On November 26, 2008, the Communications and Technology Graduate program hosted a lunchtime workshop for online instructors from the Edmonton area, Alberta, and the US.
This workshop was also the inaugural meeting of the Faculty of Extension Online Instructor Community. Communications and Technology is committed to providing professional development opportunities for its instructors, allowing them to connect with and share their experiences, and to establishing a permanent resource for those teaching and working in the online area. Response to this session was overwhelmingly positive. We are planning future sessions for 2009 on various topics of interest.
Blackboard/E-class (formerlyWebCT) and E-Live were used as to provide illustrations and examples of best practices. Bonita Bray (Team Leader, E-learning Services, University of Alberta AICT) facilitated the discussion and provided ideas and insights on choosing appropriate strategies for designing and encouraging lively and informative online discussions.
During the workshop, instructors reflected on their moderating skills and practices, especially as these are applied in teaching online courses. As many instructors experience the transition from teaching face-to-face courses to online courses, they often wish to add new or innovative tools to their teaching toolbox. Instructors asked questions on how best to facilitate discussions; how to use new technologies to increase the value of both their course(s) and the student and instructor experience; and shared the frustrations, challenges, and highlights of their teaching experiences.