Some assertions are made in this article about online learning facilitation. In fact, you could easily take these points and convert them into an assessment for teachers considering whether they want to become online instructors. Here’s my list of TRUE/FALSE assertions. Saying one of these assertions is FALSE might disqualify you for being an online instructor. Do you agree or disagree?

TRUE/FALSE

1. Online facilitation requires more time than a traditional classroom setting.
2. You need a specific type of personality to teach in an online classroom setting.
3. Online instructors need to be willing to sit in front of a computer for a couple of hours; those who won’t or can’t are invalidated as online instructors.
4. Trouble-shooting and problem-solving the course management system (e.g. Moodle, Blackboard) are a natural part of being an online instructor.
5. To be an online instructor, you have to like writing since that is what you will be doing quite a bit.
6. Interactivity with students is key to an online course, more so than a traditional classroom course.
7. Online instructors should spend a lot of time learning online before being allowed to teach online.

What do you think of my TRUE/FALSE list based on the article excerpts below?

Here are my original notes:

• Source: Tips for Training Online Instructors
  • In an online classroom, the course begins and ends on a certain date. Apart from any real-time events (i.e., chats or conferences), students participate in the class when (and where) they wish. The read email and discussion forum postings and reply to them. They may upload assignments as files. The instructor reads and responds to all student work and questions – usually on a daily basis. Both instructors and students have a pretty good idea of what they are learning.
  • As this comparison suggests, the nature of teaching/learning in the two settings is quite different. In the classroom setting, the instructor primarily presents information and students try to remember it. In the online course, students do assignments and instructors try to provide students with helpful feedback on them. The latter involves a lot more participation and interactivity for both students and instructors.

  • Online teaching is not for everyone

    However, its not just a matter of retraining – there are certain personality characteristics required. Online instructors must be willing to spend at least 1-2 hours every day at the computer reading and responding to students. Anyone who cannot do this is not suited to online teaching.
  • You must like interacting with students on a one-to-one basis. You must also like troubleshooting/problem-solving – since you will do a lot of that. And you need to have a lot of patience to deal with technology on a daily basis.
  • Since most of your interaction will be written in nature, you have to like to write. It also helps to be able to type relatively fast.
  • The importance of clear directions, well-organized materials, timely feedback, deadlines, and good technical support becomes apparent as an online learner.
  • Students are going to model your use of the tools/system, so you want to show how they can be used effectively.
  • People differ on their preference for synchronous (chats, conferencing) or asynchronous interaction (email, forums). Some like the excitement and spontaneity of real-time events. Others prefer the reflective nature and flexibility of asynchronous interaction. Synchronous activities are good for question and answer or review sessions while asynchronous activities work well for discussions, problem-solving and information sharing.
  • For training instructors, it is best to ensure that they have experience with both modes of interaction so they can decide what they like, and also be prepared to use either if the appropriate learning situation arises.
  • Teachers need to understand that interactivity is the key to a successful online course. The more interaction students have with the content, the instructor and each other (especially the latter), the better.
  • Chat sessions and discussion forums are the best places for interaction to take place since they allow for participation by the whole class. On the other hand, instructors are likely to use email or annotated files for providing feedback to students on their assignments or answering questions.
  • If there is one fundamental rule for online instructors it is that timely feedback should be provided to students on their assignments, questions or forum postings. Ideally such feedback should be provided in less than 24 hours.
  • Meaningful feedback means more than just a sentence saying the student is doing well. Students want substantive comments on their work. This means the feedback needs to identify the strengths/weaknesses of a response, questions about assumptions made, or suggestions for further thought/investigation.
  • The main cause of the problem is that instructors are not online frequently or long enough to provide such feedback.
  • recommending a textbook for background reading is a good idea. Online study notes in the course can comment on the content in the text and provide supplemental information.
  • design your course so that online materials can be printed out easily. This means providing course materials in a single document rather than (or in addition to) many separate screens
  • A primary task of the instructor is to facilitate as much student interaction as possible. This can be done by having students do their assignments in pairs or small groups. Asking students to evaluate each other’s work and to make class presentations are also good ideas. Students should be encouraged to address their questions to the class, rather than just the instructor.
  • Because online teaching/learning involves so many new things, it is important to establish an exploratory spirit among all participants that emphasizes experimentation and problem-solving.
  • everyone must develop basic troubleshooting skills. Indeed, online instructors will spend a considerable amount of time troubleshooting problems with the delivery system or authoring tools.
  • Because they dictate the nature of participation, it is a good idea to create the assignments first, then add the other course components (i.e., readings, study notes, overviews). Creating the assignments also defines the instructional objectives of the course since they specify what the student will be doing and learning.
  • There are many different ways of teaching online and each instructor needs to find their own style
  • To allow instructors to discover what kind of online teaching works best for them, they need to be exposed to as many different types of online courses as possible. And a lot of trial and error is required. In other words, the process of becoming an online instructor requires a lot of online learning.
  • Organizations and institutions offering online courses should be mindful of the time period required to properly prepare their teachers to teach in cyberspace.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.