Get Your Students Hired
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Teaching and Organizing a Virtual Learning Environment --> Guide on the Side
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
As a facilitator of an online course, my role is to guide students to be responsible for their own learning experience.
Online classes must be kept up with regularly. Since students have more freedom, sometimes they lose track of the objective. As educators we must find ways to keep them on track.
I've learned that becoming an online facilitator means focusing on student-centered learning, designing problem-based activities, providing timely and meaningful feedback, and knowing that I will support the students in taking ownership of their learning and encourage them to find solutions for themselves. This will foster engagement and peer interaction.
Facilitating teaching and learning in an online environment must be done strategically and communicated regularly to the students. This includes ensuring regular discussions post prompts abide by the syllabus and learning objectives for the course. The instructor must also evaluate teaching and learning throughout the course by reviewing the discussion posts, assignments, exam scores, and feedback from the students. Then, if modifications to the process are necessary, the changes should be made and communicated to the students. For example, if what was intended for the lesson was not achieved and the objectives not met, the instructor must present the information again to ensure the objectives are met, the students learn and understand the material, and any improvements the instructor made are acted on.
As a facilitator, my role is to guide the process. I am tasked with communicating in clear and unambiguous language so that miscommunication does not occur, at least not often. Providing feedback in a timely manner, whether on assessments or on the discussion boards, provides students with confidence that their learning experience is not a lonely one. An engaging instructor is available to help. Going forward, I will continue to provide meaningful and timely feedback with a healthy balance of correction and celebration for what was done correctly.
As a facilitator, there are many important tasks. Communication, fostering a learner-centered environment, structuring problem-based learning, and providing meaningful, informative feedback are all essential. However, providing informative feedback is the more important aspect of the role.
I'm an introvert. I realize however, that my students will benefit greatly from increased communication. I'm motivated to improve.
This module reinforced the importance of the “Guide on the Side” approach in a virtual learning environment. Instead of being the sole source of knowledge, the instructor takes on a facilitator role, guiding students to engage more actively with the content, think critically, and take ownership of their learning.
One key takeaway is the importance of structured course design, ensuring that materials, assessments, and activities encourage student interaction and self-reflection. Additionally, providing timely and meaningful feedback helps build student confidence and fosters a strong instructor-student connection.
I plan to apply these strategies by incorporating more opportunities for student-led discussions, interactive activities, and formative assessments that encourage engagement and deeper understanding. I will also continue to refine my feedback approach, ensuring that students receive guidance that is clear, constructive, and supportive.
Prompt and informative feedback is important for the students' confidence and the student-instructor relationship. On line instructors must be prepared to weir many hats to perform their duties appropriately and as always good communication is vital to the success of both students and instructors
I plan to make a better effort to communicate more often with students even though my course is teacher-centered and asynchronous
Learning in a synchronous or asynchronous environment requires the instructor to be in tuned with the different learning styles of the class. They may need to use multiple different strategies to ensure all students are able to comprehend the materials. Making sure to provide timely feedback to our students is also important to their success.
Evaluation of students understanding of the content and how it can be improved on was a reminder not to just look at grades.
Student feedback helps tailor the teaching pattern to an individual classes needs. Encouraging participation facilitates the need for student to actively learn.
Making sure student feedback is read and understood. In this way, the course may always be effective for the students who are taking the course.