July 23-26, 2023, DLA2023 will be held at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, in Jekyll Island, Georgia. The DLA symposiums are specifically designed for those involved or interested in the administration, management, planning, and evaluation of distance learning programs.
The Distance Learning Administration Conference is sponsored by the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration and The University of West Georgia.
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With at least 2,500 colleges already offering online programs, it’s no secret that distance learning has become an increasingly integral part of higher education. Instructors and academic coaches have had to work hard to develop a good model for teaching in this environment. But it’s not easy.
There are many different factors that need to be considered when developing an effective distance learning model. This article will discuss some of the vital elements of a solid distance learning model.
It’s important for instructors, faculty, and teaching assistants to always open their email channels. Communication is an integral part of distance learning, and many interactions happen through email.
If instructors and faculty members are not responsive to emails, it can create a disconnection between them and their students. It’s recommended to answer emails from students within 24 hours, even if it’s only to stay: “I’ll have to research that and get back to you.”
For coursework that spans a holiday, educators should still try to be available for urgent inquiries from their students. However, high holidays like Christmas or Yom Kippur need balance and a break to be honored. In cases like this, course-related correspondences might be temporarily suspended, but educators should still try to check their emails at least once daily.
It’s also essential for educators to have someone ready to answer on their behalf if they cannot respond within a 24-hour window. Teaching assistants and academic coaches are generally expected to take over answering duties if the educator is not able to do so.
While email is generally considered the primary way for learners to get in touch with their teachers or professors, it’s by no means the only method of communication that can be used.
At the discretion of the school, phone calls, online chats or messengers through the university’s website, Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP), video conferences, and web meetings are popular ways for educators to connect with their students in a distance learning environment.
It’s essential to learn and become adept with these communication channels to have another option to connect with students in the most effective way possible.
Since the distance learning model heavily relies on technology to work, it’s wise for educators and academic coaches to be familiar with many common glitches.
Educators are expected to have at least basic troubleshooting knowledge on some of the most common issues distance learning programs face. These include:
When any of these happen, it’s important to be patient and have a backup plan ready. For instance, if there’s an issue with the LMS, educators can still send course materials to their students through email.
When responding to students affected by issues and downtimes, having a calm demeanor can help build confidence while waiting for a repair.
It’s also vital that educators and academic coaches report any instances of errors or downtime related to the LMS. While issues with learning management systems should be rare, notifying the administration about them can help prevent similar problems from happening in the future.
When an issue emerges with or from a student, educators are expected to address them as soon as possible. This is especially true for students who are worried or upset about a specific issue.
Addressing the issue within a 24-hour window is ideal, though some problems will require more time to resolve. If that’s the case, assure the student through email that their concern is currently being addressed and thank them for writing about the issue.
Often, students who have difficulty with the coursework or feel lost during a distance learning program simply struggle to keep up with the pace. That’s why educators need to be as understanding and helpful as possible when addressing student problems.
The elements of an effective distance-learning model are clear and concise communication, utilization of multiple communication channels, as well as addressing technology glitches and student problems well.
When educators and academic coaches keep these elements in mind, they can build a strong foundation for their distance learning program that will benefit them and their students.
Just like everything else, teaching has been seriously affected over the past couple of years. Classes were mostly done online, and we’re just starting to go back to the traditional setting—but on a limited scale. Learning institutions are left with a new set of challenges to conquer.
One of the ways you can manage your online classroom better is by involving a virtual Teaching Assistant (TA). Doing so will lessen the stress of your teaching duties. Here are some tips on how you can make the most of a virtual TA for distance learning.
Before the semester or quarter starts, get on the same page with your TA. Take the time to sit down virtually and discuss everything you need to discuss. This may include the following:
It would also be wise to meet now and then throughout the semester, as well as debrief after the course ends. During these sessions, share feedback in both directions and review the goals you set at the beginning.
Handling a class pre-pandemic was already difficult, but it can become even more complicated when everything is online. Some professors, understandably, had a hard time learning video calling platforms, like Zoom and Google Meet, and many still do not fully understand how to utilize the features to their highest levels.
This is just one area in which a virtual teaching assistant can be very helpful. They can help with moderating classes by handling things like:
Focus on lesson planning and other teaching duties by having your virtual TA in charge of announcements, email communication, and discussion thread moderation. Making sure your students are up to date may seem like a small detail, but leaving the responsibility to your virtual TA will make things significantly easier for you and smoother for everyone in the class.
Instead of sending individual emails and messages yourself, have your virtual TA do a group chat or a message board, as well as take over individual questions and email submissions.
Often, there are times when the class discussion board is stagnant. Keep discussion boards active and engaging by adding your virtual TA’s trained voice into the discourse. They can add value to the conversation by:
Teaching during a pandemic presents many challenges, not the least of which is the sudden and mostly unprepared-for shift to online learning. However, not only teachers were affected by this change. Teacher’s aides, or teaching assistants, used to working face-to-face with students were left wondering what their role now was in the virtual classroom.
TAs are having to find new ways to help students achieve their academic goals and provide support to course instructors virtually. Taking the challenge of distance learning head-on requires TAs to take on new responsibilities that take into account the online classroom environment.
