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Week 3 Overview

Site: SCoPE - BCcampus Learning + Teaching
Group: Facilitating Learning Online - Fundamentals MAR2017-OER
Book: Week 3 Overview
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Thursday, 16 May 2024, 8:48 PM

Description

Week 3 Overview

Table of contents

Overview

As more and more instructors are asked to teach online, in increasingly complex technological environments to cohorts of learners with diverse expectations, varied levels of prior knowledge and skills, there is an increasing likelihood that the quality of learning experience will be affected. While instructors may be competent in using technology for their professional learning and personal lives, they may have little or no experience in the online learning environments they are asked to teach within and little time to learn prior to a new teaching experience.

In Week 1 we introduced the Community of Inquiry model, the importance of instructor presence (and the other "presences") and we briefly explored some preliminary facilitation techniques an instructor uses to building online community.

This week we’ll focus on facilitation issues in supporting online learners. We’ll draw on some of the ideas around teaching presence and explore specific facilitation responses to support students and to encourage better learning.


Weekly Activity

During this week, you'll be guided through an online learning activity by a team of your peers in FLO. The facilitation team will provide further details in a Instructions and Schedule document that will be posted above the week's activity forum.

A launch message will be sent out late Sunday evening or first thing Monday morning.

Focus for the Activity

You'll be asked to help an instructor, new to online teaching, who's received poor reviews from students who completed a mid-point course evaluation. You'll be given a scenario - how can the instructor respond to the problems identified by the students? What are some of the possible facilitation techniques that could be tried?

This activity is intended to encourage you to apply what you've learned about online facilitation (in this workshop or based on your prior experiences) to a situation that many instructors have encountered.

Goals

After reviewing details of a mid-point course evaluation (student feedback and comments from the instructor), explore different possible responses to

  • address the student concerns before the completion of the course
  • think of ways to help the instructor in the future -  what can the instructor do to support student learning more effectively?

    Facilitators' Thoughts

    In the past, experienced faculty from Royal Roads University shared their thoughts about various topics related to online teaching and facilitation. More recently, FLO facilitators have shared their thoughts in informal webcam video discussions. Some of their ideas on facilitation strategies and approachs are shown below.

    Establishing and maintaining "instructor presence - Beth Cougler Blom - (2:57)

    Creating and sustaining an online community - Patricia McClelland - (3:48)

    Facilitation Responses

    According to researchers and instructors exploring the Community of Inquiry framework, facilitation is the strategies, techniques and communication an instructor employs to support and guide online learners. Facilitation is considered as a separate group of skills that are employed to support learners in critical reflection and inquiry and to keep them engaged in learning. The facilitation strategies used to welcome and orient students at the beginning of a course were discussed during Week 1 (Building Online Community). This week we'll focus on strategies or actions an instructor could use to keep students engaged in learning, and address any concerns or misunderstandings. Some of the instructor actions, cited by Garrison and Vaughn include:

    • encouraging discussion and reflection
    • modelling appropriate participation and critical thinking
    • monitoring and regulating learning of students
    • supporting student self-regulation and monitoring
    • encouraging peer-to-peer learning and connection
    More specifically, an online instructor can:
    • make yourself available for synchronous chats or discussions - with individuals and groups of students
    • connect with students that you don't "see" in the online course (learning management systems have tools to track where and when students interact with course materials or other students)
    • acknowledge student contributions in discussion forums
    • ask open-ended questions to encourage broader or deeper discussion of key points
    • encourage peer-to-peer explanations and learning but step in to clarify issues when necessary
    • ensure that students are aware of your presence in the course
    • assist students to synthesize or summarize discussions/debates

    Effective Communication

    Communicating with students online can be more varied and challenging. The lack of immediate feedback derived from observing body language or paralinguistics can lead to misunderstandings. Learners can feel more vulnerable in an unfamiliar learning environment when they're often unsure of who will see and respond to any postings. Clarity of communication - both recorded (video, audio) or written is important.

    Watch this brief video for some examples of how to communicate with online learners:


    (6:13)  Effective Communication in the Online Environment, (June 2014), Frank Heney, Carleton University 

    Asking "Good" Questions

    Asking questions — either in discussion forums or as a feedback technique in reviewing a learner’s paper or assignment — can help learners clarify their thinking, shift perspectives, go to a deeper level of analysis, and reflect on their learning. When learners get stuck, effective facilitators can use questions to enhance learning. By posing convergent or divergent, open or closed, high or low level and structured or unstructured questions they enhance learners’ knowledge and comprehension.

    Asking good questions helps to ensure that learners assume and maintain responsibility for their own learning and reinforces the instructor’s role in guiding, not directing, the individual’s learning.

    Doug Hamilton (0:40)

    Optional Reading and Viewing

    The following optional readings and videos are provided as references for the topics discussed in this week's Overview.

    • Various instructors, Effective Communication in the Online Environment, (June 2014), Carleton University,