I must admit my first online classes that I created were just a throw up of assignments. I am not sure if my presence was really there unless I had to take over my nag role and find out why assignments weren't coming in. One of my online classes is still like that (I'll get around to fixing it, I will).
I have been knee deep these days in reading about what constitutes effective online teaching. I don't beleive it is something that just happens. For one thing who would our mentors be for effective online teaching if we are all just making it up as we go? One of my best experiences learing how to be an effective online teacher was to be an online student. I have to brag a bit here, but the University of Saskatchewan's ETAD program is the best. All of my classes have been online and I have never felt like a number and the teacher presence has definitely been there.
One of the readings that I have gone through was "Implementing Effective Online Teaching Practices: Voices of Exemplary Faculty" by Lewis and Abdul-Hamid. It was on of the best articles in my large stack sitting on my desk. One of the things that they talked about was maintaining enthusiasm and organization:
“Given the reality that most of the communication in online courses must be written and clearly presented to students without the assistance of bodily cues or facial expressions, many participants stressed the need for faculty to be organized and energetic and to have a visible persona in the classroom” (pg. 94)
Kevin Stranack commented on his blog about his experiences in online learning and an article by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry model.
So this has lead me to making a list of all of the ideas that I can think of or have read of in the last week on how to create a presence in our online classes:
- At the begining of the course have an introduction forum or webchat with the class.
- send weekly e-mails to students
- post weekly videos reviewing last weeks efforts by the students and the current weeks tasks
- engage with the students on weekly discussion boards
- phone students who may not be engaging in the online environment
- respond promptly to student questions and concerns
I have to say in almost all of my online classes I have definitely felt the instructors presence. The biggest factor for me was the prompt reply to any questions I had. Is there more to creating an online presence in the classroom? I would be very curious to hear how other people are creating that online presence and do you think that it is important? I guess I wonder are the classes that I try to create an online presence are any better or worse than the classes where I just have a throw up of assignments that the students work through on their own. I then become just a marking machine and resource when needed, which for my own job satisfaction is not my preference but my nag role is certainly reduced that way.
7 comments:
You've definitely got a great start on those tips. We work a lot with instructors who are moving from traditional f2f environments into online and one of the recommendations we make it to add your voice to the engagement. Even the voice memo tool on your iPhone can be used to record your voice and then that audio file can be uploaded or attached so student hear your voice in addition to reading text. I encourage instructors to use audio files in announcements or even attach them to assignments for oral feedback. If you haven't yet tried ipadio, I recommend that (www.ipadio.com) as it not only provides an audio file, but also a text version (you often have to edit so the text version is accurate). Having both mediums is important to ensure that your content is still accessible by all learners.
I also encourage instructors to create video tutorials using tools such as Jing or even record a tutorial using a web conferencing tool or a livescribe pen.
I created a wiki resource for another course that may also provide some tips and other references for you.... please check out http://onlineteachingguide.pbworks.com. Join the wiki and help build this resource! I'd love to have some help.
I often wonder why online instructors don't follow up with students whose "attendance" is lacking... they would not ignore students in a traditional course if they didn't show up in class for a week, yet they seem to consider that online means totally self directed. At college, even some of our instructors who have chosen to include suggested course schedules have been chastised by leadership with "that's the student's responsibility".
I love the idea of incorporating a webconference into the beginning, middle and end of the course at a minimum - use the sessions for ice breakers, exam preparation or project directions.
Laura
I think is important that as an online educator is simply that you are there. But yes I think using multiple platforms is important. As far as creating digital environments take a look at this great video on the different digital spaces: http://vimeo.com/15774119
I really liked Laura's comment about not following up with students attendance that is lacking online. We are still the teachers and we still need to figure out a way to keep these kids engaged in the learning. Saying that's the students responsibility only goes so far. There are certainly times when I feel like I go above and beyond to try to connect a kid that just doesn't want to be connected but the daily and weekly tracking and encouragement to help keep kids engaged is a tough but necessary job that at the moment seems to take up much of my time. I will definitely have to incorporate more web conferencing. Our computers in each school is suppose to be set up to do this in October so I should have an update about how well that works then.
Great vimeo video on setting up successful classrooms of the future.
I think you'll find my presence a bit different in this class. While, I'll be reading every one of your posts, I may actually not comment on all of them. I may, from time to time, tweet out your posts to ask for advice from others. Sometimes, a few of them might stop by and leave a few comments.
