PART 1 Course Review

Looking back at what I have learned in Part 1 of this class, I am reminded that when I began the class I had neither taken nor taught an online class. In fact, I had only taught a single college level workshop.

I came into the class expecting it to be more technical and less theoretical than it has been. I think I anticipated much more detail on the "how" of online teaching as opposed to the "why."

Because I do not have an education background, the "why" has been extremely useful to me.

UNIT 1
I enjoyed navigating the basics of WebCT and learning how the system worked. Using the discussion boards extensively was new to me and I found the html formatting to be somewhat challenging.

The creation of the blog and reading my classmates' blogs was a great way to try out that technology and to see how it could be integrated into classes, both F2F and online.

UNIT 2 - Constructivism and High-Tech/High-Touch
Constructivism
Reading the information on Constructivism was almost an eerie experience for me. Suddenly, I had a name for the way I learn best.

I may not have known the correct term, but prior to this class I knew that I have always disliked courses where the focus was on the memorization of facts, numbers, statistics or terms. I learn better when I am reading about new ideas, then applying the knowledge, creating new applications with the knowledge or using the knowledge to think about things differently.

It seems to me that constructivism would be an excellent teaching method for online learning because the format encourages students to process information and apply it based on their own knowledge. The interactive nature of the online course (discussion boards, blog, chat, etc) makes this kind of inquiry education almost essential.

High-tech/High-touch
I think that online learning runs the risk of becoming depersonalized unless items like discussion boards and the online introductions are used. It would be very easy to immerse oneself in the "nitty gritty" of the information and never go farther than the technical details.

The fact that we have been studying the "why" of online education rather than the "how" thus far seems to me to be a further indication of the importance of creating "high-touch" classes.

UNIT 3 - Online Learning/Mini Case
I enjoyed looking at my self-created workshop, Media & Self-Esteem, in a different way. Since I had only taught the course once, it wasn't difficult to contemplate how it could become an online or hybrid class. I think if I had already taught the class multiple times, I might have been more resistant to making those kinds of changes.

Because this class is already scheduled for S/S 09, I am considering if I can offer it as a hybrid class for Fall 09. I am attempting to apply the high-touch concepts to the actual creation of such a class by considering the use of discussion boards and possibly chats.

UNIT 4- Learning Styles, Accessibility & Group Project
Learning Styles
My DVC results showed that I was Visual/Nonverbal but hovering around Visual/Verbal, while my Felder-Soloman Results were Active and Intuitive, and balanced between Visual/Verbal and Global.

As I said when I saw the results originally, this seems accurate to me. I have always been a visual learner who benefits from having "pictures" as well as words when being taught.

I actually considered these results this past weekend when I was teaching a class last minute. In addition to lecturing on some subjects, I added PPT presentations for my more visual learners and also included some role playing. I think my lessons therefore reached a wider variety of learning styles than I would have normally.

Accessibility
I continue to think that online learning can be extremely beneficial for people with accessibility issues. I do however agree with some of my fellow students that attempting to be universally accessible will add an extra layer of work for us as teachers.

Group Project
I think the group text chat we scheduled made a huge difference in smoothing out any potential rough edges or personality conflicts.

Everyone was very engaged with the project and had insightful suggestions.

All in all, I thought it was a good assignment and that group work is definitely "doable" in the online environment. However, I think that directions need to be extremely clear. As I mentioned on the discussion board, it seemed like different groups interpreted the assignment in different ways.


UNIT 5 - Teaching Styles
According to the Teaching Styles Inventory, I am tied between Facilitator and Delegator. This seems extremely accurate to me. This weekend, however, I found myself having to assume an expert role in a class I was teaching and found myself "out of my element." It was very much a square-peg, round-hole feeling!

Because I have not taught online yet, I am unsure how my teaching style will translate into online learning. As I have just proven that I am flexible enough to change my style as necessary (no matter how forced it felt to me), I think I will be able to teach online no matter what teaching style I am using.


As we continue onward, I look forward to furthering my knowledge of the "why" of online learning as well as delving into the "how."

Reflections on Online Learning - Self-Selected Blog Topic

I think the High Tech/High Touch section was most significant to me. Like many people, I had come into the online course expecting to be somehow separated from my fellow students; as if the monitor was somehow a wall blocking me from truly interacting with them.

Obviously, I couldn't have been more wrong. I have more information about my classmates in this class than I would have learned sitting in a classroom. The introductions and the group project have played a huge part in this difference.

Once I begin teaching online courses, I need to remember that the students coming in may have the same flawed assumption that I did, that they will not get to know their fellow students. As a result, I will have to make sure to provide them with the means to get to know other people in the class through online introductions and the discussion board.

As I said in a previous blog, I think the fact that we are getting into the "human" and educational aspects of online teaching before we start looking at the technical aspects is a huge help.