Sakpa Amara

The steps in the ISD can be compared to the steps in the nursing process. Instructors in Nursing may find this similarity helpful in managing ISDs in the online learning environment. 

The analogies made between online and onsite learning environments are helpful in integrating the various modalities and providing a better understanding of how online Instructors can leverage the instructional strategies in an online learning environment. 

There are a few specific strategies I have learned from this module that I plan to integrate into my practice. For example, I found the use of podcasts particularly appealing. Also, I plan to improve o my response time to correspondences received from students. I have learnt that even minor delays can increase unnecessary student anxiey, and this is not a desired goal in creating and maintaining a conducive learning environment.

Course organization in the asynchronous learning environment needs to be more thorough and more explicit and readily accessible than in the traditional synchronous environment.

How can an Instructor ensure fairness to all in an online learning environment and increase students' perception of the fairness?

The need for an Instructor reaching out to students at risk for attrition cannot be overemphasized. The online learning environment, while it has lots of advantages, can be hampered by a number of factors, especially social distance. So reaching out by way of face2face contact can make a big difference in minimizing attrition.

The value of  accurately and specifically detailing grading rubrics to measure learning and assist the learner in focussing on the outcomes to be measured is crucial. This a win-win strategy that helps both Instructor and Student to learn together and evaluate as well. 

There is an array of technology tools teachers can use to facilitate learning. The teacher must understand the original functions of each tool in order to use it correctly to facilitate learning. Since no one size fits all, the teacher may use a variety of tools and teaching methods as each occasion demands in teaching and evaluating the learning outcomes. 

Chunking and scaffolding reinforce learning and provide learners with opportunities to form meaningful connections between concepts.