More than Technology: Preparing Teachers for
the Online Environment
Michele Gill, Director of On-Line LearningPerformance Learning Systems
Dr. Michael Speziale, Dean of the School of EducationWilkes University
Introductions
Personal Experiences
•First on-line class
•K-12 WebCT
•Wilkes U Pre Facilitator Training
Changing the Paradigm
•Licensed FST from PLS
•What did it look like?
•Who had to be trained?
•Incentives:
•Certified to teach on-line sections
•Professional Development Credit
Focused Research• Learning is Social and thus interaction throughout
the course is critical
• Feedback-especially in discussions is extremely important to students
• Course training for students in the use of the technology, navigation, etc should be offered
• Limit the number of students in discussions groups
• Need more opportunities for non-forced group interaction
• Pictures of classmates to help create connections
• Faculty shouldn’t make assumptions about tech skill levels
Pugh, D. 2010
PresencePresencePresencePresence
Deconstruction of DFS
CriticalCriticalThinkingThinkingCriticalCritical
ThinkingThinking
CommunityCommunityBuildingBuilding
CommunityCommunityBuildingBuilding
CommunicatioCommunicationn
CommunicatioCommunicationn
ContentContentContentContent
Prerequisite Skills
• (doesn’t interfere with ability to communicate)
•Good grammar/spelling(it’s the face of the facilitator)
•Fast (enough) typing
Content • Teachers / facilitators must have a deep
understanding of the ideas and content covered
Communication•Voice-the ability
to show/communicate personality and emotion (along with content) in writing
•Tone-consciousness/purposeful use
Communication
•Verbal Skills
•Positive Phrasing/Needs Benefit Statements
•Supporting Statements
•Empathy vs. Sympathy
•Approval vs. Praise
Communication
•Neutral Correction
Examples• I just read your article submission for the newsletter. You
need to fix it. You misspelled several words, and some of your facts are wrong. You need to make the corrections by Friday. "
• I received your article for the newsletter. There are a few factual errors and several misspelled words. Please take a few moments to review it. Friday is the deadline for submission of any corrections. Thanks.
• I just finished looking over your article for the newsletter and caught a few typos. I also found what I think are contradictions to a few of the facts listed. If you are able to review it before Friday I'll still be able to get it to the printer before the deadline. Thanks!
Communication
Community Building
• Collaboration
• Culture
• Celebrations/Traditions
Community Building
Critical Thinking
•Diagnosing discussions (facilitator)
•Weaving discussions (facilitator or student)
•Deconstruction of online discussions
•Creating a response that is greater than the sum of its parts
•Pushing participants to dive deeper into ideas/content
Critical Thinking
Presence•Social (students feel
facilitator is there w/out being overpowering/controlling)
•Purposeful (value added posts…every post worth reading by everyone, every time)
Presence
Focus of DFS•DFS finite and focused
•To become a highly skilled teacher requires much more robust training
•Result - Master’s in OLT
Sampling of OLT Courses• ED 530 Utilizing Emerging Technologies to Support Education (Wilkes)
• ED 5001 Social & Ethical Issues in Distance Learning (Wilkes)
• ED 5002 Instructional Design for Online Educators™ (PLS)
• ED 5003 Facilitating Online Learning Communities™ (PLS)
• ED 5004 Action Research in the E-Learning Environment™ (PLS)
• ED 5010 Teaching 3-D: Virtual Classroom Environments (Wilkes)
• ED 579 Media Design (Wilkes)
• ED 5011 Digital Video in Instructional Design and Delivery (Wilkes)
• ED 5012 Trends and Innovations in Instructional Technology (Wilkes)
• ED 5020 Using Online Resources to Bring Primary Sources to the Classroom™ (PLS)
• ED 5021 Blended and Synchronous Learning Environments™ (PLS)
• ED 5022 Simulations and Gaming Technologies for the Classroom™ (PLS)
• ED 5023 Building Online Collaborative Environments™ (PLS)
• ED 5024 Educating the Net-Generation™ (PLS)
• ED 530 Utilizing Emerging Technologies to Support Education (Wilkes)
• ED 5001 Social & Ethical Issues in Distance Learning (Wilkes)
• ED 5002 Instructional Design for Online Educators™ (PLS)
• ED 5003 Facilitating Online Learning Communities™ (PLS)
• ED 5004 Action Research in the E-Learning Environment™ (PLS)
• ED 5010 Teaching 3-D: Virtual Classroom Environments (Wilkes)
• ED 579 Media Design (Wilkes)
• ED 5011 Digital Video in Instructional Design and Delivery (Wilkes)
• ED 5012 Trends and Innovations in Instructional Technology (Wilkes)
• ED 5020 Using Online Resources to Bring Primary Sources to the Classroom™ (PLS)
• ED 5021 Blended and Synchronous Learning Environments™ (PLS)
• ED 5022 Simulations and Gaming Technologies for the Classroom™ (PLS)
• ED 5023 Building Online Collaborative Environments™ (PLS)
• ED 5024 Educating the Net-Generation™ (PLS)
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