Introduction
The EDUC 4150 (Online/eLearning: Principles and Processes) is the first course required for my scaffolded journey through the Online and eLearning Instruction Certificate Program at Vancouver Community College (VCC). The experience has been challenging and rewarding as it will open so many doors of opportunity for me as an instructor in adult education. COVID 19 has made it clear online/eLearning has transformed the teaching and learning landscape by providing learners with more opportunities to learn at a distance.
This essay will reflect my evolving thought processes while documenting insights and understanding in my online/eLearning journey.
Objective: What have you learned about developing an effective online course?
The online course I will develop and any online course for that matter, cannot be done reflexively, in a short period of time, and with limited planning and preparation. The stress would be great, and it would go against my value of doing the best I can. Whenever I design my online course, I will not be pressured or feel rushed into designing and instructing the course without feeling I am ready. I do not know if Okanagan College may want to repurpose the content, how much production and technical help I may need, and what will be my work/life balance at the time. I will be doing the majority of work on the course myself and it is recommended allowing six to 12 months for online course development (Udermann, 2019).
For the online course I will be developing, I have been fortunate to have taught it face to face and have completed the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program (PIDP). I know what my learners want to learn and need to learn. My curriculum has been planned and I have determined how the learners will demonstrate that learning (e.g., interviewing techniques) and have teaching materials and course activities to achieve that. My challenge will be to convert the instruction from face to face to online. Once completing the EDUC Certificate, I feel I will be ready for the task.
Most if not all, online and face to face courses undergo changes in their content. I will look at all my options to ensure my course is up to date while using conventional textbooks, technology, and any help I can get from previous instructors and learners.
I will follow closely the design of my PIDP and EDUC online programs and create a clear instructor participation plan. Like current and previous instructors, I will post regular course announcements, offer virtual office hours, provide quick feedback on assignments and assessments, respond quickly to learner’s questions and inquiries, participate in online discussion forums, and offer synchronous communication often.
With my limited knowledge of online technology, I know less is best. I like a back to basics theme when instructing and that will apply to how much technology I use in my course. Using too much technology can be overwhelming for learners so I will remember to have a clear purpose for why I am using a given technology and how it will enhance my learner’s learning. I will use technology to more effectively create and deliver content, enhance instructor presence, facilitate the earner to learner interaction, and communicate with students (Udermann, 2019).
I have underestimated the workload and time commitment when instructing face to face. I do not think online instructing will be any different. It is clear to me that to develop an effective
online course, I have to think clearly and honestly while estimating the workload associated with various aspects of the course. I will continue to revise and update the course and examine what components I can reuse for other courses.
It is clear to me that my new best friend(s) will be the technical support team at the College. They will be working with me in the process of designing and developing my online course using the online format of the College. Because I have not had that interaction, I presume that will occur. I would look forward to their help infusing technology into my course or instructing me in further online instruction.
Some of my face to face learners have never taken a college course and have a high school education. Other learners had post-graduate degrees and were very online and tech-savvy. I anticipate my online course learners will be no different so I should anticipate that their needs will vary greatly. There is no one size fits all solution to instruction or learning. I will have to get to know the needs of my learners and make intentional instructional choices. Part of my job will be to help them transition into the world of online higher education.
As an online instructor, I can continue to expand my learner’s self-efficacy. I will have to find the perfect balance between supporting my learners and challenging them to become self-sufficient. I will support (by affirming the question and encouraging the learner to come back if further questions) and challenge the learner to utilize the available course resources.
Reflective: How does this fit with your experience? What would you like to emulate from your own successful eLearning experiences? What would you like to improve upon so that your own learners have a more positive experience?
My learning experiences in PIDP and EDUC have been very positive and a key is to have a supportive learner-instructor relationship to have meaningful learning. Technology will continue to reshape our educational landscape, but quality human interactions will always be key to a meaningful life (Costa, 2020). From my experience, while instructing face to face I have the opportunity to change lives. Former learners have contacted me to say how taking my courses have impacted their lives in a positive way. Online instruction will allow me to continue this tradition.
Five years ago, I thought the only method of instruction was face to face and I never considered taking an online course. Today, I am a strong advocate of online learning and the importance of excellence in online teaching.
In my course, I will build a regular, positive, and interactive relationship with my learners. I will strive to have my classes engaging and motivational. I know the value of active learning and intentional pedagogy. These are goals I had while teaching face to face will be easily transferred to my online course. The interpersonal relationships between students and faculty are paramount to student success (Jaggars & Xu, 2016). I want to create the best possible learning experience for my learners.
I have no intention of ‘reinventing the wheel’ when I design my course. I plan to follow closely the design of PIDP, EDUC, and other quality examples of online courses. I have had a wonderful face to face and online instruction experience at VCC and in my opinion, I have learned from some of the best in the area of adult education and instruction. I will transfer the skills I have observed and practiced in my online course.
I am a lifelong learner and I enjoy learning because it is fun. That is why I like to instruct. When I look back over the years of face to face instruction, I notice a common theme: I am happy. Making my learners happy makes me happy. That will continue in my online course.
I can see the best online course is one that is simple and sustainable. It has to empower me in my teaching, save me time, help me become a more effective educator, all while helping my learners to succeed.
I will try to keep a beginner’s mind and remember what it felt like the time I viewed my first on-line course (PIDP 3240 – Media Enhanced Learning).
Interpretive: What new insights do you now have? Any aha moments? How has your thinking changed around creating effective online courses after taking EDUC 4150?
It is clear that distance online learning is relentless and COVID 19 is like adding gasoline to the flames. Online education is the new normal in the next decade.
