add another pair of shoes that include Guide?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Marcia,
You are correct! Technology helps us achieve those roles efficiently
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
David,
yes shoes do wear out when we don't look for other shoes to replace them :) Sometimes the shoes doesn't fit well but we must continue walking.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dr. Cecil,
That is great! Does it compare with f2f starts?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dr. Cecil,
That is true, how do you address everyone?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Alan,
That is true. You have to know who ask or has a better pair of shoes that we do!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
William,
You are fight. It is up to use to model the actions and processes that you want to see in your students.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Expert. Although the definition of a “facilitator†may not mean expert, my students certainly expect me to know about the topic and clarify it for them, which means I have to learn about it just as much as they do.
Motivator/Cheerleader. I need to ensure that my online classes are not just informative but friendly and that I’m enthusiastic. I also need to reflect that in the feedback. Though the student may have done a poor job I need to encourage them to continue and not give up.
Techno advisor. I get asked a ton of questions about why things in the online environment don’t work. I need to be able to offer help, even if that means directing them to the right person/dept.
Policy maker/upholder. I am not only required to uphold the policies of the school, but to create and fairly deliver my own classroom policies. This means sometimes defending school policy I may not personally agree with, but also creating policies for my own class that are fair and meet the needs of my students as well as the needs of the class.
