Get Your Students Hired
while many students may not like the idea of online learning i like to encourage them by reminding them that the resources at hand are nearly limitless online. as well as the benefit of week long availability, rather than a 4 hour course.
The online educator must be aligned with innovative strategies that attract the student and allow the learning process through doing, experimenting, practicing, interacting such as creating comics, producing a series of videos, drawing, singing, dramatizing ... We can make online education an educational channel that teaches while entertaining.
I feel the biggest challenges with online courses is the student's ability to have solid Internet access and computer proficiency. I have seen these types of barriers that do impact on success with learning. Effective communication, being skillful with being the facilitator and learning activities for enragement are key to building a community in an asynchronous course. I like the use of blogs, wikis and video recordings for assignments. I feel that even though the course may require more time and creativity if I don't set a due date, students tend to fall behind and need to finish the course by the end of the semester as required by the college.
Instructors and budget can present barriers to implementing asynchronous learning, as there is more up-front development time, which may take up to six months. You must consider effective activities that allow students to interact with the content, as well as opportunities for reflection, and tools for communication (90% of which is content related). Additional materials may need to be developed, or lab materials packages designed so that students can do the lab work from their own location. It is also critical to base your asynchronous courses on solid and well-thought out learning objectives, and to ensure all are provided for in interactions and activities. However, reflection may be provided through the use of infographic, blog, video or wiki creation, or creative projects. The use of the latest available technologie can assist in providing these opportunities. S2S communication can be accomplished with message boards or wikis.
One of the most difficult things has been making projects and interesting material for the trade courses. For the IT courses, it is easier. We have Packet Tracer and other tools to simulate the environment. However, in the Electrical courses, I haven't been able to find anything that can do this. I haven't found a "wire the circuit" simulator or a short circuit troubleshooter. Anyone that knows of anything like this, please sent it to christopher.brown@yti.edu
Experiments can be done even in an asynchronous online course. As long as lab kits, videos, clear instructions or guides, and technology support are provided to students.
Continued use of asynchronous does seem to need infusions of creativity by way of assignment or rewards in order to be engaging in the long term for a broad student pool. Adding rewards could benefit the student but may also be of benefit to the instructor under certain circustances.
Technology may be a challenge that we deal with as instructors. Our students may not have access to all the technology that we assume they may have to complete an activity. Also, it is important to consider new ways of engaging the student on line and it is good to start with the outcome desired and then go back and see how that can be achieved in the activity or assignment the instructor is expecting the student to do.
One of the newer technologies that we are incorporating into fieldwork experiences and lab activities is the use of simulated cases. The students can access the simulations at any time after creating an account on the platform's website, observe the medical procedures being administered, and then answer critical thinking questions to determine comprehension. This offers a great way to incoporate lab activities in an asynchronous online teaching environment.
I will make sure to keep technological barriers at the forefront of my mind while creating labs and online course work. I enjoy continual contact with my students, so another challenge besides technology, will be how to acheive some level of communit inside of the asynchronous lense. In an "anytime, anywhere" mindset, course structure and design is key, so I will really have to sit down with other professionals to create something that will lead all of my students to success.
Enganging students in the course work with other tools like blogs or wiki pages can be very beneficial in order to connect the students to tha material. Providing students with expectations and a rubric should also be attached to each assignment. In addition, having students personally reflect on the information they learned after each lesson can promote critical thinking.
Utilizing videos for labs is a good idea for instruction, generally speaking. However, students usually enjoy labs more than their other classes because it gives them a chance to do hands on assignments. I feel that even with videos the value of labs are lost in online education. It is important for students to be able to take in lab assignments with all of their senses.
Students and professors can both feel isolated. Reaching out through the student lounge and discussion boards in important to help students feel supported and part of a community.
Our school has gone to a blended learning, on line leacture and F2F labs whitin the last year. The probem we as instructors are seeing is the time management and maturity of our students. Part of our students feel everything else in their lives is more importand than taking time to comlete their online lessons.
I have been using personalized feedback for 5 years and it truly make a difference in connecting with the students, and helping them to succeed.
Teachnology can be of assistance to the student but it may pose challenges as well. Asynchonous courses are not for every intructor nor every student. It is critical to consider the technological skills set of both. Instructors and student must consider logistical aspect of the delivery and receiving of the education. Asycrnoous learnig allows the student to reflect more in her/her work. Although, building a sense of commnunity in this enviornment can be challenging it can be done very well too.
I am not sure if I like the idea of using blogs and wikis for students. I do enjoy discusssion boards though.
Found this interesting: Unfortunately, many college students, regardless of their age, have never been asked to reflect critically on their work. Glogster was an interesting site I have not heard of before.
Asynchronous learing works using videos , using as much material to enage the students. Making the lessons , fun and not painful experince. My classes are 3- 4 hours long, all studio.