Monday, November 10, 2008
Skills, Tools, and Strategies
There are many skills, tools and strategies necessary for success in online learning. Learning styles and preferences must be taken into account in order to assure success. Menchaca & Bekele (2008), through a study involving learners and instructors, identified the following as significant: the availability of multiple tools which added flexibility to the learning environment; technology tools that appeal to multiple learning styles; collaboration, reflection, and creating a learning community were important strategies supported by multiple tools; and participant satisfaction, appropriate prerequisite skills, and faculty and administrative involvement ensured programmatic success. What influences adults to enroll in online courses? Much of the current research indicates flexibility and the opportunity to reflect on instructor and student comments before giving feedback as important components in an online class, along with being able to ‘attend’ class whenever it is convenient, rather than having to physically drive to a building and sit in a classroom at a specified time. What are some of the difficulties that adult learners encounter regularly? According to O’Lawrence (2006), the most significant drawback for some adult learners taking classes online is lack of self-discipline and time management skills? In taking online classes, what has been the most significant skill, tool, strategy, etc. for your success and satisfaction and what has been the most significant drawback for you?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
My biggest drawback this semester hasn't been time management, it's been other things hogging my time! Work got really demanding and I caught a fall strep bug. Doesn't everyone in education get this? At least it's not last year's staph.
I think that the strongest motivation for learning and actually getting things done in an online class is enjoying the topic. In CSM 562 this summer, I thought I would die before I finished some of those papers -- I loathed the topics. But the topics I enjoyed? The papers just seemed to fly by. I have a hard time motivating myself if the topic seems dull or like it isn't applicable to what I'm doing.
I know that most preschool teachers catch some kind of crap every fall. I agree that interest in the topic makes a huge difference in the emotions people feel about classwork. I am enjoying this class because we were able to choose our topics and because we have the opportunity to see what is of interest to our classmates, and have meaningful communication with classmates.
When it comes to time management for courses or anything else in life a person must be able to decide what needs to be done and to prioritize "eating the elephant on bite at a time". I still find it amazing what you get done with the pressure you put on yourself. How many times I've thought I was behind only to find out that I was in fact well ahead of my peers. And then on the other hand I find that keeping up with the truly gifted can be a down right impossibility.
In the context of your posting, I am in agreement with Menchaca & Bekele (2008) that the availability of multiple tools adds flexibility to the learning environment, the technology tools are appealing to various learning styles, and contribute to the constructivist approach.
Without flexibility of asynchronous learning, the opportunity to reflect on instructor/student comments would be confined to the scheduled minutes of a class period.
As you have cited O’Lawrence (2006) I have encountered times where I was lacking self-discipline and time management skills. I struggle with it even now. But the flexibility is the main attraction; it is wonderful to be able to accomplish the goal (of graduate school) without committing personal economic suicide.
Post a Comment