Facilitating Learning Online - APR2015-OER

The following list identifies the intended learning outcomes for each set of activities (mini-sessions and general activities), and provides criteria that mini-session facilitators can use to assess learning.

Although formal mini-session assessment is not required, facilitators will be asked to reflect on learning when they complete the post mini-session FLIF survey. In addition, participants reflect on their learning and provide feedback to the mini-session facilitators.

Mini-Sessions

Intended learning outcomes for each mini session

Mini-session facilitators:
• Critically evaluate self-performance and learning

Mini-session participants:
• Provide constructive, growth-oriented feedback

Adult Learners Online

• Identify instructional issues and potential solutions to help adults learn online
• Articulate rationale for instructional choices (including tool selection)
• Assess community-building elements and strategies in the design of online learning activities and courses

Suggested Assessment Criteria:

• • Identify key characteristics of online learning
  • Discuss the needs of online learners
  • Explore connections between needs of adult learners and the online learning environment

Course Review Task Force

• Identify instructional issues and potential solutions to help adults learn online
• Use appropriate strategies and tools to establish and maintain instructor presence, and support learning and community goals
• Assess community-building elements and strategies in the design of online learning activities and courses

Suggested Assessment Criteria:

• • Interpret and list problems identified with the course design and instructor approach
  • Propose solutions to the instructional problems identified that draw on the course readings or other relevant resources

Choosing Your Tools

• Use strategies and tools to establish and maintain instructor presence, and support learning and community goals
• Use appropriate strategies to support diverse needs of adult learners online
• Articulate rationale for instructional choices (including tool selection)
• Assess community-building elements and strategies in the design of online learning activities and courses

Suggested Assessment Criteria:

• • Articulate strengths & challenges of various online collaboration tools
  • Discuss synchronous or asynchronous learning
  • Discuss privacy issues associated with use of cloud-based tools
  • Team in Trouble

Team in Trouble

• Work effectively with groups online (including recognizing group dynamics, and identifying opportunities to prevent or manage group conflict)
• Use strategies and tools to establish and maintain instructor presence, and support learning and community goals
• Assess community-building elements and strategies in the design of online learning activities and courses
• Use appropriate strategies to support diverse needs of adult learners online

Suggested Assessment Criteria:

• • Suggest support options for resolving or preventing team conflict going forward
  • Comment on the role of the instructor in managing team conflict
  • Suggest ways that teamwork and processes can be supported to accommodate team conflict when it arises
  • Identify strategies for working with diverse online communities (e.g., existing cohort and team cultures)
  • Propose solutions to conflict resolution in online teams

Facilitation Techniques & Strategies

• Use strategies and tools to establish and maintain instructor presence, and support learning and community goals
• Attend to “general housekeeping” of the online environment

Suggested Assessment Criteria:

• • Identify facilitation techniques used to engage learners and deepen learning
  • Explore the use of tools and techniques to improve facilitation

Assessing Participation 

• Articulate rationale for instructional choices (including tool selection)
• Identify instructional/design problems and propose solutions appropriate for adult online learners
• Critically reflect on feedback and course experiences to self-evaluate work and learning

Suggested Assessment Criteria:

• • Critically reflect on the challenges and opportunities of assessing online participation
  • Develop and share an effective approach for assessing online participation (the what, and the why)

General Activities

Introductions Forum

• Uses appropriate strategies to develop and support online community

Assessment Criteria:

• • Share personal or professional information to begin to build a sense of community
  • Responds to other introductions

"How do I..." Forum

• Use strategies to support adult learners online
• Attend to “general housekeeping” of the online environment

Assessment Criteria:

• Teach other participants how to use tools to add or change the learning environment
• Support peers as they learn a tool or perform a task

Online Community Building Forum

• Assess community building elements and strategies in online activities and courses
• Use appropriate strategies to support adult learners online

Assessment Criteria:

• • Reflect and discuss strategies for initially engaging learners in an online learning community

Looking Back / Looking Forward Activity

• Critically reflect on feedback and course experiences to self-evaluate work and learning

Assessment Criteria:

• • Reflect and assess personal learning experiences as participant and facilitator
  • Propose changes to personal online facilitation and learning design