Signature Assignment



Signature Assignment

Facilitator Training Program

Cindy Douglas

CUR/532 » Facilitating Online Learning

Professor Danene Mims

April 3, 2017

Facilitator Training Program

In an educational environment where the landscape of student learning is continuously changing, a dynamic approach to meeting the ongoing needs of learners is critical. Increasingly, college and university students now find themselves with other obligations beyond that of getting a degree. Career and family commitments, for example, make significant demands on their time. Having the option of taking courses online and studying on their own time is becoming critically important today.

Meeting this need, however, requires instructors to have a new set of knowledge and skills to effectively facilitate digital learning. “Without proper pedagogical training and online experience, teachers will continue to replicate their best traditional practices onto the online medium. If institutions expect faculty to successfully transition to the web-based classroom, instructors must be educated on best practices in online learning” (Bray, 2009). Providing a successful online learning experience means an instructor cannot change from standing in front of a class to typing on a keyboard and keep everything else the same. Indeed, virtual teaching requires a different set of teaching skills and methods (Lewis, 2007).

Setting the Context: Intended Audience

To provide the most comprehensive training possible, the information provided will target an audience of adult learning instructors who possess a high degree of content knowledge about their subject, but have never taught or taken an online course. As an instructor preparing to move into the area of digital instruction, you have been teaching for five, ten, or even twenty or thirty years. You are an expert in your subject matter, but not in technology or in the pedagogy of how to ensure learning in an online course. The knowledge and skills that will be covered begin at a basic level to assist you to effectively transition your traditional courses to an online learning environment.

Setting the Context: Goals and Objectives

At the conclusion of the training, participants will have a clear understanding of the necessary skills and instructional materials needed for online instruction, an understanding of the appropriate technology to support online courses, and an awareness of issues that may arise as well as the strategies to effectively solve the issues.

Figure 1.1

|Goal 1 |Goal 2 |Goal 3 |

|Develop an understanding of the necessary |Understand and utilize the appropriate |Develop an awareness of issues that may arise in |

|skills and instructional materials needed |technology to support teaching and learning in|online courses, including technology management, |

|for effective online instruction. |online courses. |and understand the strategies to effectively |

| | |solve the issues. |

|Objective 1.1 |Objective 2.1 |Objective 3.1 |

|Participants will be able to describe the |Participants will be able to discuss two |Participants will be able to describe the three |

|phases of development for distance learning|effective strategies for presenting |characteristics that impact distance learners, |

|facilitators and identify the transition |information, conducting class or private |including cultural, experiential, and prior |

|between phases. |discussions, receiving assignments and |learning experiences. |

| |providing feedback and grades. | |

|Objective 1.2 |Objective 2.2 |Objective 3.2 |

|Participants will be able to provide a |Participants will be able to describe at least|Participants will be able to discuss and provide |

|clear description and provide examples of |three different technology or media tools that|two examples of the differences between |

|theories of distance learning. |engage and enhance student learning. |synchronous and asynchronous facilitation skills.|

|Objective 1.3 |Objective 2.3 |Objective 3.3 |

|Participants will be able to provide three |Participants will be able to provide a minimum|Participants will be able to describe a minimum |

|examples of how the different theories |of three different technology tools for |of three technology management issues and |

|apply to different scenarios. |student collaboration |appropriate resolutions. |

Setting the Context: Assessment

Participants will complete a two-part assessment at the end of the training. The first part will include a series of questions to be completed independently. Questions will be aligned with the goals and include categories such as skills and instructional materials for online facilitation, identifying and discussing the appropriate technology to support teaching and learning in online courses, and demonstrating an awareness of issues that may arise in online courses, including technology and classroom management, as well as an understanding the strategies to effectively solve the issues.

The second part of the assessment will require participants to work with a partner to describe the development of an online course in detail. Course development will include a description of materials, strategies for delivering content and conducting class discussions, technology tools to engage students in collaboration, feedback and grading. Assessment results will determine individual competency, as well as training program effectiveness.

