Setting Up an Online Learning Experience

There are many steps to setting up a successful online learning environment and experience for all parties. Some include social presence, technology being used, building a sense of community, having patience, and communicating expectations. That list is not all inclusive, but the most important point from that list is social presence, which the book "The Online Teaching Survival Guide" describes as "getting to know each other as three-dimensional people" and "it's the foundation of building trust and presence for the teaching and learning experiences" (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010, p. 51). To develop a strong online learning community, it's essential the facilitator is there and present to set an example and show support for the learners. It helps build the foundation to an online learning community because if students see and feel support, they are more likely to remain engaged knowing they aren't alone in this online community - there is guidance for them to help enhance their learning experience.

Another important point in that list is technology and knowing what is going to be used, how it will be used, the level of knowledge from the students with technology, and any challenges. "One of the initial steps in course development is determining which tools will be used in the course...and the skill level of the students [with those tools]" (Conrad and Donaldson, 2004, p. 4). Online learning is done through technology; therefore, it is an important aspect of designing a course as it is the main thing used to run the course. The facilitator needs to know what technology is available to them and then determine what can be used. Once that is determined, it is critical for the facilitator to communicate what technology is going to be used throughout this course. A great way to do this is to let the students utilize the technology before its use in a graded assignment to avoid frustration and promote learning (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010). Technology in an online course can make or break its success. Poor technology that doesn't work properly in the course or is too complicated for the learners is going to result in disengagement from the students. On the flip side, technology that they learn and feel comfortable with and helps enhance their learning, results in a positive learning experience and high participation.

A third key element to the above list is the facilitator communicating clear expectations to the learners. Why is this essential? "Clear and unambiguous guidelines about what is expected of learners and what they should expect from an instructor make a significant contribution to ensuring understanding and satisfaction in an online course" (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010, p. 55). As a learner, it is quite frustrating to receive vague instructions that leave room for interpretations because it will most likely be interpreted differently than what the instructor meant, which will ultimately affect the learning and grade. In an online environment, the facilitator and learners do not have face-to-face interaction; therefore, having effective communication becomes more essential so that body language, tone, and other nonverbal cues are "seen" within the words. Clear expectations also help "students better plan and manage their learning tasks and schedule in advance", which helps with the "learners' time management to achieve success in [their] online learning" (Zhang, 2010). Some elements of clarity in expectations include:

• Time frames/due dates (a Syllabus)
• Instructor's office hours and contact information
• Content organization
• Discussion posts (what needs to be included, how long, how often should they respond, and to how many learners, etc.)
• Instructions for assignments (including providing examples) (Zhang, 2010) and (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010)

"Having clear expectations can help keep surprises, confusion, and anxiety to a minimum" (Zhang, 2010). It also promotes more time learning than explaining what's expected of the learners.

Those three are key elements to keep in mind when setting up an online learning experience. Here are some more good pointers from Dr. Palloff and Dr. Pratt in their video "Launching the Online Learning Experience" that will also help. They include:

• Take time to get to know your students (e.g., personal bios from the instructors and students)
• Use the learners' names as soon as possible to develop that personal connection (e.g., in a response to their discussion post)
• Use pictures and videos of yourself or an image that represents you
• Incorporate fun activities that engages the learners with the content and each other (e.g., Icebreakers)

Setting up an online course is time consuming and can be hectic because there is a lot involved in it. The resources we read this week for class taught me that and just reading over how much a facilitator needs to ensure happens before the first day of class is nerve-wrecking. Definitely opened my eyes that online facilitation is not easier as some believe. However, I also learned that taking that time to do it right, ensure all key points are included (like the ones I mention), and incorporate some best practices (e.g., create a supportive online course community, use synchronous and asynchronous activities, etc. [Boettcher and Conrad, 2010, p. 37]), will increase the success rate of the course, content, and learner satisfaction.



References

Boettcher, J.V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Palloff, R., and Pratt, K. (n.d.) Launching the Online Learning Experience. Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved March 16, 2011, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4894963&Survey=1&47=6260654&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Zhang, J. (2010). Clear Expectations Lead to Less Confusion in the Online Classroom. DE Oracle. Retrieved March 16, 2011, from http://deoracle.org/online-pedagogy/teaching-strategies/clearer-expectation-and-less-confusion-in-online-classroom.html