Ashley Slaughter

Teaching in the online environment varies more than on ground in more ways than just no face to face contact. Communication varies within this relationship between students and instructors. Use of asynchronous and synchronous communication strategies is useful to help students be successful.

"The ease with which learners can locate, access, and use information in a course is usually referred to as navigational simplicity. Navigational simplicity is achieved by using links to help learners navigate through the course content."

The design of the online environment should be uniform and easy to navigate. Students should be able to follow the flow. At my school, instructors have a set way to set up the online environment so that each course is easy to navigate and students don't need to learn the site with each instructor. 

Communication is key to success. Often times, students and instructors lack communication skills necessary to convey important information when in the online environment. It is imperative that the instructor have good communication skills in order to convey the appropriate message to students. This not only is required in written and verbal communication on the school work site, but also via email and other forms of private communication. 

While learning the hands on skills is valuable, it is also important for students to learn how to be active and engaged in other aspects of their trade. Learning through the use of technology can be a valuable skillset, even for those who think they won't need it. 

"The ability to apply what is learned in a meaningful and relevant context demonstrates what exactly has been learned. It also provides students with an opportunity to think about new possibilities and modified skills that might be required in specific contexts of use."

Students can simply regurgitate information provided to them, but when they can demonstrate what they have learned, it shows a true understanding. Having students reason and think through things, they are better prepared to work in their preferred field. 

Many times, students don’t ask questions because they really don’t understand the reasoning behind what they are learning. One of the biggest complaints that I have heard from students is the lack of the ability of the instructor to explain things to them on a level that they understand. They feel like they don't understand enough to ask the necessary questions and then they miss out on the learning opportunity. 

Professional development should be viewed as an opportunity to enhance online instructors’ strengths and improve upon their weaknesses. Doing so can save time later and help instructors manage their workload. Professional development should be completed to strengthen the instructor’s teaching practice throughout his/her career. It is important to set aside time for professional development as you, the instructor, and the students all realize the benefits.

Just like doing these modules is professional development to help us grow as educators and to help us teach in different environments in order to best serve our students.

My big take-away is that "students are singularly interacting within the community. What does this mean? It means that your students have no classmates to “lean over to and ask a question” although there are technologies that can mimic this type of communication". We forget how much the social interaction impacts the learning process. 

Managing life vs teaching is all about balance. Not only is the online environment difficult for students to manage, it can be difficult for the instructor. Typically, the instructor has to balance work and life while ensuring they are present and available to students. This is a difficult task. 

Workload management strategies are essential for online instructors, who report an increase in time and energy to design, develop, deliver, and revise online courses. Workload is defined as the amount of work to be done in a specified period of time. Online workload can be tedious and requires the instructor to set aside time to focus soley on their online requirements.