Let’s Get Started: Facilitator Skills!

Online education can fundamentally change the relationship between students and teachers as it moves the instructional venue from in person to virtual. But changing the relationship can be positive when the course facilitator has the skills to create an engaging and effective learning experience for students.

There are five basic skills that online instructors should possess to ensure successful teaching and learning. The first skill is content knowledge. Online instructors must know their content and know how to help learners develop a deep understanding of the content. Online courses are sometimes perceived as a self-study process where students learn all of the information on their own. In reality, an effective learning experience is dependent on the facilitator’s content knowledge and ability to guide and interact with students in a way that promotes deep understanding of the information.

The second skill is the ability to blend the content with appropriate pedagogy, and technology. Key components of this skill include self-direction and time management, as well as an understanding of of the importance of providing active facilitation and technology-mediated support (Burns, 2015). Effective instructors will have skills to foster interaction and communication with and between learners during the online learning experience.

Third, digital instructors need the skills to establish an online presence. In an online learning environment, the instructor plays a critical and varied role. Facilitators must work to establish a welcoming presence, set a tone that encourages reflection and inquiry, broaden and deepen online communication, assess both individual and group learning interactions, make critical judgments about participant knowledge, encourage those who fall behind, and summarize participant learning (Burns, 2015). It is also critical that the instructor has the skill to make the online environment feel like a conversation and foster a sense of belonging for all students. This is especially important for learners who are new to online education and uncomfortable with the process and expectations.

The fourth skill is based on effective communication. Online discussions are often the “tie that binds” a collection of individual learners into a collaborative learning community. Without such discussions the learning opportunity becomes a solo endeavor, and opportunities for deeper learning are lost (Burns, 2015). The promotion of such collaborative communities through online discussion groups requires skilled facilitation by instructors, who use strategies to elicit learners’ beliefs and understandings. They recognize when and how to respond to individuals and to the group in order to shape and promote interaction. They also guide participants along a continuum of learning from awareness of new techniques to adapting and applying such techniques in their own settings. And, they recognize when and how to respond to individuals and to the group in order to shape and promote interaction. These practices are critical elements in the coherence of online groups, since an online instructor’s response time can bridge the virtual distance between the instructor and students or deepen it.

The fifth skill that is critical for facilitator success is the ability to manage learners in an online course. New online learners often have difficulty completing their work in such an open environment, particularly when they are not part of a traditional setting with a cohort of other students in person. Online instructors will need to provide the right amount of support and pressure via the available technology on an ongoing basis. Although the idea of supporting and interacting with online learners sounds intuitive, it is a skill that requires careful attention to student participation and responses, as well attention to content and student acquisition of knowledge throughout the course.

Phases of Development For Distance Learning Facilitators

As you begin to gain competence and confidence as an online facilitator, it is important to recognize that researchers have identified phases of development throughout the learning process. As a new instructor, it is important that you are aware of these phases and that you take action to continuously seek growth. These phases include:

Visitor-- instructor who has toyed with the idea of technology integration in their face-to-face classes and who may have posted a syllabus or assignments online or used e-mail for assignment completion (Palloff & Pratt, 2013). Novice-- instructor who has never taught online and who may or may not have taken an online course as a student but have consistently posted a syllabus online and have used some communications technologies to supplement their face-to-face teaching (Palloff & Pratt, 2013). Apprentice-- instructor who has taught online for one or two terms. They may have taught more than one course per term. They are developing an understanding of the online environment and the skills required to teach online (Palloff & Pratt, 2013).

Insider-- instructor who has taught more than two semesters online and have taught more than one course per term. They feel comfortable in the online environment, are proficient with course management technology, and have basic understanding of the skills needed for online teaching. They may have designed one or more online courses (Palloff & Pratt, 2013).

