communication screen capture

Teacher organised communications

Supporting, initiating and guiding learners during the online learning experience with suggestions, questioning, feedback and summaries

Samples

21st century students - a day in the life of a student in 2010

Outlines a range of communication technologies students in the near future may use to communication with their co learners and trainers.

Source 21st century students - a day in the life of a student in 2010
URL http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/scis/connections/2007/60life2010.htm
Use Discussion starter
Delivery  
Customisation  
Availability  

Facilitate e learning project

This sample shows the many and varied communications that the online trainer uses to engage learners in the online learning experience.

Source Facilitate e-learning Toolbox Materials
URL Open http://tle.tafevc.com.au/toolbox/items/e4f7f921-5baa-f0be-b6a7-58935cb2d7d6/1/ViewScorm.jsp?backto=close, then select Project Planner, then Project Introduction
Use This is an elective unit from the Certificate IV and Diploma of Training and Assessment covering facilitating learning delivered via electronic media. Explores  four steps in facilitating e-learning: establish the e-learning environment, introduce e-learning, guide and facilitate e-learning, monitor and review e-learning.
Delivery Can be delivered in a Learning Management System such as Blackboard, Moodle or Janisons
Customisation Copies of this course are designed to be modified and customised to suit the local content.
Availability Download from the Toolbox Repository at: http://tle.tafevc.com.au/toolbox/items/e4f7f921-5baa-f0be-b6a7-58935cb2d7d6/1/ViewItem.jsp?

Managing industrial relation policies and processes

Groupwork activities suggested by the teacher to create a learning community.

Source Human Resources Toolbox, lead agent OTEN
URL http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox/series5/506.htm
Use BSB50801 Diploma of Business (Human Resources)
Delivery Can be delivered via a CD or the web. Can be incorporated into a Learning Management System such as Moodle, Janison or Blackboard.
Customisation This resource has been designed to allow for customisation of tasks, content, images and interactions
Availability Details of how to purchase this Toolbox are available on the Flexible Learning Toolbox site
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Why include teacher mediated communications?

Critics of the online learning experience will often cite the alienation of learners as a potential barrier to learning online. However there are ways to ensure this does not happen. The effective online teacher will be involved in creating a supportive environment for learners. An important aspect of the learning process is the interaction between learners and teachers and between learners and their peers. The added advantage of online communications is that they encourage the learner to engage in critical thinking, argument, the sharing of ideas, and collaboration.

Features

Trainers of online courses have a number of options available to them to facilitate communication between themselves and learners. These fall into two categories: asynchronous and synchronous.

Synchronous
e.g. telephone, chat, video conference, voice chats, virtual classrooms, Voice over Internet Protocol, Virtual Worlds

Participants can work online at the same time - real time

  • can be used by trainers and learners in live online sessions or in virtual classrooms
  • allow immediate feedback, problem solving
  • allow interaction between trainers and learners
  • allow for instant clarification or answering shared questions/issues
  • but ... can become chaotic and unstructured.

Asynchronous
e.g. Discussion Forums, email, conference boards, SMS, Instant Messaging, Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts.

Participants can work online at different times to one another

  • no need for all participants to be online simultaneously
  • allow learners flexibility to be online when and where they want
  • allow time for reflection
  • messages are posted and can be read and replied to at any time.

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Integrating teacher communication

You are likely to be involved in extensive online communications using a range of modes. Often these will be happening simultaneously.
For example, you may be

  • emailing individuals,
  • posting to the group on a discussion forum
  • meeting with a small group in a chat using a virtual classroom,
  • sending out SMS reminders,
  • recording a podcast with assessment information,
  • catch up with a learner using Instant messaging
  • support a small group project discussion using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Design steps

  • Plan the types of communication events, which will occur during your course.
  • Select one or more appropriate technologies. These may involve discussion forums, emails, text chats, teleconferences, voice chats, video conferencing, SMS, Instant Messaging, VOIP
  • Spend time on ensuring individuals can confidently install required software, establish an account, connect any necessary computer peripherals (for example a headset) and can independently use the technologies at their home or work location
  • Arrange introductory activities or icebreakers to ensure that learners develop a sense of working in a collaborative learning environment.
  • Set the tone of the online communication by modelling appropriate discourse, promoting mutual respect between participants, defusing personal antagonisms, supporting participants who may be offended and generally keeping the discussion 'in check'.
  • Ask lots of questions in order to encourage interaction between learners. You may, for example, pose the question via an email or SMS but ask for responses on the discussion board or in a subsequent voice chat.
  • Ask questions over the range of Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive questions. Early on you may want pose questions at the lower level (recall of knowledge) and gradually move onto higher order (synthesis, analysis, problem solving etc).
  • Use the communication technologies to draw together the issues being dealt with in the learning program. Summarise or clarify frequently what has been going on. Help learners to understand how the discussion relates to what has gone before.
  • Give regular and encouraging feedback to posted messages. Send encouraging private messages to people complimenting them or at least commenting on their entries.
  • Set up sub-topics on discussion forums when needed.
  • Provide conclusions to topics and direct learners to the next stage. Sense and announce when it is time to move on to a new topic.

Assessment

The use of communication activities for assessment has been covered in the Prepare Activities and Assessing Online sections of this website.

Generic skills

Communicating with learners in online learning spaces has the potential to develop many of the generic skills. Skilful trainer mediation will encourage learners to use effective communication strategies, problem solving and to work collaboratively with others.

  • Communicating ideas and information
  • Collecting, analysing and organising information
  • Using Technology
  • Self Management
  • Learning to Learn

Technical notes

Many of the technologies that you will use to communicate with learners are reasonably easy to use. Email, SMS and Instant Messaging, for example, is readily available to most trainers. However, in order to make effective use of communication tools you need to develop skills in managing the various tools, setting up the topics, uploading files and archiving discussions.

Skills

The development of online moderation or e-moderation skills are crucial in building supportive learning environment. This will involve developing a range of questioning, negotiation and feedback techniques. It will also involve being able to move between the roles of facilitator, administrator, provocateur, pace setter, editor, workplace mentor, promoter, expert and mediator.

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See also

From the Framework

More resources from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework

Tools and resources

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Last modified: 11/6/08