Brief Synthesis of FLOd 2019
A word on the meaning of online teaching
“Teaching online happens on a continuum, where the web technology used in teaching determines the degree to which specific parts of the teaching happen in virtual environments (1). At one end of this continuum, teaching online could relate to something as simple as the use of a forum as a course communication tool, while at the other end, teaching is delivered completely online utilizing digital tools to share teaching resources, collaborate among participants, and evaluate the learning progress. The term online teaching, however, is generally used to refer to teaching which is delivered primarily or entirely in a virtual environment. Everything in between the two end points on the continuum—i.e., all teaching scenarios that are not exclusively delivered in a face-to-face classroom or completely through a virtual learning environment—can be summarized under the umbrella term blended or hybrid learning, which thus means a deliberate combination of digital content and/or activities paired with in-class instruction” (Weilandt, Connolly & Lima, 2019).
A competent transition into the online modality
Online and/ or blended offerings of academic courses require specific considerations relating to their pedagogical design. Owing to the fact that instructors have fewer means to directly prompt and encourage online students, motivation has to be transmitted through the online interactions between the instructors and students with their peers, through the content and through the learning environment. Pedagogical decisions often spontaneously made in traditional face-to-face settings will need to be planned in detail and ahead of the actual course start date for courses that are fully or partially delivered online.
As online instructors, you will need to not only be aware, but be able to competently transition between your different roles in the online environment:
Connecting Learning Theory to Instructional Design
Online teaching asks of university professors and instructors to understand what pedagogical approaches, principles and practices allow for optimal use of online technologies to enhance the online learning experiences for the students.
In planning the pedagogical process, in carrying it out and reflecting on it afterwards, instructors make normative and prescriptive decisions. Many of these decisions depend on the instructors understanding of learning (Uljens, 1997, p. 3). Thus, the exploration and reflection on prominent pedagogical practices and principles, educational theory and views of learning can prove useful when wanting to determine the most applicable approaches and methods for specific teaching intentions.
Timeline
Below you will find a timeline illustrating the chronological development of learning theory. You can scroll through the individual parts by either dragging the items with the mouse to the left or using the navigation arrows on the sides of each entry.
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