Week 3

Lawrance Holton Week 3

• Significance of knowing the technology
• Essential to communicate clear expectations
• Considerations should the instructor

©2013 • Lawrance A. Holton II

Significance of knowing the technology

Today and tomorrow are nothing but the evolution of yesterdays technology. Technology has made our lives easy. We are able to use more time of our days because technology makes our activities easier and completes them faster. In our distance learning its the basic building block by allowing use to interact with one another. We use computers that are obsolete but it allows us to be less behind the curve of technology. Technology makes multi tasking easier...

©2013 • Lawrance A. Holton II

essential to communicate clear expectations

Professors need to provide simple and clear instructions

so that you minimize the possible issues that can occur in a distance learning environment. As a educator you have to know your learner, not all learners adapt to the distance learning situation easy and complex instructions cn cause a distance learner to become distracted adn detatched from the Instructor. Your goal as a Instructor is to be effective, so to help the students understand you and the instruction , understand the student and overcome the communcation and learning barriers in your course or class

Communication is the key and clear communication is beyond important.

This week we are covering ice breakers and ways to make the learner comfortable in the distance learning environment. If you read my post you read where I say create a icebreaker question which is simple but also a follow up question to provide supporting detail to the response.

 

©2013 • Lawrance A. Holton II

considerations should the instructor

Each studnet is different, each learner comes from a different world, and is from various experiences. My first education course was a bust and I felt lost from the beginning, My teacher failed because she assumed that like several of my classmates had bachelors in the field of education that I was familiar with pedagogy and eduction theory. I actually have a background in technology and informatics and was clueless on what was going on in the course. What really disapointed me was we completed icebreaker questions and I do not feel they were used in my personal instruction. Overall it was useful to me because as a Instuctor I know see where she was flawed and refuse to fail as she did

©2013 • Lawrance A. Holton II

Online learning

In Education you have facilitators and learners, Knowing your role is very important. Most students have to have those boundaries set to set a tone or a mood. Essentials are defined roles between the student and the presenter to eliminate confusion. This starts with clear and direct communication from the Facilitator being teacher, instructor, Professor or what ever title you utilize.The course is only as easy as the knowledge you have and as good as the communication between the Facilitator and the learner. So yes you have an abundance of knowledge but can you present it to me, and can I convey it. The Facilitator should be accessible, in my experience professors who could not be reached made the situation challenging. Communities can be sustained through having people but you need clear direct communication and accessibility to one another. Social presence is needed for the course can be successful, meaning we are here even without the physical presence but we can interact via the set vehicles of communication. The online learning communities significantly impact both student learning learning because it creates a dynamic where the facilitator and the learner are equal participates.(Dr. Renata Palloff). Once again essentials are defined roles between the student and the presenter to eliminate confusion. One would say hook your student communicate with them, you retain them due to good communication and setting the tone. Video: "Evaluating Distance Learning Theory" (approximate length: 12 minutes). Dr. Saba discusses the importance of evaluating online learning theory and provides a rubric for determining which theories are best for building teaching strategies. Video: "Online Learning Communities" (approximate length: 44 minutes). Dr. Rena Palloff and Dr. Keith Pratt define "Online Learning Communities" and highlight the benefits of creating a learning community for facilitators of online learning experiences. Garcis, H. (2010). Getting successful as a distance learner. Retrieved May 25, 2011 from http://EzineArticles.com/3803925. Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson. Moore, M. (1991). Distance Education Theory. The American Journal of Distance Education, 5(3). Retrieved April 19, 2009, from http://www.ajde.com/Contents/vol5_3.htm