Teaching online is an art, involving every bit as much—if not more—professional judgment and tact than face-to face-instruction. Not to mention the hard work and preparation.
Many courses deserve a substantive class discussion involving the teacher as the proverbial "guide on the side." When to offer comments, introduce new content, and participate directly in the dialogue at the most appropriate moment can be compared to hosting a dinner party, according to Sheryl Hayek, associate provost at Grantham University.
Dr. Hayek recently posted an article on the concept in Faculty Focus.
A class is not a dinner party, of course, and it's possible such a comparison is even more dreadful than the students-as-customers trope. However, Dr. Hayek gets into specific recommendations that make a lot of sense, or at least are worth perusal by practitioners in the field.
She points out that many online teachers are adjunct instructors who are experts in their disciplines, but may not be familiar with the way students communicate. This could be another way of saying that students will often miss deadlines, misinterpret the rules, and fail to read the instructions for participation. Experienced teachers occasionally comment that asking a question online is followed by a long period of crickets chirping. Where are you? …Hello! …Yoo hoo!
Then they attack, at 3:00 a.m., like "Hitchcock's Birds," as one instructor put it.
Teachers who lecture can also experience the same dead air in a classroom when asking a good question for discussion. Calling on students by name can be very effective, but also has risks. Some students love to talk, while others are painfully shy. How to pipe down the former while drawing out the latter can be an artful proposition.
Those who enjoy teaching online may be the best persons to listen to for advice. These instructors often testify that conducting a conversation online has distinct pedagogical advantages, producing a more meaningful experience than traditional teaching. That's the idea.
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