Get Your Students Hired
Philip,
Laying eyeballs on students, now I can see where that might be difficult in an online delivered course. If the students don't have eyeballs to play with, how do you work that with online students?
Herbert Brown III
The biggest challenge is laying eyeballs on the students or not being able to because body language doesn't lie! They'll tell you they are doing okay while their body language is screaming for help!
David,
I see your concerns. The online environment will handle the discussions and static content ok, but how will you handle the labs? Can you record your own detailed videos of the culinary procedures and techniques and then require the students to record themselves and post their videos for evaluation and feedback??
Herbert Brown III
One of my biggest challenges will be when I need to transition from relying on face-to-face discussions and also practical lab environments to the on-line environment. I teach in a culinary school, so we have a large portion of our learning environment rely on labs and practicals. My teaching style, therefore, has evolved to utilize this environment; once that environment has been switched to on-line, I will need to transition how I interact with students and target their individual needs.
I love those descriptors...yes, sometimes you wonder if you are using your Ph.D. in the topic that you are an expert in. But, then you get a phone call from a student or see something in the discussion board that you can add your knowledge to - so there are opportunities in the online environment to be the sage as well!
I love being the guide too, so all is good and that is a very important role in the online classroom!
Betsy,
You are right you cannot read the body language, unless maybe you are doing a lot of synchronous video conferencing. I have found though over a number of years of teaching online that I can establish "tone" pretty well in the written communication with students (postings, email, etc.). It may not be as good as body language but the more you teach online I believe you establish a better feel for this.
Herbert Brown III
What do you feel will be your biggest challenge in transitioning to a "guide on the side"?
Being able to read a student's body language in the classroom is so valuable, and this is not possible when teaching an online course.
Interpreting tone, and being able to discern changes in a student's tone "cyber feel" is the biggest challenge; it can be achieved if you establish a connection immediately - starting with the first day day welcome email to all students, and following up with an individual emails to each student before the first week ends.
The biggest challenge I will face is the lack of body language. I like to read my student body language and use body language to comunicate what my desired outcomes are.
I feel to work around this problem more writen comunication will be needed. Also when reading a students response you have to read what the intent of the message is, not just the words.
Richard,
I also use video in my online and traditional courses - both synch. and asynch. I have also found video to be an effective tool. And even more important to me, my students regularly tell me how important the videos are to them - that is the best validation I can get.
Herbert Brown III
I teach in an online enviroment. However to increase availability across the department I have included synchronous lectures my weekly presentation materials. These lectures are hosted through a video feed.This method we have found allows other students in different classes to also take part in/and benefit from my lectures.
Richard,
You mention cross-sectionally, does that mean that you are teaching a traditional class and Live broadcasting it to an online audience as the same time? Do you also offer a recording of the session for those online students that might not be able to connect during the live session? How is that process working for you? I have taught this way for a number of courses and found it to be very functional
Herbert Brown III
In the online enviroment one of the biggest complications is bridging the gap between the online enviroment and a traditional classroom. In an effort to over come this, I have have began doing live lectures in my classroom. This actually became a huge benefit to the organizaiton, now we can teach and offer resources cross-sectionally.
Don,
I have also found that a simple ice breaker with the students allows you to connect with them. We use ice cream in our graduate program. We encourage them to leave their work and get "ice cream" when they get overwhelmed...and it has stuck. Everyone in the learning community continues to discuss their ice cream.
Herbert Brown III
The biggest issue I faced to becoming the guide on the side was my ability in include and or reference some more personal aspects about myself. I have found that by letting the class know that my dog is usually in my office with me when I work or that my favorite beverage during a discussion chat is Dr. Pepper that it tends to offer students a soft entry into the discussion and overall engagement usually increases.
Andrew,
I think it is great that you already realize that connecting with your students in a proactive way is a great way to establish your presence in the class but also a great way to identify struggling students and get them help early on. When we can build a level of community in the classes, the students are more motivated, but then you understand the "community" as well and can gauge when people in the community are starting to have issues.
Herbert Brown III
Stacy,
Are you able to offer live video conferencing sessions as help sessions that allow these struggling students to connect with you in a more personal way? How have you found to identify the struggling ones, mainly through grades?
Herbert Brown III
I feel like the non-verbal’s in a traditional classroom tell me if I’m losing a student or a group. I can quickly recover and change my method if that happens. In an online environment, the recovery can take days and the student re-engagement is not always successful for this reason. It’s also easier for students to hide in the online environment. You aren’t looking directly at them so they have the luxury of engaging (or not engaging) at their own leisure.
I think the "guide on the side" is a great analogy! I am preparing to teach my first online course and was thinking the same thing myself. I think the biggest transition for me will keeping abreast of the "pulse" of the class without being able to read any non-verbal communication from the students. I typically stay very aware of non-verbal cues to tell me when students are bored, confused, stressed, or any other emotions that are going on. I am then able to change what I'm doing or talk with them to get things on a better track before problems develop.
In an online environment, I imagine I will have to look for other signals. Lack of or level of participation in the discussion forums will surely be one way to gauge how a student is doing. Also, if there is a signigicant change in a student's level of participation, or the quality of their assignments drops, it might be a red flag that something is going on. I like the idea of sending an email or even phone call just to "check in" with each student individually to make sure they are comfortable with everything in the class. Surely, keeping tabs on my students in an online class will be even more of a proactive process than it is in an on ground class.
Accounting is a difficult subject to teach as the "sage on the stage" and becomes more difficult when you are the "guide on the side" primarily due to the difficulty in judging a student's desire to learn the material. In an on-ground environment, the instructor can easily recognize the students that are struggling through body language and responses. In an on-line environment, the body language is missing and the instructor must be more crafty in identifying struggling students. My biggest challenge in the transition is identifying the struggling students early on and supporting those students through the course.
Daron,
You are right, that is what it appears like. It is certainly more difficult to assess where students are in the online environment. We need to get more creative. Maybe have students complete more, shorter assignments that allow us as instructors to assess more often and in shorter steps in the process to try to establish where we lose the students and where their problems arise. It also might be even more important to get the students to connect with us in a LIVE session as soon as we see they are having issues and get them back on track before they get too far in down the wrong path in their learning.
Herbert Brown III