Understanding new online/on-ground learner needs
Understanding new online learner needs
I have worked extensively in the online and on-ground college learning environment. I find that getting to know my students is very important. In module 1 I related to what the Harvard professor was saying about knowing our students. In the online learning environment this is actually much simpler than in the on-ground environment. At the beginning of the online classroom experiences I send out a survey to my students to understand a little about their work and educational history as well as their reasons for attending college at this time in their lives. I also utilize the information on virtual discussion boards to gain understanding of the learning needs of the students.
In the on-ground environment this is a bit more difficult because I typically do not have the opportunity to communicate with students prior to the first day of class. I do utilize the first day of class to survey the students for information they are willing to give in written form. This also helps me to know right away which students are not prepared to write on an academic level so that I can get them the needed tutorials or writing lab appointments.
I think that working to meet the individual learning style of the students is challenging, time-consuming, and certainly worth-while. I would not dream of teaching any other way.
Best Regards,
Carla Denman
I would agree getting to know the students is highly important, but I don't think I would fully agree becoming familar with a student is easier online than in the on-ground enviroment.
An online enviroment can mimic a (small) social networking cite. It is easy for a student, as well as a teacher, to embellish, mislead, and misrepresent themselves and their situations. In an online enviroment, a student simply has to state that they had an immediate personal issue arise which is why he was absent for several weeks. As an on-line instructor, it is difficult to prove and it is a violation of privacy to ask for proof. On the ground, body language comes into play and a student may feel less comfortable about misleading a professor when in a face-to-face converstation.
However, some students feel more comfortable releasing personal information and being themselves in an online enviroment because limiting factors, such as finances and physical apperance, are elliminated. This may make the most shy student feel capable of speaking out and joining in on conversations that they would otherwise not engage.
