E-Learning and Online Teaching

Piazza is a free online gathering place where students can ask, answer, and explore 24/7, under the guidance of their instructors. Students as well as instructors can answer questions, fueling a healthy, collaborative discussion.

Controversy can erupt in any learning situation, and knowing how to manage it is an important skill for any instructor.

Assessing and Facilitating Collaborative and Team-Based Learning

This newsletter focuses on strategies for assessing, developing and managing successful team-based learning experiences.

This course provides an understanding of strategic facilitation and how it differs from other forms of stakeholder involvement, voluntary organization models, or public participation processes. You will learn how to lead a group from within, to engage stakeholders and help them to participate effectively and constructively, and to encourage ongoing involvement and responsive programs. 

This is the first post in a triplet series on how to create effective discussions in an online learning environment. This post discusses how course instructors can shape and create robust and rich ...

How important is discussion and discourse in learning? How about in online learning? Somewhat important —- vital —- not? This past week I’ve been immersed in online discussions – as a participant and as a mentor to professors teaching online. Before we go on, the answer to the question is … vital, critical, essential – the instructor that is. A caveat, deep, authentic and successful learning is supported by instructors that guide, yet focus, redirect, and shall I say… nurture. It’s a challenge, as facilitating discussions in online classes is much different than face-to-face. It’s no surprise that instructors teaching online are often at odds with how to develop effective discussions in the online class.

It’s a good question and on days when getting them to discuss feels a lot like prodding reluctant mules, it’s easy to be cynical about learning outcomes. But most faculty believe in discussion and try hard to make it work.

Using a qualitative design, researchers identified four different ways students reported they were using discussion to promote learning.

To challenge ideas – both their own and others with the goal of arriving at a more complete understanding

To develop ideas – using the ideas of others to improve their own thinking

To acquire ideas – using discussion as a way of collecting ideas

To check ideas – making sure that their ideas were the right ones; that they were learning the right things

'The novice teacher shows & tell incessantly;
The wise teacher listens, prods, challenges
and refuses to give away the right answer.
Ideally, students remember what they have learned
Not what the teacher told them."

"As trainers, you are aware that the learning process is as important as the content of learning. This perhaps is more so in an adult training environment. Often, unskilled trainers put overwhelming importance on the content/topics of the training programme and ignore the learning process, thereby hindering the creation of an appropriate learning environment. As a result, not only do the trainees go away dissatisfied, but the learning also remains largely ineffective."

On Monday I will begin my new job. As I've mentioned before, I will be working as a Technology Resource Specialist as well as teaching a couple of classes.

In an effort to bring my own classroom to the present, I’ve put together a list of 10 icebreakers that use technology and fit with 21st century students:

Turn facilitation responsibilities to your students in the online classroom. This will empower students, increase participation, and improve learning.

This Quick Guide unpacks the various interpretations of 'facilitation', the impact of online mediums on teacher and student roles, facilitation strategies, and emerging models and theories. The focus of this guide is on practical application and strategies associated with the facilitation of student learning.

3. Provide behind-the-scenes support via email
Email is a good way to respond to individual problems or to motivate people to participate without embarrassing them. You will want to be in regular email contact with your participants, either by group or individual communication. If participants send you interesting content-related comments via email, encourage them to post these thoughts to the discussion forum as well. If you receive a number of questions by email, you may want to consider posting a special discussion forum for questions or suggestions. This way everyone can benefit from answers to questions of general interest.

When there's a lull in the discussion, it's tempting for instructors to interject their ideas and opinions into student forums. However, teachers should use caution when posting messages. Some students may rely on the teacher's comments or wait for the teacher to lead rather than jump into the discussion. When possible, let the participants lead and only join the discussion when necessary.

Affordable Online learning has taken off these days. On the internet training prevails in almost any subject, and students leap at the opportunity to learn from house. With the increase in Online Course available for students, this also indicates more possibilities for professors to grow their occupations by coaching online. Teaching an internet category can be very different from in-person instruction

The ORID (Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, Decisional) method is a form of a structured conversation led by a facilitator.

The method was developed by the Institute for Cultural Affairs as a means to analyse facts and feelings, to ask about implications and to make decisions intelligently. It is a means of escaping the morass of maniacal meetings.