Challenges Faced by Online Learners.

I am currently enrolled in a course on the use of web 2.0 tools to support classroom learning.  On our learning platform my colleagues have shared many interesting contributions  on the challenges of being an online learner along with possible solutions.  I particularly agree with the persons who addressed the issues of (1) motivation, (2) time management and (3) self-directed learning. Many other pertinent challenges were also identified and will apply to different types of learners.  As someone who has made use of online learning for professional development, as well as, pursuing a Master’s degree programme, I have personally experienced the challenge of time management in particular, since I must confess that I can be a bit of a procrastinator at times.  I offer for further consideration the following:

Challenges	Possible Solutions
Putting in an appearance – It is easy for a student to hide in the traditional classroom even when they are present.  In the online classroom this is very difficult.  Once you are registered in the programme and the tutor knows that you are expected to put in an appearance, your absence becomes quite noticeable. Online learning platforms may not be the most suitable space for shy and reticent learners.	At the beginning of the course, the tutor, while not being able to force the learner to engage, should attempt to reach out personally to these participants and to ascertain the challenges that they may face.  A rubric on the required level of engagement to successfully complete the programme may also be provided, so that the learner understands that putting in an appearance and actively participating in the process is an integral component of successful completion.
Self-directed learning – Online learning represents a paradigm of learning that is not readily appropriated in traditional classrooms.  The students who are able to maximise learning in an online environment are usually highly self-motivated and more often than not are in the habit of pursuing topics of interest to them without the prompting of a teacher. The student who is not so inclined will need extrinsic motivation and a bit of hand-holding in the initial stages as they build competencies in becoming a self-directed learner.	If it’s possible to differentiate in the online learning environment, the tutor may provide a few motivational activities that will encourage self-directed learning; in particular, the focus should be on supporting the successful accomplishment of tasks which will help to generate motivation and interests. Additionally, helping the learners to identify their interests and using that as a platform to extend their learning of course content may also help.
Making the transition from a teaching to a learning paradigm – The traditional classroom tends to be focused on direct instruction, and let’s face it, with more focus on lower level rather than upper level thinking. While this may work in the traditional classroom, it presents a challenge in the online classroom where learning often takes precedence over teaching.  The tutor’s role as a facilitator tends to be more focused on how the participants learn, and the ways in which they can apply their respective learning styles to appropriating course content.	As part of the orientation to the online course, in addition to the welcome activities, the tutor can also provide activities that will enable participants to identify their learning styles as well ways in which the can apply these in meaningful ways to make the best of their online learning environment.  It may be wise to engage students in reflective activities such as the ones in which we are currently engaged in order to heighten their sensitivity to the challenges that can be faced and strategies to overcome these challenges.

There is no denying that online learners will encounter challenges, particularly if the experience is a novel one.  However, with support from their tutors many persons can successfully negotiate the online learning environment and derive substantial benefits.  What are your thoughts on this?

Lisa

Aiding and Abetting System Failures

In his book, The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge describes a phenomenon he calls "compensating feedback".  Compensating feedback occurs when individuals within a system attempt to compensate for the inefficiencies of the system by being more diligent and working harder at ensuring that things that occur under their sphere of influence work.  Unfortunately, unbeknownst to these well-intentioned individuals, law 2 of the fifth discipline kicks in, that is, "the harder you push, the harder the system pushes back". 
Those of us who have been a part of the education system of Trinidad and Tobago for more than a decade have been victims of this law.  Some of us have been Boxers (of Animal Farm fame) working harder to make things work, but inefficiencies in the system militate against our efforts.  The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back;  the more effort you expend trying to improve matters, the more effort seems to be required.
When as teachers we attempt to compensate for the failure of our employer to ensure that there are adequate resources to support the delivery of high quality education, we inadvertently contribute the system's malaise.  I know, I have done this is the past.

TEACHING TIPS

TEACHING TIPS

Follow the link above to find some interesting tips for teachers.  I am sure that you will find much of the information useful and interesting.

Violence and Indiscipline in Schools - Some Reflections

Day in, day out, year after year, there are continuing and increasing reports of acts of violence and indiscipline in schools.  Invariably, the response has been to introduce more and more stringent measures to deal with the situation, with very little attempts at understanding underlying causes.  Even as we engage in stop gap measures that are inadeqate and piecemeal, our efforts barely extend beyond these.  However, are we truly asking the right questions about why our teenagers and young adolescents, in particular, opt for violence rather than resolution?

There are no easy answers to this question, because this is not a simple problem.  Hence, the approach to the problem cannot be a simplistic, one-pronged approach.  To address the question of violence and indiscipline in schools, we have to take a systems view into the developing contexts of our teens and adolescents and see in what way these various environments may be exacerbating the problem; something to think about.

Something else to think about; in education, we often talk about developmentally appropriate responses to the need of young children, but this construct hardly ever is used with reference to teens and adolescents.  I propose that this another angle that needs to be explored and may be just one that provides additional justification for the development of mediation skills in equipping students to handle and manage conflicts in their life.

The teenage years are a truly difficult period developmentally for young people; yet, often in our dealings with them this is not acknowledged.  Thus, instead of fostering postivie relationships that will assist them in their identity formation and role clarification as they attempt to find their place in this world, we often spend an inordinate amount of time berating and reproaching them in ways that put them on the defensive.  This often results in the deviant behaviours that we have come to acknowledge as indiscipline and school violence.

The challenge, therefore, is how do we empower our young people to make right choices without losing face?  How do we acknowledge the developmental changes that they are going through and the influence on their behaviour, while equipping them with the skills and strategies to cope?  How do we get them to trust adults, while we impose the appropriate boundaries that are necessary to safeguard their well-being?  These are just a few of the questions that I think we need to answer if we are to make any headway in dealing with this whole issue of violence and indiscipline in schools.  Fighting fire with fire never outs the fire!

Looking Ahead

It's a new year and there are many changes ahead for education in Trinidad and Tobago.  We have to be ever vigilant.  In the upcoming months, I will attempt to address some of the issues that confront us, their possible implications, and what we can do.

As educators, parents, citizens, we need to become advocates for quality education.  What happens impacts on all of us.  Education is not just the state's business, it is all our business; we must have a care for what happens.

Let us use this forum to let our voice be heard. 

Back to School

Soon it will be back to school for our children. Are we ready? Parents, what are you doing to ensure that your children will be ready to return to school prepared to face the challenges they will encounter? Teachers, have you begun to think about what steps you will take to ensure that you are ready to welcome your students back to school, as well as, to set the tone for promoting success? Something for us to all think about!

Early Childhood Care and Education

There seems to be some concerns in the state of affairs in ECCE in Trinidad. Many persons who were on contract with the MOE are uncertain about their future. What's up with that?