Master--instructor who has taught online for multiple terms and have designed several online courses. They have mastered the technology required to teach online and are likely to have integrated technology beyond the course management system into their teaching. They feel extremely comfortable with the skills required and

can be called upon for peer support for new online faculty (Palloff & Pratt, 2013).

Regardless of your current phase, all development along the continuum involves transition and acquisition of new knowledge and skills. Training needs will vary based on the phase, with the higher levels focusing on reinforcement of current knowledge along with additional suggestions to continue moving teaching practice to the next level. The categories of knowledge and skills that are embedded in every phase include personal, pedagogy, content, and technology.

Theories of Distance Learning

Learning theory is an important foundation as it provides an understanding of what it means to learn and how others perceive the learning to have occurred. Previous learning theories were primarily based on the concepts of behaviorism, cognitivism constructivism, and connectivism (as illustrated in Figure 1.2) (Langer, 2014)

Figure 1.2

[pic][pic]

Significant discussion is occurring today regarding the most appropriate theory for current online learning experiences for students. Many ideas have been presented and it is difficult to identify just one theory as “the one” that provides the foundation for all distance learning. Two theories, however, have made a significant impact on the conversation and continue to be part of the ongoing search for a definitive basis for online learning.

The first is called transactional distance theory and is based on the idea that as the level of interaction between teacher and learner decreases, learner autonomy must increase. This theory assumes that the most significant impact on distance education is pedagogy and not the physical distance that separates instructor and learner. Further, distance is defined as a psychological and communications space that creates potential misunderstanding between the instructor and the learner. The effectiveness of transactional distance in online learning is based on three key variables: dialogue, structure, and learner autonomy (Bates, 2015).

Dialogue:

i. Purposeful, constructive and valued by each party

ii. Each party is a respectful and active listener

iii. Each is a contributor, and builds on the contributions of others

iv. Dialogue is focused on the improved understanding of the student

b. Structure:

i. Expresses the rigidity or flexibility of the educational objectives, teaching strategies, and evaluation

ii. Describes the extent to which a course can accommodate or be responsive to each learner's individual needs

c. Autonomy:

i. The learner, not the teacher, determines the goals, the learning experiences, and the evaluation decisions The second major theory is a revised version of connectivism which is an extension of the previous traditional theory. As it pertains to distance learning, revised connectivism advocates that learning is a process that occurs within environments of shifting core elements which are not entirely under the control of the individual. Learning, it states, is focused on connecting information, and the connections that enable us to learn are more important than our current state of knowing. Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly changing foundations and that new information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital (Bates, 2015). The principles of connectivism include:

a. Learning and knowledge is based on a diversity of opinions b. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources c. Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known d. Maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning

e. Ability to see connections between ideas, and concepts is a core skill. f. Accurate, up-to-date knowledge is the intent of all learning activities g. Decision-making is itself a learning process. h. The meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to changing information

Theories of Student Engagement

Student engagement is considered the interest and motivation students have in their own learning of course content. In digital learning, student engagement has been presented in multiple ways by many researchers. The key ideas related to online student engagement are typically described through the theories of social constructivist, the community of inquiry model, and the consistent importance of student engagement in all theories (Shank, 2011).

Social constructivist theories argue that we learn through social interaction. Students may perform a set of actions by themselves but will perform better when allowed to work collaboratively with others. This difference between what students can perform by themselves and what they can perform with others is sometimes referred to as the “zone of proximal development.” In an online discussion, for instance, students can help each other by filling in the gaps in each others’ knowledge. The zone is the reason interaction with the instructor and with other students is so important to learning. It has been argued that students can also learn by observing others’ behaviors. In the online course, such observational learning may occur when students read arguments posted by other students or the instructor. This move toward more active learning and interaction with students is particularly important in the online environment, where the challenges of lack of synchronicity (not being online at the same time) have to be overcome. To overcome these challenges, researchers recommend creating courses that encourage three characteristics: social presence, community, and meaningful interaction. Briefly, the need for active learning and interaction means that students need to feel as if they are dealing with real people (social presence), that they belong in some way with/to this group of learners (community), and that they are involved in sharing, negotiating, arguing, discussing, and perspective taking (meaningful interaction.) According to social constructivism, this type of interaction/engagement is necessary for learning (Bray, 2009).

