Setting Up Effective Online Learning Experiences

Setting Up Effective Online Learning Experiences

There are many steps to establishing an effective online learning experience for adult learners. Syllabuses and assessment plans must be made, course site accessed, course layout decided or template explored, materials and links must be verified and understood, getting acquainted with facility resources such as technical support and other educators in the program, planning out full schedule to account for holidays or events, preparing discussion topics, and asking for feedback or using standards of quality rubrics.

I feel the most essential of these elements are the course site as it is the access point for the learning, the first few weeks of discussion posts and assignments along with their materials need to be ready, and the syllabus which contains the expectations of the learner, instructor, facility, and grading policies. According to Boettcher and Conrad (2010, p. 63), “The course elements that must be completed for an online course are the syllabus, the weekly plans and discussion postings for the first weeks, and the course site.”

However, that is just the essential technical aspects of the course in my mind; there is still the community aspect of setting up also. This includes welcome posts and icebreakers to help the students feel comfortable but also it helps the instructor learn a bit about the student which can be insightful. Dr. Palloff (Laureate Education, 2012) points out “… if I'm getting a sense that part of where that student is coming from is based on their background, and the life they've lived, and their experiences et cetera, sometimes I'll go back to their intro or bio to check that out.” These beginning social exercises help give personality and dimension to everyone instead of being just a name and text which makes for more concise communications.

Clear communication is essential to an online education setting where the lack of voice and body language can easily lead to misunderstandings or confusion. Sometimes what seems clear to one person reads a different way to other because they lack those key cues that help convey meaning. In some cases, clarity can be achieved through the use of video and/or audio clips as they add dimension to the character of the person and information.

When teaching adults online, there are also considerations that need to be observed for scheduling and understanding purposes. If the instructor is going to be unreachable during normally available hours, this needs to be expressed to the students so they can also plan around it as needed. Adult students also come into classes with a broad range of education, experiences, backgrounds, and personalities all of which the instructor and classmates need to keep in mind. While the adult educators main job is to guide the learners, there is also the responsibility of making safe space for voicing opinions and ideas freely without fear of hostility. It is ok and even beneficial to have a difference of views and ideas being discussed, but it is not ok to so in a negative manner.

I feel a well planned and executed first few weeks combined with an open and friendly atmosphere are vital to any successful online course. Without both of these elements, the rest has no foundation to build upon and the learners will lose confidence in the education and the learning. If the instructor is well-prepared and sets a good example of communication in the community area during the first few weeks of the course, it sets the stage for deeper and more meaningful learning exchanges between everyone.

References

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.