OLLIE Iowa

I believe a strong intro or syllabus is very important in an online learning environment. The thing I like about online is that students can work at their own pace, and keeping deadlines or guidelines is helpful in helping students succeed.

Yes, clear expectations are essential when designing a course. Learners should not immediately what the learning outcomes will be and the expectations for the work they are completing.

Absolutely! Planning and organization are keys to learning in any classroom, but becomes even more crucial in the online environment. A student must have clear expectations and timely feedback (so he/she knows work is being done correctly) if he/she wishes to be successful in an online environment.

Selecting technology that is appropriate for the task is essential. Technology should be tested as a learner and chosen to assist participants in accessing content and demonstrating their understanding in meaningful ways. Quality of tools over quantity and allowing participants an opportunity to learn how to navigate those tools is an important consideration.

Agreed. It is also important that the instructor has a good understanding of the tool and how to use it. I feel there are times when instrutors will choose tools that are popular, but don't understand all of the functions.

I always preach, "Don't use technology for technology's sake." I also call it in my classroom or when teaching peers, "Over-tooling." I believe that technology loses its effectiveness when not used sparingly and looking for the right tool for the purpose.

Online learning can seem distant and impersonal, or it can be a valuable and meaningful experience for the instructor and students. I read previously that if a student's first experience in an online course is positive, it is far more likely that he or she will continue online courses in the future. Learners should feel safe to ask questions and feel supported during their courses. If an instructor is mindful of reaching out to students frequently, checking on their progress, and answers questions quickly, then the overall impact will be positive.

Your point about the instructor being mindful is so important. So much of the online learning experience is a direct result of what the instructor chooses to do with the course.

I have had the experience of being an on-line learner with various instructors. Some courses were great and others were frustrating. I think it's very important to have had the student experience before being an instructor.

One key component of on-line instruction is to facilitate student to student and instructor- student interactions. It is the responsibilty of the instructor to structure the course in a way that will engage everyone. Setting up the expectation for on-going discussion beyond single posts is critical.

I think it is extremely important for all teachers to have experienced being an online student.  More schools have an LMS and are required to place things online.  I think experiencing the online environment as a student enhances a teachers ability to be able to disseminate appropriate information to their students.

It's amazing but the teacher-student interaction is every bit as important, if not more important, in the online environment.

An instructor must have a solid understanding of the content that is being taught in order to determine the best methods of presenting the material online. Some content lends itself better to individual work while group work/discussion may be more appropriate in other cases. When providing content instruction, the instrutor must also be able to determine good online sources and tools from those that aren't great. Old online material or videos can often confuse students more than help them.

Continual PD and reflection will be key as tools change and research continues to show what is effective and what isn't.

By communicating and providing information with your team/co-workers shows that you are putting in the effort to learn and share your knowledge.

Student motivation and appropriate techniques is very important to help engage your student. The more interested your student is about the topic at hand the more willing they are to participate which equals learning!

Technology changes so quickly which is another reason why continual PD is an important standard. I try to remember that if I think that I will become an expert in technology I will never make that goal. I must instead strive to stay current and try and learn new things.

This is so true and proven by the list of Cool Tools we looked at in Topic 1.

Each student has a unique background set of knowledge and skills. We need to individualize to each learner whenever possible.

Setting high expectations encourages each student to be challenged, but not frustrated. Teachers walk a fine line at times.

I think content knowledge is very important and sometimes overlooked. Some become to concerned with the bells and whistles of the technology and try to create an innovative way to use the tech. However, if it is not rooted in an important knowledge base to the content the person is teaching, the technology is meaningless. As an instructor and as I coach, I first consider what content is important.

I am a BIG fan of TPACK learning theory and use it in my practice as a teacher and a coach. Knowing why we do what we do in the classroom, and knowing how it is supported by research and theory, is very important for quality online learning (IMHO).

To be honest, I had not considered this factor because my online work has been in an adult learning environment and I have never noticed any troubles in this area. However, I can see the need to work on this if teaching high school kids; they often make some poor decisions when typing online!

It is important to awknowledge that online instruction is to be aligned with Iowa Core standards. That is a good reminder not to use technology for technology's sake, but for a greater purpose.

Because the learning theories are specifically mentioned in the standards, one should review or increase their knowledge of these theories. It seems like these theories could be information that is added to the Ollie online courses.