Reflective Writing #2
Objective and Reflective:
“Persevering at online learning is also affected by
computer and information literacy, time
management…online communication skills…self-
esteem, feelings of belongingness in the online
program and the ability to develop interpersonal
skills with peers…” (pg. 199)(3)
In other words, why this self-directed PID 3100 course fails in so
many levels in the online, self-directed learning environment.
I chose this quote quite specifically because I am struggling mostly with lack of class
group communications, structured feedback, directed topical guidance and just barely
persevering with overall time requirements within the current “structure” of this online
course. I have done many other online courses successfully— after 15 years of
successful University— I know a thing or two about what it takes to be a good
student, and teacher both in-class and in the previous and developing online
environments.
Online learning seems to be the way of the current and future. With the onset of the
Pandemic, many institutions and industries have struggled to adapt this method of
education, rarely hired online curriculum SME developer, and went with the in-house
teaching/or training“expertise” readily available. Principally because it is large cost
savings and massive logistics reductions, with classroom human learning. With the
onset of the pandemic, many possibilities, advantages and unforeseen problems have
appeared to be evident from this type of teaching structure, and the documented poor
learning outcomes as a result of disengaged and disenfranchised students and
instructors.
The effectiveness of this method of teaching, when developed by online curriculum
SME’s is said to be very high, as per the U.S Department of Education (1). Students
are apparently performing modestly better on average than in person studies.
However, blended studies were found to be the most effective…where instructors
actively participated collaboratively with the students, verses students working totally
persevering in the darkness against a screen feeling, or in actuality, on their own (1).
Perhaps online learning is still mostly a working formula, relying too heavily on the
individual students’ motivation with unrefined online structure and occasional teacher
input operating in an unfamiliar learning/teaching environment. SDL requires an
essential interwoven fabric of teacher engagement, well-researched support materials
and live chatroom-type peer interaction. Peer connection/mentoring is essential to
combat the isolation and engage the learner when it is often you against the computer
screen and Professor Google search results—which are often of limited value and
dubious in origins— not essential and focused course-relevant content at a high level.
The problem is that some students require more interaction and support than others,
much as the in-class settings of the “past.” It comes down to students having to
push the instructor for time and attention, which can be fundamental to failure and not
all students are mature enough to succeed in a hybrid or exclusively online learning
portal. Many students are learning outside of regular business hours, and outside time
zones. This can make it hard to receive timely direction, mentoring type feedback and
focused help/support tools given the lack of “live” chatroom discussions or IM
capacity for facilitators to be real-time engaged like in a classroom!
Student skills and learning abilities are also immensely variable. Students come from
varying socializing backgrounds, cultures, educational histories, personal struggles and
financial issues along with basic maturity levels and work ethics. Even having access
to an up-to-date working computer and financial resources to assist with tech
purchases can be a problem. Someone like me, with very little computer ‘tech”
knowledge has often struggled with a programs sharp learning curve just to get the
assignments done. What about someone who is disabled? Unable to type at a fast
speed? Can’t afford the desired technology to convert speech to type? Financially
not able to afford a tutor? Just getting set up into the VCC page, Moodle was a
challenge given to it’s basic design and archaic document access and limited by
content search capacities. Definitely, a younger student who is more up to date in
computer and social media would do better in a computer-based, online learning
situation. I prefer reading and editing physical materials, and not this online linked
material, which is often problematic to say the least.Reflective Writing #2 5
Ok, then there is the time management issue. Many students need to be organized
physically. I have found this important on a regular basis in my physical classroom.
Giving breakdowns, reminders, rubrics, about assignments. Sending “tweak” emails
to students. Pointed communication is REALLY important for student success
especially with eLearning and especially this generation with short attention spans and
endless distraction at hand!. I find that current students can’t balance their time
efficiently and/or productively, like us old timers. I break down my course into a
written and visual calendar, walk the students through it daily. And still they cant get
their assignments structured, completed in on time!
I have also learned that basic pacing is important. Both for my physical and mental
health, and I do pretty good. Considering I work full time, have family obligations, run
an aviary and a creative career. But, an online course needs to be laid out easily for
comprehension and with the highest available research materials and video tutorials at
hand and pre-screened by administrators and online curriculum SME developers to
ensure engagement of the widest range of learning styles and learner types. Follow a
path that makes sense— Have appropriate and superior resources for learning (2). It’s
hard to go through the vast amount of resources on your own wading through the
online crap swamp. Please utilize TAs effectively. TA’s can fill in the gaps on a
personal level with students in an online structured course. The 3100 course outline
can use more clarification. As can the Moodle site. It’s not very user-friendly at best
of times.
