Facilitating a

Distance Education CourseSome Practical Advise

and Sources of Further Help

Winter 2011

Updating your curricula is critical. But unless you update your approach to facilitating classes at the same time, you’re jeopardizing your overall success. It’s a bit like writing your materials in a foreign language, but forgetting to provide a translation.

Source: Carole Robinson, Ed.D. and Joan Van Duzer, M.S. Ed.

A few words about OOL’s model of course development

and the literature about teaching onlineAt OOL we use the team approach to creating DE courses. This differs from the other models that range from the “Lone Wolf” approach where the individual SME/Instructor tries to do everything him/herself

Lone Wolf some limited expert assistance Team Development

The Truth about Online Courses Delivery

As much – sometimes more - work than FTF

Teaching/facilitatingIs a different kind of interaction with

students/among students

Facilitation Online Vs.

Teaching F2F

Here Is What Another Group Noted Recently:Coach “go team go”Guided independenceFacilitator being a LearnerA different way of communicating“Getting things done” at a distancePrompting engagementMaking a difficult job a bit easier -

remove barriersBeing available and accessible

Skills of the FacilitatorEngaging the learner in the

learning process particularly in the beginning

Appropriate questioning, “listening” and feedback skills

Ability to provide direction and support

Skills in managing online discussions

Ability to build online teams (occasionally)

Motivational skills

What Are Some of the Challenges?Keeping track of individual students’

progressCatering to different learning preferences /

needsLearning to become an effective guideDealing with silence / getting students

activeDealing with technical issuesManaging expectationsFinding the balance of communication

methodsEmpowering students to be self-directed

Areas of Concern• Pedagogical (Cognitive & Teaching) Presence: Guiding student learning with a focus on concepts, principles, and skills.

• Social Presence: Creating a welcoming online community in which

learning is promoted.

• Managerial & Administrative: Handling organizational, procedural, and administrative

tasks.

• Technical: Assisting participants to become comfortable with the

technologies used to deliver the course.

Pedagogical Remain flexible about activities you planned

Maintain a non-authoritarian style dealing with the class and the individual;

Be objective about comments on individual contributions

Combine ideas from separate conversations into a summary; ask questions based on that summary

Play devils advocate in a questioning manner; site research or sources for that position

Don’t present final answers unless you are prepared to have the conversation stopped

Ask particular participants for comments and allow time to do so; promote reflection

Social Be regularly visible in the Discussions as well as the

News/Updates widget

Use first names of participants when replying

Praise and model the behaviour you want in discussions

Don’t ignore bad behaviours, deal with them

Use humour but be certain it is clear and don’t use sarcasm at all; it rarely is interpreted correctly

Be yourself; assuming that is a good thing. Be enthusiastic about the content and your interest

Managerial Be responsive in an efficient manner when possible

Don’t dominate discussions

Manage your TA’s time and practice as you would your own

Change headings that are out of sync with valid digressions; remind posters to start new topics

Redirect inappropriate discussion digressions

End discussions that have been exhausted

AdministrativeLearn to cut and pasteKeep a note pad and record the

changes you want to make next offering

Stick to the time limits you set in the Outline for responding; or advise the class if you need to vary it

Establish virtual “Office Hours” online if you have not already

AdministrativeEstablish your own personal

weekly scheduleProvide grades on time or explain

why not and whenSolicit feedback from students;

talk with your DLS about good questions to ask.

TA’s often have a good sense of what’s going on in the course.

Talk with other faculty members - in your department or not.

Technical Assisting participants to become comfortable with

new technologies used to deliver the course

Unless you know the answer at once; don’t try to answer technical questions yourself….. at all. Send the learners to the Help Desk

When assessing how well the course is going, ask for advise on what new technologies might solve a problem for next offering; ask students, DLS’s and the Tech team; they are usually up to date.

Resources that may be helpful

These links and more are available at

www.w11instructorsresources.wordpress.com/

These are 1-2 minute video clips of tips and ideas by experienced Online facilitatorsLarry Regan Penn State World Campus tipshttp://www.youtube.com/user/facultydevelopmentAustralian Flexible Learning Networkhttp://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/flx/go/home/resourcecentre/products/quickguides51 Competencies for Online Instructionhttp://www.thejeo.com/Ted%20Smith%20Final.pdf

Journal of Interactive Online Learning http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/showissue.cfm?volID=8&IssueID=27 

Curt Bonk videos http://www.indiana.edu/~icy/media/de_series.html

Sample Vignette: Social Presence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_570273&v=P_Fbo63Gi_k