E-Learning: Where do we start? Where is it going? by Kyle B. Pace
Dec
10
Written by:
12/10/2009 1:57 PM
Is your district considering moving courses to an online format? If
you are considering online or blended courses, I would like to offer
some tips and suggestions for best practices for transitioning a face
to face course to an online course.
A Clear Purpose
Be sure to carefully examine why classes are going to be offered in
an online format and what LMS (Learning Management System) will be used
for delivery. Is it for credit recovery? Is it for students that want
to take a heavy course load in a content area only offered face to face
such as music? It's also important to take plenty of time to evaluate
and test the various LMS tools that are available. Moodle, Blackboard, Edmodo, and Angel
are some of the most popular used in K-12 education. They range in
price from completely free to expensive so be sure to investigate them
throughly by requesting webinars and demo environments to test out
before making a choice.
What does teaching an online course look like? How do I make it engaging?
I'll come right out and tell you now that the purpose of an online
course is not to digitize worksheets. An online or blended course is
not a storage place for all your worksheets and PowerPoint
presentations. Teaching a course face to face vs. online is very
different not just from the teacher perspective but for students as
well. Think about it this way: Every concept that is taught face to
face has to be converted to an online format that still adequately
teaches the concept or skill. When we think about it that way it feels
like quite a daunting task. From a student perspective an online course
might initially sound like it would be taking the "easy road". It's
quite the opposite. Online courses require a very strong work ethic and
a lot of self-discipline. Some great resources for students to self
assess before embarking into online learning can be found here.
This resource was put together by some of my colleagues when we were at
the very beginning of online courses. We have found that not only do
students find it beneficial, but counselors have used it as well when a
student asks to be enrolled in an online course.
Developing an online course takes a considerable amount of time to
organize and gather resources. My district has 3 fully online high
school courses and an entire semester was spent to organize and develop
the courses in an online format. Online courses need to be rich in
multimedia and interactivity. This can happen by using the discussion
board, journaling, having a virtual classroom session, video and audio
resources, and interactive websites and simulations. There are also
additional tools within an online course that lend themselves well to
group projects and delivering assessments.
Since students in an online class aren't seeing each other and
speaking to each other face to face, proper discussion skills need to
be covered. It's one of the biggest complaints I hear from teachers
that are teaching either an online or blended course. "I agree" is not
an appropriate way to respond to one of your classmates in the
discussion board. No, texting slang in the discussion board or emails
isn't appropriate either. Each student needs to know proper
"netiquette" for an online class. This is an essential 21st century
skill that must be address before coursework begins. Look at how many
colleges offer online courses; even complete degree programs are now
offered online. I believe that students should have these experiences
during their K-12 education long before year one of college.
What is the future of e-learning?
Where is e-learning going? What's going to be the next big thing? A
fully online high school perhaps? Maybe at some point there will be the
potential for a student to earn his/her high school diploma online. Is
it really that far-fetched? There are already college degree programs
that are 100% online. What would it be like to have classes with
classmates you'll never see in person? I see tools like Skype working
more in conjunction with e-learning. There could be some classmates
that live down the street, and others that live on a different
continent. E-learning is even now starting to go mobile. Blackboard has
apps for iPhone and Blackberry for students to keep track of course
assignments and deadlines while on the go.
I think it's exciting the way e-learning is taking off around the
world. I am looking forward to seeing where it goes next. If I can be
of any assistance to your district about moving courses into a blended
or fully online format, please do not hesitate to contact me. As always
I welcome your comments.
2 comment(s) so far...
E-Learning: Where do we start? Where is it going? by Kyle B. Pace
Kyle: You were doing well right up to the last section. There are, and have been for a long time, online high schools. It is currently possible in a number of school districts, for a student to get a high school diploma entirely online. Also watch for more states to put an online learning element as a high school graduation requirement. (There are already two states with one.)
The newest development in online education is the first GLBTQ Online High School.
Ray
By Raymond Rose on
12/17/2009 4:29 AM
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E-Learning: Where do we start? Where is it going? by Kyle B. Pace
I dont agree with your statement: Every concept that is taught face to face has to be converted to an online format that still adequately teaches the concept or skill. People dont learn just by answering a question in a box. People learn from each other. There is so much more people skills, teaching skills in person than in an online format.
By Vivian Villalobos on
2/16/2010 12:08 PM
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