Tiffany Heath

After completing this module I find that as a seasoned instructor, I am already doing most of these. I do like the content chunking portion where they can get short or smaller "clips" of information that can lead them to feel more accomplished. Getting burst of information can also help with retaining and recalling information too. Those that struggle with time management this can allow them to "fit in" things in between other things they may have going on and still accomplish their required weekly tasks.

E-lerning should be just as effective as in-person or residential learning. One of the first assignments that I have my students participate in is a biography to briefly introduce themselves. I direct them to mine as an example so if they did not read it initially they can review it and  learn why I am qualified. This helps validate my credentials at the same time they have an example to refer to if they do not know how to complete the assignment. This gives me a little insight as to how they will be as a student too.

It is nice to know or be validated for those that have been teaching online before it was "cool" to do so have been addressing the student's needs and learning styles already. I do like to be able to have a check-list of items that should be addressed and this was a nice simple approach.

Allowing students to pace themselves with immediate feedback through quizzes and tests to ensure they are comprehending the material they were expected to learn can be a great motivator. An area of concern can be for those that are not as self-motivating or tend to procrastinate as this will lead to last-minute decisions and not a true reflection of their learning.

With the implementation of online platforms, guest speakers can be a short video clip, a physical attendee, or the use of social media. Knowing your learner and having them use social media to gain interest in a topic has been a learning curve but also a way to connect with my students. Using online gaming to have students answer "live" questions I have found is a way for them to be silly & creative with their gamer tag, participate in the review of the material, & having them study without realizing it is the best art for me. 

Based on my experiences and what I just reviewed a quality online program should be broken down into sections or modules that contain a simple easy to follow design. This design should include information that makes sense and has an intellectual quality that will benefit the learner while addressing all modalities of learning. Feedback to the leaner is an important part to ensure they are obtaining the key points of your content. 

When it comes to course design it should be left to a specific individual who is tasked with updating content and compliance with all regulatory bodies. Instructors should have meaningful input and can assist the curriculum developer/chair with meaningful changes and updates. Too many hands in the curriculum can lead to miscommunication leading to errors. A submission or review of content should be more formal so all ideas are heard and there are recorded reasons why items were not updated. This person should also work closely with the compliance/legal team to ensure all policies and procedures are followed and adhered… >>>

There is a multitude of tools and platforms available so that there is no one group or individual who will go without assistance. Taking responsibility and doing research will assist your institution and keep your content and equipment updated.

With the student population that I have received over the years that have had IEP's in the public school system, it is a struggle. In the beginning, it is not always known to the instructor which is a challenge as well. Once identified it can be a lift to set the student up for success on the instructional team. Instructors do not have, for the most part, formal educational training so they are left at a disadvantage. Due to this a workaround that I have used is to meet with the student(s) that seem to struggle with getting their work… >>>

Taking into consideration that there are multiple earning modalities, attempting to touch on each of them will enhance the learner's participation. Pictures and videos for the visual, drag and drop or matching (movement) for the kinesthetic or hands-on, and audio which can come n the form of your lectures being read to them as an option for playback. This is quite challenging and takes time to build but I seem to have gotten more out of my students since I started addressing these core areas. Technology on the other hand when getting students used to online learning is a bigger… >>>