Thank you for the detailed explanation. I think this is a great strategy and I will definitely recommend my faculty consider this! Tina
Hi Tina,
Thank you so much, you make me feel encouraged.
The biggest challenge is being able to present enough information that there are very few questions left to be answered at a later time. Also, I find it difficult lecturing to a computer screen.
Currently my major interaction with students is done with two weekly on-line lectures in real-time. Therefore my experience hasn’t been per say “guiding on the side†however if I didn’t do weekly live lectures it seems to me that I would rely more heavily on discussion board posts, weekly announcements and e-mails. Even though there is a stage, I still utilize the discussion board, weekly announcements and e-mails but rely less on e-mail because all the other tools are in my virtual classroom.
24/7 is a blessing and yes it can be a curse. I have found that I needed to set limits and employ great time management skills in order to balance work and personal life. Also implementing simple tools such as having a FAQ document per course for students has also helped me.
Hi Brian, I think the key is being able to scaffold the information, so students can understand and apply it in their discussions and assignments. Tina
Hi Kimberly, what type of format do you use for your live lectures? Do you have question and answer periods or can students ask questions throughout your presentation? Tina
Some of the areas that I feel are challenges to the position of "guide on the side" include:
- getting the students excited about the content;
- ensuring that the students are not just accessing the content, but also understanding the content;
- making it clear to the students that you are there and available to help clarify the material and/or instructions, and to answer questions;
- providing a presence in the classroom that is inviting to the student;
...
The list is long. I am exasperated by the number of excuses that students bring to the online classroom. I guess I was under the impression that if they chose this manner of learning that they would be motivated self learners...not necessarily true. I fear that some institutions may be encouraging this type of classroom to students who really are not prepared for the some of the unique challenges that this type of learning presents.
Adobe Breese is the platform used. I typically have an open forum and encourage students to ask questions as they arise as well as have certain spots that I stop during the lecture to ask if anyone has question and/or comments.
Hi Kim, I feel your same frustrations. In addition, our institutions are asking us to help students persist and successfully pass a course but there is very little we can do if they don't show up and do the work! Tina
Hi Kimberly, we also use Adobe. We have been using the chat more and students seem to be more interactive in the chat. The instructor then can stop and review chat and answer questions or make comments. Tina
Same thing at the institution I am at as far as helping the students persist and pass. I am all for helping students succeed, and will go the extra mile for those who reach out. The problem is that many do not reach out until they have reached the point of no return; they ignore my emails asking if there is anything I can do to help them in the course until it is tooooo late.
These are the students who hand work in, but from the looks of it never opened a book or even looked at the grading rubric. Then they email me and wonder why they received such a low score. I had a student’s online advocate send me a couple of emails with this last class hinting that they wanted me to change a student’s grade because it really is not the students fault that they didn’t ask for help?? So I fear the problem is bigger than just unprepared students.
It is definitely true that teaching online is completely different than face-to-face instruction. One thing that I really like about online teaching is that it forces me to continually update and upgrade my courses. Since I am not in front of the students (and a "guide on the side", their main interaction is with the course materials-these materials need to be the best available.
The biggest challenge with this is the idea that you cannot clear up any misunderstandings about the assignments or materials in person--while in various courses, you can do this over the phone or in a live chat situation, not all courses at all schools support these options. Thus, as the instructor, we need to verify that the instructions are specific and leave no room for unintended errors (which usually are present until the assignment has been used a few times and the kinks worked out).
One of my biggest challenges has been motivating certain students. When I am face-to-face with the student I can see as I am lecturing or discussing course material if they are understanding the material. They are able to ask questions and get an immediate response. Some students do not ask questions in a virtual classroom and they sit on the sidelines confused. Eventually this type of student may drop from the course or their program of study.
I think the instant gratification some students have becomes a challenge in itself. When they submit their work they want to know their grade immediately. When they send an email or place a phone call, they want the answer to their question immediately. Teaching the students to be patient, while still keeping them interested and motivated, can be a tricky task.
Yes, it sounds all too familiar! In our end of course evaluations there is a trend of students making comments that they are working full time and have families and can't take on the same workload as a traditional student. Unfortunately, that's not the way it works! Tina
Hi Michelle, we are implementing a learning lab this quarter to see if we can help students who are sitting on the sidelines engage. The fear is that the students you describe will be the ones that don't attend the lab! Tina
Hi Tina,
I so wish I could implement something that gets everyone involved in my courses. Unfortunately, the live study sessions, increased office hours, etc., may not be utilized by the ones that need it the most. I would love to hear how the learning lab goes!
I work part time and teach online and many of those students are in certificate programs not degree programs so it was made clear to us that we could not expect the same level of work for those students. I understand that to a degree, but shouldn't all students have to be able to follow directions? Especially if they are going to work in health care (the area I teach in).
I teach full time in a traditional classroom and have many students say “I came to the community college because it was suppose to be easier"; what part of college do they not get?
Hi Michelle, the first week is showing 50% participation in one section but the other is only about 15%. Feel free to email in a few weeks to ask about the learning lab: tina.stavredes@capella.edu
Tina
This is a challenging question for me because I have only taught online. As such, I am not transitioning from the "sage on the stage" to the "guide on the side". So, I will modify the question to be more relevant to my situation, say:
What do you feel will be your biggest challenge in becoming an effective "guide on the side"?
I teach math and often times, students need different explanations in order for it to 'qlick' for them. I may explain somthing one way and a portion of the class will really get it. I need to explain it a differnt way for another portion of the class to get it. To be an effective guide I need to be able to identify the explanation of a technique that most people understand and the hard part is determining if another explanation is necesary. In other words have enough students got it, or not?
