more than technology: preparing teachers for the online environment michele gill, director of...

More than Technology:  Preparing Teachers for

the Online Environment

Michele Gill, Director of On-Line LearningPerformance Learning Systems

Dr. Michael Speziale, Dean of the School of EducationWilkes University

Introductions

Personal Experiences

•First on-line class

•K-12 WebCT

•Wilkes U Pre Facilitator Training

Changing the Paradigm

•Licensed FST from PLS

•What did it look like?

•Who had to be trained?

•Incentives:

•Certified to teach on-line sections

•Professional Development Credit

Focused Research• Learning is Social and thus interaction throughout

the course is critical

• Feedback-especially in discussions is extremely important to students

• Course training for students in the use of the technology, navigation, etc should be offered

• Limit the number of students in discussions groups

• Need more opportunities for non-forced group interaction

• Pictures of classmates to help create connections

• Faculty shouldn’t make assumptions about tech skill levels

Pugh, D. 2010

PresencePresencePresencePresence

Deconstruction of DFS

CriticalCriticalThinkingThinkingCriticalCritical

ThinkingThinking

CommunityCommunityBuildingBuilding

CommunityCommunityBuildingBuilding

CommunicatioCommunicationn

CommunicatioCommunicationn

ContentContentContentContent

Prerequisite Skills

• (doesn’t interfere with ability to communicate)

•Good grammar/spelling(it’s the face of the facilitator)

•Fast (enough) typing

Content • Teachers / facilitators must have a deep

understanding of the ideas and content covered

Communication•Voice-the ability

to show/communicate personality and emotion (along with content) in writing

•Tone-consciousness/purposeful use

Communication

•Verbal Skills

•Positive Phrasing/Needs Benefit Statements

•Supporting Statements

•Empathy vs. Sympathy

•Approval vs. Praise

Communication

•Neutral Correction

Examples• I just read your article submission for the newsletter. You

need to fix it. You misspelled several words, and some of your facts are wrong. You need to make the corrections by Friday. "

• I received your article for the newsletter. There are a few factual errors and several misspelled words. Please take a few moments to review it. Friday is the deadline for submission of any corrections. Thanks.

• I just finished looking over your article for the newsletter and caught a few typos. I also found what I think are contradictions to a few of the facts listed. If you are able to review it before Friday I'll still be able to get it to the printer before the deadline. Thanks!

Communication

Community Building

• Collaboration

• Culture

• Celebrations/Traditions

Community Building

Critical Thinking

•Diagnosing discussions (facilitator)

•Weaving discussions (facilitator or student)

•Deconstruction of online discussions

•Creating a response that is greater than the sum of its parts

•Pushing participants to dive deeper into ideas/content

Critical Thinking

Presence•Social (students feel

facilitator is there w/out being overpowering/controlling)

•Purposeful (value added posts…every post worth reading by everyone, every time)

Presence

Focus of DFS•DFS finite and focused

•To become a highly skilled teacher requires much more robust training

•Result - Master’s in OLT

Sampling of OLT Courses• ED 530     Utilizing Emerging Technologies to Support Education (Wilkes)

• ED 5001   Social & Ethical Issues in Distance Learning (Wilkes)

• ED 5002   Instructional Design for Online Educators™ (PLS)

• ED 5003   Facilitating Online Learning Communities™ (PLS)

• ED 5004   Action Research in the E-Learning Environment™ (PLS)

• ED 5010   Teaching 3-D: Virtual Classroom Environments (Wilkes)

• ED 579     Media Design (Wilkes)

• ED 5011   Digital Video in Instructional Design and Delivery (Wilkes)

• ED 5012   Trends and Innovations in Instructional Technology (Wilkes)

• ED 5020    Using Online Resources to Bring Primary Sources to the Classroom™ (PLS)

• ED 5021    Blended and Synchronous Learning Environments™ (PLS)

• ED 5022    Simulations and Gaming Technologies for the Classroom™ (PLS)

• ED 5023    Building Online Collaborative Environments™ (PLS)

• ED 5024    Educating the Net-Generation™ (PLS)

• ED 530     Utilizing Emerging Technologies to Support Education (Wilkes)

• ED 5001   Social & Ethical Issues in Distance Learning (Wilkes)

• ED 5002   Instructional Design for Online Educators™ (PLS)

• ED 5003   Facilitating Online Learning Communities™ (PLS)

• ED 5004   Action Research in the E-Learning Environment™ (PLS)

• ED 5010   Teaching 3-D: Virtual Classroom Environments (Wilkes)

• ED 579     Media Design (Wilkes)

• ED 5011   Digital Video in Instructional Design and Delivery (Wilkes)

• ED 5012   Trends and Innovations in Instructional Technology (Wilkes)

• ED 5020    Using Online Resources to Bring Primary Sources to the Classroom™ (PLS)

• ED 5021    Blended and Synchronous Learning Environments™ (PLS)

• ED 5022    Simulations and Gaming Technologies for the Classroom™ (PLS)

• ED 5023    Building Online Collaborative Environments™ (PLS)

• ED 5024    Educating the Net-Generation™ (PLS)

Contact Us

Dr. Michael Spezialemichael.speziale@wilkes.edu

570-408-4239

Michele Gillmgill@plsweb.com

888-578-3224