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On the Road to Teaching in CyberspaceNo technology can replace humans connecting around learning, but technology-used well-can enable human connections Understanding "going online" as analogous to taking a
trip can help structure our cyberspace efforts. We can take a
short trip into cyberspace--such as using E-mail with our
students. Or we might take a longer trip by, for example, using a
course software system, such as WebCT or CourseInfo.
Planning The primary goal for our trip into cyberspace is to promote student learning. To best prepare, we need to write specific objectives for each course and post these objectives prominently in the syllabus. Written learning objectives help all of us and our students allocate limited resources. We travel to learn, and the longest-lasting results frequently come from the relationships developed on a trip. Building relationships is important in learning, too (Chickering & Gamson, 1987), to motivate students. Online relationships can arise from the use of tools like E-mail, discussion boards, and chat rooms. In the cyber instruction world, we can rely on traditional textbooks for information transmission and put our cyber priority on becoming facilitators of online communication (Palloff & Pratt, 1999). Today's technology makes it easier to create and maintain learning relationships beyond the confines of the three-hour class. No technology, of course, can replace humans connecting around learning, but technology used well can enable these human connections. What's the best route for going online? The answer depends on the individual. Some faculty like learning computer coding. These explorers tend to adopt dazzling new cybertools. Those faculty who prefer more structure and guidance are likely to favor using software that offers a template for presenting course activities via the Internet. Such course software provides a "packaged tour" that gets the job done with a minimum of disruption and makes it easy to manage class communication tools such as chat rooms. Online educators are tour guides for students. They match their tours to individual needs. In general, the less mature learner may be more successful with an Internet supplement to a face-to-face class than with a full online course. But this may change as students and teachers become technologically more sophisticated. Taking an entire course via the Internet is most appropriate for the self-regulated learner. Typically, this is the student who is capable of setting and keeping personal goals. Tour guides also understand that one aspect of preparing to travel is avoiding dangers-by getting vaccinations, for instance. There are dangers aplenty in cyberspace touring, too. We need to develop, for instance, an understanding of intellectual property (Brinson & Radcliff, 1996) and privacy (Eggleton, 1999). And we need to consider the impact of teaching that is more public than other methods. Traveling Our focus may be to accomplish a narrow task-posting a syllabus, for instance-or a longer term objective like the ability to edit digital images. In either case, we have to ignore what is not needed or risk getting side-tracked. Becoming comfortable with a permanent state of learning is part of living happily online. What "luggage" do we need to carry in cyberspace? We need to carry a network of helpers with technology skills. Working alone typically leads to missed opportunities. By simply listening to technology users, we can build a vocabulary to formulate better questions. It also helps to practice our cyber skills in non-teaching contexts, such as a hobby discussion board or by E-mailing friends. And remember to use books, magazines, and the Internet itself. On the first day in a strange place, we begin cautiously until we get our bearings. For most of us, when we move online, we start by trying one tool, such as E-mail, in one course. With each successive visit, or course, try something new. But we must remember to prioritize. The "tour group" will become exhausted if we add and never subtract. Sometimes, when away from home, people forget their normal behavior-- the "ugly American," syndrome, for example. There are online analogies. Teachers who would fail a student for plagiarizing may not see electronically copying or forwarding another's intellectual property, such as a photo, a Web site, or an E-mail message in the same light. Scholars who carefully document their print articles might fail to provide citation information for the online material they are posting. The hypertext capabilities of the Internet mean that every page is the potential "front door" for a Website. Every page ought to provide scholarly citation information to set a proper example for our students. Integrating In an earlier NEA Thriving in Academe (October 1998), Devorah Lieberman described three "techno-cat" methods for gathering information. In order for our skills and techniques to evolve, we need to continually gather feedback in such ways. Finding the communication methods that are best for our course objectives and our students is part of the process of integration. Once we're comfortable with E-mail communication, we may want to move on to trying more novel tools, such as discussion boards and chat rooms. Web discussion boards, for example, can be used to present a case study for student reaction over a period of a few weeks. In general, students need to be trained to use a board, with explicit directions and gentle guidance. And participation should have implications for their grade. Chat rooms are real-time conversations and often are used to hold office hours. But chat rooms with more than a few people can become chaotic. Course software allows groups of students to work together on a project and provide a response online. Just as we can expect detours when traveling, going online is not a smooth transition. Change and adaptation are a part of life online. Whether or not we enjoy the side-trips is up to us. Eventually, we should consider what our trip costs as well as what we gained. Is online instruction cost-effective for the instructor? We need to remember that the Internet is more than just a teaching method. If we as teachers are information specialists, then we have to be skilled at using this information tool. The Internet is our future, like it or not. |
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