 |
| From Field |
I have the education and experience
to be considered a subject matter expert (SME) in a number of aspects of human
movement. Unfortunately, being an expert
in the field does not always mean that one will be an expert in the
classroom. In addition to being a SME,
an online educator needs to have, to a degree, technology skills,
administrative skills, and skills as a facilitator (Baran, Correia, &
Thompson, 2011).
Distance education is not new. In the 1800’s, print technology and regular
mail service allowed those who were unable to attend in-person classes, due to
distance, occupation, or societal boundaries, the opportunity to earn a secondary education or college
degree (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012). Print technology and mail service have since
been replaced by the internet. In 1965, Gordon Moore, who later founded the
tech company Intel, predicted that processing speed would double every 24
months (Evans, 2014), making it difficult for novice techies to assimilate new
technology.
 |
| To Faculty |
Even though over 70% of institutions of higher learning suggest that online education is part of their strategic long-term plan (Allen & Seaman, 2014), Ertmer and Ottenbreit-Leftwich (2010) believe that technology in the classroom is not being used to its full extent. Furthermore it is thought that the lack of technological integration into the classroom is partially due to the lack of relevant knowledge and confidence on the part of the instructors. To gain assurance, it is suggested that instructors participate in learning groups as well as professional development programs. Additionally, teachers need to take the time to explore the technology that will be used (Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010).
Technology, in some
fashion, is used in most jobs. What are
some of the technology issues that you have come across, and has there been a
time when you have felt overwhelmed?
Administration and leadership refer
to the instructor as the director of the learning process (Bigatel, Ragan,
Kennan, May, & Redmond, 2012). One
aspect is acknowledged in the first part of this post; the instructor needs to
integrate technology so that it is relevant to the learning process. Another important administrative role is
communicating the expectations, of not only the grading criteria, but also
behavioral guidelines. It is also
important to students that they are able to track their grades and assignments
(Bigatel, Ragan, Kennan, May, & Redmond, 2012). Accordingly, instructors need to ensure that
students have access to course assignments, rubrics, and grades.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was enacted to protect the privacy of students (U.S. Department of Education, 2014), and upholding FERPA should be considered part of the administrative duty of any educator. Students are allowed to review their educational records and contest portions that may be incorrect. Schools may not disclose any records without the student’s permission, however, schools may publish any directory information unless otherwise asked not to. Educators need to be aware of the intricacies of FERPA so that a student’s privacy is not violated.
Although class facilitation could be considered an aspect of administration, it is important enough to merit its own segment. Doyle (2011) defines educational facilitation as “…supporting students in learning their course material by providing an environment for engagement…”, and “…using assessment tools that provide the learner with meaningful feedback” (p. 52). The two themes that stand out are engagement and feedback. One form of effective engagement and feedback for an online class are peer discussions followed by an explanation and, with a case study, the solution, from the instructor (Smith, Wood, Krauter, & Knight, 2011). The engagement needs to support collaborative learning while the feedback needs to be personalized based on individual contributions (Slavich & Zimbardo, 2012).
Is there a time when
an instructor challenged you to do better, or provided feedback that made you
want to do better?
I know that I will not be the first
person to make the transition from the field to faculty. In addition to staying abreast of the
subject, there is also a need to seek out guidance and education in other
areas. Technology changes so fast that,
to fully utilize it, it is imperative to continue to learn what is available as
well as the advantages and disadvantages of each product. To administrate it is important to understand
the differences of culture, age, and expectations of each student. The first discussion post is often an
introduction thread. The introduction
thread would be an ideal time for an educator/administrator to ask questions
that provide insight into each student’s background; where did they grow up,
married, children, favorite food, favorite TV show, reason for being in the
program, and something unusual about them.
Knowing each student beyond the basics of type of job and location, will
provide valuable information for engagements and interactions as well as allow
for relevant, individualized feedback.
References
Allen,
I. E., & Seaman, J. (2014). Grade change: Tracking online education in the
United States. Babson Survey
Research Group and Quahog Research Group,
LLC. Retrieved from
www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/gradechange.pdf
Baran,
E., Correia, A., & Thompson, A. (2011). Transforming online teaching
practice:
critical analysis of the
literature on the roles and competencies of online teachers. Distance Education, 32(3), 421-439. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2011.610293
Bigatel,
P. M., Ragan, L. C., Kennan, S., May, J., & Redmond, B. F. (2012). The
identification
of competencies for online
teaching success. Journal of Asynchronous
Learning Networks, 16(1), 59-77. Retrieved from
http://www.editlib.org/p/132473/
Doyle,
T. (2011). Learner-centered teaching.
Putting the research on learning into practice.
Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
ISBN-13: 978-1579227432
Ertmer,
P. A., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. T. (2010). Teacher technology change: How
knowledge, confidence, beliefs,
and culture intersect. Journal of
Research on Technology in Education, 42(3), 255-284. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ882506.pdf
Evans,
D. (2014, February 22). Moore’s law: How
long will it last? Techtrader. Retrieved from
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/computing/moore-s-law-how-long-will-it-last--1226772
Simonson,
M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at
a
distance. Foundations of distance education (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Slavich,
G. M., & Zimbardo, P. G. (2012). Transformational Teaching: Theoretical
Underpinnings, Basic Principles,
and Core Methods. Educational Psychology Review,
24(4), 569-608. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10648-012-9199-6
Smith,
M. K., Wood, W. B., Krauter, K., & Knight, J. K. (2011). Combining peer
discussion
with instructor explanation
increases student learning from in-class concept questions. Life Sciences Education, 10(1), 55-63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1187/cbe.10-08-0101
U.S.
Department of Education. (2014). Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA).
Retrieved from
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
