Pedagogy of Online Learning

Journal 1

            The nature of delivering online learning is a difficult one. Students need to adopt new found skills to work under the elements of self-determination and motivation to complete a course and not to get discouraged. “Reports that the experience of the UK Open University is that 35% or more of eLearners withdraw before submitting their first assignment, which suggests that a learner’s initial experience with eLearning may well have a significant impact on a decision to drop out.” (Tyler-Smith, K. 2006, para. 25) As we see the attrition numbers are high at the early stages of online learning. We need to capture these students before we lose them because of various factors.

The positions instructor take on the adoption of online learning is sometimes a negative one. “Faculty resistance to online learning and/or distance education, which remains strong in many institutions.” (Bates, T. 2011, pg. 3) As there are many elements that lead to this perspective we need to change the attitudes of our colleagues and help them understand the barriers that arise on line learning are personal. Therefore there needs to be collaborative communication within instructors to adopt an engagement of online learning.

What have you learned about the topic?

    The key reason for online adoption is due to “faculty resistance” (Bates, T. 2011, p. 12). There are so many factors that lead to the influence of this negative behaviour from faculty. Such as the students are quite aware of the negative reaction to online learning. The “learner’s perception of what constitutes a barrier to continuation or factors contributing to withdrawal provide valuable insights in designing distance courses and the processes, support mechanisms and strategies that can enhance retention.” (Tyler-Smith, K. 2006, para. 14) We can use these attitudes and perceptions to help with the design of the online program. Instructors are quickly to put up walls. So they may not want the challenge of designing a whole new course; especially if they are not fully integrated to online instruction. It would be difficult to have the online course successfully reaching the many types of learners.

What has been your experience with this topic?

My experience is that there is some push back amongst my colleagues when I ask them what their personal thoughts are on the online delivery of education to students. They tend to remark with a negative response such as the students do not like it, how really effective is it to classroom teaching or it’s a not something they are interested in taking on. This majority attitude makes it difficult to break down the wall of teaching online. “Overall, the faculty view of online quality was bleak, with 66 percent of respondents saying learning outcomes are inferior compared to traditional courses, and only 6 percent saying online is superior.” (Kolowich, S. 2012, para 14)  I think to change attitudes is to educate instructors about online learning; so they can make knowledgeable informed choices about online learning.

Why do you think this resistance exists?

I think the ownership of the learning belongs to the students. It takes determination and self-control to be organized and follow through with the completion of assignments, discussion participation and group work that is needed to create the successful experience of online learning. The resistance occurs when there is high attrition amongst the online learners. The data reads students not completing a course as stated earlier. A personal journey of what your weaknesses are to overcome the procrastination and attitude that comes with the negative associations with online learning. The support for instructors for an online course to run well needs to be backed up by administration. Invest in the skills of the instructors developed in their own journey of life-long learning. In this case it is the tools given to run a course properly. Administration should spend the time and money to educate and inspire their staff and faculty on the online teaching benefits and advantages. “That disconnect might be due to a lack of awareness or training, says Bonk. Administrators might be aware of new programs for quality assessment systems that have recently been put in place, or are about to be, that faculty have not heard about, he says. They might be proposing innovative online courses and programs and are putting in place assessment systems and tools of which faculty have not yet been apprised.” (Kolowich, S. 2012, para 31) To change the paradigm to a positive attitude shift to online learning; administration should take the time and energy to foster the online delivery. This can be accomplished by investing in the life-long learning of the staff and faculty. 

What are your ‘aha’ moments related to this topic? What new insights do you now have?

The students who are leaving the course at the beginning stage “suggests that a learner’s initial experience with eLearning may well have a significant impact on a decision to drop out.” (Tyler-Smith, K. 2006, para 25) The reason why this happens intrigues me and idea of “related to the complexity of the learning tasks that confronts a learner engaging with eLearning, especially for the first time, and the degree to which he/she experiences cognitive overload brought about by the multiple learning curves that confront a learner at the start of any course of online study.” (Tyler-Smith, K. 2006, para 26) Cognitive overload makes me realize there needs to be an approach and delivery where the students do not feel overwhelmed and find themselves disappointing themselves by not completing the course. Over a factor that can be resolved by educating instructors; therefore capturing the students who at terms leaving the course early. Instructors should try to captivate, necessitate engaging instruction and delivery at all times for successful online instruction.

How can this new learning be applied in your online course?

I can adopt some of this new learning from my reading it takes a bit of instructor involvement for the students to stay focused. I think the ownership of the learning belongs to the students. It takes determination and self-control to be organized and follow through with the completion of assignments, discussion participation and group work that is needed to create the successful experience of online learning.

As written in Tyler-Smith’s article he has outlined a conceptual model for the first time eLearner embarking on an eLearning course. These are:

1.    Negotiating the technology; where an eLearner is required to come to terms with the computing technologies involved. 

2.    Negotiating the course website; in this the leaner has to develop a mental model of the content structure and navigation system in order to find his/her way around.

3.    Negotiating the course content; the learner has to engage with the learning materials, readings, activities and assessments that make up a program of study.

4.    Becoming an eLearner; the learner is required to effectively abandon his/her existing mental model of what it is to be a learner in a formal learning situation.

5.    Negotiating Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) interaction; learner has to undertake the learning tasks involved in interacting with peers via synchronous and asynchronous Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). (Tyler-Smith, K. 2006, para 34-39)

To be aware of the first time learner and their obstacles will help in bringing down those introductory student attrition numbers.

In conclusion it is up to many stakeholders involved to adopt a positive perspective in the delivery of online learning. The administration should facilitate in the growth of their employees to better educate and give instructors the tools to endorse and continue the evolution of successfully technology delivered education. Instructors are now mentors who facilitate the online course and help students take on the new responsibility of being a more active role to their learning. I think adopting the excitement of providing quality online curriculum to students is a way to enrich online learning experience for all involved. See below a video on gaining student engagement. 

References

Bates, T. (2011) 2011 outlook for online learning and distance education. Contact North. Retrieved from: http://provost.ncsu.edu/governance/task-forces/distance- education/2011/documents/2011-outlook-for-online-learning-and-de.pdf  

Kolowich, S. (2012). Conflicted: Faculty and Online Education. Insidehighered.com. Retrieved from: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/survey/conflicted-faculty-and-online-education-2012

Tyler-Smith, K. (2006). Early Attrition among First Time eLearners: A Review of Factors that Contribute 
to Drop-out, Withdrawal and Non-completion Rates of Adult Learners undertaking eLearning Programmes. Jolt.merlot.org. Retrieved from http://jolt.merlot.org/Vol2_No2_TylerSmith.htm

Video T4LT - Online Student Engagement Tips and Strategies. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPEW2birta0