I try to be a bit more of a connector - I want to help you connect to others in ways that will be meaningful and long-term. If you meet me half-way, continue to blog well (as you have here), give Twitter a try, etc., I think you'll be able to see what it means to build a long-term, learning network. Presence becomes something much more then, because it's no longer presence of one individual (in most cases, the prof that oversees a group of students). Instead, presence is from an entire network of people that are there to support and learn with you. There is a big difference - but I think the biggest advantage, is sustainability. Networks work where individuals fail.
I look forward to connecting to you more this semester!
It sounds like you have a great handle around many different class-management technologies. But I was wondering if you had explored, or considered exploring the incorporation of different social media(s) in creating your classroom web presence? Discussion boards and video may transfer some of the classroom experience to the digital environment, but there can be a lot gained in conducting class work online that comes from having it open to a global audience of learners.
I like to think that my role as a teacher (influenced greatly by your instructor Dr. Couros) involves staking out the 'public space' for my teaching in each class - generally using wikispaces as 'aggregators' of class works & RSS feeds - and myself as a teacher - with blogs, twitter, and active participation in my own learning networks, as well as those established for the class(es) - such that students benefit from being learners in a community that supports the class' learning, and shares it with the world. In some ways, the opportunities to develop online communities with a strictly online course are monumental.
It is higher ed stuff, but thought provoking and exploratory on every level, but Jim Groom cut a pretty mean streak at creating the digital instructor as Avatar in 2011's DS106 Summer of Oblivion: http://ds106.us/summer-of-oblivion/
Looking forward to your continued experiments in the coming term!
In terms of creating a 'classroom presence' online, I'd suggest analyzing your synchronous and or asynchronous questioning techniques. When completing my Master's of Distance Ed, I wrote a proposal to address this question. My proposal was turned down by a supervisor. But I still think it still might have had merit (of course I'm biased as it's my interest:)).
In your initial post, you discuss having to be 'on' for your students and refer to the study that notes the lack of 'assistance of bodily cues or facial expressions' with online forums. And you also mention online education does not just mean 'throwing up information to a web site'. I agree completely...Online education need not be a passive activity!
For example, a teacher in a F2F math class might be teaching the concept of FOIL (first, outside, inside, last; used to expand algebraic expressions). First off, the F2F might look at the student’s expression and see that they are not picking up on the concept and he must re teach the concept. Secondly, and maybe more importantly, the F2F teacher can easily ask different types of questions to different students (prompting, leading, open) to teach the concept and check for understanding and retention.
An online teacher might teach the same lesson, but would have to use a synchronous forum (such as an Elluminate session) or an asynchronous session (such as a forum) to help teach the concept and check for understanding. So, as an online teacher thinking about creating and maintaining online presence, perhaps it is important to analyze your questioning skills in this context.
Analysis of questioning techniques takes me back to my undergrad days at the U of R. The profs had a task for partners co teaching during (pre) internship sessions. I forgot what it's called (I think target setting or something like that), but basically someone collects specific data during a lesson you teach. For example, how many times do you ask boys questions as opposed to girls. Or how many times do you ask questions to students on one side of the room (and the other students are ignored). Or what type of questions you're asking. I'm sure there are more suggestions that could be made in this vane.
I think such analysis could lead to a better understanding of how teachers can be active online teachers as opposed to those who, as you suggest, simply throw up information to a web site.
Let me know what you think.
Jeremy
This semester for the first time I am having students create a blog for their Psychology 20 course. I am sure that I am not using it yet to its full potential since I am the only one commenting to it. All of the students can view each others blogs if they want to but they don't have to comment and I certainly haven't tried to get outside assistance in giving feedback to the students. I have made small starts with social media but I am no where close to using it to it's full potential.
I remember the questioning techniques that Jeremy mentioned from my student teaching at Bedford Road. We had to observe just what you mentioned, did the teacher ask more boys questions than girls and so on. That does help me to reflect on my online teaching as well. I often get those students who are really engaged in the class and we are in contact often through g-chat or e-mail. Now that I reflect on that most of those engaged students who interact with me through instant messaging are girls. Perhaps I will have to go back and critically reflect on how even in my online teaching I am connecting more to the girls than the boys.
Great food for thought. Thank-you
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