Pre-Course Preparation
As eLearning environments are characteristic of anonimity and flexibility coupled with asyncronous communication and collaboration, developing and maintaining presence within the online classroom holds challenges unique from F2F classrooms. Students are not in a physical classroom whereby the instructor can gauge body language and non-verbal cues and students cannot "see" their peers. Social and pragmatic dialogue is more difficult to begin. Online facilitators greatest task is getting everyone off to a great start (Lehmann & Chamberlin, 2009, p. 156). Communication holds a key role in obtaining this objective as well is foundational for building and sustaining learning communities of practice. Pre-course planning and preparation prior to the course start date will demand the most commitment by the instructor. This is termed the 70/30 rule by Lehmann & Chamberlin (2009).
The pre-course email if the first communication by the instructor to the students. This communication must include pertinent information for the student to begin class with a positive impression. Providing information in a sussinct manner with a welcoming tone can support a positive first impression while providing steps for success to the student. Within my pre-course email, I have included basic administrative activities to be completed by the student to ensure communication access is established before the first day. I have also chosen to include two activities to create a bi-directional exchange for understanding a little more about one another. A YouTube video offers an avenue to share my philosophies of teaching and learning with students. A student survey offers an avenue for students to share basic information about their familiarity with online classes, their learning preferences, as well as some of the challenges they have experienced in the past. As questions are posed purposefully, I can better understand individual learning preferences of students to assist in creating collaborative groups within future assignments.
The ice breaker activity is the first communication among class colleagues. This introductory communication is, in my opinion, the most important activity as it creates the connections between peers that will be necessary for positive discussions and collaborative activities. I have chosen to include a visual component to the ice breaker to encourage a visual persona within the online environment. This activity supports informational-processes and considers the cognitive load of working memory by incorporating graphic and textual elements together. Online environments can quickly become text heavy, which for some students, may be the catalyst to drop out of a course. The lack of developing online relationships is yet another reason many leave an online course unsatisfied. My activity is an attempt to bridge text and visuals to provide students more than one modality to create a connection with a peer. Individual identities can begin to grow and peers can then begin to view their online classmate as a student with humanistic qualities and not just letters on a page. This activity consideration also aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines Principle 1: provide multiple means of representation.
Within my ice breaker response I chose a visual image. I was considering using my picture, however, students may have implied that they would need to use their picture. Understanding individual preferences, I am aware certain online learners embrace the anonymity this medium supports. I chose to offer imagery of nature. It is non-prejudice, promotes an identity and expresses my personal interests. Also, The Welcome To Class video included me speaking. I thought the picture provided more insight into who I am as a person and the video offered who I am as an educator.
Reflections:
This week's activities have helped understand the vital steps imperative to starting a course with a positive tone among all participating members. Emails can be challenging to compose as you are balancing tone, expectation, clarity, specificity within concise transmissions. The ice-breaker activity can be simplistic in nature, yet has a complex impact on peer communication and collaboration. I am excited to implement my ice breaker activity. I have always felt passionately about bringing in multiple means of representation into eLearning courses. Web 2.0 tools are vast and accessible. It is paramount that we begin to synthesize their power and presence to build communities of practice outside the communication via text.
The pre-course email if the first communication by the instructor to the students. This communication must include pertinent information for the student to begin class with a positive impression. Providing information in a sussinct manner with a welcoming tone can support a positive first impression while providing steps for success to the student. Within my pre-course email, I have included basic administrative activities to be completed by the student to ensure communication access is established before the first day. I have also chosen to include two activities to create a bi-directional exchange for understanding a little more about one another. A YouTube video offers an avenue to share my philosophies of teaching and learning with students. A student survey offers an avenue for students to share basic information about their familiarity with online classes, their learning preferences, as well as some of the challenges they have experienced in the past. As questions are posed purposefully, I can better understand individual learning preferences of students to assist in creating collaborative groups within future assignments.
The ice breaker activity is the first communication among class colleagues. This introductory communication is, in my opinion, the most important activity as it creates the connections between peers that will be necessary for positive discussions and collaborative activities. I have chosen to include a visual component to the ice breaker to encourage a visual persona within the online environment. This activity supports informational-processes and considers the cognitive load of working memory by incorporating graphic and textual elements together. Online environments can quickly become text heavy, which for some students, may be the catalyst to drop out of a course. The lack of developing online relationships is yet another reason many leave an online course unsatisfied. My activity is an attempt to bridge text and visuals to provide students more than one modality to create a connection with a peer. Individual identities can begin to grow and peers can then begin to view their online classmate as a student with humanistic qualities and not just letters on a page. This activity consideration also aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines Principle 1: provide multiple means of representation.
Within my ice breaker response I chose a visual image. I was considering using my picture, however, students may have implied that they would need to use their picture. Understanding individual preferences, I am aware certain online learners embrace the anonymity this medium supports. I chose to offer imagery of nature. It is non-prejudice, promotes an identity and expresses my personal interests. Also, The Welcome To Class video included me speaking. I thought the picture provided more insight into who I am as a person and the video offered who I am as an educator.
Reflections:
This week's activities have helped understand the vital steps imperative to starting a course with a positive tone among all participating members. Emails can be challenging to compose as you are balancing tone, expectation, clarity, specificity within concise transmissions. The ice-breaker activity can be simplistic in nature, yet has a complex impact on peer communication and collaboration. I am excited to implement my ice breaker activity. I have always felt passionately about bringing in multiple means of representation into eLearning courses. Web 2.0 tools are vast and accessible. It is paramount that we begin to synthesize their power and presence to build communities of practice outside the communication via text.
Citation:
Lehmann, K. and Chamberline, L. (2009). Making the move to elearning: Putting your course online. Rowman ans LIttlefield Education.
Lehmann, K. and Chamberline, L. (2009). Making the move to elearning: Putting your course online. Rowman ans LIttlefield Education.