Lesson 13

By MaryAnn Avelar-Flores

Discussion of best practices and strategies for taking learning beyond the classroom and into the online instructional environment of the Internet and the World Wide Web.

In the online environment according to Palloff & Pratt, the role of the instructor should become that of a facilitator that guides the students to explore the course materials. The instructor should also be an administrator who posts a syllabus, establishes outcome and Objectives, assignments, course guideline, and guides group discussion. The Instructor facilitates the flow of the course and evaluates the outcome.

Students should share resources they find with other members of the group. Students should participate with some minimal guidance and interact and engage with other classmates.

According to Palloff & Pratt the keys to success in distance learning are:

Honesty-Participant must comfortable that others in the group are who they say they are.

Responsiveness-Members must respond to each other and the instructor must respond quickly to the participants.

Collaboration in achieving learning outcome hinges on the groups ability to work with and respond to each other.

Relevance-Students must see the relevance of the subject matter to their own life.

Respect-Students must feel they are respected as people. The willingness of the member of the group to keep confidential information among themselves even when they share online information about themselves.

Openness-Students should feel free to share their thoughts and feeling without fee of retribution.

Empowerment-A sense of empowerment is a desired outcome in online learning because the learner-centered environment is conducive to encouraging the learners to pursue knowledge wherever that path take him. Learners should view themselves with a new sense of confidence in their own ability to interact with knowledge.