Online Teaching and Learning

After completing almost one and half semesters of an online graduate program, I have definitely realized that there are similarities and differences in the two methods of delivery.  The similarities that I see are that the information that is given to the students will be the same content regardless of the delivery method.  The students are still responsible for the same amount of work and projects throughout a semester.  The differences in online learning versus face to face learning for me is that there is sometimes a disconnect with not seeing the students on a daily basis like my undergraduate classes.  I really enjoy seeing peoples’ faces on a regular basis and having dialog back and forth.  I love the synchronous meetings and feeling like I am a part of a class.   Listening to my classmates helps me to work through questions or problems that may arise with information or assignments.  Some online classes have no visual interaction with the teachers or the students within the class.   The only time you might interact with the online instructor is when questions arise about assignments and this would take place through emails and not conversation.   Also, when assignments or information is given to the students, there is not a chance to ask questions directly to the instructor and get clarity within a short amount of time, unlike if you were attending a class in a classroom. There are definitely a differences between the instructors’ way they present information. The use of synchronous meetings makes the online class seem closer and allows for interactions with the instructor and the students as well.  Actual classes that you have to attend can be challenging for schedules and having jobs and families, but there may be tighter connections among the students.

There are many benefits to participating in an online class and or program.  For me, this hits very close to home.  Living in a different state has always made achieving my dream of receiving my Masters from Ohio State impossible, that is until last year.  The creation of the online dental hygiene master’s program allows me to fulfill a dream of earning my Master’s degree in Dental Hygiene while being able to be here for my family.  Time is a great benefit of online learning.  I can complete any project, paper or assignment when it fits in for my crazy schedule, even the extremes of late at night or very early in the morning.  I can take my assignments with me, even on vacation!  Online classes are definitely very convenient for time constraints, location and flexibility of schedules.

My main challenges that I have faced with online learning is the extreme learning curve associated with learning new methods of the technology itself.  I have learned to be less anxious about new processes and new ways to learn a variety of information.  I am enjoying the challenges of a variety of technology based projects that I would not have gotten with a traditional class/lecture setting.  I think that the other challenge is the difficulty in having a complete grasp of what the instructor actually expects from various assignments.  Sometimes the expectations are difficult to assess when communication happens over the internet.  I think not being able to get clarification and have a conversation with the instructor is a difficult challenge to adapt to.  Being able to raise your hand in class and ask a question and get a response is only available during synchronous meetings.  Instant gratification is delayed in online education especially when there is no physical interaction, via the internet, with the instructor.  Learning to manage my time and ask questions early on in the week allows for me to adapt and get responses so that I can apply the new understanding that I receive from the instructor in order to complete work on time.

I think that online teaching and learning is an amazing process that can allow people from all over the country/world to learn a variety of things in a large variety of ways.  Online teaching and learning is a great way to allow people the chance to pursue a degree from their “dream school” even when they are far way in the physical distance.  Teaching online can allow gifted teachers to share their knowledge and experiences with people who previously wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to be taught by them due to proximity of the classes.  I do realize that teaching online takes a greater deal of time in preparing the class schedule and presentation of information, but reaching a wide variety of students with an endless array of backgrounds will be the upside to the equation.  Going through a graduate program may bring the students closer due to the adversity and challenges that we will go through, despite our geographic distances.  Online teaching and learning is a great way to allow people to achieve their dream degree or their dream job!

Online Teaching Experience

Last night was my first on-line teaching experience.  The topic that we discussed was Health Literacy for the Dental Team.  I immediately went through all of the reading that was assigned for the class when I received the information.  I took copious notes and made a lengthy summary of the reading.  After revisions were needed I came up with a condensed summary.  I completed a short power point presentation for the actual class.  I had walked through all of the steps that I needed to be prepared for the class.  Now it was time for the class to get started.

