Intro to Online Teaching - Final Post

This is the final blog entry for my Intro to Online Teaching course.  This entry 

will cover the material I learned in the second half of the course as well as my

personal reflections on the course overall.  The second half of the course began

with the introduction of the five learning theories.  

The first learning theory I'll discuss is behaviorism.  According to Learning-

Theories.com, behaviorism assumes the learner is passive. Behavior is then

shaped by negative or positive experiences or interactions.  Pavlov's dogs are

an example of behaviorism.  The second learning theory is cognitivism.  It

replaced behaviorism in the 1960's.  This theory explains people are rationale

thinkers and require active participation to learn.  The third learning theory is

constructivism.  This theory believes that learners use past experiences and

knowledge to process information.  

The second section of this course taught me about the 7 principles.  The post I

wrote on the seven principles on October 28, 2011 follows: 

The unit I selected is media buying.  It is the process of purchasing advertising

by using formulas, negotiation skills and market data.  In this unit, students

will be reminded of the various mediums in which advertising can be bought:

tv, radio, outdoor, viral, and non-traditional.  I will explain the rating agencies

(Neilsen, Arbitron, etc.) and present formulas on how to use a rating point to

determine the value of an ad.  We will conduct drills that require e-role playing

where students will play the role of the salesperson and media buyer.  Each

party will have a number provided by me, that they cannot negotiate below.  It

is the responsibility of the team to work together. The media buyer must

purchase an effective and innovative amount of advertising within their

budget.  The sales person must meet their quota and be pleasant enough that

the media buyer will call them when they are interested in purchasing more

ads.  By the end of the unit, students should be able to:

• Identify each rating agency and the medium(s) they are responsible for rating.

• Create an effective and innovative media purchase schedule (think outside the box)

• Understand add-ons and how to negotiate them into a media buy

• Place media while staying within budget

• Negotiate rates without over promising or over compromising             

    List the 7 Principles and for each Principle, identify the two 'best' strategies

for effectively addressing that principle in your teaching unit.  Briefly discuss

why you feel the two strategies you selected are the 'best' for your purposes.

1. Good practice encourages student faculty contact

 Ask student how they are doing from time to time/Seek out students who

seem to be having problems with the course or miss class frequently.  This

will allow me to gauge how my students are doing in the class beyond the

grades I post.  It shows that I am genuinely interested in their success and am

available if they need assistance.  The unit I selected is heavy in math and

undergrad advertising students may not realize how much math is involved in

advertising in addition to creativity.

Chat time online with faculty (at various times, scheduled weekly).  Hosting

chats at varying times weekly will allow students to interact with me and each

other in a real time environment.  For this unit, they can do mock negotiations

with me during chat to prepare for the assignment.

2.  Good practice encourages cooperation among students
 

Rotate students when working in pairs or small groups. This will allow

students the opportunity to work with different people in class on different

projects.

Under the guidance of the instructor, allow students to formulate potential

exam questions and answers or discussion posts.  Students cooperate more

when they feel like they are included in the learning process.  By asking

students to submit questions for the class to answer, it causes them to review

the material and validates their participation in the class.

3. Good practice encourages active learning

 

 *Encourage students to challenge your ideas, the ideas of other students,

or those presented in readings or other materials. By encouraging my

students to challenge the ideas presented to them in my class, I show them

that they have a voice in the class.  I can also learn from them challenging me

and teach them by finding additional resources to support the information

presented.

Give students concrete, real life situations to analyze.  The role playing and

information provided regarding media buying will mimic real world scenarios

that go beyond textbook examples.

4.Good practice gives prompt feedback 
 

Ask students to schedule conferences with you to discuss their progress.

For those who need it, offering conferences with my students allows them to

get a one on one experience where we can discuss their progress.

Give students written comments on their strengths and weaknesses

throughout the course.  No student should have to wonder what their grade

is at the end of the course.  Consistent grading will allow students to gauge

their progress and correct any mistakes before it's too late.

