Setting Up an Online Learning Experience

Setting Up an Online Learning Experience

By creating a positive learning experience, the instructional designer can ensure an effective learning outcome for the learners. To ensure the learning experience will be positive, there are several elements the instructional designer should incorporate into the planning and designing of the online learning course.

What is the significance of knowing the technology available to you?

By knowing the technologies that are available to them, instructors can design an effective online experience, making sure they are implementing the proper online technology for the occasion. Instructors are better able to plan out how to effectively incorporate the technology into the course to maximize on learner engagement and understanding. Technologies offer the instructor better data recording and reporting functionality. With knowing what types of technologies are available, instructors can learn those technologies they are not familiar with, to have a functioning knowledge of the technology by the time the online environment starts. Knowing the technologies available helps the instructor plan out the best approaches to communicating complex topics, and how to promote learner engagement better.

Why is it essential to communicate clear expectations to learners?

Clear and unambiguous guidelines about what is expected of learners and what they can expect from the instructor can make a significant contribution to ensuring understanding and satisfaction (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016). When an instructor communicates the expectations to the learner, the instructor can determine if the learner understands what will be expected of them and what they are expected to gain from the learning experience. The learners can identify what they will be expected to do at the completion of the learning experience. When the learning outcomes are not clear or are not provided to the learners, learners can get lost or feel as though the information may not pertain to them. Also, without knowing the expectations of the online experience learners may not have the motivation needed to complete the program.

What additional considerations should the instructor take into account when setting up an online learning experience?

When creating an online course, the instructor should take the following items into account:

·         The is a syllabus that will provide the learners with a high-level overview of what to expect in the course.

·         The instructor should provide learners with rubrics for assignments and discussions requirements. The rubric provides learners with the expectations for each item that will be graded.

·         The instructor needs to make sure they plan an icebreaker to allow the learners to get acquainted with one another and establish a positive tone for the online experience.

·         The instructor needs to ensure that the learning outcomes, assessments, and experiences are all aligned and consistent with one another.

·         The instructor should also be sure to have a set of housekeeping guidelines to make all of the learners are aware of what is expected with their interactions with one another.

·         The instructor needs to be aware of the learner’s current experience level in the online learning environment.

Reference

Boettcher, J., & Conrad, R. (2016). The Online Teaching Survival Guide (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.