Suggestions for DE Teacher Training
Ahhh yes, one of our favorite subjects: Teacher Training in DE. I think we'd all agree by now that:
- It's really, really important the our DE teachers know how to use the technology
- Most institutions don't provide enough training for their teachers to get comfortable with it
- It's better to use old technology and do it well, rather than try to always implement the "latest and greatest" but have teachers struggle with it
So, the next question, which we don't usually get to, an important one: HOW will we train our DE teachers to deliver their course materials? This is a sticky question, because many DE instructors may not be on-campus in the first place. So, I would recommend actually using the DE platform itself to teach your DE instructors how to deliver their courses over it. That way, they have a firsthand perspective of what it's like to be a student using this platform to receive their course materials, and they can figure things out just as the students will. Then the instructor will be best positioned to answer student questions as the lesson rolls along, without always having to refer to tech support. Also, the instructor may see a better way to organize or deliver the information once they're actually using the platform itself.
Then, AFTER the instructors have used the platform itself to try out a lesson or two of the material, they should all have some sort of "standard" course on DE teaching best practices. Since they've just gone through the course material as learners, the best practices should then make a lot more sense and the instructors will realize their importance. For a great set of resources about Best Practices in delivering DE, visit the Learning Putty website, and specifically start with this article about Tips for Teaching Online Courses. I think that a course on how to teach EFFECTIVELY online may already be out there, or can easily be developed and included as a standard part of DE teacher instruction.
After the experiential and the best practices components, I think that most people who are already qualified as teachers would be pretty good to go to teach DE courses. Instructors who are "into" technology will take it from there and find new and better ways of presenting the online material; instructors who aren't will simply teach the existing material. Either way, both should do a good job once they've had the proper training.
I like your point about being consistent in the use of technology. One problem with lack of consistency in how technology is employed is that students might be more likely to mistake course tools for course content. -JD
ReplyDeleteYou make a great point about teachers having to use technology consistently across courses and organize materials in a consistent manner. I have felt the frustration of having to hunt for information to complete assignments. It is especially difficult when an assignment is posted in a course calendar, the lesson, the syllabus, and in an instructional document. There have been many times when the assignment is described differently in each of these different areas. We are taught that the syllabus is basically the law of the course, but what do you do if the syllabus says one thing and the other 3 descriptions say another thing?
ReplyDeleteMPB235, that's exactly the problem. When your assignment sources describe things differently, then you have to ask the instructor for clarification, which takes time to get an answer, and before you know it your assignment is due tomorrow and you're just starting. I think good DE courses need to be organized so all of the tools are clearly outlined, upfront, in one place, so that the students know what's required of them without hunting for it.
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