5a+-+Online+Pedagogy+Reflections


 * 5. A r ef l e ct i on on o n l i ne p e d a g o gy a s i t i s s i m i l a r t o a nd d i ff e re n t from f a c e- t o - f a c e i ns t ru ct i on. **

As teachers wanting to enter the virtual realm it seems prudent to consider the similarities and differences in a course offered in the traditional face-to-face format and one offered fully online.


 * ** W ha t d o y o u th ****  i n k a r e t h e ma i n ad v antag e s a n d d i s a d v antag e s o f t e a c hin g i n e a ch e n v i ro nm e nt ? **

__** Advantages and Disadvantages of f2f learning environments **__ There are both advantages and disadvantages to face-to-face learning. Below I have highlighted some of the more prominent and most cited of both.

google docs table - f2f pros/cons 
 * Advantages of f2f learning || Disadvantages of f2f learning ||
 * < In regards to communication, a f2f class affords the opportunity to take in non-verbal communication, so instructors can more easily gauge student attention and understanding ||< In regards to communication, some students might not be comfortable or confident enough to ask questions in class and therefore remain silent, their misunderstandings not corrected ||
 * In regards to motivation, a f2f class requires less self-discipline and time-management skills than an online course || In regards to schedule flexibility, a f2f class affords none, since it meets at a certain time and place ||
 * In regards to instructor feedback, students can get immediate responses to their questions and feedback on their assignments || In regards to instructor feedback, there is a limited amount of time in which to receive feedback, and it may not be as individualized as feedback provided in an online course ||
 * In regards to social needs, f2f learning offers the advantage of interacting with people in person, thus fulfilling a social need of students || In regards to student role, students may more easily assume a passive role and come to depend more on the teacher than themselves for their own learning ||

__**Advantages and Disadvantages of online learning environments **__ There are both advantages and disadvantages to online learning. Below I have highlighted some of the more prominent and most cited of both.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">google docs table - online pros/cons
 * = <span style="background-color: #d02fd0; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Advantages of online learning ||= <span style="background-color: #d02fd0; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Disadvantages of online learning ||
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In regards to collaboration, there is the potential for a higher level of interaction and dialoguing among students and between students and teacher || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In regards to technology, students must have a higher level of computer literacy and skills, and comfort with technology and troubleshooting ||
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In regards to schedule flexibility, students have more in regards to when and where they access their course work, so they can schedule it around work and personal commitments || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In regards to motivation, more self-discipline, more developed study skills and stronger time- management skills are required of the student ||
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In regards to instructor feedback, it tends to be more individualized, and the instructor is more accessible (via email), therefore time can be taken to answer all a student's questions/concerns || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In regard to instructor feedback, it normally will not be immediate, and students may go long periods of time without getting their questions or concerns addressed ||
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In regards to student role, more responsibility is on the student to be self-directed and efficient, taking a more active role in his/her learning || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In regards to social needs, students may feel more isolated and less connected with classmates ||

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">One of the biggest advantages of online learning is the flexibility it provides through its increased accessibility. No longer confined to a physical space (classroom), students can access their course where they want, when they want. If they are up at 2 a.m. in the morning (which, I have to say, a lot of my high school students are) and are wide awake with nothing to do, they can log on and get some schoolwork done. Conversely, many of my high school students are like zombies between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and I can hardly get them to keep their eyes open, never mind give an interpretation of Shakespeare's sonnets, and so for them, not having to physically "be" at school at those ungodly hours just might increase their productivity and critical thinking skills later on in the day when they log onto the computer to complete the day's lesson.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Flexibility of Accessibility - Advantage **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Another disadvantage is that an online learning environment is not for everyone. The readiness (and maturity) of the student must be taken into consideration. In their article about distance learning, Hsiu-Mei and Liaw found that, in order for students to be successful in an online learning environment, "//Learners need to have enough prerequisite skills of technological proficiency and a strong motivation to learn by technology//" (2004). In addition to technology proficiency, the student needs to be mature enough to engage and maintain his or her focus in a learning environment that is more self-directed and autonomous than in a traditional classroom setting. In their book //You CAN learn online!//, authors Kathryn Winograd and Gary S. Moore talk about the skills required of students looking to take online courses. Among these skills include the ability to be a self-directed learner, to manage one's time in a constructive fashion, to work well in group settings, and to have solid research skills. Clearly, online learning can be a challenge for most high school students, and a near impossibility for those in the lower grades.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Learner Readiness - Disadvantage **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">An article by Iowa State University that I found most informative on this topic can be found here. The article, really a bulleted list, weighs in on the pros and cons of online learning environments.


