Traditional classrooms have typically been arranged in rows; this not only separates students but does not foster collaboration. The time has come for a 360-degree change! Yes, Covid-19 has made us rethink our practices, policies, as well as forced us to acknowledge school shortcomings. Our world is digital! Online learning is necessary for our students to be relevant in our current context. New models of instruction and collaboration are needed. The pedagogical approach; a teacher standing in the front of the classroom providing a lecture has to change. Our students can contribute to their educational path, we must do better! Instructional strategies including “wait time” and “framing questions” are still important pedagogical and anagogical approaches; Yet, how do teachers frame questions and “provide feedback” as instructional strategies in models of online learning?

Features of Online Learning

Learning Management System (LMS) offers the opportunity for teachers to upload presentations such as mini concepts that are pre-recorded, upload files such as PowerPoint presentations. As much as I enjoy these tools we must be cognizant of how much time students spend watching videos. Research suggests 6 minutes but for K-12 I wouldn't recommend anything longer than 2-3 minutes to explain a concept. I chunk content into bit-sized pieces and each module is built on the previous concept. Word and PDF documents for reading or instruction of tasks and assessments are okay but, there are tech tools that really support collaboration such as Google Docs. I get it! Teachers are in the Substitution phase which is the “S” in S.A.M.R. At Educational Innovation 360; we have worked with teachers in making the transition to online learning so we start off by inquiring about student objective, how will we assess they have learned the skill and practical tools that will allow teachers to meet their objectives. I get worried when I see teachers who have students “Downloading content, writing on a physical paper, taking a picture of the physical paper, then uploading the assignment on the LMS.

There are great ideas to embed audio-visual, like student feedback, projects, and student groups. Videos can be a fun tool for student presentations but also for self-help. One time I gave students space in my LMS to chat, collaborate and ask others for support. I had students who created videos, mentor others, and provide resources based on tools that they thought were helpful. That’s what makes online learning so fun, education is flued and if done right true engagement can take place in an asynchronous or synchronous classroom.

3 Models of Online Learning; Try it Yourself -Before You Let Others In

Heafner at. Al. (2019) suggests that teachers test out and complete their online course as a student before teaching it. This helps to see the learner’s perspective and be okay with students sharing their concerns along the way during the course. Be flexible and willing to change it based on students’ frustrations and feedback. Many times when I create a course, its all hands on deck, and even once it’s completed, there are changes along the way. Valuing feedback is crucial to online learning.

The Learn and Co-Teach model is a version expanding upon the Teacher as Student where an educator has a peer mentor where they learn about the course and students and are driven by a co-Teacher or mentor to increase their knowledge and skills. This is a fun way to build community and collaboration while learning along the way.

The Collaborative model is great too! It’s a collaboration between teachers and students to foster learning and feedback and instruction is learner-centered. The Facilitated Leadership model embeds teachers in the learning activities with students and students develop their own learning activities to support learning objectives. Flexibility and reflection are core aspects of this model and differentiated instruction is supported throughout the curriculum.

Learning Online; A Steep Learning Curve

Online learning can be just as effective as traditional learning providing teachers and students adapt with new approaches to learning. There are various models and features of online learning that aid teachers in delivering high-quality, online learning, and drive student engagement but It takes a little learning curve. Yes, it’s easier to grab students’ attention in a traditional classroom but using similar strategies just will not work. It takes a little more effort and there are different methodologies that need to be in place for teacher success.

Reference:

Heafner, T. L., Hartshorne, R. & Thripp, R. (2019). Handbook of Research on Emerging Practices and Methods for K-12 Online and Blended Learning. IGI Global.

Hill, P. (2012). Online Educational Delivery Models: A Descriptive View. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2012/11/online-educational-delivery-models--a-descriptive-view. Accessed 23/04/2020

O’Malley, S. (2017). Effective Teaching Online. https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2017/07/12/7-guidelines-effective-teaching-online. Accessed 23/04/2020

Roddy, C., Lalaine Amiet, D., Chung, J., Holt, C., Shaw, L., McKenzie, S., Garivaldis, F., Lodge, J. M. & Mundy, M. E. (2017). Applying Best Practice Online Learning, Teaching, and Support to Intensive Online Environments: An Integrative Review. Frontiers in Education. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2017.00059/full. Accessed 23/04/2020

L, H. (2017, October 30). SAMR Model: A Practical Guide for EdTech Integration. Retrieved October 07, 2020, from https://www.schoology.com/blog/samr-model-practical-guide-edtech-integration

Snow Andrade, M. (2014). Effective eLearning and eTeaching – A Theoretical Model. https://www.intechopen.com/books/e-learning-instructional-design-organizational-strategy-and-management/effective-elearning-and-eteaching-a-theoretical-model. Accessed 23/04/2020

Tacquard, D. [IMAGE] (2020, March 16). Tips for moving a class online quickly: Pearson Blog. Retrieved October 07, 2020, from https://www.pearsoned.com/tips-moving-class-online-quickly/