My Experience with Online Facilitation

As my facilitation week grew closer, I approached the assignment with a mix of emotions. On the one hand, I was excited to have an opportunity to experience the facilitator's role. On the other hand, this was one more thing to add to my schedule, which is already very full. I knew that being the discussion facilitator was going to be time-consuming; reading the instructor's diary had given me a new picture of the load that is put on the online instructor.

I don't like to do things half-way, so as the week approached I began to research the topic of Issues Facing an Online Facilitator. Using resources from the University of Phoenix Online (Managing Conflicts in the Online Cooperative Learning Environment:A Discussion of Recent Trends in Pedagogy and Practice) and from Penn State University World Campus (Best Practices in Online Teaching - During Teaching Deal with Conflicts Promptly) as well as information provided in the learning module from our class, I was able to put together a powerpoint that enhanced the class discussion. I forwarded my work to Sue, my facilitation partner, and asked her to add her ideas. Finally, I added graphics and color to keep the presentation visually engaging for participants. I enjoyed the creativity involved in this part of the process.

To prepare for facilitation, I attended the Wimba Live training. I found this to be extremely useful, and I became excited as I realized all that I could do on Wimba. Sue and I met on Wimba earlier in the week and rehearsed our presentation. To our chagrin, we both had connection problems so were only able to do a brief rehearsal. However, we both agreed that we felt confident for the final presentation.

A challenge we faced was the timing of our presentation. We had not realized that it would fall on the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Sue and I discussed how to plan so that the time would be most convenient for us and for the participants. Finally we agreed on Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m.; we hoped that this time would catch people before they got involved with family or shopping.

I was gratified that 3 of the 5 other students and the instructor, Bonnie, chose to join us. Luckily our connections stayed strong and Sue and I delivered the presentation as a well-balanced team. I enjoyed engaging the participants in discussing this very interesting topic. The time seemed to fly by, and I was pleased that we managed time in a way to cover everything without going longer than an hour. Participant feedback was very positive!

The asynchronous discussion proved to be most challenging part of assuming the facilitator role. The group members had eight topics to discuss. This was a lot to monitor! Sue and I tried to balance our input so that the group would not be “over-facilitated.” In addition, I saw that the group members were asking questions of each other. As facilitator I was pleased with this and observed where this was going rather than add to the questions. As the discussion continued, I could see that the participants were winding down, so my remarks tended to be encouragers or general comments rather than questions to stimulate new discussion.

I went into this experience feeling confident that it would go well. I have trust in Sue, and it was nice to have her as my partner. It was good to have had such good models from the previous student facilitators. I knew we could count on our fellow students to be supportive and engaged in the process. I was surprised, though, how much I enjoyed the Wimba presentation, and found myself thinking of how I can incorporate this into the classes I currently teach!

Graphics sources:
Circle:thankingcustomers.com
Wimba:http://www.wimba.com/
Turkey cake: http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/

Developing an Identity as an Online Facilitator

As I learn more each week in this class, I find I am beginning to create a more accurate identity of myself as an online facilitator. In the intro course I felt a bit lost and wondered if I would be able to learn everything necessary to become an effective online designer and teacher. I am now beginning to feel more confident. It has been helpful to look at this as a step-by-step learning process, rather than expecting I will be an immediate expert.

I am a constructivist at heart, so this type of teaching and facilitation feels natural for me. I like the discovery learning process, and I find that I learn from my students’ discovery while they learn from me as well. Moving into an online environment will give me an outlet for my creativity and I am looking forward to moving ahead in my learning.

Many of the readings have been instrumental in helping me make the shift toward my own competence. A helpful reading was from Dr. Knox regarding The Pedagogy of Web Site Design (http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/magazine/v1n2/knox.asp). He described his own learning curve as he learned how to develop and facilitate the online course. I thought it was interesting that in his desire to apply constructivism to teaching online he forgot that he still needed to teach! Knox also gave guidelines on how much text is enough/too much. I like how he equated the total number of words in his essays to the equivalent of a textbook. Similarly, he questioned the value of having too many links to online resources in a class. Too many links can be frustrating to students and can lead them on a course that can take them away from the primary purpose.