While instructing face to face, there are times where I have to ‘wing it’ and it works for one reason or another. It may have been challenging and maybe exciting but that has been eliminated with online learning. If I do not like the instructional video I produce, I merely do a take 2, or 3, or 4.
What was made clear early on in online learning was my ability – or lack of ability – in time management. In my busy world, learning how to manage my time and set priorities is critical to my success. I get enough rest, eat well, exercise (not enough), and plan my day like a business using chunks of time and appointments. Consistency, focus, determination, discipline are a few keys for success in online learning.
Like my face to face classes, I have the ability to be real, to be present, and to develop a positive and professional relationship with learners in my online course because I have the power within my control.
I am proud of myself for completing EDUC 4150 because I have a tendency to do too much in my life. I planned to take this course immediately after completing PIDP. By keeping my day and workload simple and less full, I feel relaxed and empowered to step out of my comfort zone and looking forward to completing EDUC 4151 and 4152.
I had a concern of not being able to connect with my learners in the same way I do in my face to face classrooms. I now know this is a misconception about online learning. All it takes is effort, planning, and creativity. When students and teachers discover things that they have in common, students perform better in class (Gehlbach et al., 2016).
I had no idea how stressful face to face learning could be. For example, completing a day at work, bolting down a Big Mac for dinner, driving to College, sitting in class, standing in front of the class for a presentation, answering impromptu questions from the instructor, trying to stay awake during a two-hour lecture, and taking crummy notes while never to hear the lecture again. My social anxiety does not exist online. Being embarrassed in class because I do not know the answer to a question does not exist online.
Not much pressure responding to weekly discussion boards, re-watching a lecture video 2,3,4 times so you really understand the context, or taking time to have dinner.
Because of my positive experiences with online classes, I feel I have come alive in the learning process as I was never able to do in a face to face classroom. I will transfer my feelings from a face to face classroom to online learning where I will feel confident my learners are learning and I will feel good about myself as an instructor.
I now feel that when online education is done right, it can be as effective, if not more effective, than traditional face to face education.
While conducting research on quality assurance guidelines, I located the theoretical framework called the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model. By following this model, I feel it will be most influential in my online instruction. The model is built around the concept of three types of presence critical to online learning. 1) Cognitive – the instructor’s ability to craft opportunities for learners to engage with course content while seeking out meaning and learning through the journey, 2) Social – interpersonal relationships of the instructor and learner while being part of a community, and 3) Teaching – the ability of the instructor as a capable leader while managing, facilitating, and at the same time participating in the learning experience. (Costa, 2020, pp. 49)
Decisional: How can this new learning be applied in your online course?
EDUC 4150 has made it clear with the use of technology how I can enrich my learners learning. I will start by using simple and sustainable videos in my instruction which will help establish trust and convey to the learners that I care about them personally and their learning. This will humanize the online learning experience for my learners and especially necessary for the first time online learners. Instructor-created videos and the wide assortment of technologies is an essential part of my instruction toolbox. Because of my own transformational online education experience, I see the power of online education to increase access and success. I will continue to dive into my professional development as an online teacher, learning everything that I can about online pedagogy.
My first online instructional video will introduce myself and welcome my learners to the course. In PIDP 3220 (Delivery of Instruction) instructed by Karen Brooke, on my first day of class at VCC with face to face instruction, I was met by a friendly smile, warm welcome, and all the learner’s names on the flip chart placed next to the door. That was an amazing feeling of being part of the VCC community and Karen’s class.
Each week in my online course, I will create an instructional video with an overview of that week’s content. I will walk learners through all their assignments and expectations. I will explain how past learners have struggled and others succeeded. I will tell personal stories and relate them to the course. I will obtain a list of learners prior to the start of the course and send them a video to help answer common questions. This will be used as a sort of meet and greet. Why tell them when I can show them? Providing clarity is one of my primary instructional goals.
Instructional videos will be a big part of my course. Telling stories is a huge part of my face to face instruction where I can feel and see the attentiveness and engagement. No learner falls asleep in my classes. I will use videos to tell stories that mix up modalities, giving me a tool to connect with my learners and to be creative in my instruction. Narratives that cause us to pay attention and involve us emotionally are the stories that move us to action (Zak, 2015). I have plenty of stories from 42 years of law enforcement and personal life that connect with my learner’s, moving them to action in their own lives.
When designing my face to face law enforcement courses, I spent considerable time thinking about what my learners need to know or be able to do. When my learners complete my courses, they have a wealth of knowledge and learning strategies that will serve them immediately in their careers and personal lives. The same goal and standards will apply in my online course.
Conclusion
Designing, developing, and instructing my future online course feels like a daunting task. However, I know that by following what I have learned and continue to learn in EDUC, the task will feel less overwhelming, more enjoyable, and completely successful for me and my learners. There is such amazing access that online education offers to a diverse population of learners and I am excited to know I will be part of it. I seem to be having a love affair with online learning because I believe that online education has unlimited potential to help people learn, grow, and contribute.
References
Costa, Karen (2020). 99 Tips for Creating Simple and Sustainable Educational Videos. Sterling, Virginia: Stylus
Dewey, John (1938). We do not learn…experience. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/295126581822953658/
Gehlbach, H., Brinkworth, M.E., King, A.M. (2016). Creating birds of similar feathers: Leveraging similarity to improve teacher-student relationships and academic achievements. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(3), 3423-352.
Jaggars, S.S. & Xu, D. (2016). How do online course design features influence student performance? Computers and Education, 95, 270-284. Retrieved from
Udermann, Brian (2019). Seven Things to Consider Before Developing Your Online Course. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from
Zak, P. (2015). Why inspiring stories make us react: The neuroscience of narrative. Cerebrum. Jan-Feb, para. 33. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4445577/
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