Before enrolling in this course, I had no idea of how much planning and structure it would take to design and teach in an online community. As this course progress, I realize it entails both effective planning and technical competence to teach in an e-learning environment.
I’m also learning that online teaching is not just about putting course materials on the web. Online teaching is time and labor intensive. Since online courses require individualize attention, online instructors must have a clear balance between effectively managing their time and being responsive to students. An online instructor should be willing to give individual attention to students who may need extra help. Being sensitive, open and flexible is not an option, it is a requirement.
Most instructors find that online courses actually provide a high level of personal contact, and many say that they get to know their online students much better than students in the traditional classroom setting. This is because asynchronous online courses offer many more opportunities for reflection, in-depth discussion, and interaction than a traditional course that meets maybe once or twice a week.
I have enjoyed the discussions regarding the different learning styles. Individual learning styles define who we are and how we process information. Since I’ve taken the learn style survey, I found out I’m a visual/non-verbal learner. As we learned in class, visual learners depend primarily on sight to absorb new information. Pictures, moving or still, diagrams, white-boards, flip charts, and written language are modes that suit visual learners best. Also, color variety, symbols, seeing charts, diagrams, and models are helpful to visual learners.
I have also enjoyed working on the assigned group project. I have come to realize group projects are what you make them. You get out what you put in. As I have stated in the online class discussion, group projects forces students to collaborate, improve their communication skills and participate more. Working in a group takes commitment. A group works well when its members are committed to collaborate. Also, group projects allow students to have a voice in expressing themselves and give each student a chance to show their ability. I found that group projects allow people to learn from each other’s experience.
I’m looking forward to the next part in this class. Let me leave this blog by saying.. "Online learning is not the next big thing, it is the now big thing." Donna J Abernathy, Training and Development Editor, 1999
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