One of the questions people have about the online learning experience is “How can I create a sense of community when I can’t see other participants?” Our sharing of ice-breakers helped to address that issue. As I shared on the discussion board, I think it is very important that any ice-breaker is relevant to the topic being taught. I have been to many workshops in which an icebreaker is used, then the instructor begins to discuss the topic of the workshop, and makes no connection to the subject matter. Thus, any icebreaker I choose will be useful and relevant to student learning.

While I am becoming more and more eager to facilitate my own online classes, I admit I was a bit daunted after reading the diary of the online teacher. What I learned from this is that I must understand what I am getting into as a teacher, but also that I need to create clear boundaries for myself as an instructor, so that I have a life outside of the online classroom! With help from the other class members, I was able to develop a clear idea of what I believe is reasonable class management. Together we identified management tools that address the needs of both instructor and students.

Finally, it is always helpful for me to see good examples of effective online facilitation. It was a great exercise to look at existing sites and to critically evaluate them. What was also interesting was to read the different perspectives from students who visited the same sample classrooms. It shows that, just as f2f instructors differ in their approaches, so do online instructors! As a result, I feel more freedom and look forward to expressing my own creativity in designing my classes.

Thoughts on Facilitation

As we have progressed through the first part of the EDPD 641 class, I have begun to think from the perspective of a facilitator rather than from the student point of view. Before I had an experience of what online teaching/learning can be like, I thought it would be quite different from a f2f classroom. I now believe that most classes can be adapted to an online environment, if the designer-teacher is creative.

To successfully facilitate online classes, the instructor needs to change his/her approach to teaching. Competent online facilitators should engage in a constructivist approach to learning. Professors who like to lecture while students take notes may not find the online environment satisfying.

There are several challenges to online facilitation. One is the use of online resources to teach concepts. They are always changing or getting dropped! Before a new class begins, urls should be checked to ensure that they are still active. Another challenge is finding accurate resources online. I have found that using a textbook in addition to online work is helpful. Personally, I need to work on developing questions for my weekly discussions that will engage the students more specifically in addressing the topic being discussed. I also need to develop rubrics for grading so there are no surprises!

Maybe the biggest change in being an online learner and in becoming an online facilitator is to re-think the idea of the instructor being the “expert” in the classroom. For the learner, this is challenging because it creates a sense of uncertainty. The learner is expected to be active in his/her own learning process. It is an “inside out” kind of process, in which the learner generates his/her own ideas. For the facilitator, this kind of constructivist teaching requires that he/she gives up some power. The facilitator has to trust the students, and has to respect that the students have something of value to offer in the learning process.

As I moved toward becoming an online classroom teacher, I realize that it will not be a shortcut to instruction. When asked about what advice I would offer someone who was considering becoming an online instructor, I wrote the following: “Be prepared to be surprised! Online facilitation takes a lot of time. It is also important to spend time setting an environment, and then being sure to maintain an online presence. Be sure you know what you are talking about before you agree to facilitate a class. Be flexible, but have clear rubrics that state expectations.”

Finally, have fun with the process! Like teaching in a f2f classroom, online instruction and design provides and opportunity for creativity, engagement and for the instructor to enhance his or her own learning as well as the students’.

Image sources: TEACHER: www.digital-teacher.com
CARTOON:www.insidehighered.com

Expectations and Concerns related to Facilitation of Online Classes

As a teacher, I am excited to move from the role of online learner to online facilitator. After reading Facilitating Online Learning: Tip and Suggestions by Gail Matthews-DeNatale and Sue Doubler (http://scienceonline.terc.edu/facilitating_online_learning.html), I am beginning to create a picture of what an effective facilitator looks like. I like the fact that caring for students is an integral part of good facilitation. I teach master’s students in counseling. Creating a safe environment that is conducive to personalizing the course material and taking risks is key to developing competent counselors. I see that the same skills I use in my face-to-face courses are employed in online facilitation.

I am passionate about counseling, and passionate about teaching it well. I have experience working with a wide variety of clients, so my teaching provides relevant examples to my students. However, as a constructivist teacher I believe that the students can also provide instruction to the class, and to me! This is one of the reasons that online classrooms can be used effectively when teaching counseling courses.

