Becoming a Successful Online Educator

Distance Learning Educators Need to Do Their Homework

Sep 10, 2009 Lynne Smelser

Being an effective online educator does not occur accidentally. It takes deliberate preparation and thorough understanding of the distance education landscape.

There is no doubt that the landscape of education in the United States (and many other countries) has changed. With more than 3 million students nationwide taking online courses more than 60% of colleges and universities are now deeming online learning a priority according to PBS Campus.

To serve these 3 million plus students, educators have stepped forward exploring and retraining themselves to make the most of this opportunity. However, many of these educators have had to follow unique pathways into online learning with little to no training in the early days of online education. Even today instructors are left alone to find a pathway to personal success as an online instructor.

Images of the Online Instructor's Job

There are many images developing regarding this new group of professors and books such as Make Money Teaching Online by Babb and Mirabella [John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007] raise even more questions about what is going on in the online realm. One wonders if online teaching is progress or simply another version of the "academic ghetto" is seeping into education within the belly of a Trojan horse.

Babb and Mirabella present a picture of a professor in a swimsuit sunning beside a pool while drinking some exotic mixture. They emphasize that not only will online teaching be like a day at the beach, but if one can get enough contracts there is a six figure income available as well.

However, another side to the picture is the workload. Instructors must grade papers in shorter time frames and must be interacting with students all week long including evenings and weekends. Instructors must find time and a personal approach for providing quality instruction

Distance Educator Training

A quick survey of online teaching positions makes it very apparent that at institutions offering online programs, there are vastly different training offered for instructors (in the early days of online education there were programs that required none). This has meant that creating a a successful teaching experience has been placed on instructors' shoulders.

12 Tips for Teaching Success

According to current research which has been gathered by the University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching and the experiences of many online instructors, here are twelve things to help in the finding the pathway to a satisfying and effective online teaching experience:

  1. Preparation for an online course goes beyond simply developing a syllabus and objectives.
  2. Being organized could mean the difference between life or death for an online instructor.
  3. Being flexible does not mean lack of scheduling.
  4. A communications plan will ensure a consistent teaching experience.
  5. Ghosts (i.e. items that have been posted and forgotten about) are real and being vigilant in watching for them and correcting them will eliminate much confusion.
  6. No two courses are ever the same even if they come from the same course shell, and being aware/ keeping an open mind will allow for a rich learning environment for all.
  7. Even online classes (which are touted as breaking the brick and mortar boundaries) must have boundaries.
  8. No instructor is omnipresent even though it may feel like the whole world expects it.
  9. Understanding online presence both from a theoretical perspective and a personal one enhances class interaction.
  10. Being able to see everything students are saying has both benefits and liabilities, so make the most of the former while bracing for the latter.
  11. Comforting insecure students can give a false sense of achievement, so being supportive while realistic is the most effective route.
  12. Different schools have different expectations of instructors; therefore, instructors need to research schools before agreeing to teach online for them.

The Potential for an Energizing Experience in Online Learning

Instructors need to understand their personal teaching philosophies and theories of student-centered learning. The potential for confusion and disappointed is high in the online world especially for those who are new to it be they instructors or students.

When everything is working correctly, the online format can be an energizing, amazing environment; but for an instructor who is ill-prepared, the potential for disaster is great.

The copyright of the article Becoming a Successful Online Educator in Teacher Tips/Training is owned by Lynne Smelser. Permission to republish Becoming a Successful Online Educator in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Successful Online Teaching Takes Work, Lynne M. Smelser Successful Online Teaching Takes Work
   
What do you think about this article?
NOTE: Because you are not a Suite101 member, your comment will be moderated before it is viewable.
post your comment
What is 9+2?