- To what extent do you think you meet each of those criteria for being a successful online student?
“An online student is expected to:
Participate in the virtual classroom 5-7 days a week.
Be able to work with others in completing projects.
Be able to use the technology properly.
Be able to meet the minimum standards as set forth by the institution.
Be able to complete assignments on time.
Enjoy communicating in writing.
The online learning process is normally accelerated and requires commitment on the student’s part. Staying up with the class and completing all work on time is vital” (university of Illinois). My objective analysis is that I am a successful online student. The reason of my discourse is that I have participated in virtual classrooms. I have completed my assignments in time. I know how to use a technology. I fulfill the discipline and ethical online requirements of online sessions. I am a valuable contributor in the discussion. I believe in quality discussion. I meet the time milestones. On the basis of above reasons I consider myself fit for online learning.so, aptitude of e-learning is the perimeter on which I can say that I have enjoyed and learned the course, according to the best of my abilities.
- Do you agree with all the points made in Characteristics of the Successful Online Student (Illinois Online Network, 2007)?
“Be open minded about sharing life, work, and educational experiences as part of the learning process. Be able to communicate through writing. Be Self-motivated and self-disciplined. Be willing to “speak up” if problems arise. Be willing and able to commit to 4 to 15 hours per week per course. Be able to meet the minimum requirements for the program.
Accept critical thinking and decision making as part of the learning process. Have practically unlimited access to a computer and Internet Service. Be able to think ideas through before responding. Feel that high quality learning can take place without going to a traditional classroom (university of Illinois)”. There are a lot of points mentioned in the University of Illinois online Network. I agree with all of them. I cannot disagree with anyone because they are written in merit and qualify the requirements of online successful student. It is the learning, only a daring person, who can avoid spoon-feeding, can learn, on the basis of self-confidence. Socialization is innate in this system and non-plagiarism in content can only be assured, in this online system. So, I agree with all points.
- How has your understanding changed of what it means to be a successful online learner?
This course is conducted in a very friendly environment, but the teachings are very general, that encompass multitude problems and a teacher should be able to handle these problems. I thought that this course is very simple, in the beginning, but after few weeks I found that, there are few points which needs to be addressed by an online teacher before starting a course.
- Netiquettes. All the obligations of online discussions and norms and values need to be observed. These norms are called internet etiquettes aka netiquettes. This course equipped me with netiquettes.
- Black sheep effect. It is essential to ensure that interracial hatred should be avoided with proper training. Although it is rare but it can damage institution reputation and we have learned this week. The person other than native is connoted as black sheep and in the class and in bad societies such students are discriminated. Blacks were apartheid in South Africa and in America early on. Such commented can be blocked by an innate online discipline mechanism within the software.
- Profanity free comments. Religious harmony should be ensured in our class. These are the things to be implemented before the start of the course.
- Respectful salutation for Non- Native. Proper norms of salutation should be taught to all the blended online students to have harmony within the group.
- Efficient way of using legal digital library. It was a new experience to using restricted digital library in an efficient manner with respect to time.
- Vocabulary of digital soft wares. This course has increased my vocabulary and knowledge about various software of virtual learning environment.
- What things might be missing from that list of characteristics?
“Although blended learning and e-learning have the potential to provide the kinds of flexibility required by learners, there are some major obstacles clustered around four key themes. First, the drivers for change should be identified and capitalized on. Second, new possibilities in delivery are available at a cost, so we must find sustainable approaches to these learning methods. Third, new methodologies add a layer of complexity for all those preparing for blended and e-learning. Fourth, new ways of interacting and the free exchange of information require careful consideration of ethical issues. These considerations impact upon a range of stakeholders within (Littlejohn, A. & Pegler, and C. 2007)”. As mentioned above, it is a technology extensive teaching method. It is said that we can differentiate creative and non-creative from innovation. This e-learning method will not be same after few years and the reason is technology- depletion. To catch with the time, its training needs to be continuous and R&D department should be on front foot to meet the challenges. The reward of research is more than our expectations, as ready ones in technology up gradation, will catch the maximum customers in the future of blended e-learning market.