A concern I have regarding online teaching in counseling programs is how we can use an online environment to assess the personal qualities that are essential in good counseling. Although we can get a sense of what kind of a person a student is via his/her writing, the interpersonal intensity of a counseling session is hard to duplicate in an online environment. It may be that some counseling courses, such as practicum, will have to be accomplished in hybrid courses. I have no doubt that this can be done effectively. In fact, there are accredited counseling programs in which virtually all coursework is taught online. I just need to learn what options are available to put it into practice. I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge about facilitation so that I can begin to see how this will work.

I am already using webct as way for students to share their learning outside of the classroom. I have found that the students who are quiet in the classroom have a lot to share when online. In fact, their online discussion has often made the difference in getting a higher grade than they might otherwise. However, I hope to learn how to develop questions for weekly discussions that will engage the students more specifically in addressing the topic being discussed. I expect to gain tools that can be used to facilitate online classrooms. I would like to learn more about developing rubrics so that there are few surprises when grades are posted. I want to develop a comfort with technology and implementation.

During the last course, I found that I became more confident with technology, and less fearful that I would do something that would destroy my computer! I am hopeful that I will continue to grow in this area, and to have fun in the process!

Graphics Sources:

Expectations: www.nexbridge.com
Counseling door: reynoldsburg.schoolnet.com/images/user_images
Smiling computers: http://www.milfordonsea.com/Read.htm

Reflections on Learning

As we wind down to the end of this learning experience, I am breathing a sigh of relief, but also of satisfaction, for a job well done. What a lot of material we have covered!

In this blog, I will reflect on my experience in the second half of this course.

First, I appreciated the module on learning theories. I teach at a university, but my background is not in education, so I wasn’t aware of the variety of theoretical approaches to learning. In particular, I enjoyed the “Funderstanding” link, which was easy to read and got to the point, but still gave a lot of information. I know I will use this information as I prepare to teach both online and in face-to-face environments.

The Seven Principles article emphasized the importance of maintaining interaction between all members of the learning community. As you may have read in my previous blog posting
(“Tommy, can you hear me?”), I have often wondered about how relationships can be created when working in an online classroom. To my surprise, I have found that I feel quite connected to the others in our class. Through discussion boards, blogs and wikis, I have a sense of their humor, interests, and work. The thoughtful design and facilitation of this course has made us become a real learning group!

Building on the Seven Principles, we learned specific strategies for applying the ideas in course design. I enjoyed the opportunity to put the “what” of theory into the “how” of practice. The constructivist approach to our coursework is itself an application of the concepts we have been learning. It has been a good model for us to use as we develop our own design skills.

The module on Technology was a gift of great information. I was especially interested in the reading on how to find information. I have often felt frustrated while searching online, following internet links only to get lost, or hit a dead end. Now I will be less likely to follow the wrong path.

Evaluation of sources is also important. How do we know that we are getting the information we need, or that it is correct? It seems our wise instructor has thought of all our questions… she provided sites that address this issue, too! I know I will feel more confident in my online searching as a result of this learning.

Of all the activities in the course, I have enjoyed posting on the blog the most, though it has also been time-consuming as well. It was fun to find images to enhance my writing. I liked sharing my “streams of consciousness” in the self-selected blogs. I also liked the usefulness of writing about our learning in the blogs that were directed toward specific topics.

To my fellow class members and instructors, thanks for sharing your thoughts, blogs, wikis, and portfolios! While the design of the course has provided the necessary content we needed, your interaction provided the much need “heart”of the course. “See you” in the next course!

Graphics sources:

Wind blowing: www.impression5.org

World web: www.fotosearch.com

People with heart: www.jupiterimages.com

"Tommy, can you hear me?"

The good news about online learning ... I was sitting in my kitchen, having a cup of tea, working within my own schedule, preparing to write this blog. Ahh, the benefits of online learning!

The bad news... writer's block! I stared at my screen, waiting for
inspiration to strike. Another cup of tea. I made cinnamon rolls and ate too many of them. I looked at the blank screen again.

Sigh.

Luckily, my husband came downstairs and asked what I was doing. As I told him that I was stuck on what to write, and we brainstormed some ideas, it occurred to me how important it is to combine the wonders of technology with meaningful relationships. Think of today's families, in which members come home, go to their own rooms to work in isolation on computers, or use video games or other technology instead of working together on homework, or having a meal together....

