session 6

Effective Instructional Methods for E-Learning

Take the either of the Learning styles quizzes (Multiple Intelligence Quiz or Seeing, Hearing, and Doing Quiz) or both. Based on the quiz results, describe your own learning styles. In order to help yourself better function in an online course (e.g. this course), what would you keep or change in terms of the course design and your participation style/pattern?

First what are the learning styles?

Everybody has a preferred learning style. Knowing and understanding our learning style helps us to learn more effectively. This is particularly true for LD/AD(H)D people because of their different ways of learning. Through identifying your learning style, you will be able to capitalize on your strengths and improve your self-advocacy skills. (link)

There are many types of the learning styles such as the Visual Learners, Auditory Learners and Tactile Learners.

I just did the Quiz and the result was :
.................................................................................................................................................................
Learning Style:
Visual learning style : 100%
Doing learning style : 88%
Hearing learning style : 56%
Visual learning style
You need to see information in a visual format and learn best from written information, diagrams, and pictures.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................

Before I take the quiz I was know that I would be the Visual learner. I learn through seeing more than any thing else. In the classes I need to see the instructor when he\she talk it is important to me his voice and his body language. I learn a lot through visual displays like the pictures, textbooks, and video. I like to take detailed notes to write all the information that I learned it from the lecture. I found this sentence in our textbook a good example for how is a visual learner. When the instructor provides more visual cues, the visual learner may perform better in a distance education class. (Text, p. 169)

To help myself function better in this online course especially the English is my second language I would:

1. Using visuals to learning, including pictures, graphics, charts, outlines, story maps, and diagrams
2. Organize the information, write down key words or draw some images.
3. Use colors to highlight key information.
4. I should be motivated and keep a positive feeling. Tell my self I can learn and remember the new things that I learned it.
   

What student characteristics/attributes (e.g. attitude factors, distance experiences, prior knowledge, learning styles) of the distant learners do you think you may encounter? Discuss why these characteristics are important. Discuss what you need to do address them?


The student characteristics are very important because of that I do the survey before I start my online class. I should know they like to learn? What type of learner style there are? How mach they deal with the technologies tool? I want my student be successes in my online course. Also I want them dependent on them self because I believe that when the students believe on them skills and always depend on them self they will be success in their classes. Student at a distance seem to assume more responsibility for their own learning earlier in the process than do those students who are enrolled in traditional classes. (text, p. 168)

* How would you establish classroom management rules (e.g. Environmental design, Rules & routines, Discipline, Keeping the students on track, and Developing Rapport) to help students achieve learning objectives while facilitating a learner-centered approach?

* List one specific learning objective you want to include in your online course and describe how you would design your class activities using one or multiple instructional strategies (e.g. problem centered learning, simulation, decision-making panels, class discussion, case studies, group discussion, tutorial, written exercises, reading, instructional gaming, exploration) to help your students meet the learning objective?

It’s not easy when you want to establish a classroom management you should focus on the students need and try to improve their skills and make them successes in the end of the course. Also when I establish the online course I should focus on the advantage of the online class:
• Students can play the lectures at anytime at any place.
• Students can send and receive e-mail between each other and the instructors.
• Students can share their information all over the world.
After I did the survey I will find the problem. I will try to solve the problem. I will put the expected Time of the course. I will post the course goal. I will Develop students’ skills and make them able to success in the end of this course. I will give the students homework every week to make sure they understand the course activity.
In the communication method:
* I will use my website to post the syllabus.
* I will use my email to contact with students.
* I will ask each student to view other student blogs and make comment in three classmates each week.
I will put some rules for example: Each student must post their assignment every week and also they should make comment in three classmates each week.
I will focus on motivate and engage students in an online class (us the instructors):
• Instructor should use a good ways to communicate with students he should communicate fast with his student, he should check his email and give a clear evaluate and send the email back to his student.
• Instructor should give a clear topic to students to make his expectations
• Instructor should use timely feedback that makes the student engage and motivate.
• Instructor should use a smaller assignments that focuses on the subject, this kind of assignment make student engage and motivate, also learn the subject.

The good instructional design can ensure that the course meets student needs in many ways:
* The good instructor always needs his student’s feedback about the learning experience in courses. When the feedback is negative the instructors should be flexible and fax any raising problems wail keeping the project on track
* The good instructor always want make sure his students understand his lecture by give them question in blackboard or by email.
* The good instructor try to make every student active in his blogs by ask him to add every post weekly, and also make comment in other student blogs.