The Community of Inquiry model discusses three “presences” that are necessary for an effective community of learners: social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence. Social presence, as discussed earlier, is the ability of learners to share more than “just the facts” and to feel they are communicating with real people in cyberspace. When social presence occurs, students feel they are communicating their emotions and attitudes while interpersonally connecting with others (Bray, 2009).

The Community of Inquiry emphasizes social presence as a key factor in student engagement. Online students need to feel that they are not alone in their learning, but connected to a group of learners. Students need to feel that they are working with real people: their peers and instructors. Cognitive presence moves students’ thinking from an isolated event that makes them aware of some new idea, to exploration and integration

of the new information. It is important to recognize that teaching presence is about a

combination of course design and organization, facilitation, and direct instruction.

The theories of social constructivist, the community of inquiry model, and the consistent importance of student engagement throughout all theories is the foundation for designing and implementing effective courses for the digital learner (Bray, 2009).

Technology Tools

Teaching learners in any environment requires a core set of essential skills, tools, and habits. The primary task for any instructor is to develop and nurture a set of habits and skills to achieve the goals of guiding learners’ growth within a community of learners. Digital technology tools support the achievement of these goals with a virtual central location known as a Learning Management System (LMS). Figure 1.3 illustrates the support tools within the system, including content, collaboration, communication, assessment, tracking, and uploading assignments and other documents. The supporting tools that may interact with the system include library resources, finance information, student records, registration, and timetabling (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011).

Figure 1.3

The Learning Management System is now your classroom. The course site is an online space for announcements, documents, peer-to-peer discussions, assignment submissions and grading. These systems can now do almost anything you wanted to do in a traditional classroom, but with the advantage that the LMS is always “open” and available to students. Figure 1.4 provides an overview of the support provided by the LMS systems (Conrad & Donaldson).

Figure 1.4

| | |

|Announcements: Ideal for ideas, short messages, ideas, insights, |E-mail Communications: As a basic tool, |

|etc. Announcement tools support basic text, audio, or visual |e-mails are useful in handling private or confidential |

|messages. |one-one-one messages between instructor and student. |

| | |

|Course Menu and Navigation: This is usually on the left side of |Collaboration Tools: Small teams of students can use these tools|

|the home page of your course. This provides consistent |for brainstorming and collaborating on assignments or projects. |

|information to students on a course syllabus, resources, |These tools provide a way to meet in real time as they would on |

|discussion forums, assignments, rubrics, grade books, academic |a conference or phone call. |

|policies and procedures. | |

| | |

|Content Area: This is usually one subsection of the menu where |Gradebook: This tool is used to record the points awarded for |

|the major course content parts are located, reflecting the |each of the course assignments. Consider developing an |

|sequence and organization of the course. This area may include |assessment plan with each of the following for each course |

|modules, units, topics, chapters or weeks. |assignment: (1) assignment name, (2) purpose, (3)due date, (4) |

| |number of points, (5) location of rubric. |

| | |

|Discussion Forums: This tool is for discussing and sharing ideas |Test / Quizzes: If your course utilizes tests and/or quizzes, |

|asynchronously so that discussions may occur 24/7. Instructors |this is a useful tool for practicing and reviewing assignments, |

|post a question, challenge, or task for students, and students |as well as administering the test. |

|post their responses. These discussions serve the same purpose as| |

|face-to-face discussions in a traditional classroom. | |

As you prepare to implement your online course, there are certain “how to” basics that will become your initial survival skills. Give yourself a break and don’t expect perfection of yourself the first time you teach the course in this new environment. Figure 1.5 provides a checklist of “how to” skills to discuss with your LMS support staff as you prepare for your first online course.