The same technology that is providing us with so many advantages is also creating a separation from the people or things to which we should be giving our attention. I recently heard a discussion on the radio regarding people who are text messaging in church, or when dining out with friends. One of my counseling students reported that her client was text messaging while she was writing his family tree on a wall chart!He thought she wouldn't notice, since her back was turned toward him.



What does this say about our ability to engage in a meaningful way with the important people in our lives? How do you feel when you are out with someone, involved in a conversation, and then told to wait while your friend takes a call that obviously is more important than you are at that moment?

I then began to think of how excessive use of technology might result in feelings of isolation and disconnection. I recalled the movie "Tommy" which was based on a rock opera by the band The Who. Tommy witnesses the murder of his father by his stepfather, and becomes "deaf, dumb and blind" in response. He is then subjected to abuse by many caretakers. Tommy goes deeper and deeper into himself until one day he finds an old pinball machine. He plays it for self-stimulation, and becomes a pinball wizard celebrity. Tommy used his connection with pinball to get his needs met, but it only increased his disconnection with people. In the happy ending world of Hollywood, Tommy eventually breaks his tie to the machine and is able to re-enter the world and reconnect with others.

Of course, this is just a movie, but it is interesting in the sense that it illustrates how we can get so hooked into technology! How many times each day do you look at your e-mail? How often do you play with your children? Take a walk with your partner?

On the other hand, ya gotta love technology! We have had a lot of fun in our online learning
course, worked hard, and have even gotten some new colleagues/friends. I admit I feel a sense of knowing my fellow class members through their postings.

So, how can we design our online classes to address the group process and eliminate some potential for isolation? Here are some links to ideas on this issue:

"Meaningful And Interactive Distance Learning Supported By The Use Of Metaphor And Synthesizing Activities." Abstract: "This study describes the nature and structure of an introductory educational psychology course in a distance education (DE) medium. Our aims were twofold: to minimize the common problem of isolation among DE students and to restructure the course content from a set of discrete topics to one that attempted to unify the content. To minimize feelings of isolation, students were exposed to structured group activities where they were required on a weekly basis to communicate with one another about the content. Moreover, they were presented with a Ship metaphor that functioned as a means of bonding the students. To help students reconceptualize and personalize course content, we used a series of "Big Ideas" that prompted them to synthesize topics across the domain. Our findings showed that student interactions online involved personal, administrative, and higher-level intellectual exchanges on issues in the field. Moreover, they readily adopted the Ship as their own, giving it a name, and taking on roles for themselves that would help the entire crew. Through structured tasks and online conferences, students assisted one another both within and across groups in discussing ideas and relating them to one another. Recommendations for DE course design and implementation best practices are offered."
(source: De Simone, C., Lou, Yiping,& Schmid, R. F. (2001). Meaningful And Interactive Distance Learning Supported By The Use Of Metaphor And Synthesizing Activities. Journal of Distance Education/Revue de l'enseignement à distance ISSN: 0830-0445 Retrieved August 3, 2007 from http://cade.athabascau.ca/vol16.1/desimoneetal.html)

In this article, "Muhammad Betz engages in a relevant discussion to assist instructors in establishing instructional strategies that promote vibrant online learning teams. Betz highlights recent research studies that reveal the complexity of small group dynamics. The author describes essential best teaching practices such as creating a team charter to help instructors to effectively manage their learning teams. Betz offers insights into the University of Phoenix and its instructional strategies to encourage interactivity, quality student work, and positive learning experiences."

Source: Online Learning Teams: Indispensable Interaction
Muhammad K. Betz (2004)Online learning teams: Indispensible interaction. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning,
Vol 1. No. 6.ISSN 1550-6908 Retrieved August 3, 2007 from http://itdl.org/Journal/Jun_04/article03.htm



Now, get off your computer and go deliver some hugs!

Image sources:
Hugs:www.townofmossbank.com
Woman sleeping at computer: www.digitalsalvation.com
Couple talking:www.jupiterimages.com
Cinnamon rolls: www.bakesalesforbodyarmor.org
Woman drinking tea:www.kencolocal.co.uk
Tommy: www.cinemanow.com
Loving computers: sh013.k12.sd.us

Using the Library of Congress to Access Online Learning Modules

In EDPD 640, we have been taught through the use of materials accessible online. Our professor, Jan, has provided us with good resources that support the weekly lesson topics.