 * ** W ha t a r e th e d i ff er e n c e s an d s i mi l a r i t i e s o f t e a c h i n g i n e a ch e n v i ro n m e nt ? C o mpa r e o nl i n e an d o ff li n e c l a ss ro o m t e c hn i qu e **** s. **

google docs table - teaching comparison
 * < <span style="background-color: #3cdcdc; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Similarities teaching f2f and online environments ||< <span style="background-color: #3cdcdc; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Differences teaching f2f and online environments ||
 * < <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Teachers must know their subject area well and be able to adjust curriculum to best meet the needs of their students ||< <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In an online environment, teachers must spend a great deal more time developing/finding good resources for their subject that can be accessed online ||
 * < <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Teachers of both teaching environments must start by creating their curriculum for the course by aligning to standards and deciding upon the desired learning outcomes of the course ||< <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Teachers must be technically proficient and spend time keeping up-to-date on technologies that will their lessons and contribute to or enhance student learning ||
 * < <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Teachers of both teaching environments must vary their teaching techniques - f2f teaching can't be effective if it is always lecture, and online teaching can't be effective if it is always student-only discussions on the discussion boards. Teachers must choose appropriate and varied teaching strategies and learner activities designed to help students achieve proficiency of the learning outcomes ||< <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Face-to-face lessons are often more teacher-centered, whereas online lessons tend to be more student-centered; teachers have to be comfortable in giving up more control in an online environment ||
 * < <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Good teaching is good teaching, regardless of the teaching and learning environment. While the delivery strategy may be different, knowledge of effective teaching techniques, how to keep students engaged, and guidelines for developing appropriate assessments and how to analyze the data - all these are applicable and required in both teaching environments. ||< <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Teaching in an online environment requires more reliance on text-based information (i.e. syllabus, course outline) and communication (i.e. discussion board, email); therefore, teachers need to be more organized and explicit in their "words" - pay more attention to their communications, including listing directions, explaining rubrics & other assessments ||
 * <  || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">A whole-class discussion (say, 20 students) in an online environment is likely to be much more unwieldy and overwhelming, and more likely to result in confusion and frustration, than the same whole-class discussion in a f2f environment. In a f2f discussion, there is normally 1 speaker at a time; however, in an online discussion, many students might be "talking" at once, and one discussion might soon easily become two or three (or more), making it harder for participants to not only follow the discussion, but to participate constructively as well. ||


 * ** W ha t i s th e m o st i mp or tan t pa r t o f y o u r p e dag o g y? H o w d o e s th i s p l a y o u t i n a n o nl i n e e n v i ro nm e nt ? **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The most important parts of my pedagogy are incorporating feedback and reflection into my teaching practice, and an online environment is quite conducive to giving students feedback and asking them to reflect upon their own learning and the process or path their learning has taken. Feedback in an online environment, in fact, can probably be just as individualized and timely - if not more so - as in a f2f class. With the availability of email, instant messaging, discussion forums, and comment tools available in word processing software, giving students more individualized feedback is easier than ever. No more trying to squish in lengthy notes in the margins of students' papers - now I can either email them their feedback or, if they've completed an assignment using word processing software, I can use the 'add comments' tool to write out my "lengthy" feedback (using this tool means students might actually be able to //read// my notes, too!).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In regards to reflection, I have always asked students to complete peer-review and self-reviews of their work. Taking a point from the constructivist theory, the learning process (and not just the end product) will become part of the assessment as well; in this way, students are monitoring their own learning, making adjustments when necessary, and becoming more cognizant of their own learning.


 * ** C a n o nl i n e d e l i v er y i mp r o v e th e qua li t y o f t e a c h i n g? **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I find this question very difficult to answer, as I feel a quality teacher is a quality teacher no matter what environment it is in which they teach. I would say, however, that online delivery //can// help to make a teacher more structured and organized, even if they already possess these qualities in their f2f teaching. With online courses, the curriculum, syllabus, content, and learner activities all need to be planned out in advance - well before the class actually starts, and so a teacher who delivers lessons via an online environment definitely needs to be more organized and on top of his or her "game," always prepared for the next step of a lesson (if not the next 2 or 3 steps).There is no walking into class 5 minutes before the course starts and being able to "wing it" when it comes to online instruction.


 * ** C a n o nl i n e d e l i v er y i mp r o v e th e a c c e s s t o t e a c h e r s? **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In a f2f classroom, teachers are, for the most part, only available to students during the time the course meets, or perhaps during the "prep" period of the teacher if the student is available as well. Compare that to the 24 hour availability of staying connected via technology, and one could definitely understand my position that online delivery of a course certainly can improve access to the teacher. However, this access to teachers is only increased if the teacher has taken an active role as facilitator of the course and maintains a presence while the course is in session (i.e. visits the discussion boards and makes some postings, provides feedback to students' dropbox assignment submissions, posts motivating messages and reminders in the 'News' area of the course learning environment, etc.). If, however, a teacher in an online environment simply sits back and passively "watches" the course, students will start to feel his or her absence, and the benefit of increased teacher access no longer applies.


 * ** S e l e ct a r t i f a c t s tha t re p r e s e n t d i ff e re n ce an d s i m i l a r i t i e s, ad v antag e s a n d d i s ad v antag e s. **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Artifacts that represent differences & similarities, advantages & disadvantages of online and traditional learning environments can be found at this page of the wiki.


 * **<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Write reflective statements for each artifact, elaborating on why it was selected and its meaning and value in the portfolio. **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Reflective statements for each artifact can be found at this page of the wiki.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Sources: <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"e-Learning Advantages and Disadvantages." Web. Accessed 24 March 2011.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Hsiu-Mei, H., & Liaw, S.-S. (2004). "Guiding distance educators in building web-based instructions." International Journal of Instructional Media.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Winograd, K., & Moore, G. (2002), //You CAN learn online!//. McGraw-Hill.

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