Week 3: Trust and Fostering a Creative, Participative Environment

Trust is a powerful word! It means and implies many things.  I think people often assume that safe and trust go together.  Most of the time they do go hand in hand. I can be assured in many things that I trust, I will be safe or safest.  An example would be, if I keep my tires at the correct air pressure and not worn out, I trust that I should be able to drive safely on them.  What I can't account for is the nail in the road that might change the safety level of my tire.  I can plug the nail hole, but I'll always have a little doubt in the back of my mind about that hole. I no longer trust that my tires are at the same level of safeness. 

I can take this same thinking and bring it into the classroom, live or online.  When a student enters a learning space, I think most students believe that it is a safe space. Once a student's gets to know how a teacher operates, what they can expect from the teacher and what the teacher expects from them, there is a feeling that this is a safe place to learn and I trust this teacher enough to share my ideas.  Of course it's not as simple as that.  Students want to know a little something about the teachers when they meet them.  They often want to share a few things about themselves too. To truly trust someone, we want to know who they are and how they think.  We want to believe that what we say is valued.  Trust sometimes takes time.  And just like that tire, if a unexpected negative behavior toward a student comes from an educator, getting the trust back can be tough.  It might get better over time, but probably won't be the same.  So we have to be careful how we treat the relationships with students, so that they believe we value their thoughts and ideas, even when we don't agree.  Norms should be established and respect should always be expected from anyone entering the space, live or online.

The challenges of the online class are that many of the nuances of being in the same physical space are lost.  You don't know that Ms. BB drinks coffee every morning, like your mom or that she wears cowgirl boots, just like you, both of which give you a certain level of comfort.  Seeing someone and forming ideas and opinions about them through their physical presence can be a positive or negative attribute of the learning experience.  Obviously, being physically present isn't a necessity, but it likely plays into the psyche of many students, without their even knowing it, if they are taking an online course for the first time.   This can be especially challenging, if the course is all asynchronous.   Never having an opportunity to put a face or voice with an instructor can be intimidating.  I would suggest that any opportunity to make face to face contact should be attempted, at least once.

A few of the things that have helped me to feel safe and trusting of the instructors are the following:

• ·         Post your photo (if not synchronously meeting)
• ·         Tell me about yourself
• ·         Make a video
• ·         Have clear instructions and guidelines for the course (I don't want to be blindsided with a last minute assignment. Who does?)
• ·         Participate in the students threaded discussions.
• ·         Discuss your experiences as they pertain to the topic.
• ·         Allow open and inclusive discussions.
• ·         Keep lines of communication open.
• ·         Let's be real! It's 2017.  People Google people.  Make sure, as an educator, as a professional, that students looking you up are going to find some positive things about you.  Have a professional site, a blog, a LinkedIn or something that can reinforce your credentials and experience.
• ·         Be honest!

Week 2 (Authentic Online Learning): Introduction to Online Instruction, Classroom Management, and Engagement Professional Development and Personal Learning Networks

Based on my personal online learning experiences, along with the online course that I created and the various articles about authentic learning online, I believe "authentic online learning" is possible. 

I believe it's important to present an online course to the learner with all of the ground rules.  Instructors that introduce themselves and  provide a clear syllabus are off to a great start.  Learners may have more flexibility in the online learning environment, but many of us still come with our traditional background.  We want to know the objectives, standards and how we are going to be assessed.  This all needs to be provided with a clear and concise timeline. The remainder of the learning process, if it is a well laid out course, comes mostly from time and effort on the learners part.   I'm not giving the instructor a free pass.  They need to be interesting and engaging, but due to the flexibility that is inherent in most online courses, learners have to make the time.

The article Authentic online earning: Aligning learner needs, pedagogy and technology, quotes Maor and Volet (2007) "Factors such as motivation, readiness to study, technical skills and lack of time due to workloads, or family commitments are common barriers to completing online courses."  What this is saying to me, is that, it's not necessarily the quality of the course that interferes and makes learners unsuccessful in the online environment, it's more likely external factors. 

An engaging course that encourages conversations through threaded discussions, along with opportunities for independent and collaborative assignments create an environment where participation is required.  I've taken courses that didn't have a synchronous component, and that was most likely due to the inept technology at the time.  I prefer the combination of synchronous and asynchronous, as it makes my classmates and instruction more real. I enjoy the face to face time and conversations, both free flowing and more directed. 

As with any teaching experience, it is imperative that instructors evaluate their courses.  Keep courses fresh with the latest research information.  Make sure that new technology and tools are used.  Most importantly, make sure that students are encouraged in the 4 C's: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity, just like we do in the brick and mortar classroom.