Running Head: Learning in an Online Course

Analysis of Vignette #8: What is the Role of the Teacher in an Online Course? Claire Burgoyne ETEC 532 - University of British Columbia

Learning in an Online Course

Vignette #8 invites discussion concerning the role of an online teacher, the role of

students and technology, and the characteristics of meaningful learning. The course described in the vignette is little more than a repository for assignments. Learners are isolated and opportunities for community are non-existent. The sole advantage of the course is that technology offers students exibility to attend from any place and time. Other advantages of using technology for teaching and learning are not evident. In addition, the teacher has not been prepared to meet the challenges of guiding learners in an online environment.
In order for students to work to their potential they require an environment that is active,

collaborative, engaging, stimulating, encouraging, supportive, and safe. The creation of such an environment occurs when the course designer and instructor understand the differences between correspondence courses and online courses by recognizing that community is key to the success of online courses. In Critical Inquiry in a Text-based Environment, Garrison, Anderson, and Archer, (2000) dene the three essential elements required for successful communication in online courses as being cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. Course design that focuses on this model provides a structure for meaningful learning. Social presence supports cognitive presence and teacher presence therefore courses that are paced to allow sufcient opportunities for students to become familiar with one another offer the most potential for supporting learning.
When students meet informally and participate in low risk activities, they can begin to

establish roles and develop trust and respect for one another. It is during and introductory period that they make adjustments to compensate for the complications online communication presents. With the absence of face-to-face clues such as facial expressions, gestures, and intonation in speech misunderstandings can occur. During initial connections students begin to recognize and

Learning in an Online Course

resolve some of these challenges and gain an understanding of expectations and etiquette. Participants can now begin to engage in meaningful learning.

Figure from: Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000, p. 88.

This is learning where students acquire new knowledge and modifying existing

knowledge by participating in a community of inquiry. Students are engaged and prepare for participation in their learning communities by reading, listening, viewing, and summarizing. They collaborate, discuss, critique, and analyze, and interact with faculty by asking and answering questions, clarifying, dening, adjusting, and synthesizing. They employ critical thinking skills and demonstrate understanding by critiquing and analyzing arguments and documents or scenarios, completing individual and group projects, and writing essays.

Learning in an Online Course

Online courses that encourage this level of participation have a clear structure and well

dened learning outcomes while allowing exibility for students to explore topics of interest or concern. The instructor acts as a guide and directs students rather than controlling them. Students complete course work in partnership with peers and teachers instead of in isolation. The online space contains carefully selected content that complements course objectives while encouraging students to respond, reect, hypothesize, investigate, and synthesize. The volume of content is manageable allowing students to complete required reading and contribute to discussions without becoming overwhelmed by work load. There is sufcient time for students to make initial posts and read and respond to posts their peers contribute. The teacher observes student progress by providing collaborative tools for students such as, discussion forums, wikis, Google docs, and online white boards for sharing initial thoughts and expanding and developing ideas. There is additional time allotted for group work and collaborative effort as these require more time than individual assignments require.
Teachers aid students by establishing clearly dened expectations, and modeling

appropriate levels of participation. They encourage participation by posing guiding questions in discussion forums, directing students to peer postings by noting commonalities and differing views, asking individual students to elaborate on contributions, and by posting to the whole class or to groups at least weekly. When teachers vary ways of communicating with the class (e.g., text, podcast, video) they model creativity and demonstrate innovative ways that individuals can communicate online. With carefully designed online courses the benets of a constructivist approach to learning can be realized as learning moves beyond the level an individual working in isolation is capable of.

Learning in an Online Course

References Anderson, T. (2008). Toward a theory of online learning. In: T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton AB: Athabasca University. Available online at: http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/02_Anderson_2008_AndersonOnline_Learning.pdf Bird, L. (2007). The 3 C design model for networked collaborative 3-learning: A tool for novice designers. Innovations In Education And Teaching International, 44(2), 153-167. Edwards, M., Perry, B., & Janzen, K., (2011). The making of an exemplary online educator. Distance Education, 32(1), 101-118. Garrision, D.R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000) Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-105. Ouzts, K. (2006). Sense of community in online courses. Quarterly Review Of Distance Education, 7(3), 285-296. Xin, M.C., & Feenberg, A. (2007). Pedagogy in cyberspace: The dynamics of online discussion. Journal of Distance Education, vol.21, no. 2, pp. 1-25. Reprinted as Pedagogy inCyberspace: The dynamics of online discourse, E-Learning, 4(4), 415-432.