This is truly a challenge! Trying to understand the technicalities of constructing an online course, while at the same time learning about what it means to teach online and how it differs from the classroom, is pushing my capabilities to another level. From my previous posts, I reflected on the need to help develop higher level thinking in my students through discussion. But now there is the element of teaching presence to consider as well. The goal of critical thinking requires that all three components of teaching presence, facilitating discourse, direct instruction and instructional design and organization work together in every component of the online course. How can I accomplish this in so few weeks? I have decided to focus on structure first: mechanics, technical input and course layout. After those elements are in place I think I will go back and rearrange course components so that the layout accommodates facilitation of discourse (Are my questions worded properly? Are they dead ends? Do they allow for Socratic discussion or are they skewed towards preconceived answers?) Then I need to consider how I will approach the issue of direct instruction. What types of ways can I use to focus the discussions, summarize, confirm understanding, diagnosing misconceptions and injecting knowledge from diverse scenarios (Alex’s Breeze presentation)? If I should decide to have a student-led discussion, how will I ensure that the above aspects of direct instruction are accommodated? I think these questions can be theorized but must be realized in practice before a true teaching presence becomes part and par for the course.
I do feel as if the structure of my AP Spanish Language course incorporates the four perspectives of learning environments as outlined by Shea, Pickett and Pelz (2003). Because I have tried to incorporate information from a variety of resources, each with a specific learning outcome. For example, students will first work on some aspect of Spanish grammar that they will later use when writing in their blogs or producing an mp3 file. It is also learner centered as I have incorporated a number of different activities to accommodate a variety of student interests and learning styles. Students will be encouraged to use new knowledge, such as that of a cultural nature, and bridge this new insight with what they already know. Thirdly, the course is community centered through shared projects, discussion and paired-projects. Lastly, I have tried to make this course assessment centered by providing different means to make students thinking visible, one being the use of blogs as we do in this course. I am planning on using mp3 feed back audio files to assess the students audio files that they upload. Also, a recent research article I was reading showed a strong correlation between students learning and retention when they listened to an audio file while reading a corresponding text (http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/12/03/audio). So I have incorporated exercises in each module where students listen/read a cultural story as they learn new Spanish terms, grammar and cultural information. Their job is then to produce an mp3 audio file in response to a question I post about the reading.
I am finding this whole experience a lot of fun. I only wish we had more time left tp the semester to produce a truely polished end product. I don’t know at this point if that will happen.
