Converting to an Online Learning Format
Introduction
There are many things that a designer must consider before he or she attempts to edit a course. In the case of the designer who is trying to move from a more of a traditional course to a blended course, there are many things that should be considered. The first thing that should be considered are pre-planning strategies. According to Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek (2012), pre-planning strategies include revisiting the technologies used, the structure of the syllabus, the changes in active learning, and the ways in which learners collaborate. After the pre-planning strategies have been implemented the designer will find out what aspects of the course can be enhanced by the distance learning format. The designer will be able to find out what aspects of the distance learning format will do better on a distance learning format and what aspects will not by either conducting their own research or drawing conclusions from other people's reputable research. When the designer finally draws conclusions from research, they may have to test certain items to see if they really enhance the objectives of the course.
Other aspects that must be addressed when editing a course and changing the course format, is the different definition as his role as a trainer that needs to be adjusted as the move is made from the traditional classroom to the blended format as well as the ways in which people communicate online.
Pre-planning Strategies
1. The designer must identify the learners (Simonson, et al., 2012). This means that they must evaluate the competencies of the learners. The designer should address whether the blended format will benefit the learners. By doing this, the designer has inadvertently analyzed the general abilities of the class and analyzed the potential for learner interactivity. Also, according to Dede (2005), learning styles should also be addressed.
2. The designer must also evaluate the course content (Simonson, et. al., 2012). This means that the course content must meet the course objectives. This seems simple but some people get tangled in trying to make a course look impressive and they lose site of the objectives. Thus, the designer should set goals and objectives and keep referring to them as a system of checks and balances throughout the entire course planning process.
3. Next the designer, should consider what teaching strategies should be used (Simonson, et. al., 2012). Teaching strategies should be considered due to feedback from facilitators and students. The environment where the learning takes place also influences the teaching strategies. The learning environment includes technology and resources.
Distance Learning Course Enhancement
In a blended course format, the area of that can be enhanced the most is collaboration and discussion. There is plenty of time for people to collaborate when they meet in person during the regular class time, but during the time outside of class they can continue to collaborate by such methods as an online discussion forum or via live chat. According to Simonson, et. al. (2012), both synchronous and asynchronous communication are enhanced by the distance learning environment.
Through synchronous communication the instructor is able to facilitate the class via live lectures and for those students who cannot be present due to geographic variations, the lectures can be recorded and archived for later viewing or for extended viewing. However, in an asynchronous learning environment, the discussion forum is heavily relied upon because participants are able to visit the classroom online at any time (Simonson, et. al., 2012). This possibly works best when the students are spread throughout many different time zones.
The Role of the Trainer
In a blended course format, it would seem that the role of the trainer becomes more of a facilitator (Siemens, 2008). According to Simonson, et. al. (2012), a facilitator is a person who has been hired to be a local contact for students, whether it is online or in the traditional classroom. Therefore, since the trainer is making more of a transition to a facilitator, he should take into consideration the following questions:
1. What will his new role in the class be since it is blended and not completely in a brick and mortar classroom?
2. Can other facilitators assist with the entire learning process?
3. What are his capabilities for orchestrating the course? Would he benefit from the expertise of others to help benefit the course objectives?
All of these considerations help to draw the conclusion that the trainer becomes more of a facilitator in an online course format.
Encouraging Online Communication
To encourage students to have meaningful conversation and debates the facilitator can point out exemplary discussion threads and explain why they are exemplary (Belderrain, 2006). The facilitator can also give an example of what they expect within a discussion post as well as a thread and set up rules for the discussion thread (Simonson et. al., 2012). This is important because rules are necessary for the students to get the intended outcomes from the discussion. Also, according to edtechleaders.org (2008), the facilitator also must obey the following rules to encourage effective online communication:
1. The establishment of clear goals
2. Provide behind-the-scenes support via email
3. Foster communication between participants
4. Create a comfortable environment
5. Model participation and discussion techniques
6. Keep the discussion lively
7. Keep discussion on-topic
8. Guide students through curriculum
9. Make sure the curriculum is in sync with the audience
10. Bring closure to each session before moving on
Conclusion
In conclusion, the when a trainer makes the transition from a traditional online classroom to, there are many things to consider to make the best possible edit. As mentioned earlier, those things include pre-planning strategies which include items such as evaluating the course objectives as well as the demographics of the learner. Once the pre-planning strategies have been implemented, the trainer must decide which aspects on the course would be enhanced by the online course experience. This can be a daunting task, however, the trainer can go based on his past experience or base choices on the research of others.
On the other hand, once the trainer has implemented the transition from brick and mortar to the blended course format, the trainer must also examine his role of the trainer because especially in the online format, the trainer is more of a facilitator and the students learn more independently than in a traditional format. Lastly, the trainer must make sure that effective communication is taking place across both platforms.
References
Beldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2), 139–153.
Dede, C. (2005). Planning for neomillennial learning styles. Educause Quarterly, 28(1),7–12.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
Ten Tips for Effective Online Facilitation (2008). Retrieved from http://www.edtechleaders.org/documents/opd/ETLO_Ten_Tips.htm.
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