Using a tool versus using a tool effectively; online teaching for dummies*

*This blog post has no endorsement from the publishers of the very popular "..for dummies" series of books.  I just liked the sentiment.

Part I: Effective Tool Use

In a past life I used to teach students in a construction apprenticeship program. One of the first lessons students were taught in that program was how to use a hammer. It seems like an intuitive tool right - hold handle, use metal head to pound nail. However, there is some real physics to be explored if you want the hammer to do the work, not your forearm.

In my present iteration of “Amanda the Professional”, I help teachers and students use online tools to enhance their teaching/learning. Same concept as my previous job, I spend time helping others use tools effectively.

In a prescribed literary review examining the value on online learning, I wasn’t surprised to see the same theme I encounter everyday - tools aren’t effective if you don’t know how to use them.

Part II: Marketing Schemes

“Touted for its cost effectiveness and convenience, online learning provides opportunities for more learners to continue their education in various settings (Oliver, 1999).”

“Technology now enables schools to offer online programs with better student and instructor collaboration, flexible (asynchronous) learning, problem specific feedback, automated interactive lessons or presentations, and simulations of almost anything conceivable (Byrd, 2012).”

Written a decade apart, these two papers reviewing online learning tout the value of e-learning in terms of features, not effectiveness.  There is nothing wrong with buying a product for its features.  As an ed tech professional, I would just like to encourage others to then pursue how to use such products to improve their efficacy.

Maxpixel Under CC0 Public Domain

So, buckle in. I’d like to offer you a short lesson on how to make online learning effective; because I think by now, we all get that educational technology tools can be fun and flashy and offer flexibility to our instructional practices - but if we take a moment to learn how to make these tools effective everyone wins.

Part III: A Short Ride to Success

Have faith, this will be a short ride as there are only two major themes for effective online learning:

• Student engagement
• Teacher involvement

Let’s start with student engagement. Research shows that students who feel engaged with their coursework perform better(Koc, 2017), enjoy the class more(Burke, 2017), and are more likely to stick with their education(Shea 2006). Specifically, students who are given responsibility for their learning feel more engaged. One way to increase responsibility is to require students to reflect on what they have learned(Angiello, 2010). Competency-based education practices that help students identify learning targets and then empower them to seek information and experience to prove mastery of learning also favorably ramp up student engagement(Mayeshiba, 2010).

Now, if the key to effective online learning is student responsibility and engagement, then you may be asking - “what then, is the role of the teacher”. Abundant amounts of research show that an instructor in an online class brings the most value through creating an online community where learners can feel safe exploring thoughts, asking questions, and seeking feedback(Majeski, 2017). “...a strong and active presence on the part of the instructor—one in which she or he actively guides the discourse—is related both to students sense of connectedness and learning(Shea, 2006).

Part IV: The Final Destination

Casey, A.(2014). End of the Road
Licensed Under CC-BySA 2.0

I mentioned that this was to be a short ride, right? This is the end of the line. Teachers seeking to create EFFECTIVE online learning environments should work toward identifying ways to promote student responsibility for learning so as to free him/herself to be responsible for the development and maintenance of a safe and active online learning community.

To slaughter a perfectly good movie line:

If you build it (the community), they will learn.

References:

1. Angiello, R. (2010). Study Looks at Online Learning vs. Traditional Instruction. Education Digest, 76(2), 56–69.
2. Burke, A., & Fedorek, B. (2017). Does “flipping” promote engagement?: A comparison of a traditional, online, and flipped class. Active Learning in Higher Education, 18(1), 11–24.
3. Byrd, R. (2010). Using Appropriate E-learning Systems to Optimize Teaching and Learning. GSTF Journal on Computing, 2(3), 47–52.
4. Koc, M. (2017). Learning Analytics of Student Participation and Achievement in Online Distance Education: A Structural Equation Modeling. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 17(6), 1893–1910.
5. Majeski, R., Stover, M., Valais, T., & Ronch, J. (2017). Fostering Emotional Intelligence in Online Higher Education Education Courses. Adult Learning, 28(4), 135–143.
6. Mayeshiba, M., Jansen, K., & Mihlbauer, L. (2018). An Evaluation of Critical Thinking in Competency Based and Traditional Online Learning Environments. Online Learning, 22(2), 77–89.
7. Oliver, R. (1999). Exploring strategies for online teaching and learning. Distance Education, 20(2), 240–254. doi:10.1080/0158791990200205