However, as we were doing our group projects, I found myself being directed to many sites in my search. Some were not as good as others, of course. I began to wonder - how do we know what a good source of information is? There are many sites out there that have questionable authors. Wikipedia comes to mind (http://www.wikipedia.org/)... it's an interesting resource but, since anyone can contribute to it, one never knows what is accurate information. I posted this thought on the EDPD 640 discussion board. On June 11, 2007, Jan replied,

“Here are a couple of good resources:

Cornell University: http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/webeval.html

University of Maryland: http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/evaluate.html

Jan continued, “BTW...I heard an interesting argument for the validity of Wikipedia info. Essentially, it was the fact that 'democratically' edited sites are more likely in the long run to be accurate than ones in which only one or a handful of people determine what is 'correct'. Also, the history and discussion links for each article point out issues that are under contention so that when there are divergent views this becomes apparent.”

As I considered sources for good information, it occurred to me that I would like to elaborate on what the Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/index.html) has to offer.

Following are some interesting sources, using the Library of Congress, that are applicable to EDPD 640 class members. The teachers who created these sites were involved in the Adventures of the American Mind project (now called Teaching with Primary Sources) Go to http://aam.govst.edu/ for further information on this project.

“Professional Development Training using the Library of Congress.” This site, designed by Christine Boyadjian of Orland Park School District 135 has been developed for teachers, to assist them in creating lessons for their students. Included are primary sources from the Library of Congress along with ideas on how to use this rich educational site. http://aam.govst.edu/projects/cboyadjian/

“Arithmetic to Mathematics: A Look Back.” Dr. John Meyer from Governors State University has created a site that uses primary sources to teach math. Here is his home page. http://aam.govst.edu/projects/jmeyer/index.htm Note that he has a link for teachers and another for students. Check out the student link to see his lesson: http://aam.govst.edu/projects/jmeyer/student_page1.htm

Donna Zawisza-Dineen of Joliet Public School District 86 created a project called "Fun and Games: Then and Now." This project was created to help young students make a connection between the past and the present. http://aam.govst.edu/projects/dzawisza/index.htm

Interested in nursing? This project, “Nursing Licensure, Legislation and Nurse Practice Acts” by Shirley Comer of Governors State University, explores the history of nursing licensure and the parallels between the timelines of the advent of nursing licensure and women’s suffrage. http://aam.govst.edu/projects/scomer/index.htm

For those of you who are interested in Social Services, check out my project: “The Development of Psychoanalytic Theory in Historical and Cultural Context.” As a counselor educator, I wanted my students to understand how a one’s experiences influence the development of a theory. http://aam.govst.edu/projects/probey/

Here is access to resources for all teachers. http://memory.loc.gov/learn/

Clicking onto this link will bring you to The Library of Congress’ Learning Page, which will give you access to lesson plans, activities and other resources you can use to enhance both online and face-to-face classrooms. For example, check out “American Dreams” http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/index.html

Or go to Features and activities, and click on “The Big Picture” to access interactive and fun instructional materials for kids. http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/puzzle/puzintro.html

I hope you will take the time to explore our country’s library, and that you will find these resources to be interesting and helpful in your own development of online learning modules.

Graphics sources:
FAQs: www.gradcollege.okstate.edu/faq.htm
Math symbols: www.lifelearning.org
Nurse: www.istockphoto.com
Library of Congress:www.constitutioncenter.org

Creating the Learning Environment

Look at the picture of the group sitting in the grass by the lake at Governors State University. What do you think they are doing?

Did you say they are having a class meeting? If so, you are among those people who understand that a learning environment can look very different from what we traditionally have come to expect – a classroom with chairs, students sitting quietly and expectantly, with a teacher at the front lecturing.

During this first phase of our online learning, we have come to realize that we can create an online community of learners without meeting face-to-face (f2f). But how can this be as satisfying as a f2f meeting? Can we really have relationships with one another through the written word? And if the answer to this question is “yes,” then how does this occur?

As we’ve experienced in the course so far, relationships are established in much the same way as in a f2f classroom. The program began with introductions and a request for photographs so we could put faces to names. Consider your experience in a traditional classroom. How many of your fellow students could you actually name?