Figure 1.5

|LMS Basic Action Skills to Know: |Completed (X): |

|1. Request or arrange for a course title and access the course site. | |

|2. Know whom to contact for help using the LMS | |

|3. Upload documents and images | |

|4. Create, edit, arrange, and delete folders | |

|5. Set up teams and groups | |

|6. Update and revise documents | |

|7. Use the announcement tool | |

|8. Set up, create, and monitor discussion forums | |

|9. Set up assignments and major projects | |

|10. Know how to access and manage course resources | |

There are many technology and media tools available today that engage and enhance student learning. When selecting the appropriate tools for your course, ensure they have the following key characteristics:

• Innovative (fresh, cutting-edge)

• Authentic (tools with real world applications)

• Easy to Use (for both students and instructors)

• Reliable (does not crash or lose content)

• Ease of Sharing

Technology and media tools are an excellent resource to engage and enhance student learning. There are many types available to incorporate into your online curriculum. Start with tools you are comfortable with and expand your resources as you become more at ease with the design and implementation process. Figure 1.6 provides an overview of some to consider as you begin the process of designing your courses (Haskell, 2000).

Figure 1.6

|Tool |Description |Link for More Information |

|Gamification: Educate, Engage, |Gamification uses the appeal and immersive mechanics|

|Entertain |of video games to engage learners. Adding |educate-engage-entertain-infographic/ |

| |progression, rewards, and structure to academic | |

| |lessons increases student engagement and learning. | |

|Infographics |Use visuals to make complex information eye | |

| |catching, shareable and easily digestible. They can | |

| |effectively increase engagement and make | |

| |presentations more interesting. | |

|Screencast |Record on-screen activity for short tutorials, | |

| |visual presentations. This provides the opportunity | |

| |for you to communicate directly with students while | |

| |you demonstrate. | |

Technology tools for student collaboration are another important component to consider when planning a digital course. To ensure that students remain motivated and focused in their learning and gain the most from their interaction with their fellow students and instructors, proper strategies for collaborative activities need to be formulated. Figure 1.7 provides an overview of three strategies to consider as you begin to choose tools for online collaboration. There are many tools to choose from, but getting started with one or two is a great way to build your course foundation. Technology tools are consistently evolving which means digital instructors need to be pursuing knowledge of the latest tools as they become available. Researching online or attending webinars or seminars are all excellent ways to stay current. It is exciting to be part of an educational

option that continues to grow and provide new and innovative opportunities for both the instructor and the learner (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011).

Figure 1.7

|Tool |Description |Link for More Information |

|Padlet |Facilitates the creation of virtual walls where | |

| |students and teachers can post sticky notes. These | |

| |notes can include (but are not limited to) text, | |

| |images, videos, or files. Posts can be arranged in a| |

| |stream or scattered around the wall. Padlet is an | |

| |excellent place for collaborative work since it | |

| |supports many people working together in real time. | |

|Wiki |A wiki allows a group of people to enter and | |

| |communally edit bits of text. These bits of text can| |

| |be viewed and edited by anyone who visits the wiki. | |

| |They are collaborative in nature and facilitate | |

| |community-building within a course. Essentially, a | |

| |wiki is a web page with an open-editing system.   | |

|Prezi |Prezi differs from Powerpoint in that it is a | |

| |web-based program that allows students to create | |

| |more of a canvas presentation instead of a | |

| |sequential slide presentation. It also supports | |

| |students collaborating together to incorporate not | |

| |only text and pictures, but videos and other | |

| |presentation objects.  | |

Issues and Classroom Management

One of the first areas of awareness for a digital learning instructor is an understanding of the different types of distance learners. Awareness assists an instructor in responding to students effectively, as well as supporting the avoidance and resolution of issues and conflicts.

