What I'm learning is that technology still remains a challenge for me as a learner, and will likely do so for others with my learning style. When Moodle hangs up, so do I. When too many tools are available to do something, I become distracted from the learning. For me, learning exclusively via text is proving to be both boring and “thin” i.e. not the full meaning that synchronous face-to-face environments provide. What that means is that I will need to be creative for those learners who have a similar learning style to me. It will be less problematic for my future students who don’t mind this style.
I'm also learning that good teaching is good teaching, regardless of the medium. Instructors need to demonstrate interest, commitment to learners, subject matter knowledge - all this needs to be framed around a design that makes sense. I'm reminded too that clarity of instructions and expectations (immediate and course wide) are critical. And, having a linear conversation (one that is more than a series of related or non-related points) is challenging in an asynchronous environment. That means I need to find ways to encourage and reinforce those types of conversations.
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I appreciate your observations, Stephen.
ReplyDeleteYou've pointed to a concept that seems elusive to people just beginning to teach online (or think about teaching online): "I'm also learning that good teaching is good teaching, regardless of the medium." But is so true! Perhaps one reason many folks forget this, temporarily, is because the medium... the technology... is so foreign or uncomfortable that it takes up a lot of cognitive space for a while.
Or maybe it is, in part, the initial clumsiness with the technology - but it might also be the STRESS that many people experience when trying to learn the technology that makes them either 1) temporarily forget that it really is about good teaching... or 2) remain irritated with the technology until it becomes more comfortable.