Lessons from the cyberspace classroom : the realities of online teaching
- 1st ed.
- San Francisco : Jossey-Bass, 2001
- xx , 204 p. ; ~-2 cm.
This book is divided into two parts. Part One creates a context by focusing on faculty needs and concerns, administrative issues, and the technological tools being used for course creaúon and delivery. Chapter One reviews in more detail the state of distance learning today. Included is a brief discussion not oniy of technological developments but ako of the ways in which distance learning programs are now being delivered and the resultant issues for faculty. Research on the effectiveness of oniine learning is emerging, and we include the results of some of that research in order to assist readers in evaluating oniine learning for themselves. We aiso look at the newer trend in oífering oniine education to high school students and other recent developments in the K-12 educational arena. Chapter Two is devoted to pro-viding tips and suggestions for assisting faculty in making the transition from the face-to-face to the oniine classroom. This is becoming an increasingly important topic for instructional designcrs, faculty developers, instructional technologists, and faculty themselves. Chapter Three focuses on administrative concerns, such as com-pensation for course development and oniine teaching, program development, faculty support and training, governance issues, tenure issues, and concerns about intellectual property and copyright. In Chapter Four we revisit issues related to tech-nology, including a discussion of new developments and courseware. We evalúate the elements that make for good courseware so that institutions can make informed decisions about which to choose. Finally, we discuss ways in which oniine courses and programs can be developed when financial resources are limited. Part Two of the book focuses specifically on oniine teaching and learning. Chapter Five provides concrete suggestions for the development of a course and offers a course example as a model. Chapter Six looks at another increasingly important issue in oniine education as it is currently being delivered: how to teach a course that has been developed by someone else. Issues discussed include how to build community into the process as well as how to add or omit material that the instructor feeis is important or unimportant. Finally, we oífer suggestions for evaluating good course packages when looking to purchase or license material developed by another entity or individual. Much of wh;n ¡las been written to date has focused on faculty needs in mov-ing to the oniine i nvironment, and an assurnption has been made that students will intuitively know how to learn oniine. Our experience has shown us that this is not true. Conseí 11 icntly, we offer two chapters discussing the needs and issues of the oniine studeni In Chapters Seven and Eight we discuss the characteristics of the successful oniini' student and offer suggestions to faculty on how to maximize the potential for si mients to be successful oniine. We aiso offer suggestions for ori-enting students to i mline learning in Chapter Seven and discuss group dynamics in cyberspace in Cliapter Eight. Included in Chapter Eight is a discussion of the-ories of group develoment and dynamics as well as how these theories apply when the group is virtu.il The chapter aiso taiks about working with difncult students in the online environment. Chapter Nine summarizes the lessons learned in the oniine classroom. provides suggestions for further course and program develop-ment, and takes a inok at likely future developments. Each chapter i nds with summary tips to help readers quickiy access the material contained tln rein. The tips shouid aiso serve as a guide to creating successful oniine courses ,11 id programs because they highiight the more important points to consider. As with our previous book, we have included many cases and examples throughout in orcli i to ¡Ilústrate the points being discussed. Once again, we have included student posts to various types of course discussions, and as in Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace, because of the importance we ascribe to allow-ing student voices to emerge in whatever way they may, we have left these posts un-touched except foi length. Changes in oniine distance learning are coming fast and furious. We couid not possibly hope 111 capture all of the issues of concern to educators today. One of our esteemed mrntors once likened doing research on a topic to approaching a fast-moving rive rhere is no way to study the entire river. Consequently, all one can do is take oui ,1 bucketful of water and examine its contents. This book rep-resents another bin ketful of water from the fast-moving river of oniine distance learning, a river tli.it continúes to provide many of us with much to study. We can oniy hope that wi i iave done justice to those issues that faculty, students, and ad-ministrators deem be most important at this point in time.