The role of the teacher in e-Learning

Our paper is called Online Learning and Teaching. I am really pleased that we get to examine e-Learning but also that we look at e-Teaching. In fact your fourth assessment task is to create a teaching and learning activity using Web 2.0 technology for an adult Literacy, Language or Numeracy class. An opportunity to put your philosophy into practice.

The role of the teacher in an online learning context is an interesting one to examine. Presently I am involved in teaching four papers. The first one is our fully online paper. The second one is a blend of fortnightly 2 hour workshops with online input through web links, documents and communication predominantly through discussion boards. The third and fourth papers are predominantly face to face with a weekly 3 hour lecture but has additional online activities through documents, podcasts ,video as well as communication via discussion boards and PowerPoints.

My other three papers are blends of face-to-face and online teaching and learning and already have a social presence. I make a conscience decision to ensure that for your paper there are sufficient levels of what Anderson (2008) calls cognitive presence, social presence and teaching presence. Cognitive presence is where critical thinking is encouraged. A social presence is created when a supportive environment is created. The ideal is to provide an online space that is a comfortable and safe place of study where students can express disagreement, share points of view and accept support from peers and teachers. Teaching presence is considered critical in the process of creating effective teaching. In a traditional face-to-face classroom, the teacher is usually at the front of the class and the focus of the students. In an online paper, the teacher’s role can alter to suit a teacher’s philosophy in this teaching medium. The terms ‘facilitator’ and ‘guide on the side’ are often used to describe this change. I see my role as being more than a ‘guide on the side’.

The role of the teacher is to design and organize the learning both before the paper starts and during it. The teacher also creates and implements activities to encourage communication, and may add expertise through direct instruction or through delegating to students as they contribute their own skills (particularly at Post Graduate level). To encourage and acknowledge cognitive and social presence I also have the paper design open for student input through the use of the Learning Space wikis. Student needs can be met (or opportunity for student needs to be met) by using the flexibility advantages that the Online medium creates.

The teacher also has the role of assessment. Most of this paper is assessed by the teacher. However the marking criteria is given to students so you are partners in the process. Scaffolding to give you practice in using the criteria is provided through the blogs. The blogs enable teacher and peer feedback as well as opportunities for students to query terms etc. through forms of information exchange and knowledge construction which are critical components of Salmon’s model (Salmon, 2000). This paper also utilizes self-reflective assessments through contributions to the paper and evidence of learning through writing reflections. The paper uses 10% weightings for two assessments, which is in line with Anderson’s review of courses that assessed participation in online activities. Salmon (2000) also places learners in her final development stage where they become responsible for their own (and group’s) learning by completing activities, work on assessment and achieve learning outcomes. Your making comments on student blogs is an example of this development stage.

Beyond these e-Teaching skills is a set of technical skills. They can keep for another blog!

References

Anderson, T. (2008) Teaching in an online learning context. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), The Theory and Practice of Online Learning (2nd ed., pp.343-364). Retrieved from http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch2.html

Salmon, G. (2000). E-moderating: The key to teaching and learning online. London:Kogan Page.