Christopher,
Great post! I also think that online instructors should take online courses. It really opens eyes, I know it did mine.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Nichoe,
I hate to say this but I have never seen or heard this being done in the larger institutions. I do think it should be more often, maybe to all educators both online and f2f.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
ANNE,
Wouldn't it be great that all instructors not just online instructors did this? Crazy. . .
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Amy,
You are so right. We have to identify both strengths and weaknesses so we can play on our strengths and improve our weaknesses. You can't focus on just one.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Yvette,
I am so glad you shared! All I can say is AMEN. I hadn't thought about using it help revitalize the course and the instructor.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Bennett,
I agree with you. I do think we as educators need to share experiences and skills across disciplines to learn from each other. We don't do that enough
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Charlene,
Great comment!!!! Yes, we need to remember we share those skills of success in the online environment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
To keep you grounded. Oftentimes, students who are in online programs are working adults who have families. Although curriculums have to be followed, instructors should also understand the sacrifice that students are making to obtain the degree. I'm not saying that the instructor should make it easy, but the instructor should be able to offer suggestions for time management, understanding of practical, and theoretical knowledge.
Not all instructors are suited to teaching online. Generally, before hiring an online instructor, online universities require potential instructors to complete an extensive training/assessment process. Instructors who do not pass the training are not offered teaching assignments.
As an online instructor it is important to continually assess your strengths and weaknesses. I beleive we learn something new everyday. Every course is different, every class make-up is different. We should adjust our teaching to the strengths and weaknesses of our students.
I beleive that in order to be able to effectively teach/facilitate an online students through a course of study, we must first know our own strengths and weaknesses. If we are having difficulty with technology, how can we expect to guide the studnets throught the various areas that require it? If we are not present in the discussion forum, or if we do not readily and easily communicate in written form, we cannot expect the students to participate or to engage in the conversation easily. We must lead by example.
You know, this is really an interesting question and concept. The name of the course caught my attention because I often teach brand new students in both my online and on-ground courses. I like teaching the fundamentals because I like to think I'm not a lazy instructor and I work very hard to reinforce good habits and I believe a strong foundation and deep understanding of fundamentals (in any subject matter) is the best setup for a successful academic career. I always think it's unfortunate when I teach senior level courses and find the students do not understand basics, so I always end up teaching basic courses to make sure they are in a good position to build on the foundational knowledge and really understand more advanced concepts.
That being said, the course title of preparing students to be good online learners caught my attention and the first section of helping students self-analyze made sense, because I do a lot of that already, but what surprised me was the section on instructors doing a self-analysis. However, as I read, it made total sense, because we all know of instructor-friends or colleagues that quite honestly, are not the best at what they do, have lost their passion for teaching or are simply in the wrong business for their personality and really shouldn't be in the classroom. Therefore, it's important to assess why you are here, what your intentions and goals are, what is the source of your motivation and fulfillment as an instructor and then the more technical aspects that the course discussed, such as the technology, organization and system, time management and communication skills to be a GOOD and effective instructor.
These are such important issues to assess, because personally, I want to be effective at whatever I'm doing. As an instructor, I want to make a difference in the lives of my students, so their success depends on me doing the best job I can. And this is why it is important for online instructors to complete a self-analysis inventory!
Thanks for allowing me to share!
Yvette
It is critical for online instructors to complete a self-analysis inventory to assess their own skill level to determine their competency to be an online instructor. My experience in other disciplines tells me it is also worthwhile to compare/contrast your own self-analysis with that of peers to better understand potential gaps between your own perceptions of readiness vs. those of respected individuals familiar with your work.
It is important for the instructor to complete a self-analysis inventory because she must be as ready to facilitate the class as the student is ready to take the class. The same questions that are asked of the student must be asked of the instructor. I must be familiar and comfortable with all of the technology and class materials. My time management skills, communication skills and ability to multitask must on point in order to relay instruction to the students in an effective manner.
Allen,
I agree with you. It is different and within the online environment we have to look at our skill set as instructors differently. I agree we did push people to online teaching without any skills in their tool box. That is no better than sending a teacher to teach high school without classroom management. We set too many people up for failure. Also, we have know weaknesses to improve them! Great post.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hello All,
Good morning! For the success of teaching and learning in an online class, it is essential for instructors to complete a self-analysis inventory. Teaching face-to-face is not the same thing as teaching online. Different ways of communication, relaying content, providing feedback and so on are vastly different. Success in a face-to-face setting does not automatically translate to excellence in an online format. It is this author's opinion that much more training is needed and should be required for people to facilitate courses online. In the past, this did not always happen. It does appear to be improving, however.
Instructors need to take self-analysis inventories to help determine strengths and weaknesses. For weaker areas, instructors can take steps through training, mentoring, and so on to get better. These steps are essential to ensure that the instructor can provide the best education possible to the learners in the class. Perhaps in some cases, teaching in an online environment may not be suitable for every professional. There is not necessarily anything wrong with this as people have different strengths and weaknesses. However, all of this information should be explored before teaching online so that the student learning experience does not suffer.
I welcome any thoughts and feedback. Thank you.
Have a great day!
Allen
Pamela,
What a great point. You are right, we should always be assessing ourselves. What a great example of lifelong learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Instructor self-analysis is an important part of teaching whether in the traditional classroom or in the online environment. If an adjunct instructor has another job or teaches for multiple schools time can become a factor in the quality of communication and feedback given to students. Having the time to communicate and facilitate in your courses can be a huge factor for these in cases. I believe evaluating strengths and weaknesses is important part of self-growth which is beneficial to both the instructor as well as your students.
Jeanice,
You make a great point. F2f and online are just deliveries; it doesn't change the basic needs of students!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
It's important to complete a self-analysis inventory in order to know your strengths and weaknesses. It's very different teaching online as opposed to F2F, but one thing I find that they both need is encouragement and awareness that you care about them.
