Premise: A student online creates an identity, AND that is our concern as instructors BECAUSE that identity influences learning.
From the book, Education for a Digital World: “Current discussions about online learning reveal that learners may have a sense of disorientation, isolation, and disembodiment when they first begin an online course.”
OK, I’ll agree that can be a problem for us as teachers of that online course.
“Research also indicates that a sense of anonymity can create a safe place for learner discourse.”
“Shy learners experience the thrill of being validated by their peers.”
That’s a good thing, right?
“Learners feel more inclined to challenge instructors and, as a result, become more empowered in their learning. The role of a teacher shifts from lecturer to motivator.”
(And the role of teacher also shifts to three-ring circus director as the entire class questions everything the teacher says every minute, but I digress. See earlier blog!)
“But … attrition rates in online courses are significantly high, which suggests it is because students are not motivated.”
The book suggests to change this, we as instructors must learn who are students are, at least in this persona, to determine what they need.
Is this true? A few blogs back, I explored the idea “should we be concerned with our student’s backgrounds?” In my FTF trainings, I always try to get an idea of ‘why’ a student is in my class. What is it they do, or what are they ‘looking’ for. It helps me connect to the student, and it helps me funnel information to them.
Earlier readings also talked of ‘pre-course assessments’ to see if the student was taking the right course, and if their level of knowledge fit the course they were taking.
However, we have a course to teach. How much can you deviate from the course you prepped for?
In trainings, I am trying to make certain the student will be able to use the tool they signed up to learn about. In my case, it is generally a specific software function, but other times I am training someone to do certain processes or procedures: better sales, achieving excellence in customer service, learning how work better with your advisory board.
Can I really move that far from the course to worry about what an individual needs?
Light Bulb Moment
Ah, wait a minute – we do this all the time in FTF classes, don’t we? We ask about their background or their job, or why they are taking the class. I am interested, but I am really asking so I can show them how what I am teaching them will be of value to them.
But the book is now going further, and suggesting that since a course is online, people often intrinsically create a ‘new’ personality, which is freed from how they look or how they sound. The experts are saying we need to learn about the persona of the online student, so we can recognize their needs to help them stay involved and interested.
And now, since we can’t gain any clues by their style of dress, or their physical body language, what can we do to address this? How can we learn about the person?
Perhaps, more specifically, do you agree with the premise at all? Should we be concerned with the student’s ‘online’ persona? Your thoughts, please!
I have mixed feelings about your questions. On one hand, yes in an ideal world, I would love to understand where my students come from. That would probably help me to tailor my course and to address certain issues, over others. That would also as you mentioned, help to motivate the students. But on the other hand, I am not sure I can have this luxury for every courses (no time, no available tools, length of the course does not permit, etc.). In addition, as Jeffrey is constantly pointing out, we are all adults, we decided to take a course and it is also the responsibility of the student to behave as an adult and to make some efforts…
From the book, Education for a Digital World: “Current discussions about online learning reveal that learners may have a sense of disorientation, isolation, and disembodiment when they first begin an online course.”
I definitely felt a sense of disorientation when I started this course. The technology and the format were new to me and overwhelming. The online orientation previous to the course was not designed with learners like me in mind, it was not helpful at all.
What do you think would help to minimize the sense of disorientation?
I think with time you will get it. It is hard when you try something new. Even though I have worked with computers most of my life I did feel some what disoriented as there was some multitasking taking place. I’m not good at listening to a lecture or reading and having background noise or doing the text chat. This completely throws me off. But the more you use the tools at hand the better you will be.
In online learning, we rely only on a learner’s motivation . I can’t agree more with Jeffery’s theory of WIIFM.
Motivational theories focus on three things:
1. Arousal or energising
2. Direction
3. Persistence
It involves understanding the psychology of learners and looking at what is truly important to them. I agree with everyone that understanding the needs of learners requires a lot of effort, time and resources, however, we can limit that according to the scope of our training.
According to various motivational theories, learners are motivated if:
1. they believe that learning something would lead to better performance.
2. learning would prevent unwanted outcomes
3. if they already have goals set for the future and learning something will help them achieve their goals.
4. if they feel they are being treated fairly, they will continue to perform well.