- How would you deal with any challenging participant comments and situations from this discussion?
“Many of the most confident individuals do not want their intelligence too stringently tested, and their high confidence is all too quickly shaken when they are confronted with difficulty (Henderson & Dweck, 1990; Hong, Chiu, Dweck, & Lin, 1998; Zhao, Dweck, & Mueller, 1998; see Hong, Chiu, & Dweck, 1995)”. The strength of a teacher is tested when a challenging situation comes. Good and nice students don’t challenge our wit. Maximum teachers don’t observe very bad behaviors as most students are good. Online behaviors may vary as students can post comment on social media anonymously. Our good behavior is the antidote to their mischief.
There are six type of students, given in our resources. We have to collaborate and integrate our moral and attitude strength in molding student’s behavior and show our character both, online and onsite, to harness their bad habit and direct desired behavior within them. Praising them on their little effort, is the way forward. “The belief that praise, particularly praising a students’ intelligence, encourages mastery-oriented qualities. This is a most cherished belief in our society. One can hardly walk down the street without hearing parents telling their children how smart they are. The hope is that such praise will instill confidence and thereby promote a host of desirable qualities. I will show that far from promoting the hoped-for qualities, this type of praise can lead students to fear failure, avoid risks, doubt themselves when they fail, and cope poorly with setbacks (Kamins & Dweck, in press; Mueller & Dweck, 1998)”.
- What has this suggested your current strengths are that could help you manage online participants?
“Stage 1 Access and Motivation: The e-moderator’s role is to welcome and encourage participants to interact. Stage 2 Online Socialization: Familiarizing and providing bridges between cultural, social and learning environments. Stage 3 Information Exchange: Facilitating tasks and supporting the use of learning materials. Stage 4 Knowledge Construction: Facilitating process. Stage 5 Development: Supporting and responding (Salmon, G.2000)”. This is Gilly Salmon 5 stage development model for the proficient online learning.
The strength of online teaching lies in integration of the whole system and the integration of system is incomplete without the satisfaction and retention of students. The retention of students is possible with the motivation of students and motivation of students is possible, if the positioning of blended e-learning is done at the highest level. The goals of online learning should be fulfilled with and through students .Teacher interaction can make this process, a super successful one. The whole shortcomings, can be covered by teacher’s motivation and teacher’s satisfaction should be taken care of, by the management, to make this course a successful one.
- What has this suggested regarding what you might do to further develop yourself in the future? How might you do that specifically?
“The principles underpinning good teaching and support of learning are, unsurprisingly, fundamentally the same whatever the tools. Experience teaches us that good teacher’s offline are likely to be good teachers online. The introduction of e-learning simply brought in new tools, tools that can be used well or poorly (Mason, 2001)”. The focus on technology in e-learning is good, but it should be up to the requirement. At the end, there is a teacher-student relationship in a virtual environment, which matter a lot. The way you speak and students listen remains the same. A teacher must be a good teacher and a student needs to be a good student, in all circumstances. When all the requirements are made and we have discussed, all the procedures of efficient e-learning, we have to focus on our minds, to grasp the methodology of teaching and if our basics remain good, we will be a good teacher, in any real or virtual environment. A teacher if takes feedback and a student, when wills to learn, then the outcome is learning and nothing else. If the student is the idler, the flamer, the black hole, the cheeky student, and the invisible student, we have to be forgiving and should allow our students, to be on target. Keeping student’s focus on learning is the best answer to his misbehave and our target is achieved, if we can divert problematic students to work.
“The impact of e-learning on student participation is still a new and contested area. However, it has been recognized for some time that certain students who may have anxieties about speaking in class can make more extensive and reflective contributions when they are allowed to take their time and check their responses before sending them. This may be one particular advantage of asynchronous communication where students are not native speakers of the language used for instruction (Skinner and Austin, 1998)”. Sometimes students mischief, because students don’t understand the concept ,and when few like minds, joins the club then the best way to engage them, is to make them understand rather than keep on teaching further. Formative feedback ensures smooth going of the lecture. It is teaching which matters, whether you are online or onsite.