Currently, I am involved in setting up an online course for comp 0155 for the foundation class at my college. I am, like many other instructors around the world, discovering the potential of the online environment to deliver the highest quality courses to people who would otherwise have limited access to education. To have a successful online course, four key elements are identified:
- The Facilitator
- The Student
- The Curriculum
- The Technology
Let me briefly take a closer look at each element.
The Facilitator
A trained well qualified facilitator is an important part of a successful online course. Normally, at our college, the facilitator is also the designer of the course. Therefore, his attitude, skills, personality, positive attitude, and encouragement to the students have powerful influence on the success or failure of the courses we offer online.
The Student
A student participating in an online environment must assume an active role at all times. Attitude, skills, and commitment will determine whether the student will be a good candidate for the online experience. The student must be mature, open-minded, self-motivated, accepting of critical thinking, willing to work collaboratively, and trusting medium. Good written communication and a minimum level of technological experience are necessary as well.
The Curriculum
The online curriculum should have clear achievable objective. The choice of technologies should be driven by the curriculum not the other way around. The learning objective must be of relevant to the learners so we can have maximum dialog between participants in the online course. From my own experience, the synergy generated through the dialogue is the most important learning tool in the online environment and has impact on defining the learning outcomes. The climate of the course must be open, honest, sincere, and conductive to the learning.
The Technology
Technology is the final component of a successful online course. Selection of technologies to use in the online course is becoming a challenging task due to the continuous changes and growth in internet based tools. But successful use of technology in an online environment is determined by its ease of use and the degree to which it remains a tool that is seamlessly integrated in curriculum. Technical support is also vital to the success of an online course. We all should know that technical issues should not interfere with the learning process.
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