Another way of connecting online is through experiential learning like group work, discussion boards, case studies and personal stories. Students take inventories, they learn about themselves and then share their results with others. The constructivist perspective on learning invites online students to shift their paradigms and create a new model of what creates a good learning environment.

Students are required to become more actively engaged in the learning process. The online environment itself is set up for people who think "outside the box." Without f2f feedback, participants online must learn to be more expressive with their language, and create pictures with words. They can no longer “hide” like they might in a traditional classroom. The constructivist approach allows for creativity in expression and generation of new ideas.

Facilitators of online learning create a good learning environment by addressing the different learning styles of participants. As we learned in our group projects, we can find online resources for visual/nonverbal, visual/verbal, auditory and kinesthetic learners. For those of us who appreciate flexibility in when and how we engage in learning, the online environment offers us many ways to create our favorite “classroom.”

Online classrooms also accommodate individuals with disabilities or special needs. Since they can be adapted for sound or video computer-generated learning can be a godsend for students who cannot access a traditional classroom. Students can repeat lessons as necessary, and there is less chance that students will miss a key lecture piece when it is presented online.

For kinesthetic learners, online training can be made interactive. As I mentioned in one of my discussion postings, I was recently involved in a project that involved using the Library of Congress (LOC) to find primary sources. There is an area on the LOC for children (http://www.loc.gov/families/) that is highly interactive.

Learning to effectively engage in online learning is fun, but time-consuming. It is not for everyone. Skill in keyboarding, computer usage, and access to high-speed internet will make the experience more enjoyable for the learner. As with most learning, attitude is everything. Approach the challenge with the mindset of an explorer, make it fun, accept the challenge, and go for the gold – or in this case, the “A!”


Graphic source:http://captology.stanford.edu/2003/

Learning group photograph by Patricia Robey

Welcome! Get to know me.

Welcome to my web log!

My name is Pat and I am an instructor, and now a student, at a university near Chicago. I am creating this blog as part of a course requirement, but also in an attempt to develop my technosavviness (note my creativity in making my own language for this endeavor!).

The course is part one of a certificate program in online learning. To understand the online environment it is important to participate in it at all levels. So I am beginning at the explorer level. You are welcome to join me in my journey and share your thoughts with me as I become more computer and cyber literate.

I am curious about how online learning can be used in higher education. Note that I have reframed my "anxiety" about online learning to "curiosity." I am part of the generation that did not grow up with a computer in my home. Computers were owned by NASA, not by individuals. Like many of my generation, I was dragged into computer use through necessity. I am now somewhat hooked by e-mail, and find myself peeking at it when I should be doing other things, like cleaning house, writing papers, etc. There is always that sense of urgency... is someone sending me an e-mail? Will it be interesting? What's going on online that is better than what I am doing right now?

Of course, the messages most often are spam, or the modern version of chain letters, guaranteeing that I will receive a miracle if I only pass on the story of the angel. Still waiting!

I was introduced to the concept of web classroom teaching (webct) through my university, and I have adopted webct and actively use it for all of my classes. As I become more familiar with the program, I find that I am becoming more creative and am adding more files, making it look sharper, and engaging students more in online discussion. I was resistant to webct at first, but now I find that it is a great time saver. I don't have to grade individual papers; instead, students discuss and reflect online, and I can contribute to the conversations in ways that address several students' discussions at once. I also have found that students are more accountable for their work when they are responsible for posting online. In a classroom, students can "hide" from the teacher and disengage from classwork. Not true in online classrooms!

I teach counseling classes, and I am working on my doctorate in counselor education. I believe that some counseling classes are well suited for an online environment - theories, for example. On the other hand, I also believe that it is important for counselors-in-training (CITs) to personalize their learning. It is through this personalization that CITs understand their clients' experience in counseling. One of the things I am hoping to learn through my own online training is how to personalize the learning so that it goes deeper than just reading text. I want students to be engaged in discovery. I want them to experience the AHA moments that come from truly "getting" not only the material, but the concepts underlying the material.

As I get more comfortable with the online environment, I find I am enjoying it more. I am planning to write my dissertation about online learning in counselor education. As I pursue the certificate I am looking forward to learning about faciliation and design. What makes best practice in online teaching? What are some of the challenges an online learner, or instructor, face in this environment? (Locked up computers come to mind...)

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you have enjoyed this peek into my perception, and your comments are most welcome!

Pat