Reflection #1- Facilitating E-Learning

One aspect that I have been surprised by so far in this course is the extent and depth of planning that is needed to facilitate effective online learning experiences. I think the instructor notes assignments in particular has made me more aware of the detailed step-by-step instructions that are frequently needed for instructors who are new to online teaching. So far my experiences in facilitating online learning have involved just myself as the instructor. So, many of the steps involved in planning and delivery have been intuitively obvious to me and I haven't necessarily needed to detail them in a written step-by-step fashion. But now I see that to be able to train and support other instructors who may be asked to facilitate the same online teaching models it’s necessary to provide for them explicit directions for each step in the process. In my own work setting this process will be useful as we develop more online courses and will need to train and support new faculty members who might themselves be new to online teaching; they will need closely scaffolded support and an explicit structure to help them effectively facilitate in an online environment.

There are many facilitation strategies that are applicable to both face-to-face and online learning. In both contexts learners need to develop increasing levels of self-sufficiency and control over their own learning. There has been a lot of focus on in research on effective teaching on the instructor’s role as a facilitator for learners and on creating experiences where students can discover important insights for themselves. I think that is a critical point that applies to all models of teaching online or face-to-face. In that sense it is important to create prompts and questions that motivate learners and engage them in a process of inquiry. While it is frequently the case that instructors need to deliver content to students, particularly at the beginning of an experience, it is always important for learners to be self-directed and seek to answer their own questions. In an online environment the depth and richness of sources available on the internet make it possible to provide learners with infinite resources to help them engage in inquiry and discovery. No longer is content delivery strictly provided within traditional "lecture" modes where the instructor is presumed to have all the knowledge and then delivers that knowledge to students. Now it seems online methods make it possible for students to find their own authoritative sources and make their own decisions about what sources are useful and necessary given the particular question or project in which they are engaged. In that sense instructors may use more of their time with learners to help facilitate high-level discussions about content and operate more as a facilitator during their time with students. I believe therefore that online learning models provide greater opportunities for instructors to create self-sufficient learners who are truly engaged.