My first post: Reflections on online learning

The discussions and readings we have had in class over the past couple of weeks has got me thinking about 2 things:
1) Online learning presents many challenges for students and instructors/e-moderators.
2) There is a misconception of how online teaching will effect Communication departments/instructors(remember, I study Communication).

The remainder of this post will elaborate on these thoughts.

1) Online learning presents many challenges for students and instructors/e-moderators.
It is probably common for people who are new to online learning to come to this realization. They are numerous challenges that online learning presents, but for today I will address 2 issues; a) time and b) credibility.
Salmon (2004) discusses time management in Chapter 3. She argues, "Asynchronous Internet time is quite different from the cycles and seasons that we are used to in our everyday life...Working online involves shifting time about and changing patterns of how you work with colleagues and participants" (p. 63). While my experience with online learning is limited, this is easy for me to see as being a challenge. I have recently began having mini-coaching sessions with one of my students online. I started doing this because I know that my students on the team have quite a hectic schedule, so finding time to coach face-to-face can be difficult. I knew she used AIM and I use it as well. Thus, I figured that this might be an easier way for her to squeeze in coaching when possible. While this has seemed to be effective thus far, it does take a lot of time. Thankfully I type fast, however it still takes longer to type out comments than if I were talking to her face-to-face. Along with this, I found myself getting carried away at times. What I thought would be a few 10 - 15 minute online sessions, have turned into 1 - 2 hour sessions. On top of this, I'm coaching her, as well as other students, face-to-face. As I progress further as an e-moderator, I will need to make sure that I'm managing my time better. This may mean speaking with my student and making sure that our mini-coaching sessions are in fact 'mini'; using the sessions to address general questions/concerns about the process of writing her speech, not to address issues about specific revisions/sources she may use. I should also provide her with times that I'm available online to converse about speeches - even if my screename appears on her buddy list at different times of the day.

Proving to students that you are a credible source seems to be a challenge as well. There are certain things that you have to be aware of when teaching online that you don't have to think about when teaching face-to-face. Of course you can present your credentials to your online class when welcoming them to the class, but e-moderators need to maintain their credibility. For instance, teaching online requires you to proofread your comments (something you obviously don't have to do when teaching face-to-face). It also requires you to constantly be thinking of how you are being recieved by the reciever of your message (the student). Since students don't have nonverbals to go by, you have to be careful of coming across too abrasive. While I have used AIM before with friends and understand that you have to be careful of what you write, coaching online has made me hyper-aware of this. Students tend to be more sensitive since you (the teacher) have authority over them. There are more likely to take your comments literally when you are joking online than if you are talking to a friend.

2) There is a misconception of how online teaching will effect Communication instructors.
I recently spoke to a professor in the Communication department about my sudden interest in online learning. He gave me a look of disgust. This is a typical reaction I receive when I have similar conversations about this with my peers and colleagues. I believe some of them are afraid of the idea of integrating online communication courses into our curriculum for the following reasons:
a) They think that they will lose their job. Many instructors and future instructors wonder where they will fit into the equation if online classes are implemented. However, instead of realizing that this is where education is heading and seeking out the training they may need to teach these courses, they feel that they are not (and will never be) technologically capable to teach online. Thus, they are against the mere thought of this happening.
b) They believe that communication courses cannot and should not be taught online. For instance, one concern is if public speaking classes are online, then when giving a speech is the student really 'public' speaking. Also, those who are teaching interpersonal communication may feel that it is difficult when most of our interpersonal theories are based off of face-to-face situations. Basically, it is hard for communication instructors to come to the realization that times are changing and the way we view/theorize about communication must change as well. Is the student who is giving a speech online really 'public' speaking? Yes, however not in the traditional sense. It is public speaking in a new setting. What does this mean for interpersonal theory? It means we have to start thinking about interpersonal communication in different ways. Today, we do not always communicate face-to-face. Interpersonal communication teachers need to start thinking of ways to teach online interpersonal communication and one way to do that is through online learning. Face-to-face interpersonal communication does not have to be left in the dust either. Synchronous online teaching can make teaching this subject possible.

Overall, it is interesting to me that Communication departments are NOT leading the way in teaching online courses. There have been colleges/universities and instructors who have implemented online communication courses. However, from my experience/observation there are not many. There are still many departments/instructors that do not look favorably upon the implementation of online courses and this attitude will surely harm us in the future.