Vickie Schemel

So far I've been pleased with the students' responses to being asked to work in groups, to problem solve collaboratively or come prepared in advance with answers or solutions (TBL).  It does, however, take additional time to design and prepare in advance.  The Active Learning activities should be explained in advance so the students have an opportunity to ask questions for further clarification when needed.

I learned early in my on-ground, F2F classes that student-centered learning was quickly becoming a necessary tool in the classroom.  Students were no longer equipped with the patience of sitting in a classroom, hearing a lecture and taking notes.  I found their retention of information increased when they became engaged and participated in the lecture, the discussion of information.  That was when I learned to write in methods of "student-centered learning activities into every lecture.  Outcomes and attendance began to rise and students gained interest in participating in the classroom.  I've used team-based learning, group questions, and individual activities to… >>>

I agree that the content or the order in which content is designed and displayed plays an intricate part in the gradual building of information into more advanced studies.

It was good to hear that the teaching program includes feedback as a major ingredient to student success.  Many students are new to online and they require as much feedback as possible to gauge how they are doing, whether they are understanding the directions.  Once timely feedback and communication are established the students seem to move into a rhythmic study pattern and it becomes easier to begin new subjects.  They come to rely on this interaction to guide them.

Someone said, "Communication is key," I agree, there needs to be an established method of communication so that the student feels they have access to their instructor for all questions and guidance.  I find it critical to hand out the syllabus, objectives, and agendas in the first meeting or in the on-line syllabus.  Having both VC and on-line gives students access to both components.  But once the students feel comfortable with their method they settle into that style and then the flexibility of the online experience will be beneficial.

It is imperative to investigate all that each tool can offer to truly be effective.  When an instructor can use a tool efficiently they can offer the student a student-centered learning environment.  If the tool turns out to be a lesser effective tool, one must search through all the other possibilities to search for alternatives.