Facilitating a
Distance Education CourseSome Practical Advise
and Sources of Further Help
Winter 2011
Updating your curricula is critical. But unless you update your approach to facilitating classes at the same time, you’re jeopardizing your overall success. It’s a bit like writing your materials in a foreign language, but forgetting to provide a translation.
Source: Carole Robinson, Ed.D. and Joan Van Duzer, M.S. Ed.
A few words about OOL’s model of course development
and the literature about teaching onlineAt OOL we use the team approach to creating DE courses. This differs from the other models that range from the “Lone Wolf” approach where the individual SME/Instructor tries to do everything him/herself
Lone Wolf some limited expert assistance Team Development
The Truth about Online Courses Delivery
As much – sometimes more - work than FTF
Teaching/facilitatingIs a different kind of interaction with
students/among students
Facilitation Online Vs.
Teaching F2F
Here Is What Another Group Noted Recently:Coach “go team go”Guided independenceFacilitator being a LearnerA different way of communicating“Getting things done” at a distancePrompting engagementMaking a difficult job a bit easier -
remove barriersBeing available and accessible
Skills of the FacilitatorEngaging the learner in the
learning process particularly in the beginning
Appropriate questioning, “listening” and feedback skills
Ability to provide direction and support
Skills in managing online discussions
Ability to build online teams (occasionally)
Motivational skills
What Are Some of the Challenges?Keeping track of individual students’
progressCatering to different learning preferences /
needsLearning to become an effective guideDealing with silence / getting students
activeDealing with technical issuesManaging expectationsFinding the balance of communication
methodsEmpowering students to be self-directed
Areas of Concern• Pedagogical (Cognitive & Teaching) Presence: Guiding student learning with a focus on concepts, principles, and skills.
• Social Presence: Creating a welcoming online community in which
learning is promoted.
• Managerial & Administrative: Handling organizational, procedural, and administrative
tasks.
• Technical: Assisting participants to become comfortable with the
technologies used to deliver the course.
Pedagogical Remain flexible about activities you planned
Maintain a non-authoritarian style dealing with the class and the individual;
Be objective about comments on individual contributions
Combine ideas from separate conversations into a summary; ask questions based on that summary
Play devils advocate in a questioning manner; site research or sources for that position
Don’t present final answers unless you are prepared to have the conversation stopped
Ask particular participants for comments and allow time to do so; promote reflection
Social Be regularly visible in the Discussions as well as the
News/Updates widget
Use first names of participants when replying
Praise and model the behaviour you want in discussions
Don’t ignore bad behaviours, deal with them
Use humour but be certain it is clear and don’t use sarcasm at all; it rarely is interpreted correctly
Be yourself; assuming that is a good thing. Be enthusiastic about the content and your interest
Managerial Be responsive in an efficient manner when possible
Don’t dominate discussions
Manage your TA’s time and practice as you would your own
Change headings that are out of sync with valid digressions; remind posters to start new topics
Redirect inappropriate discussion digressions
End discussions that have been exhausted
AdministrativeLearn to cut and pasteKeep a note pad and record the
changes you want to make next offering
Stick to the time limits you set in the Outline for responding; or advise the class if you need to vary it
Establish virtual “Office Hours” online if you have not already
AdministrativeEstablish your own personal
weekly scheduleProvide grades on time or explain
why not and whenSolicit feedback from students;
talk with your DLS about good questions to ask.
TA’s often have a good sense of what’s going on in the course.
Talk with other faculty members - in your department or not.
Technical Assisting participants to become comfortable with
new technologies used to deliver the course
Unless you know the answer at once; don’t try to answer technical questions yourself….. at all. Send the learners to the Help Desk
When assessing how well the course is going, ask for advise on what new technologies might solve a problem for next offering; ask students, DLS’s and the Tech team; they are usually up to date.
Resources that may be helpful
These links and more are available at
www.w11instructorsresources.wordpress.com/
These are 1-2 minute video clips of tips and ideas by experienced Online facilitatorsLarry Regan Penn State World Campus tipshttp://www.youtube.com/user/facultydevelopmentAustralian Flexible Learning Networkhttp://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/flx/go/home/resourcecentre/products/quickguides51 Competencies for Online Instructionhttp://www.thejeo.com/Ted%20Smith%20Final.pdf
Journal of Interactive Online Learning http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/showissue.cfm?volID=8&IssueID=27
Curt Bonk videos http://www.indiana.edu/~icy/media/de_series.html
Sample Vignette: Social Presence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_570273&v=P_Fbo63Gi_k