The Effect of VLEs on the Teacher/Student Relationship
By m_groene. Filed in discussion, reading, Uncategorized, VLE |
Hey Everyone!
Thought I’d get us started talking about this week’s disccussion topic. The syllabus brings up the question, “How does this environment affect the exchange between teacher and student, between student and student?” I know there are teachers among us who have touched on this a bit in previous posts, and I believe it was Mark who made the point about the online instructors at the New School being “coaches,” so I thought I’d continue in that direction.
The Hunsinger, Wellman, and Koku reading I think sums it up best when they say that, “There has also been some move away from teacher-centered models of learning to student-centered models” and I see what they mean through VLEs I’ve been a part of. Heather Havenstein’s article about the Wiki says that it “means I am more of a guide to them than a lecturer,” which sums up my experience as well. I think that the relationship has become much more interactive in that regard; the teacher lays out the platform and is there to help guide the student through the process, but rather than coming across as a lecturer, I think the format allows students more time to formulate their thoughts and questions and interact with their instructors in a more intelligent and reciprocal way.
Thursday, June 25th 2009 at 3:31 pm |
The shift from “teacher based” education has been long on-going, and the online forum is not the first place this is the case. Several different schools of thought have existed since the 1970s in this area. I find that the more project based my classes are, the more freedom to roam I give students (within carefully defined parameters–a KEY to this process) the better my results are.
The term for this is “inquiry-based learning” and it echoes what most of us do as “life long learners.”
Students definitely have more time to formulate ideas… but that doesn’t make the BETTER. I have yet to find online as a quality substitute for the real thing. Even in my online studies here at TNS.
Thursday, June 25th 2009 at 3:43 pm |
Hey Michelle!
I feel that this is a newer attitude in education these days – at least more progressive education. I have been to numerous professional development workshops that focus on student-centered models. I apply a lot of these techniques in my classroom, or try to as much as possible (testing doesn’t exactly lend itself to student-centered learning).
The main idea is that instructors, while no doubt have a wealth of information, must allow the students to discover and realize their own individual intelligences. Instructors/guide/coaches have the responsibility to make sure the information is being received and altering the environment if it isn’t.
It sounds a lot easier than standing in front of a class or posting long lectures and it is in the sense that your energies are redirected to facilitate learning rather than force feed information. But it is harder because it takes more planning and care when implementing the forum for learning. Worksheets or posts don’t cut it. There has to be a huge commitment to monitoring student progress and accountability, I think.
And to speak to your comment about the students having more time to think about their thoughts and questions, there is a lot of research that shows that students need incubation time in order to better solve problems. The online forum is great for this. While I do feel the pressure to post according to the instructor’s mandates, I feel that I have some serious incubation time to really let the readings and material soak in before posting my comments.
Olysha
Friday, June 26th 2009 at 10:03 am |
Hi,
And to add a point, organizing a classroom model with the professor as a guide rather than a singular focal point for student attention is very relevant and useful for professionals and graduate students who each have their own areas of academic and professional expertise. Rather than limiting students’ thought-out and well researched responses to written assignment handed in for the professor’s eyes only, this growing trend allows students to share their knowledge with each other to supplement the reading and professor lectures.
Even in a non-online format, we have read that many teachers are adopting this model in lieu of a standard, lecture based format because it utilizes all class room resources, many of which being the students themselves. I’ve personally been in online classes with many high-level professionals and academics who have brought as much, if not more, to the class discussions as the professors.