Effective Facilitators
Distance Learning
Development
Online education is the way of the future! Access, convenience, and flexibility provides educational opportunities for working adults. Faculty need to enhance skills necessary to master teaching in an online environment. Faculty develop by doing repetition, having exposure , life experiences, mastering training, areas of interests, and having detailed selection of topics. Illustrated are other developmental phases faculty encounters.
Development Phases
Faculty must feel comfortable in teaching in an online environment to generate enthusiam. This is important in keeping students engaged and motivated in an online modality. The development stages for faculty are a process that includes personal growth. Five development phases are vital to faculty.
Five Developmental Phases
Visitor
Faculty teach face-to-face and never taught online before. Faculty believe in the idea of using technology for assignments, email, and collaborative learning but never used it before.
Novice
The novice never taught an online course before but consistently uses technology for assignments, emailing the syllabus, and communicating with students.
Apprentice
The apprentice is new at teaching online courses and is in the process of enhancing skills and use of technology.
Insider
The insider taught two semesters online and is familiar with the online environment. They are still improving skill levels and have designed a couple of courses.
Master
Master faculty taught many online courses, and are experts at incorporating technology in online courses. They can be used as mentors of novice faculty.
What skills are need?
Faculty Training
Faculty who improve their level of competence in their field have a competitive edge. In addition, online education requires that faculty identify a variety of tools and resources for improvement.
Presence
Personalize course by posting a welcome. Faculty may show their experience, use examples in workshops, seminars, and with topics of interest.
Pedagogy
Faculty use examples, and a detail syllabi. This is application in face-to-face and online instruction.
Content and Technology
Faculty use presentations, graphic arts, visual aids, media rich information in their instruction.
Sharpen Your Skills!
Pedagogy
Poor facilitator skills hinder the effectiveness of online learning. Facilitators poorly prepared, who are vague, have incomplete instructions in the syllabi, who are nonresponsive of student questions, demotivate students.Opposite of this scenario are energetic, motivating faculty who are technologically savvy and have vast skills and resources.
Presence
The effective online faculty establishes presence early on. This can be best done by doing a welcome post, explaining their experience, education, and hobbies. Faculty should encourage students to do the same. “The excellent online instructor is able to establish presence early in the course and encourages students to do the same” ( P. 14).
Classroom Experiences
The effective online faculty is well prepared for class. Faculty who posses skills to engage and motivates students are more successful. Students generally feel encouraged to participate in class. Faculty also need to show respect for student responses, and demonstrates genuine interest the progress of students.
Event Information
Rosa Romero
When?
Thursday, Feb 5, 2015, 06:00 PM
Where?