Perceptions of some teachers about the similarities and/or differences in teaching online versus in a classroom environment /

The introduction of computer and communications technology, and particularly the internet, into education has opened up some new possibilities for teaching and learning. Courses designed and delivered in an online environment offer the possibility of highly interactive and individually focussed teaching and learning experiences. However, online courses also present new challenges for both teachers and students. A qualitative study was conducted to explore teachers' perceptions about the similarities and differences in teaching in the online and face-to-face (F2F) environments. Focus group discussions were held with 5 teachers; 2 teachers were interviewed in depth. The participants, 3 female and 2 male, were full-time teachers from a large College of Applied Arts & Technology in southern Ontario. Each of them had over 10 years of F2F teaching experience and each had been involved in the development and teaching of at least one online course. i - -; The study focussed on how teaching in the online environment compares with teaching in the F2F environment, what roles teachers and students adopt in each setting, what learning communities mean online and F2F and how they are developed, and how institutional policies, procedures, and infrastructure affect teaching and learning F2F and online. This study was emic in nature, that is the teachers' words determine the themes identified throughout the study. The factors identified as affecting teaching in an online environment included teacher issues such as course design, motivation to teach online, teaching style, role, characteristics or skills, and strategies. Student issues as perceived by the teachers included learning styles, role, and characteristics or skills. As well, technology issues such as a reliable infrastructure, clear role and responsibilities for maintaining the infrastructure, support, and multimedia capability affected teaching online. Finally, administrative policies and procedures, including teacher selection and training, registration and scheduling procedures, intellectual property and workload policies, and the development and communication of a comprehensive strategic plan were found to impact on teaching online. The teachers shared some of the benefits they perceived about teaching online as well as some of the challenges they had faced and challenges they perceived students had faced online. Overall, the teachers feh that there were more similarities than differences in teaching between the two environments, with the main differences being the change from F2F verbal interactions involving body language to online written interactions without body language cues, and the fundamental reliance on technology in the online environment. These findings support previous research in online teaching and learning, and add teachers' perspectives on the factors that stay the same and the factors that change when moving from a F2F environment to an online environment.

Online teaching and learning presentations September seminar 2013

Slides from presenters at the CITE seminar for staff

Teaching programming to beginners in a massive open online course

The University of Reading’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) “Begin Programming: Build your first mobile game” (#FLMobiGame) was offered in Autumn 2013 on the FutureLearn platform. This course used a simple Android game framework to present basic programming concepts to complete beginners. The course attracted wide interest from all age groups. The course presented opportunities and challenges to both participants and educators. While some participants had difficulties accessing content some others had trouble grasping the concepts and applying them in a real program. Managing forums was cumbersome with the limited facilities supported by the Beta-platform. A healthy community was formed around the course with the support of social media. The case study reported here is part of an ongoing research programme exploring participants’ MOOC engagement and experience using a grounded, ethnographical approach.

Andragogy vs Pedagogy: Teaching the Adult Learner in an Online Environment

The purpose of this presentation is to offer a deeper understanding of adult learning and provide tips on how to effectively teach in the online environment. The presenter will compare and contrast two learning theories: andragogy and pedagogy. Furthermore, the roles of the online instructor and e-learner will be outlined. An open discussion at the end of the presentation will allow participants to make implications as to which learning theory is more effective for online learning.

The evolution of online teaching and learning in engineering at Deakin University

This paper presents a brief history of the use of online technologies in the support of teaching and learning in the School of Engineering and Technology at Deakin University, Victoria, Australia. It addresses the following topics: flexible engineering programs at Deakin University; computer-based learning in the School of Engineering and Technology; progression from individual efforts to formal, centralized control of the World Wide Web (Web); the costs of information technology; experiences with grant funded development projects; managing the development of online material; student access and equity; and staff development and cultural change. A sustainable online content development model is proposed to carry the School’s online initiatives in support of teaching and learning activities into the future.

The power of the 6 three model for enhancing academic teachers' capacities for effective online teaching and learning: benefits, initiatives and future directions

To gain the full educational benefits of the major new investments in corporate technologies supporting online teaching and learning it is argued that a strategic, systems based approach to academic professional development (APD) is required. Such an approach requires a clear view of the key areas of potential and enduring teaching and learning benefit which can be realised from online developments, including an understanding of the changing role of the academic teacher in higher education, the identification of the desired professional capacities to educate online, and the implementation of a number of coordinated initiatives to develop these professional capacities in order to engage constructively with the learning and technology opportunities. Based on previous work, we propose a 6three model of Academic Professional Capacities Development for effective APD of online teaching and learning. The model can help inform the actions of policy makers, executives and practitioners in ways that promote an authentic learning organisation.

