BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF ONLINE EDUCATION

WELCOME o Facilitator name Position at university Contact info

LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this module, you should be able to: o Describe the potential benefits and challenges of online teaching and learning o Outline strategies to address challenges related to online teaching and learning o Develop strategies to assist students in online environments o Self-evaluate readiness for teaching online

AGENDA o Benefits & challenges of online teaching and learning o Skills for successful online learning o Online teaching skills

BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING

DISCUSSION o Why would you want to teach online? o What benefits do you think online education has for you and your students?

DISCUSSION o What are some of the challenges you anticipate with online teaching and learning?

STUDENT BENEFITS o Material available anytime o Can access from anywhere o Don’t need to live in city o Self-paced learning/review o Multiple media formats available o Time to think through and edit responses (great for introverts)

STUDENT CHALLENGES o Time management skills o Takes more time than anticipated o Technology not always easy (not as tech savvy as we or they think they are) o No immediate classmate to ask for help

INSTRUCTOR CHALLENGES & BENEFITS Video o Benefits and Challenges of Online Teaching

INSTRUCTOR CHALLENGES & BENEFITS Benefit: Plan & revise in advance Challenge: Takes time

INSTRUCTOR CHALLENGES & BENEFITS Benefit: Advanced testing Challenge: Time management

INSTRUCTOR CHALLENGES & BENEFITS Benefit: Flexibility Challenge: Expectations

INSTRUCTOR CHALLENGES & BENEFITS Benefit: Multiplicity, Creativity & Engagement Challenge: Unfamiliarity & tech failures

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES Video o Overcoming the Challenges in Online Teaching and Learning

ACTIVITY: THINK, INK, PAIR, SHARE o On lined side of cue card: Write your top three benefits (to you or students) o On blank side of cue card: Write your top three challenges (for you or students)

SKILLS FOR SUCCESSFUL ONLINE LEARNING

ACTIVITY: TAKE THIS QUIZ o Go to the following URL and take the quiz* from a students’ perspective: * Developed at the University of Houston

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION Student skills Instructor assistance

ONLINE TEACHING SKILLS

Video o Skills Developed Through Online Teaching

DISCUSSION o What do you think are some important online teaching skills?

SUMMARY o Online teaching and learning has many benefits and challenges o Sometimes the benefits have associated challenges o There are some skills (e.g. time management) that help students succeed in online learning o Some skills (e.g. giving detailed instructions) improve instructors’ effectiveness in online environments

THANK YOU o Questions? o Comments? o Help? Contact information – facilitator’s and departmental

REFERENCES 1. Devine, C. (2013). The Skills Both Online Students and Teachers Must Have. Retrieved from online-students-and-teachers-must-have/. 2. Kassop, M. (2003) Ten Ways Online Education Matches or Surpasses Face-to-Face. Retrieved from article/ten_ways_online_education_ matches_or_surpasses_facetoface_learning/. 3. MGH Institute of Health Professions. (2014). Benefits and Challenges of Online Instruction. Retrieved from faculty/faculty-compass/teaching/Prepare-Your-Course/Online/ Benefits-and-challenges-of-online-instruction.aspx.

REFERENCES 4. Thomas, MJW (2002). Learning within Incoherent Structures: The Space of Online Discussion Forums. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 18(3): University of New Hampshire. (2012). Benefits and Challenges. Retrieved from