Harper Adams University College

 

 

1. Introduction

This report will discuss the nature of teaching online. It aims to inform senior management of the key issues involved for staff development and training and to provide a background reference for staff who will be taking up online teaching alongside their existing teaching commitments. The report, whilst being aimed at Harper Adams University College staff, provides a generic overview of online teaching and its implications for training of staff.

 2. Main Body of Report

In order to provide an adequate answer to this question, it is first necessary to consider what is meant by 'online', and then to consider what the roles and responsibilities of the tutor and learner are, and whether these are any different online compared to offline.

Online learning could has been described as "a self-managed, student orientated approach to learning using appropriate electronic media which supports traditional teaching practices and provides time and location independence." (Field 28/1/02)

Online learning is not distance education, but a "learning process that is conveyed through the internet, and involves interactivity among its participants. The focus is on the process rather than the product and the process only occurs if interaction takes place, and this can only happen through the internet." (Camargo 28/1/02)

 

Teaching and learning online (like teaching and learning in a traditional face to face situation) can take many different forms. Salmon (2001) classifies these different forms in terms of different 'planets'. Each of the four planets that are identified and described has different characteristics. Such characteristics range from planet Contenteous, whereby learning is done online, and the tutor is the subject expert transmitting knowledge, through planet Instantia (instantaneous learning), plant Nomadict (mobile learning), right through to planet Cafelattia where learning and teaching is built around interaction and 'learning communities'. Pedagogy on Cafelattia is based on construction and negotiation of knowledge and teachers are mentors and facilitators.

 

Whilst these 'planets' are 'scenarios' of what might occur at some point in time, one doesn't have to 'surf' the internet for too long to discover elements of all of these right here, right now, on earth. A lot of internet sites have an element of 'intermixing' which may lead us some way towards the Cafelattia approach. Many sites however (especially those that are presently freely available) do not have interaction or the capability for interactive community learning that is endemic to Cafelattia. This concept of 'free-ness' creates a problem, with a lot of the highly interactive sites being restricted to certain users, certain members of particular establishments, or to those who have the financial ability to subscribe. This in itself may well create an 'elite' and an 'underclass'; concepts which do not sit easily with Nomadict or Cafelattia philosophies. These issues require in-depth consideration when the department implements online learning; the justification behind its implementation requires clarification.

 

Planet Nomadict has learners confident in the 'ownership' of their own learning. These learners make 'informed choices' and are able to negotiate. It is necessary to question the likelihood of this process occurring in this department. Richard B. Kettner-Polly (cited ALN 1999) comments that he was consistently "…disappointed by the quality of student participation in the traditional classroom". If reflection on personal experiences in the traditional classroom has any place here, then it seems highly unlikely that learners will self-motivate and have high levels of autonomy. Kettner-Polly does go on to comment however that "…the online environment almost forces a Socratic [it is assumed he means thought-provoking here] method of instruction…The discussion in the virtual classroom is a tremendous resource…" The virtual classroom is very different therefore, and situations that prove problematic in the traditional classroom may actually turn themselves around and become a 'real learning tool' in the virtual classroom. It is therefore advisable to keep an open mind and not to allow preconceived ideas about notions of teaching and learning to hinder the ambitiousness of implementation of learning online.

 

As can be seen, if the concept of learning online (elearning) is embraced in its entirety, and its full potential is realised, then fear regarding loss of jobs is not an issue. Many years ago, as a naive newly qualified lecturer, the thought (or merely the suggestion) of placing teaching materials 'online' was terrifying. The premise for this fear was, 'if teaching materials are put online, then teachers won't be required'. This is far from the truth; teachers are still required; they are required to posses new skills, skills which ultimately require effective staff development and training.

It appears that on these 'planets' knowledge is increasingly 'constructed', it is not predefined and transmitted as a linear process model of transmission might suggest. Online learning therefore requires a different type of tutor. The skills of the subject expert, whilst not being obsolete as such, are perhaps of lesser importance than the skills of the 'mentor' or 'facilitator'. Salmon (2000:3) use the term 'emoderator' to refer to the online tutor in this sense.

 

Teaching online can be seen as an extension of the role of the offline tutor. All the skills that are required of the offline tutor are also required online, plus many more. There are new opportunities for staff to enhance and develop their role within the organisation.

 

Teaching online, rather than just requiring the management of the classroom situation (as in a traditional face to face situation), requires the management of the whole learning environment. For a variety of reasons, learners will not 'just get on with it'. Learners require guidance and interaction from their tutor and peers. Tutors (emoderators) are required to 'elicit' and 'facilitate' a meaningful learning experience.

 

The implications regarding staff development needs careful consideration. It is vital for senior managers to be fully aware of what the online tutor needs to be able to do. This awareness should steer the programme of staff developmental issues.