Towards institution-wide online teaching and learning systems: trends, drivers and issues

Universities worldwide are consolidating and enhancing their commitments to various models of e-learning. These activities are leading to the adoption of corporate-wide e-learning systems, and accompanying changes in structures, processes and infrastructure requirements. The professed ideal is to identify narrowly defined corporate IT solutions which can deliver the full range of educational, administrative and student support features to meet the organisational need to expand e-learning activities globally. The trend seems to be away from locally driven and controlled IT development and adoption towards investments in Instructional Management Systems (IMS). In reality, however, universities generally are developing and using a broader array of solutions to meet their needs than may be deemed desirable under a more centralised, corporatised IT approach. This paper examines these trends by analysing the drivers shaping corporate approaches to IT implementation, and reflects critically on some of the educational, economic and organisational tensions and issues evident in institutional approaches to establishing such systems. The paper highlights the ongoing need for innovative, dynamic organisational solutions to progress the e-learning agenda, and the thoughtful reconciliation of centralised and decentralised approaches to achieving desired ends.

A focus on teaching in online pedagogy

As the Internet continues to grow in popularity and educational institutions feel the need to have a presence online, 'learning and teaching online' has become somewhat of an IT cliché. In many cases course material is made available online and it is left up to the learner to learn. The claims made for online courses promise considerable cost savings after the initial establishment period, and opportunities to provide education to a larger, globalised marketplace. For students, online learning is thought to allow more flexible study options, and the opportunity to work and study at the same time (Bell, et al 2002, p. 27).

In this paper we question the assumption that online teaching is merely making course material available on the World Wide Web. We report on our study of what is involved in the act of teaching online and on the research that led to the development of the 'mobile teaching facility' to enable a focus on teaching in the online environment. We reflect on how a group of academic staff are responding to online teaching. Details of professional development workshops, hardware and software solutions and working with the complexities of pedagogy will also be discussed. This paper is about our findings, recommendations and plans for future explorations.

A model of online teaching and learning

Deakin University has a long history of supporting distance education with technology. Such presentations have matured from a mix of remote-login/FTP/email in the 1980s through web mediated access in the 1990s to institution-wide learning management systems which are emerging currently. By the commencement of semester I, 2003, online teaching at the University will be supported by a single, institution-wide, learning management system, which is expected to support approximately 28,000 students, who will each be accessing up to 4 of some 1500 undergraduate and 700 postgraduate courses. In this paper we describe a model for online teaching of both on-campus and off-campus students in the Bachelor of Computing, using various technologies to support different aspects of online teaching and learning. This programme has been running in a web-mediated environment for over six years. Each year the administration of the programme has been modified in a reactive manner, based on student feedback and the identification of failure points during the previous semester, resulting in the model maturing over that time. We discuss how the changes have impacted the model, the academics involved in the teaching of the unit and the students' experience of learning in the online environment. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online teaching and learning, as well as some potential pitfalls and how to avoid them, or, at least, minimise their impact.

Online teaching - the experience of a 'new' academic

A 'new' academic will share her fIrst experience of online teaching in a university environment. As an experienced user of computer technology this academic who is new to teaching in a university environment shared the experience of being 'new' to online teaching and learning with Masters level students. This paper explores the issues associated with online learning from the perspective of the 'teacher' as weIl as that of the 'learners'. The learners in this study participated in project-based learning experiences in an online unit taught by staff in the Faculty of Education. It will consider the issues that arose during the semester including the use of a new technology (new to the university) as well as the experience of participation in project-based learning in an online learning environment. The manner in which students dealt with the issues associated with this learning experience in an online environment will be presented.

The 6 by the power of 3 model for enhancing academic teachers' capacities for effective online teaching and learning: benefits, initiatives and future directions

To gain the full educational benefits of the major new investments in corporate technologies supporting online teaching and learning it is argued that a strategic, systems based approach of academic professional development (APD) is required. Such an approach requires a clear view of the key areas of potential and enduring teaching and learning benefit which can be realised from online developments, including an understanding of the changing role of the academic teacher in higher education, the identification of the desired professional capacities to educate online and the implementation of a number of coordinated initiatives to develop these professional capacities in order to engage constructively with the learning and technology opportunities. Based on previous work, we propose a '6' by the power of '3' model of Academic Professional Capacities Development for effective APD of online teaching and learning. The model can help inform the actions of policy makers, executives and practitioners in ways that promote an authentic learning organisation.