Ok, how do I really feel having completed the first PID course online?
I miss having classmates to talk about the course material and content with and to
ask questions. The class teaching the online class. There needs to be some type of
live forum or IM chat room for students in an online environment.
My partner that I was given, was not that interested in connecting. So, It would have
been essential and engaging to have other students to bounce ideas off of. I spent a lot
of hours pondering my screen contents alone in the dark. Not very engaging at times!
There is also the time factor that an online course consumes daily. Standard in-class
course have a set amount of hours for instruction, group work, Q & A sessions and
teacher clarification and mentoring and suggestions at hand. The online solo
assignments are much heavier and more numerous. In-class students these days are
working full time and are already sleep deprived. The average online course
unfortunately makes it possible to work 24/7. So students are even more sleep
deprived. It’s really difficult to learn and produce content when you are so tired after
living and working each day already. A very low-level capacity for learning ensues.
(Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs).
Interpretive:
Also, one can’t possibly know what is important to know without some direction and
guidance from an instructor. A personalized relationship with the instructor is essential
for this. Steering a student back to where they need to be, when they stray. I feel
that online instruction is just another way for instructors to be detached and students
to be perilously unfocused. The way around this is to work on developing real-time
instructional and feedback loops and working mentored relationships with students.
Feedback should not be condescending. No pat answers, but real explanations for
clarifying topics and points of view. Focused high-grade suggestions for resources.
Students may not feel that they can contact instructors for help especially when the
instructor is curt or overloaded in this environment themselves. This leads to more
distrust and perceived value of students in online model and the “distant” instructor
and the “hands-off”new educational system. A student with a higher self-esteem may
push for more instructor time and hold them accountable through persistence, or from
their fear of failure given the constraints and inherent frustration for many with
eLearning when poorly designed and lacking resources and expert SME curriculum
development. The younger students or less mature likely fall by the wayside.
Currently, I run an on line Facebook group for my students. My carefully selected and
vetted articles, video tutorials and resources are posted there. My students also have
an online WhatsApp account to engage each other in real-time, in which they assist
and support each other both individually and within a group dynamic. Our school is
often monitoring the accounts to watch for cyberbullying.
There are many good resources for schools and instructors to use for designing online
hybrid courses (2). Many good courses out there to choose from. Many incentives.
With so many institutions out there offering hybrid systems, students will be moving to
where they are most accommodated and the material and instructions are at a high
level, both in development and online support systems— As I will too.
The focus for all online courses should be on the student satisfaction. Did the student
reach their goals in the course? Why not? How can we best improve our hybrid
model to make the course better?
On a personal note, a course that is in a provincial teacher preparation program should
be top end and well developed, resourced and directed. This introductory 3100 has
left me quite dissatisfied and mystified. I could have read a good “recommended”
educational book and gotten more from it. The 3100 recommended current textbook
though, as I found it difficult to understand. It is better suited to a 4th year teaching
course. I found it difficult to understand some of the basic concepts due to its Jargon-
filled writing and editing—the lowest form of Bloom’s taxonomy. A good textbook is
one that teaches to the student level and engages the most learning styles possible.
Reading a textbook and taking a course should be enjoyable, not an exercise alone in
the dark requiring tremendous perseverance!Reflective Writing #2 9
Decisional:
If I was to EVER teach an online course, I would 1) utilize a SME curriculum developer
and a IT person to design the site for maximum student engagement, superior quality
resources and operational/interaction simplicity. 2) Fully utilize TAs to support student
questions and learning. 3) Find a superior and level-appropriate textbook. 4) Bring in
SME on different subjects in the curriculum to produce content. 5) Fully utilize SM
platforms of many types, including an IM chat room for students to interact.
Why persevere at the lowest level, when you can engage at a higher level of Bloom’s
Taxonomy, within the New World of online student successes. Malcolm Knowles has
no place in online learning!
References
(1) Bryan, V.C. (2013), The power and peril , and promise of information technology to
community education. In V.C, Bryan & Wang. (Eds). Technology use and research
applications for community education and professional development, pp.1-23.
Hershey:PA:IGI Global. Doi:10.4018/978-1-466-2955-4.ch001
(2) California Department of Education online site. Designing a high quality online
course
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/dl/hqonlinecourse.asp
(3) Sharan B., Merriam & Laura L. Bierema (2014), Adult Learning, Linking Theory and Practice. San Francisco, CA. (pg 24-41, 168-189), Jossey-Bass.