3- Thoughts, Ideas or Feelings
Online facilitation takes a lot of planning and building on the back end to ensure that all needs for access and opportunities for learning meet student needs while having those backup plans ready, as Dunlop and Lowenthal (2018) mention. This includes pivoting on the course of the mid-term feedback, conveying that adjustments are required to meet student needs, and speaking to the agility of the instructor.
Effective facilitation must cultivate a supportive community where people feel safe to engage (Boettcher, n.d.; Bull, 2013; Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2018), which is missing in many online commercialised course offerings if we look at MOOCs and other online learning experiences/ programs. Yes, many can offer means to break down materials and offer quick, regular feedback (Bull, 2013; Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2018), but they need more capacity in many instances to have teacher presence or cultivate a community.
“Valve control” (Boettcher, n.d.) is important. Breaking up activities, content, resources and event assessments into smaller pieces to make the content more digestible and less daunting. I appreciate it as a learner and can see why my students would, too.
2- Questions about Digital Facilitation
What are some best practices/ recommendations for engaging with students to receive mid-term feedback that anyone has used? I find- anonymous means, like surveys, get very little response, and discussions garner “it’s good” or “I’m okay” without constructive feedback.
Dunlop and Lowenthal (2018) speak to the time commitment of teaching online and not being afraid to drop content when you go online. Does anyone have any effective strategies or recommendations for making these “drop” choices when you have prescribed learning outcomes/ content enforced by the administration or standard testing that students must undertake? How do you cover it all when you can cover it all?
1- Simile
Online facilitators have their hands in many pies.
Photo source: https://www.teclasap.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/finger-in-every-pie.jpg
References
Boettcher, J. V. (n.d.). The ten best practices for online learning. Design for Learning 2006-2022. Retrieved August 23, 2023, from http://designingforlearning.info/writing/ten-best-practices-for-teaching-online/
Bull, B. (2013, June 3). Eight roles of an effective online teacher. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/eight-roles-of-an-effective-online-teacher/
Dunlap, J. C., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2018). Online educators’ recommendations for teaching online: Crowdsourcing in action. Open Praxis, 10(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.10.1.721
I really enjoyed your blog post, Gill! I especially love the simile you chose! It’s spot-on based on the diverse roles facilitators play in digital learning environments. From moderating discussions to fostering engagement, they truly are the secret ingredient for creating a successful online experience!
-Giulia