The first type of learning is referred to as cultural learning. Students who reflect cultural learning thrive when instruction is provided through imitative learning, instructed learning, and collaborative learning. Many students bring a variety of different cultural backgrounds to the learning environment and understanding the most effective strategies to enhance their academic success in critical. On the basis of cultural learning, people create, remember, and respond to ideas.

The second type is referred to as experiential learning. Students who reflect experiential learning prefer to apply their knowledge and conceptual understanding to real-world problems or situations where the instructor directs and facilitates learning. The online classroom can serve as an effective setting for experiential learning through embedded activities such as case and problem-based studies, guided inquiry, simulations, or projects.

The third type to consider is referred to as nontraditional learners. This typically

refers to adult students who are returning to school for a variety of reasons. A key characteristic distinguishing reentry adults from other college students is the high likelihood that they are juggling other life roles while attending school, including those of worker, spouse or partner, parent, caregiver, and community member. These roles may be assets, both through the social supports they provide and through the rich life experiences they bring. This may help adult learners make meaning of theory that may be purely abstract to younger learners. Yet, these multiple roles often present challenges in students’ allocation of time (Lewis, 2007).

Instructors also need to understand the process, implementation, and support needed for both synchronous and asynchronous facilitation. To be successful, online learning must match the characteristics of the learners. It must also fit the circumstances of the learners—their schedules, their proximity to each other, and their need for support from a live instructor.

Although online instructors and course designers have a number of options for approaching this need, there are two basic types of facilitation to choose from: asynchronous and synchronous.

Asynchronous learning, also known as self-paced learning,does not require students and instructors to be online or in person at the same time for instruction. This technology allows instructional designers to create courses that participants can complete on their own with little or no help from an instructor.

Synchronous learning, on the other hand, is the type of instruction most of us remember from high school. This is referred to as instructor-led training, and requires the instructor and students to be present at scheduled times—either in person or online—for instruction, discussions, and activities. Before choosing a type of facilitation, carefully evaluate your type of learners. For example, if you have students with varying bases of knowledge who are located all over the country, then asynchronous training is the logical choice. Alternatively, if you have highly specific and difficult content that needs to be taught to learners in a central location, then synchronous training would be the better option.

Figure 1.8 contrasts the two types, and provides examples to help you make the best choice for your situation (Haskell, 2000).

Figure 1.8

Even with the best plans for the design and implementation of digital courses, technology and classroom management issues are always a possibility. Being aware of

the possible issues and having a plan for preventing or resolving them is a solid step in

the preparation process.

Technology issues that can arise are usually categorized by adaptability challenges, technical issues, time management, and self-motivation. Refer to Figure 1.9

for a description of these topics and suggested resolutions (Lewis, 2007).

Figure 1.9

|Technology Management Issues |Resolutions |

|Adaptability: While passive listening and notes taking are |Ensure students understand the benefits of digital learning as |

|expected in a traditional classroom, online discussions, creating|well as the expectations and challenges that must be overcome. |

|a web page, or virtual team projects demand immediate action. | |

| Students with a “traditional” mindset find it difficult to | |

|adapt. | |

|Technical: Some students students may not have access to high |Ensure students are aware of the technical requirements for the |

|bandwidth or a strong internet connection causing them to fall |course, as well as the type of technological support they will |

|behind in meeting assignment deadlines. |need prior to enrolling in the course. |

|Time Management: Time management can be difficult for eLearners, |Recommending or providing a schedule planner would be a |

|as online courses require a lot of time and intensive work. And, |significant help to these learners, as they could even set |

|adults often have time challenges based on their other daily |reminders for their courses and assignments. |

|commitments. | |

|Self-Motivation: After enrolling in distance learning courses, |Provide encouragement, positive reinforcement, and initiate |

|many learners fall behind and consider giving up, as difficulties|one-to-one conversations to offer support and guidance to those |

