• Next session:
  EDUC 761 February 2 – March 20, 2009
  
• 3 graduate credits
• Online - no travel to campus required

Description

This course is about facilitating and building an e-learning community.

NOTE: This is the fourth in the series of five required courses for individuals pursuing the Graduate Certificate in E-Learning and Online Teaching and is also open as a single course for students seeking professional development. 

This course is designed for technical college and community college instructors, K-12 educators, university instructors, curriculum consultants, and corporate trainers who who want to facilitate online learning in hybrid or fully online courses.

Course activities include hands-on practice using asynchronous communication technologies. You will actively facilitate and explore questioning skills, conflict resolution, netiquette, and collaborative learning through problem solving scenarios, simulations, and online discussions. You will investigate time management strategies and pitfalls to avoid when designing and facilitating online class activities and explore various assessment tools to analyze and evaluate student participation in online discussions.

Past participants' comments

Skills acquired during the course will help participants become highly qualified online instructors as institutions expand distance learning initiatives, convert courses from interactive television systems to web-based delivery, and create online courses for virtual high schools, AP and Honors courses, as well as post-secondary courses and online corporate training programs.

Conducted online with no face-to-face class sessions, you may participate using your home or school computer without having to drive to campus.

You will connect to learning modules and class discussion via the World Wide Web and obtain readings, retrieve and submit assignments, access the university's online library resources, discuss with other participants, and have frequent personal contact with the instructor via email.

The class is highly interactive with a significant discussion component. All projects/assignments will be presented via the online discussion board or course dropbox. Instructor/peer comments will be available through discussion groups or sent by e-mail.

Required Textbook
Readings will be assigned from the following textbook.

Palloff, Rena M. and Keith Pratt (2007). Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom. Jossey-Bass Publishers. (Paperback) ISBN-13: 978-0787988258 Purchase from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or through an independent dealer: book sense.

Additional readings and lectures will be available online within the text of each module.

Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Develop a personal philosophy that reflects learning theory and guides online instruction that creates an environment for reflection, critical thinking, and collaboration.
2. Analyze the role of the online facilitator and develop strategies to implement, encourage and manage interaction in the online classroom.
3. Demonstrate appropriate planning considerations, guidelines and procedures to establish a productive, engaging e-learning environment.
4. Frame critical thinking questions and design discussion prompts that lead to effective learning in the online classroom.
5. Apply understanding of learner differences when facilitating an online community of practice.
6. Evaluate application ideas for online discussions using recognized criteria and professional references and apply current research about successful teaching strategies to guide students before, during and after case scenarios, brainstorming, role playing, and reaction postings.
7. Develop a facilitation eportfolio of useful tools, tips, and facilitation techniques as well as the beginnings of 70-30 course preparation developed during the course.

Alignment with Teaching Standards

Course objectives are aligned with the
Wisconsin Standards for Teacher Development and Licensure (WI DPI) 4,5,7

International Society for Technology in Education, National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers, (NETS-T) III, VI, VI.

Content Outline

Course Introduction and  need for highly qualified online teachers
Defining facilitation in the online classroom

1. Key facilitation roles
   Posting learning expectations
   Building group coherence
   Sharing information
   Reflecting and processing ideas
   Framing arguments and leading discussion
   Providing feedback to students
   Providing online tutoring
2. Planning for facilitation

Defining communities of practice in the online classroom

Learning theories and the online classroom
Learning theories applied to creating and facilitating a collaborative online community of practice

1. Review of social constructivism
2. Review of adult learning theory
3. Implications of learner differences

Types of facilitation

1. Defining levels of facilitation
2. Developing a personal mission statement for facilitation

Understanding facilitated discussions
Role of the facilitator

1. Planning for a variety of facilitation scenarios
2. Finding a voice

Forms of dialogue

1. Social dialogue
2. Argumentative dialogue
3. Pragmatic dialogue

Types of messages

1. Content-related
2. Process-related
3. Technical
4. Procedural
5. Evaluative

Types of interaction in the online classroom

1. Learner-learner (dyads and teams of peer participants)
2. Learner-instructor
3. Learner-content
4. Group dynamics

The engagement process in the online classroom

1. Crucial first week
2. Developing prompts, policies and timelines
3. Analysis of scenarios for collaborative facilitation techniques

Techniques, Tips and Practice
Proven techniques for teacher productivity

1. Work flow and time management
2. The importance of daily pacing

Collaboration among dyads and teams
Critiquing facilitation techniques

Dialogue as inquiry: Developing critical thinking

Strategies that sharpen the focus

• Identifying direction
• Sorting ideas for relevance
• Focusing on key points
• Encouraging expansive questioning

Strategies that deepen the dialogue

• Full-spectrum questioning
• Making connections
• Honoring multiple perspectives

Scenario analysis
Developing reflective questions

Time Management and Reflection

• Lessons learned
  Hijacking the dialogue
  The question mill
  Minimal participation
• Brainstorm list of methods to be used when being proactive has not worked
  

As “student online facilitators” each participant will receive extensive feedback both from peers and the instructors (formative scoring) on each stage of portfolio development.  This feedback is designed for growth, progress, and most importantly, revision and reflection.  Summative grades will be issued in the final module.

Prerequisites
Hardware and Software Requirements

What are the minimum technology requirements?

Complete the system checkup on this website, https://uwstout.courses.wisconsin.edu/
by clicking on the link that says: Check your system.

Review the list of compatible/recommended browsers and software programs for Learn@UWStout at the Online Help Desk.

If you have any questions about these preferences, please call one of the numbers listed below and indicate that you are a UW-Stout student needing help with Learn@UW-Stout . Help is available 7 days a week.

• 1-888-435-7589 select option 3
, or
• 1-608-264-4357 select option 3

Take a few minutes to review the Frequently Asked Questions, (FAQs).

Instructors
Kay Lehmann - background information
Lisa Chamberlin - background information

Registration
Tuition is payable by university billing, MasterCard, or Visa.
A payment plan option is available during fall and spring semesters.
Refund policy

Enrollment is limited to twenty participants; register online .

Check out the list of additional online classes.

Request Information Online

Contact: soeonline@uwstout.edu
School of Education Online Professional Development
University of Wisconsin - Stout
Menomonie, WI 54751
phone: (715) 642-0209 or 715-232-2253

Orientation Activities
After you are enrolled, review the orientation activities, Student Expectations and Responsibilities and Academic Expectations and Dishonesty Policy .