July 18, 2010

Summary of Module 3

I enjoyed this module quite a bit because although I’ve thought a lot about the differences between f2f and DE classes I never took the time until now to organize my thoughts. All in all, as I stated in my posts I think a teacher’s job is to teach/present the content and skills as required by course objectives, interact with students on a regular basis, inspire/motivate students to learn, and encourage students toward life-long learning. I think these hold true regardless of the delivery method. I know the latter hasn’t been discussed in any threads whereas the other three have been addressed so I want to say a few words about encouraging life-long learning.

I’m sure some will disagree with me, but actively working toward creating a life-long learner is every teacher’s responsibility regardless of the students’ age or grade. In f2f classes this is easier to do, I think, because a teacher’s enthusiasm can shine through and “infect” her students with the joy of learning. A DE instructor doesn’t have this advantage, however, because of the physical separation that exists. Thus, I think establishing quality interaction that is frequent is a prerequisite for any DE teacher who hopes to inspire her students to learn throughout their lives. The encouragement and motivation that instructors can provide through dialogue is indispensible. From my understanding thus far, I think teacher-student interaction has been downplayed in traditional DE programs, but the growth of online learning, even though it’s only one form of DE, is going to change that perspective, I think.

The readings in this module also focused on the role of technology in DE. It’s rather embarrassing to admit, but I’ve learned more about technology in this course in the past six weeks than I think I’ve learned in a lifetime. Before this class, my knowledge of technology was limited to the basics of knowing how to use Word and Power Point and how to access the Web. I’d never accessed Skype, Wimba, Twitter, or YouTube on my own before and I’d never heard much of the terminology that was presented in this module and the previous one. My ignorance in this area is one reason why I decided to enroll in a DE degree program because I know my lack of knowledge was limiting me as a teacher, both as a f2f instructor and certainly as an online one.

Learning how to use technology effectively for learning was a primary topic in this module and as a DE instructor I couldn’t agree more. I think one reason why I shied away from technology is because I didn’t understand or see how it could be used effectively (outside of the obvious, like Blackboard, since LMS are practically needed for online classes to run). I viewed technology as “fun and games” rather than as potential learning tools. Not all technology is relevant for learning and it’s tempting for instructors to go overboard using it, I think. I’ve learned that it’s very important to make a clear connection between a learning objective and technology before incorporating it into a class. But if this connection can be made, then technology can enhance learning in multiple ways. It can add variety, it can offer an alternative way to present information, it can provide students with more choice, and it can support synchronous interaction. I was wrong to shun it in the past and although I still have lots to learn at least now I am more knowledgeable and comfortable with considering it as a learning tool.

Thanks for reading; as always comments are welcome!
Eva