Teaching with Technology

From Traditional Delivery to Distance Learning: Developing the Model by Marie F. Holbein August 2008 Index

This article further presents the argument that effective distant learning requires a shift in the mindset of teachers and learners on how to approach their respective roles.

The article represented some suggestions on elements of “course planning and delivery for the instructor and a shift in engagement for the students”

The theoretical underpinning of the article was based on the availability of so many learning resources through the internet and the need to allow the learners to embrace the fact that their individual abilities to learn from the internet is enhanced as their technological tools are improved to support their independent learning. This new constructive learning paradigm is supported with effective communication between the instructor and the learner to provide timely feedback that help the student understand the desired learning outcomes of the distant courses they are taking. Such consistent and frequent feedback secures the learners’ belonging to the class learning community and overcomes the possible feeling of isolation that sometimes accompanies distant learners.

The article presented that an effective design of a distant learning course should modify the content and activities of the traditional face-to face lectures to go with the new realities of the distant learning environment where students are expected to be more self reliant and less dependant on face-to face support. The suggested elements of the new distant learning courses were:

1. Blended approach with a limited face-to-face interactions to three occasions:
a. First occasion to provide an introduction to the course where the learning goals are specified by the instructor and communication technologies are explained. Furthermore, students are introduced to each other to support the learner-learner interaction that will help create the learning community and enhance peer assignment review and reflections
b. Second occasion is used to introduce the learners to the self assessment processes that helps instructor-learner interaction
c. Third occasion is used to present the result of the course projects that the students will develop.
2. Provide a modular structure of the course for the separate assignments that focus on the quality of the knowledge that the students are studying. The teacher is expected to provide “modular links to pertinent literature, university resources … and resources from the internet at-large” to help the student expand heir knowledge about the specific topic being covered and supports their independent learning efforts.
3. Instructor-learner as well as learner-learner interaction are an important form of feedback between the players in distant learning environment. This is supported by “immediate feedback such as group email messages, automated feedback such as system announcements and personal feedback such as personal emails”. All of these tools are used to facilitate communications that allows learners to engage in critical and reflective thinking, to read the contribution of their peers and to critique their work. Such effort is required to be posted in a common platform to further support the evolvement of a learning community. Chat rooms should be structured to enhance the interaction between the learners to further their learning experience.

Finally, the article introduced “Netiquette” which represented new set of “protocols” of interaction in distant such as the use of “thoughtful words” since there is no face to face nuances to complement communication, the need to be prompt in posting of interaction and assignments to make the interaction more meaningful and finally to restrict the interaction to course related topics.

Hanan

Holbein, M. (2008). From traditional delivery to distance learning: developing the model. International journal of instructional technolgy & distance learning, 5(8)(1550-6980), Retrieved from http://itdl.org/Journal/Aug_08/article05.htm