EDU 651 Reflection

Interaction is my biggest take away from this course. Students are often told that you get out of a course what you put into it, but I have learned from this class that the same is true for the instructor as well.  

This course used a variety of resources for learning;  collaborative literature reviews, the text, and discussion groups.  The text, E-learning, Theory, and Practice, written by Caroline Haythornthwaite and Richard Andrews, was a bit of a difficult and outdated read.  I struggled to see the relevance at first. As the course progressed, and engagement in discussions took place, its purpose came to light. Through the sharing peer experiences and contributions to the discussions, the text was used to show how, not only technology has advanced, but the knowledge and expectations of instructors of e-learning as well.

It is not as simple as one once thought, to transform a face-to-face class into an effective e-learning environment.  This is only possible with the support of administration, providing professional development of the ever-evolving world of technology.  Instructors must have the knowledge and mindset of providing a community-based learning platform that demonstrates awareness of different learning preferences, diversity, and universal design principles.
This can be achieved by investing in knowing the students or audience and their needs, along with instructor engagement in assignment feedback and discussions.  The literature review assignments reflected on this exact topic. Stating that both the feeling of a positive community along with higher retention rates or willingness to signing up for another online class was due to the amount of interaction and the welcoming social environment the instructor created for the course.

The responsibility of an online instructor does not end with their specific class content.  Instructors must provide their learners with digital literacies and etiquettes. Just as instructors present content in different strategies, learners must present their learning as such.  Many students that take online courses do not possess the literacy skills to be successful in the course, finding it difficult and eventually withdrawing. Instructors must provide resources and easy to navigate platforms for students to use, as they become more familiar with the online environment.  Students achieve digital literacy when they know when to use online resources, how to access information, how to evaluate it for accuracy and use the information to communicate effectively. Digital literacy is lifelong skills that provide our communities with active and contributing citizens to the world of technology.

As technology evolves, so does the need for new academic knowledge, pedagogy, literacy skills, and mindset.  If the online learning environment is to continue to provide access to all, anywhere, at any time, we must evolve along with it.  As technology changes, so do our learners. As instructors, it is our responsibility to know our diverse students, their diverse needs, and meet them.  Provide a safe, engaging, and motivating learning environment through course interaction and collaboration. Instructor transparency is key to a positive community learning environment.