# Closing Statement

Edited by Angela Walsh, 2/14/2012 9:55 AM

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Debs ramblings:-

As recognised by Palloff & Pratt (1999) “Technology does not teach students, effective teachers do”. Technology should not drive the course. The desired outcomes of the course and needs of the students should be the deciding factors.

We have proposed in our opening statement that the online pedagogy is one of facilitation. Facilitate means “to make easy”. As a facilitator the role of the instructor is to make learning easier for the students. Part of that includes helping the group to increase its effectiveness by improving it learning processes.

Generally, understanding the differences between traditional face-to-face learning environment and online learning environment, and the process of being able to shift from one modality to the other, will give faculty members the ability to design better online courses and focus more on course delivery (Conrad, 2004; Harlow, 2007; Marfoglio, 2006, Sugar, Martindale, & Crawley, 2007) as cited by Keengwe, (2010).

To successfully transition from traditional pedagogy to active online learning pedagogies, faculty members may need to alter their teaching styles used within their “traditional classroom,” and embrace new skills to effectively reach the distant learners (Colaric, & Taymans, 2004; Grosse, 2004; Johnson, 2008; Kurzweli & Marcellas, 2008; Maguire, 2005; Nelson & Thompson, 2005; Panda & Mishra, 2007) as cited by Keengwe, (2010). Although tutors may have to change and adapt, it is not expected that this change will happen overnight.

Keengwe, J, (2010), Towards Best Practices in Online Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, Vol. 6, No. 2, June 2010

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K., (1999), Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace “Effective strategies for the online classroom” . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

A few points from Enda -

Points 1 & 2 are not mentioned in our opening statement and DD have mentioned on several occasions that these points are not directly related to the debate. External pressures will force institutions to rethink course delivery and the professional development of their teachers in order to satisfy demand.

1. Demand for College places will drive change – (latest Irish stats)

“Figures from the CAO, the centralised agency for college entry, show that there were 71,612 applications by yesterday's closing date. It's a whopping rise of almost 10,000 on the numbers that applied to the CAO 10 years ago, in 2002. Mature students, those aged over 23, account for a growing share of college applicants and make up 15pc, or about one in six of first-time entrants to college. The applications boom puts pressure on the third-level colleges to deliver a quality education to big numbers at a time when they are being financially squeezed through cuts in state grants”. Katherine Donnell, Irish Independent, Thursday February 2, 2011.

Our options are running out. The traditional f2f teacher will not be given the luxury of sitting in front of a classroom of students, as institutions will focus their efforts on reaching the masses. Good teachers will adapt and get creative and become good online teachers.

2. The affordances of the medium (one of our questions to DD, which they never directly replied too)

“Education paradigms are shifting to include online learning, hybrid learning and collaborative models” (Horizon Report 2012). Institutions are under financial pressures to cut costs and come up with alternatives to traditional methods. Whilst we acknowledge there will be initial set‐up costs in an online environment, the benefits of attracting a wider student base can be realised providing possible alternate revenue streams for institutes. Traditional methods will not to be able to compete with this new approach to teaching and learning, given the current economic climate.

3. Characteristics of a good teacher - Technical Expert issue (rebuttal from DD)

One characteristic that DD mention which is unique to an online tutor is that of a “technical expert”. As McKenzie (2001) notes, “preparing teachers to teach online needs to involve a lot more than the short workshops typical of in-service training”. Presto are aware that additional training and support by colleges will be necessary for a good teacher to move seamlessly into an online teaching environment, but the core characteristics remain the same.

The willingness to learn how to use a learning management system is all that is required. Successful eLearning environments make the transation from f2f to online with minimun technical requirments.
(Edel)

McKenzie, J. (2001, March). How teachers learn technology best. From Now On, 10(6). Available at http://www.fno.org/mar01/howlearn.html

Niamh.

According to a professional eteacher at 'The job of an eTeacher is to use enabling technology and effective distance learning methods to remove the barriers and build on the strengths of eLearning.' Essentially for the student's to participate in collaborative and discovery learning, the role is about being a supportive as possible and by kerning any possible technical problems by making sure help is never more than “one click” away when students are online, ensure the help they can get is actually helpful.

An adult learner with minimal technology skills may have little success in understanding the recommendations of the computer expert at the campus Help Desk, developing some simple help tools and resources, modeling that it is OK for students and teachers to ask for help. Checking in with the class and with individual students regularly and ask if they need help. Encourage students to share 'solutions' they’ve gotten from the Help Desk or figured out on their own, linking new online learners with experienced students who are often the most helpful and supportive since they’ve 'been there, done that.'

Technical problems may be one of the more pertinent problems in online teaching but according to C. Bonk et al (2003) there is actually little agreement on the importance of the technical role in the literature, in part because technical support can be provided through a variety of ways and in part because there are varying degrees of technology sophistication and use in online courses.

In terms of the pedagogy that separates f2f teachers and online teachers, it is to facilitate student's understanding of critical concepts, pricniples and skills, using knowledge-sharing and building through interactive discussion, design of various educational experiences and provision of feedback and through 'weaving' (Salmon) of statements to enable their development through collaborative discourse. Pedagogical roles for higher order teaching and learning would involve facilitating debate. Facilitators identify topics for both sides and continue to summarize and weave online discussion. according to pedagogical roles can be divided into 4 areas (a) Course designer, (b) Profession-inspirer, (Helping learners move closer to their professional aspirations) (c) Feedback-giver, and (d) Interaction-facilitator.

The methods used for moderation and facilitation in face-to-face situations can be transferred into media-based interaction and be adapted respective modified within these virtual learning environments. The collaboration includes forms of organising a list of speakers, the moderation of discussion, the summary, the provision of tasks as well as pedagogical formats of classes. Moderation and facilitation entails allocating rolls, moderating, coaching, facilitation of reading, writing, understanding, presenting, warming-up, motivation, elaboration, examination etc., self-organization, communication, and collaboration. Teaching online involves the mediation of these functions through ICT. Being an online teacher is about providing these functions and working within the boundaries of a hugely enabling system.

http://www.europace.org/articles%20and%20reports/WP1_WG7_8_BP.pdf

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/resources/pd/Individual%20Development/Connecting%20to%20a%20Higher%20Education%20Program/AneTeachersPer.htm ,

http://sloanconsortium.org/system/files/v9n4_liu.pdf