Forum - Distance Teaching Training

Forum: Distance Teaching Training for week 3

Go to the link below and read the article on that site. In a post to this forum think about what you would need to learn to teach a distance learning course.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/Distance-Education-Masters-Programs.html

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Upon reading this article, I feel that I would need to learn more about teaching and designing a course for online instruction, as well as learning concepts that would help me become an effective Distance Learning Instructor. I feel that I would also need to look at which conceptual frameworks are the most effective and to employ them for teaching an online course.  I feel understanding these frameworks should help me become an effective distance learning instructor. I would need to learn more about teaching and conveying information to students in an online course.  In most online classes that I have taken, I would not be able to see the student. The disadvantage of distance learning is the lack of face-to-face communication, in which you can see the expressions of the students to see if they understand your explanation. Communication is much more streamlined when in the physical presence of students in comparison to online learning. It would take a lot of practice to be able to know how to design and demonstrate the information clearly without having to be physically present to instruct the students. By creating a Moodle and having a sandbox administrator account on Blackboard Learn, I have gained more knowledge in the ability to create courses, as well as experimenting with and using Learning Management Systems.

Forum - Instructional Strategies

Go to the sources below for instructional techniques for online learning. Then use at least five or more strategies for your Moodle for next week. You can use the strategies more than once. In a post to this Forum briefly describe which techniques you will use and why you will use it.

http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/instructionalstrategies.asp

http://corrosion-doctors.org/Online-Education/Instructional.htm

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I would be using the following instructional strategies for the moodle:

1. Lecture- I will use Lectures to introduce students in the class to virtual reality and our VR equipment
2. Forums- I will use forums so that students can ask questions, or answer questions relating to topics in VR.
3. Project- I will use this so that each student will have a chance to work with the equipment and will give students an opportunity to peruse their interests in using the Virtual Reality equipment. 
4. Self-directed learning- I will use this so that students can experience VR thru various projects that maybe required for their courses.
5. Collaborative learning-  The use of some projects will be used to foster collaborative learning. 

Forum - Chapter 13 Learning together Virtually

Read Text Chapter 13 Learning together Virtually. The chapter covers good, basic information for distance and virtual learning environments. After reading the chapter go to Table 13.2 and for each online facility listed provide the following in a post to this Forum:

a. Your personal experience with each, if any. Describe it in a sentence or two. How useful did you find them? If no experience, then provide a question about how it works.

b. Which, if any of these facilities, might you use in your own Moodle? How?

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A.

Blogs and Mini Blogs - I use these almost every day they are a good source of news and good for learning.

Breakout rooms -I have not used a breakout room in a virtual setting.  I am curious as to what the breakout room would look like and how much would the software cost and how easy it is to set up and use.

Chats -I have used text based chats mainly for groups where we are planning events and writing a grant and when we needed to communicate to figure out our plan of action.  I tend to use facebook messenger, evernote chat, and google docs.

Email -I use this every day at work one of the main sources of communication in which my supervisor and the instructors and students at the college can contact me to request assistance.

Message boards-I tend to read and sometimes infrequently post on message boards I also take a look at message boards when I have some questions to see what others have done.  It helps with understanding the problems and gives users feedback and answers on how to get around or use certain equipment and or software.

Online conferencing -I have used online conferencing for meetings however recently we have been using WebEx for my online classes.

Social networks -I have used social networks for personal use as well as for professional I use it mainly to keep in touch with people and post things rather infrequently.

Wikis -I have used wikis for projects that require documentation I have also viewed other wikis. Wikis are helpful because it would allow us to collaborate on various topics.

B. I would be incorporating message boards and blogs or wikis into my moodle.  The message board will help students collaborate and give them a chance to ask questions.  Blogs and wikis are helpful to students because it encourages them to gather there work into a portfolio so that they can show what they have accomplished in their time in an educational institution.