"Persevering at online learning is also affected by computer and information literacy, time management...online communication skills... self-esteem, feelings of belongingness in the online program and the ability to develop interpersonal skills with peers..." Objective: What have you learned from reflecting on this particular quote? What has caught your attention?For those that are new to online learning, they quickly come to realize that it is unlike any learning they have encountered before. Classwork is self-paced, the teacher can be accessed mainly via video messages or e-mail, and interactions with classmates are dependant on wifi-connections and a penchant for starting online conversations. For those that have done some form of online learning, however, most have some strategies in place of how to tackle online learning, which include deadlines and plenty of planning ahead. This quote reiterates that there are many factors associated for the learner to be successful with online learning. Reflective: What did you realize about teaching as a result of this quote?The one thing that strikes me as an important factor for the teacher to consider is that not all students in the class will come equipped with all those skills. Some of them might have the computer knowledge, and good time management skills, but might be lacking in communication or interpersonal skills. Reflecting on my own (first-time) experience with online learning: I found that learning how to set up a blog and other computer related skills were easier for me to learn, but even though I consider myself a fairly social person with decent interpersonal skills, I struggled with transferring those skills to the online realm. As a teacher, it would be helpful to approach your class knowing that most students will have some skills for online learning, but not all of them, and that the teacher can help fill in the gaps where necessary. Interpretive: What was your "aha!" moment when you read this quote? In what way(s) did this quote change your mind about being an adult educator? What was one key insight that you now have as a result of this quote?Knowing that students will have some, but perhaps not all of the skills necessary for success, online educators need to help students adapt to their new environment. This means the instructor needs to keep switching tactics to help each student with the particular skills set they require help with. I feel like in order to effectively help my students be successful in online learning, I would first have to have strong time management skills. Strong time management skills would help me manage the delivery of course content and at the same time help develop a sense of inclusiveness, students' self-esteems, interpersonal skills and get them participating actively online. Dr. Bernard Bull, Assistant Vice President of Academics at Concordia University explains the roles of the online instructor as: part tour guide, part cheerleader, and part social connector. In his 2013 article Dr. Bull propounds that the teacher's presence online is vital to motivating students to take an active part in their online learning experience. Online learning can be challenging, but using these techniques teachers can modify their strategies to foster an effective eLearning experience. Decisional: How has this quote and the insight that you have gained from reflecting upon it, influenced your notion of teaching or how you will teach in the future?According to Allen & Seaman (as quoted in Merriam & Bierema, 2014) "[the retention of] online learners is a challenge and drop-out rates are higher among this population than traditional, on campus learners". As adult educators we must do what we can to help our students acclimatize to the online learning sphere early on. Christopher Pappas gives us a few tips on what we can do to help students have a truly rewarding online learning experience.
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