Reflections Regarding Experience As An Online Facilitator

Personal Reflections Regarding Experience as an Online Facilitator

Facilitation of a class often excite individuals with feelings of insecurity with a slow form of heat rising within the blood vessels, which demonstrates signs of anxiety.  The cerebral hemisphere of the brain sends off active signals informing the heart to get ready and pump out blood faster, which informs the person that this can be trouble.  Yet, I realized that understanding the basic knowledge of becoming a facilitator is essential to learning the concepts of an online class session. Therefore I often take a slow deep breath and say to myself, “I can do this”.  I also realize that to become successful as a facilitator, one should master the skills of communication. Communication involves several skills; the first is to speak clearly, precise at an appropriate flow rate for clarity.  The language and tone is important in which sound and perception is subjective. Usually body gestures and eye contact is involved in communication, but with online the tone is in the writing. Controlling the tone of the class consists of allowing equal opportunities for students to respond and give their opinions in a cohesive way. All of this suggest how prepared the facilitator is. Preparation is the key to performing in a personal articulate way. Prior to presenting and facilitating, ones knowledge base of the material is essential.  Going the extra mile to research literature related to the content will help one to have a different perspective, which will help one to become diverse on the subject matter.  To be diverse means delivering the content in many different ways; therefore I prepared by knowing the content, rehearsing and listening to myself speak.

Synchronous

Online teaching in the digital world has come across extraordinary devices to assist facilitators with tools that mimic traditional face-to-face interactions.  Some of these tools offer real-time communication such as Skype.  This web-videoconferencing will allow the participants more social interactions and a higher level of knowledge as a synchronous form of communication.  This form of communication allows for social interaction in a direct way and promotes feedback from learners as well as teachers. This from will allow for any misconceptions and help to foster any correction that’s needed. Synchronous communication can also be compared to asynchronous which both can help to benefit online learning/teaching (Giesbers, Rienties, Tempelaar, & Gijselaers, 2013).

Personally I feel that synchronous teaching online has helped me to progress in my challenges with this unique way of facilitating. The digital tools will help to guide and assist one to form a strategic plan. The tools are easy to use and often it will help to encourage others to participate and lead others.

Asynchronous

In today’s society online learning is characterized as deficient compared to the traditional face-to-face learning style. However, several strategies have come to light to counter act the deficiencies. The first is online discussions in which this has seen to bridge the gap between the two different learning styles.  Discussions are labeled as an asynchronous forum in which engagement does not take place automatically. Instructors should be active and somewhat visible in forum discussions (Vonderwell, Liang & Alderman, 2007).

Asynchronous learning for me involved having thorough assessment skills that will help in the learning and teaching process. Assess the content and how the learners react to the outcome.  Collaboration and feedback from colleagues in the class has help with asynchronous learning. Ownership of my progress starts with awareness and having a dialogue with others. Evaluating and challenging my online skills with facilitating discussions and lesson plans is vital to acknowledging that one understands the tools related to asynchronous learning.

Reference

Giesbers, B., Rienties, B., Tempelaar, D., & Gijselaers, W.  (2013). Adynamic analysis

of the interplay between asynchronous and synchronous communication in online learning: The impact of motivation. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, Vl 30, pp. 30-50.

Vonderwell, S., Liang, X., & Alderman, K. (2007). Asynchronous discussions and

assessment in online learning . Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 39 (3), 309-328.