|in handling a technological learning venue may seem |who begin to fall behind. |

|insurmountable | |

Other concerns to be aware of, and prepared for, include classroom management issues. Instructors need to always acknowledge that controversy is often inevitable and sometimes even productive. The key, however, is to anticipate it, recognize it, and know how to manage it effectively. The first potential issue may arise from the use of an asynchronous format. Based on the nature of this type of learning, it can be challenging for an instructor to monitor all posts immediately and address any inappropriate messages. Second, there is always the risk of misinterpretation of a message when it is predominantly text-based. The inability to see and hear students sometimes creates a situation where the words alone do not adequately or accurately convey the message. Third, although anonymity in an online format may provide comfort for many students and the courage to participate more fully, this relative anonymity may also foster unwanted courage. Some students, for example, may feel free to post damaging, hurtful, or incendiary messages with impunity because their identity is unknown.

There are, however, steps that an instructor can take to be proactive to avoid these issues. The first is to anticipate controversy and to set clear expectations. Use icebreaker type activities to prepare students to interact productively and to learn about each other. Second, look for signs of conflict and unease by recognizing signs of students’ internal unrest and strong emotions. Third, directly address interpersonal conflict as soon as possible and do not take sides to avoid alienating students. Fourth, be sure to address the controversial issues immediately as they arise and provide support, including reaching out via email or phone (Burns, 2015).

Conclusion

Becoming a master in the art and skill of teaching and learning online is a journey. As you continue perfecting your skills and creating efficacy, watch for excellent resources on topics such as research on learning, memory, online strategies, social media for online courses, and new technology resources.. These are all areas that are changing

how we think about teaching and learning online. Finally, be patient with yourself, enjoy the process, and invite colleagues and students to share and enjoy the journey with you!

References

Bates, A.W. (2015). Teaching in a digital age. Retrieved from



Bray, J. (2009). An investigation of online course management systems in higher

education: Platform selection, faculty training, and instructional quality.

International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education,

5(2), 46-59

Burns, J.M. (2015). Transforming leadership. New York, NY:Grove Press.

Conrad, R.M., & Donaldson, J.A. (2011). Engaging the online learner:Activities and

resources for creative instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Haskell, R.E. (2000). Transfer of learning: Cognition, instruction and reasoning.

Cambridge, MA: Academic Press.

Langer, E.J. (2014). Mindfulness in the age of complexity. Harvard Business Review.

retrieved from

Lewis, T. O. (2007). The preparation of faculty to teach online: A qualitative approach.

(Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University).

Retrieved from

ieLewis.pdf

Paloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2013). Lessons from the virtual classroom. San Fransisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

Shank, P. (Ed.). (2011). The online learning idea book, Volume two: Proven ways to

enhance technology-based and blended learning. New York, NY: Pfeiffer.

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Self-Directed Exercise - Reflection: Review the “Goals and Objectives” from Table 1.1 and identify one goal and two objectives that you anticipate will be the most challenging.

Self-Directed Exercise - Application: Take a moment to select and justify the stage where you identify based on your current knowledge and experience:

Visitor Novice Apprentice Insider Master

Phases of Development

Self-Directed Exercise - Reflection: Which theory in Figure 1.2 most closely resonates with you and why?

Self-Directed Exercise - Application: Identify the similarities and differences between the traditional theories of learning (behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and traditional connectivism) and the more recent theories of digital learning (transactional distance and revised connectivism).

Self-Directed Exercise - Application: Describe how the theories of student engagement will impact your work as an online course instructor.

Self-Directed Exercise - Reflection: Watch the video, “Five Ideas to Engage Online Learners” by Martha Snyder. Consider which of the five ideas discussed will be most challenging and how you will effectively address the challenge.

Self-Directed Exercise - Reflection: Select one technology challenge and one classroom management challenge. Discuss the strategies you will implement as an online instructor to avoid these issues

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