Instructor Presence
Instructor interaction in an online learning environment is very different from the traditional learning environment. Traditionally, the major interaction that an instructor has with learners is through the transmission of content via lecture. In an online learning environment, the delivery of course content is not the instructor's primary activity, so you will need to be able to transition from being the "sage on the stage" to the "guide on the side." What do you feel will be your biggest challenge in transitioning to a "guide on the side"?
What do you feel will be your biggest challenge in transitioning to a "guide on the side"? The biggest challenge to being the guide on the side could be meeting each individual student expectations. Many students may have different interpretations of what it means by guide. Often times, students think because you’re the instructor you are online all the times. I suggest posting a “best time to reach you†note in the forum. The communication barriers that are prevalent in the online environment may pose to be the biggest challenge by far. The challenge will be to make sure your students know that just because you’re not logged on doesn’t mean you’re not accessible.
Tonya,
Certainly clear expectations provided to the students on the syllabus is a good start. Students need to clearly understand what "reasonable" communication response times are and the best means to communicate with you. For some that might include weekly "live" office hours using desktop video conferencing tools. Student expectations may still not be realistic. The more we can educate students on the process the better off we will be. Giving students a variety of communication mechanisms and flexible times and days will certainly help with this.
Herbert Brown III
Hi
One of the challenges is not being able to visually see the response of the students as you present the information. Not having the visual cues as to how well the students are understanding can be a challenge.
Providing many opportunities for students to contact you as well as utilizing a variety of learning presentation styles is important. This allows the students who need a more visual learning experience to have an opportunity, as opposed to just text.
Thanks!
Jocelyn Dervis
Jocelyn,
I think online teaching, when done right, makes us a better teacher in general. As you note, online teaching requires instructors to be more concious on learning styles and more creative in creating assignments. It is vital to use a variety of learning tools to meet the diversity of our student population. Video tools can help with seeing the student, but creating reflection assignments (forums, mini writings, journaling, blogs) can help you determine student understanding throughout the course as well.
Herbert Brown III
Hello
The transition I feel it is harder for the online students. Even though they are in an online environment, I feel that a lot of them still want to be taught in the traditional way. The idea that the instructor is more of a facilitator then actual lecturer is something that is very alien to them and takes a while to accept.
Bill Becker
William,
This is one of those areas that you can address in your class expectations. Detail in your expectations how the course will be run or "facilitated." Explain the students' role in the course and explain to them how it WILL be different than a traditional class. This is especially important in introductory online courses where you may get a number of "first timers" in the course that need a clear understanding of how online courses differ.
Herbert Brown III
One of the most difficult items to do for an online instructor is not doing too much of the work for the student, and to patiently guide the student to think through the concept on his or her own. This will require multiple times of communication between the instructor and the student.
Also, the phone call can make a big difference. The student then feels there is a live person that he or she is working with.
It also helps to remember the student's personal issues when trying to be supportive and helpful to the student.
As the "sage on the stage" , we may have to teach prerequisite topics to help the student be successful in the present course.
What are some of the challenges you have had in connecting with a student?
Sincerely,
Marjorie Thrall Moller
Dear Jocelyn,
Yes, we are losing out on seeing body language when we teach a concept. We really have to read their messages closely. Sometimes, though, we do get to talk to them over the phone and we can pick up in their tone and attitude in the phone call how to help them.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Thrall Moller
Marjorie,
We can also use video conferencing tools in place of phone calls and then we get to see their body language and voice. The design of the interaction with the students should also be created so that their responses to interactive prompts truely reflect their leraning and undestanding.
Herbert Brown III
Marjorie,
Do you find that students get frustrated with you as you try to "guide" them through their learning through those multiple communication attempts? I find many students want the exactly answer and immediately gratitfication. It is a learning process for the students to just understand that they need to more actively engage the content and experiment and research more to determine the answer. In my graduate courses we really try to get the students to interact with fellow students and help them build a "community" of learners. This community helps each other work through their issues as they arise. It was built a strong relationship amoung the students that last even after they graduate.
Herbert Brown III
Some challenges I've found when being a "guide on the side" is that I may take things for granted such as the student's readiness level of the material or even the student's preparedness for class. In the past a number of times students would purchase the text on their own only to be waiting up to two weeks after class has started. Now schools do provide e-texts which helps to alleviate this problem for students. As for the student readiness level, through the student interaction on the discussion board, I can try and determine if the student knows the basics that they should have learned in earlier classes. If not, I can help students by putting additional material on the announcement board or handouts to help students refer to the material so that they do not fall too far behind.
Good point here Jocelyn. Body language is one of those areas we take for granted, but use to help us communicate with others.
There is a paradigm shift from the professor on the stage in the traditional classroom setup to the students on the stage in the online environment. The transition can be challenging in the beginning before you acquire necessary skills in the course management systems that your institution uses. However, with improved technology and good bandwidth, you can use rich media and interactive media to engage students (videos, animations, and audio). I have introduced synchronous live chats each week to engage students in real time. I have also used asynchronous discussion board questions with reply threads which I use to engage students. Students can also send to me an instant message during my weekly office time or if they see me online. Students have access to me email and telephone. Thanks, Tom
I think the biggest obstacle is most or many of the student aren't adequately prepared by the school for the way online courses work. I think the school needs to have a stronger orientation for new students.
Roberto,
Have you ever considered giving the students an entrance assessment to determine their readiness for the course? This might also give you a benchmark to determine where students are and allow you to connect with them and address their specific needs.
Herbert Brown III
Joseph,
There are also online readiness assessments available that help students self-evaluate their readiness for online learning. What if you required students to complete that readiness assessment and then provided them specific learning modules to complete to prepare them based on their weaknesses for online learning. Do you think that might be an effective strategy?
Herbert Brown III
Tom,
All are great tools. As you imply here, the importance is connecting with the students in the way they communicate. That is what will provide the students with the feeling of your "presence."
Herbert Brown III
In my ground class, I can quickly determine if a pupil is understanding the subject matter or having a problem.
In my online class, I may not be able to determine a faultering student until after a week has already gone, as the papers are being submitted or the discussion boards are done.
Due to the more passive nature of the virtual environment, my interaction with the student is multi-faceted by sending emails, making direct telephone calls and using video conferences to establish communication with the student.
This enables a rapport to be established with each and every student. This understanding is crucial in order to better support the student's quest for knowledge.
I think a major challenge is the student who is afraid to ask for help. I would really need to monitor the grades and quality of work and stay proactive and reach out to them.