I have to say, I have not been this nervous in a long time.  I was anxious about what I would say and how the students would respond to what I was saying.  I didn’t want to stumble through the information and I wanted to seem like I knew how to handle the situation.  I took a deep breath and logged on to get the meeting set up with Jessica.  She was warm, welcoming and so calm.  She was extremely reassuring that everything would go well and that the class was an amazing group that frequently contributed to the topics during previous classes.  Jessica’s relaxed tone and computer assistance, along with a short pep talk by Rachel, led me to believe that everything would be just fine.  I knew this wouldn’t be perfect or seamless by any means, nor should it , with this being my first on-line teaching experience I just had to go with it and trust in the process.  This, hopefully, would be the first of many of these experiences and it is a learning process that I can grow from.

As the meeting got started I kept telling myself these are my people, hygienists like myself who are striving to improve their knowledge with education.  Just relax.  I have to say after Jessica introduced me things got off to a slow start.  I was nervous and the minutes ticked by so slowly.  I kept hearing some of the things that Rachel had said to me in my head, ” Get them involved in the discussion.”  As soon as I shifted my focus from the slides to the students’ experiences and opinions things started to flow at a much better rate.  Before I knew it, the students had completed a breakout room and Jessica sent me a note saying to watch the time that it was already 9:00!  Time was flying .  I loved to listen to all of the ideas from the students and to hear the passion and excitement in their voices.  I was learning so much just from listening to the variety of experiences that they shared.

This first experience was by no means perfect.  We had some technical tissues with computers freezing on multiple occasions, but  we all laughed about it and kept right on going.  I learned to appreciate all that it takes to present material to a class.  The time, focus and ability to deliver information in a way that will engage the students and allow for them to learn in the process is challenging.  This experience will definitely make me look at lectures in a different way.  This is a process that I am excited to be a part of more in the future and I look forward to improving my delivery of the material now that I have completed my first time.  This experience was definitely not worth all of the anxiety that I put upon myself.  The students, Jessica and Rachel made me feel comfortable and welcome in their class.  This experience has reassured me that I am on the right path for my future career in dental hygiene education.

The Lecture

I have been in attendance for many lectures in school and continuing education seminars.  From the Biology 101 lecture where there were probably 300 plus people, to our hygiene classes where there was 32 people in attendance.  It was very difficult to be able to name the best lecture I ever attended.  I wracked my brain for quite some time to decide upon what I think was the best lecture I have attended.  As I struggled with this process I realized that the book pointed out that the success I perceived from the lecture was definitely due to  how the lecture was presented.  The lectures that stood out in my mind definitely had a lot more interaction with the audience and the person doing the lecturing added humor, stories and anecdotes which helped to highlight some of my memories of certain instructors.

The Best lecture I ever attended was a simple, panel discussion by several athletes.  This discussion took place June 8, 2013 in Lawrence, Kansas.  It was on the day before my first half ironman triathlon, and my first triathlon of any length.  Some of the key speakers were Paula Newby-Fraser (an 8 time Ironman World Champion),  Hines Ward (Super-bowl MVP), and Craig Alexander (3 time Ironman World Champion).  This discussion was amazing.   It was a discussion about the individual journeys and the common goal that the athletes  in attendance were experiencing.  The athletes shared their thoughts, experiences and challenges that brought them to that point.   It was amazing to think that these elite athletes and myself had something in common.  I soaked in every word that was uttered and I was inspired and motivated to continue the ironman journey through to the end.  The atmosphere was relaxed and very inviting.  I liked the personable feeling from these athletes and the openness that was felt by the sharing of ideas, feelings and experiences with the crowd.  Thou this was not a traditional lecture setting, I was thoroughly invested in every word that was spoken because it was so important to me and the journey that I was on.

Lectures are a necessary part of education, but they will continue to change to meet the needs of the people in attendance.  As they go more into the realm of “edutainment” to meet the needs of the students there may be more moments that create lasting memories of not only the lecture, but the material presented in the lecture itself.  Mixing up the rhythm of the lecture and trying to hold the attendees’ attention is vital to retaining the information.  It does make me think of how to approach lecturing my future students.  I liked what the chapter stated about being able to present material and have attendees relate the information to something in “life, practice or an upcoming test.”  When Information is presented that applies to you in the present or for use in future situations it takes on new meaning.

Innovative Teaching Strategies in Nursing and Related Health Professions, 5th Edition. Chapter 8. Barbara C. Woodring & Richard C. Woodring.

 

Hines Ward and Craig Alexander