5. Good practice emphasizes time on task 
 

Clearly communicate to your students the minimum amount of time they

should spend preparing for classes.  Although this is usually done at the

beginning of the semester, I think it is helpful to reemphasize throughout the

course.  Some projects will take longer than others and I'd place an estimated

time on each "special" project for the course.

Distribute a handout on time management.  Often time is mismanaged due

to inexperience.  Giving resources to my students on time management 

through a handout, video link, or website may increase their ability to stay on

task.

6. Good practice communicates high expectations 
 

Provide "stellar" examples (of past student project, for example) for 

students to refer to.  Showing past projects sets a bar for students to reach

towards.  After looking at another "stellar" project, it is difficult for a student

to say there weren't aware of what was expected.

Try to make the assignments interesting to create interest.  If I create 

interesting assignments, I believe my students will be excited to complete 

them and will learn more.

7. good practice respects diverse talents and ways of learning 
  

Try to find out your students' learning styles, interests, or backgrounds at 

the beginning of each course. Now that I've learned numerous ways students

learn, it would be beneficial to asses my class in the beginning to ensure the

material and projects will be beneficial to them.

 

Use different activities for class- videos, discussion, groups, pairs etc. 

There are so many ways to advertise, I can illustrate each method online 

without relying on text only.  We can listen to radio ads, watch tv and internet

ads, read text message campaigns and outdoor billboards.  Watching movies

with product placement is also an effective way to engage students on the 

subject.

We were allowed to take an online teaching competencies test to gauge 

wether we had the skillset to facilitate an online class.  We read and viewed 

information that showed the most effective way to teach online.  The top ten 

is listed below.

1. The instructor shows respect to students in his/her communications with them.
2. The instructor provides students with clear grading criteria.
3. The instructor clearly communicates course goals.
4. The instructor clearly communicates course content.
5. The instructor shows enthusiasm when interacting with students.
6. The instructor provides clear, detailed feedback on assignments and exams that enhances the learning experience.
7. The instructor communicates with students about course changes, reminders of due assignments, relevant additional resources through announcements/emails.
8. The instructor can effectively manage the course communications by providing a good model of expected behavior for all course communication.
9. The instructor provides prompt, helpful feedback on assignments and exams that enhances learning.
10. The instructor clearly communicates expected student behaviors.

 I was introduced to Wetpaint and Wiki in the second section of the course.  

Wetpaint was very helpful for my last group project where we found exemplary

websites highlighting both text and video concurrently.  The project required 

we create a rubric to judge if the sites were exemplary or not.  Wetpaint 

worked great because each group member could edit the page at their lesiure

and all edits were documented.  The site also offered a discussion area where

we could exchange ideas with each other.  Although I did not use Wetpaint for 

my final portfolio, I enjoyed using the site and will use it again in the future.  

Personally, I found the workload to be a bit overwhelming. I learned a lot and

have a new appreciation for online instructors.  I'd like to be able to access the

course lessons after the class has concluded because the links were interesting

an will be useful in the future.  The group I worked with was respectful and we

worked together to complete our work on time.  Overall, I am glad I started

this journey and I look forward to seeing how it ends.

