How can we answer the question of what was learned during this module? So much was gained, so many beliefs altered and rearranged, and so many new perspectives put in place that it is hard to know where to start. I will surely leave out something vital!
During the Breeze presentation by Alex, it became apparent the need to understand the dynamics involved with best online practices. Although I myself was one of the participants in the online survey used to generate the data given in that presentation, I really didn’t stop to consider the questions from the perspective of an online teacher. When viewed from that angle, the answers to those survey question take on a whole new importance. The statistics concerning the relationship between course construction and student satisfaction were very relevant in helping me to think about how I will construct my online AP Spanish course.
Other advice by Alex such as “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should” adds value to construction by avoiding student overload with course information, expectations and assignments. It made me think that if my students could present evidence of mastery that could be assessed easily, then there is no need to have an excessive use of projects or technology that may not be needed. Simple is better, for both student and teacher.
Observing online course design was a real eye-opener for me. I concentrated on the two online language courses that generated a new set of prospectives for me which I had not even considered. Embedded small mp3 files to check pronunciation, vocabulary usage and correct grammar usage all in one is a great asset to any language course. I was also able to gage the amount of information that is reasonable to present within one module and to figure out how to incorporate all four language skills into each module (listening, speaking, reading and writing).
From A Series of Unfortunate Online Events, by Alex (2008), I learned some very useful strategies for online course development. The concept of module ‘chuncking’ made my initial layout a lot easier. Also, I hadn’t realized, despite all of the online curses that I have taken to date, how important instructional repetition is. It is important to clearly define expectations, but also, repeat those expectations in several places. Unlike a f2f environment where pages can be turned, tagged, and marked with highlights, online instructions may be hard to follow for first time users.
The reading by Scorza (2005) clarified many of the concerns I had about creating a classroom environment and presence.There is a trick to every trade, and I suppose online teaching is no different. I feel much more confident now to go forward and attempt the task of creating an engaging and meaningful online experience for my students.
