Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2013
Kristina Vines
Page 1
My own reactions ran the gambit from understanding to frustration. I understood where the students were coming from and their concerns. I tried to show compassion during the icebreakers for those individuals that admitted to this being their first online course but I also found moments of frustration when I know that the information they were requesting was already included in the Syllabus and it became a point of wonder for myself as to, Are they even reading the information provided or trying to find the answers for themselves? I believe I was successful in providing the students with a compassionate tone and patience with answering their questions when communicating with them and that the frustrations that were experienced were (thankfully) didnt manifest them on an outward level that would have impacted the learning environment. I also know that some of my frustration was due to the simple time crunch that I was faced with in preparing the LMS itself for the class with the short notice that I was given to have the course functional for the students to learn within.
I also anticipated that students would have the where-withal to read the Start Here tab and the Syllabus to learn about how the class would work and my expectations of their work when in actuality, not all of the students did this; instead, some of them tried to just dive into the course and wing it which caused for some complications early on in the course. Analyze Cause-Effect Relationships The single element in this event that am focusing on is preparedness; for myself and for the students. Having a better-rounded, clearly defined, structured starting week and a Week 0 element would have better prepared the students for the course and for the online learning environment. Some of the things that caused the event to occur are that I didnt use more than one form of media to reach out to the students at the start of the course which meant I didnt reach all learning styles/needs. Another is that the first week could have incorporated a how to lesson with regards to completing the discussion board activity so that as they progressed into the lessons themselves, the students would have already achieved a familiarity with class expectations regarding their weekly participation events which in turn would have reduced frustration for myself and for the student.
The advice I would give someone about to teach their first online course would be that a strong start is imperative for student learning and to keep in mind the different levels of comfort with a computer, an LMS and with the written word (i.e. typing, emails, etc.). Time permitting; it would be to the instructors advantage to create a Week 0 that helps student learn how to navigate the LMS course itself. To incorporate a lesson in the first week of class that reinforces course navigation and expectations on discussion board activities. To write the syllabus in clear, concise verbiage and have that same information incorporated into the Start Here content of the course. Lastly, to create a weekly checklist that helps the student stay on track. All of which, when done appropriately, will reduce the amount of frustration experienced by the student and the instructor at the start of the class. Applications The things that I will be taking from this experience and that will influence future practices will be prepare, prepare, prepare!! And when I feel I have it down-pat, to read through the design one more time and try to see it from a students viewpoint that has never experienced an online course before or that may have limited proficiency with a computer. I intend on creating a Week 0 for my future courses, implementing an introductory lesson for the discussion board and rewriting some of the syllabus so that it has more detail on student expectations. I will also take this same information and include it in the Start Here tab. Personal Learning The biggest thing Ive learned about myself so far is how easily it is that we forget. Although that is never any teachers intention, it is easy to forget what it is like for a student just starting out in this environment when we are already familiar with the LMS navigation and the course material. With regards to my students, I learned that not all of them have the skills developed for an online environment some may be poor typers or readers, others may not take into account personal motivation that is required for this environment. As a teacher, it is my job to be prepared for these occurrences and to help the student work through the difficult moments so that they can then focus their attention on the learning itself. Some of these preparations can be done with simple things such as a class calendar or checklist that they can reference or a well mapped out Starter section.
Kristina Vines
Page 5
Instructor Feedback
Score 300 / 300 Feedback Date Mar 5, 2013 9:36 PM Dropbox Feedback Excellent insights and strong plans. More detailed feed back can be found in the 1 to 1 forum! ~ Dennis Kristina, I'm so glad we can explore this experience together. It will help me to see the state of your thinking. I didn't realize that you got your class with just three weeks of lead time. This means you have to discover the flaw and bumps as you go. Providing information in ways to appeal to all learning styles is always a good idea. I like our plans regarding an Assignment Outline, rubric and a Checklist. Everything you do for your students will come back to help you the next time around. Tuning up the pathway to individual feedback is also essential. Syllabus frustration is a common lament. I'm convinced most students only skim the syllabus. To my way of thinking you want to bring the relevant issues in the syllabus right on to the course/module pages. I've found that it's best to assume that most students will be in their first online class. This means orientation becomes a major objective of the course. Further complicating things (on top of a short prep time) is moving from blended to online. This is really a very time consuming task and it's easy to underestimate just how much prep you'll really have to do. Consider creating an FAQ of the most persistent myths and/or problems students are having. Then continue to revise this FAQ as things evolve. You'll save your time back by having a handy reference for you students. Also an FAQ can be a great orientation week tool. Keep in mind that even a seasoned online designer / teacher will need to revise a new class several times before things truly smooth out. Continuous maintenance and improvement is what it is all about. ~ Dennis
Kristina Vines
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Kristina Vines
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