 

(Further explanation of some of these points can be found in Mason [1991] cited in Morten Flate Paulsen [online] May 11 - 15, 1998, also see Salmon, 2000:112 - 160)

 

Salmon (2000:3) comments that "A moderator is a person who presides over a meeting. An e-moderator presides over an electronic online meeting or conference, though not in quite the same way as a moderator does. Computer-mediated conferencing (CMC) actually requires e-moderators to have a wider range of expertise…" Because the use of CMC has such wide access compared to face to face teaching, and because asyncronysity encourages a considered response, it is vital for the online tutor to appreciate that a wide range of different types of relationships will develop. Salmon (2000) concludes, "…face to face facilitation skills, while having many of the same attributes as online e-moderating, are insufficient in themselves to encourage successful interactive conferences."

 

Leston-Bandeira (7/2/02) has commented that the online tutor must be able to 'integrate different cultures' and has to be comfortable to have 'facilitation without control'. This is an important point that also warrants consideration by all staff; we must ask ourselves if we are happy with this concept.

 

Online tutors have to be more intuitive than offline tutors. Online teaching and learning, with its lack of visual clues, has the ability to render messages neutral. It does not discriminate in the same way that face to face teaching and learning can; everyone therefore can be themselves. Care needs to be taken however, it must be remembered that an online conference provides a permanent record of what was said, (this would not be the case in a traditional offline classroom conversation), there is no transient nature to this communication; be careful what is said and to whom. The concept of 'netiquette'(see Shea [online]) also requires consideration in staff development issues.

As is apparent from the points raised so far, the whole role of the online tutor needs to be "carefully choreographed beforehand, managed during, and then summarised and archived afterwards." (James 12/2/02)

 

The concept of cost effectiveness and value for money is bound to be an issue close to the hearts of senior management. Some costs will be concealed, others will be overt. It is a difficult task to work out the value for money of implementing online learning and teaching; it depends on what measures are used and what assumptions are placed behind its implementation. Costs will be incurred however in initial outlay of hardware, software and groupware. Costs will also be incurred in the planning and delivery of staff training and the allocation of staff time, both during training and course delivery.

 

An important consideration here is the extent to which senior managers feel that the staff student ratio can be increased by the implementation of online learning. The real answer to this is that it can't. The management of the whole learning environment would become unwieldy, if not impossible with large student numbers. If senior managers wish for elearning to be a meaningful learning experience for learners and tutors alike, then staff, student ratios must be kept to manageable numbers. As Moran (1999) (cited in Salmon 2000:21) has commented "The question is becoming, not whether flexible learning can enhance the cost effectiveness of traditional teaching (important though that question is), but whether a university will survive and prosper in the next century [21st] without rapidly integrating the various dimensions of flexible learning into its process, culture and value."

 

There are a significant number of issues that require serious consideration by both senior management and potential tutors. This report merely provides an overview of these.

The emergence and development of the elearning environment necessitates the acquisition of a new set of skills for traditional face to face tutors. The development and training of staff cannot be trivialised; the virtual classroom is the classroom of the future. Harper Adams University College needs to provide appropriate development and training for its staff.

Masie (1/1/02) has commented that "We need to learn how to work anywhere, at any time. And, we need to get our sense of success from clues that are more subtle than laughter or applause. The ultimate success will be in helping massive numbers of learners learn and perform better every day." Our success depends on it.

 

 

Camargo, A., 28/1/02, What Does 'Online Learning' Mean?, At http://merlin.ifl.hull.ac.uk/merlin/exchange/foundations

Camargo, A., 2/02, The Role of the OnlineTutor, Ibid

Camargo, A., 11/2/02, RE: Starting Off, Ibid

Duggleby, J., Three Roles for the Online Tutor, At http://www.fastrak-consulting.co.uk/tactix/Features/tutoring

Field, P., 28/1/02, What Does 'Online Learning' Mean?, At http://merlin.ifl.hull.ac.uk/merlin/exchange/foundations

James, M., 12/2/02, RE: What Does Online Learning Mean?, At http://merlin.ifl.hull.ac.uk/merlin/exchange/foundations

Kettner-Polly, B., July 1999, The Making of the Virtual Professor, ALN Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 1

Leston-Bandeira, C., 7/2/02, RE: What Does Online Learning Mean?, At http://merlin.ifl.hull.ac.uk/merlin/exchange/foundations

Masie, E., The Trainer of the Future, e-learning Magazine, Jan1, 2002, at http://www.elearningmag.com/elearning/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=6714

Mason, 1991, in Flate Paulsen, M., 1998, Teaching Over the Web, conference, at http://home.nettskolen.nki.no/~morten/Georgia/Teachers.html

Salmon, G., Sept. 11 - 13 2001, It's teaching, Jim…but not as we know it!, ALT Conference, Changing Learning Environments, At http://www.malts.ed.ac.uk/ALT/keynotes/keynote-salmon.doc

Salmon, G., 2000, E-Moderating, The Key to Teaching and Learning Online, London, Kogan Press

Scott, G., 2/02, The Role of the Facilitators, At http://merlin.ifl.hull.ac.uk/merlin/exchange/foundations

Shea, V., The Core Rules of Netiquette, At http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

Whigham, C., 7/2/02, RE: The Role of the Facilitators,At http://merlin.ifl.hull.ac.uk/merlin/exchange/foundations