Intro to Online Teaching Part 1

This course has taught me some key principles regarding online teaching.  In Unit 1, I was introduced to the Blackboard Course and all of the tools it has to make online learning manageable. I gained a better understanding on how to post to discussion topics through the discussion board and through the course lessons by clicking the link.  Copying and pasting the question into the new discussion thread proved to be the best way I can see the question while I'm typing the answer.  Responding to the other students' posts allows me to get to know them a little better and to see the topic from a different point of view.  Communicating with the instructor and my fellow students via the course email took some getting used to.  I have my GSU emails routed to my Blackberry so I am notified when a new email arrives.  The course email requires that I log into Blackboard and check the email for each online course in which I am enrolled.  Once I started working with my group I found the discussion board, blog, and file exchange options extremely useful.  The Netiqquette information explained and reinforced how to communicate when interacting online.  It was a refreshing reminder to be a good citizen in the online community by refraining from using all caps which is the equivalent to screaming.  We were also reminded that our online interactions need to have an appropriate tone, spelling should be correct and slang should not be used.  Unit 1 also gave instructions on how to be successful in the course.  Each student e-signed a learning agreement where we promised to sign into the course at least four days a week, and participate in the discussion posts by answering the questions and responding to three other posts.  Everyone gave an account of how much experience we have taking online classes.  We are encouraged to ask questions if we need assistance and grades are posted on a regular basis so everyone knows where they stand.  Each student uploaded an Avatar of themselves, participated in a icebreaker and posted their first blog entry.
The second unit introduced us to high tech vs. high touch concepts.  This touches on a highly debated subject among some academics.  Is on ground instruction more effective than online instruction?  Without the ability to see facial expressions or hear tone, can online classes be effective in reaching to be Students had to e-sign an agreement that outlined how often we must log into the course




In Part 1 of the course, you have been introduced to Blackboard, the online learning environment, models of online learning, and factors influencing learners and teachers in online courses.  In your blog entry, reflect on what you have learned and experienced thus far in the course.  Your reflection essay should not only address your personal observations and reactions, but should also demonstrate that you have achieved the learning objectives for Part 1. 
Use the text box in the assignment tool to provide the instructions for accessing your blog (url and any other access codesNote: ALL BLOG URLS MUST BE ACTIVE FOR THIS AND ALL REMAINING ASSIGNMENTS.  Instructions for how to make URLs active:  How to make a URL link active.html 
Make sure to test your access information to make sure that it is correct, because in inaccessible blogs will be considered as posted late and will have 3 points deducted for late submission.
See the attached file for the grading form for this assignment. It will provide a checklist for you to assure that you have addressed learning objectives to be addressed in this blog.

Expectations

Learning

I have taken online classes for many reasons.  In undergrad I took online classes at the community college while FT at a University because I maxed out my financial award and could afford to take gen ed classes online.  Other times the commute was too far and online classes made the most sense.  Now, I'm a mother of two small children.  Online courses allow me to participate at times that work best for me.  For my current classes at GSU, I have to log in at least 4 times a week which is more than I remember from my other classes.  The schedule still works for me because I don't have to find childcare in order to participate in class.  I expect to work hard in this course.  It's only the first week and I think I've completed about four mini assignments already.  The creation of this blog being one.

My perception of online learning has changed over the years.  In 2004, I thought it was an easier way to complete a course without having to physically attend class. My current perception is that many (not all) online courses are filled with hours of busy work to counter many who had the same perception I had years ago. 

Teaching
I've been interested in obtaining a online teaching certificate for a few years.  At first I thought I needed a BA in education to teach online.  Once I found out that wasn't the case I began to research programs.  Most of the programs I researched required classroom instruction.  After bumping into a friend who now teaches at GSU I learned of this program.  Now I am taking courses to receive an Online Teaching Certificate.  When I saw I only needed four classes, I enrolled in two for Fall and planned to enroll in two in Spring because I figured I'd have my certificate by the summer.  Though the certificate will take longer than I expected I'm excited about the possibilities.   

My perception of online teaching is that it requires organization and timeliness.  As with teaching in person, the instructor should be knowledgeable and excited about the subject they're teaching.  Communication is important because facial expressions and vocal tone are absent.  And as our Netiquette reading indicates, it's easy for a student to send an instructors comments anywhere so proper communication is key.

Expectations
I'm interested to learn how much time and preparation goes into teaching an online class.  Is it more than what is needed for in-class instruction?  Do schools expect instructors to come with a curriculum or do they execute existing curriculum? How is your teaching evaluated? What is the job market like for those looking to teach online? These are just a few things I expect to understand before my online teaching certificate is complete.

Kris