Our TAs take an active supportive role in your virtual classes. They assist with forum discussions and instructions, communicating class criteria to the students, even organizing activities and projects for the class.
Virtual teaching assistants can monitor discussion threads and emails for questions from students, and address minor technical concerns to minimize interruptions. They are also able to answer student questions themselves or bring student concerns to the attention of the instructor if needed.
Virtual TAs collect unanswered questions from all avenues, such as threads, message boards, forums, emails, and calls, and respond to them via email or messaging boards. Additionally, they can moderate chat boards and forums on the virtual learning platforms they use too.
For example, many TAs at Vanderbilt University assist with monitoring and responding to student posts on discussion boards and external tools like Perusall and virtual learning platforms like Brightspace.
In a face-to-face classroom setting, a teacher or a TA can find many clues on how students are progressing with their learning and whether or not they’re engaged. Taking notes, confused looks, and affirmatory nods are just a few examples. In virtual classrooms, however, it’s more difficult to get a sense of where students are at learning-wise.
Together with the instructor, a virtual TA can design and implement short, informal assessments such as quizzes, online polls, and virtual activities that provide more insight on students’ progress, challenges, comprehension, and areas for improvement. Instructors can use information gleaned from these assessments to make changes to the course for better outcomes.
Educational videos and interactive online learning materials can help keep students engaged outside of the virtual classroom. TAs can support instructors by creating content that is engaging, challenging, and aligned with the objectives of the course.
This responsibility requires knowledge of video editing software and other tools. TAs who have familiarity with these and other content creation software can develop videos, presentations, slideshows, and other visual aids for students. They can also assist instructors with editing content and converting it into different formats if needed.
In addition, TAs can curate existing educational content and modify them as needed, depending on the needs of the instructor and the students.
TAs provide much-needed instructional support to teachers of online learning programs and distance learning courses. Virtual TAs perform day-to-day and supplemental tasks so that faculties can focus on education delivery and student outcomes. At the same time, they help students with their educational and social development.
Even as the world transitions back to in-person classes, virtual TAs remain a key source of support for universities and other institutes of learning that want to provide better instruction. Plus, virtual TAs can help schools save on instructional delivery costs.
There are no doubts that online education can have large benefits – but there are also some hurdles that can take extensive planning and set-up to be successful. And as many Universities will be implementing new procedures for online classrooms and distance learning, it is important to get your set-up prepped and ready many weeks in advance!
Just because you teach online doesn’t mean you have to be a technical wizard, but you do need to be comfortable with the technology you will be using. From powerpoints to online quizzes, grading software, and video features, it helps to know how each piece of your technology works so you do not spend time in class troubleshooting.
But first and foremost, the right hardware and software will make this work much more smoothly, so be sure to not only know your technology but invest in good technology. You need a fast computer, strong internet service, and a good platform to meet your classroom’s needs.
We may all be working remotely, from home, or through distance learning, but our environment still sets the stage for our online course. Make sure you are setting a good example by showing a tidy and academic work environment. And just like you need certain things out of your physical office or classroom, you should also look to maintain (or create) certain things in the backdrop for your virtual classroom.
If possible, your workspace should be intended for work only – not a kitchen counter or from your couch. You want this space to be friendly and engaging, but also a productive space. Avoid distractions like television, other family members, pets and household chores, or outside noises. Natural lighting can be a great asset as well.
There may be miscommunications due to distance learning instead of face-to-face conversations, try to mitigate these instances by communicating often and clearly to your class. Many students are intimidated by online learning and may not ask as many questions, while others will view you as ‘always available’ via email or text. Make sure you explain your communication strategy early on in your online course.
It is good to explain the best way to reach you, your expected turnaround time for replies or answers, and where resources and answers are available before reaching out to professors or others. This way you can balance the need for frequent communication, with the possibility of running over into overcommunication or constant communication.
Though it is important to maintain a consistent online presence, this can be wearing for many professors, which is where an online academic coach from Instructional Connections can come in handy, as our coaches are able to handle the vast bulk of class communication to free the faculty’s time for planning and class execution.
Oftentimes your students are learning what online or distance learning looks like just as you are, so gain their feedback as well as your own. See what worked well, what didn’t work so well, what could work better in the future, and more.
Communication goes both ways, and so does feedback, so ask your students, other faculty, and other sources altogether about what worked and what needs improvement. Online learning is not new, however, the magnitude to which it is being used has never been seen before – make sure we are using this opportunity to expand and improve it every semester.
When your students are not physically in front of you, you have to plan and prepare even more to make sure you are using your time well and helping your student in the most effective ways.
However, this takes more time.
That is why an online academic coach from Instructional Connections may be the perfect answer to your extended distance learning needs.
Our online academic coaches are highly qualified, experienced professionals in the appropriate academic discipline and have earned at least a Master’s degree from an accredited university. On average, our online academic coaches have 14 years of industry experience in their field!
Our academic coaches’ goals are fully customizable to your classroom and its needs. Because under the leadership and direction of your faculty, our online academic coaches can assist you with grading assignments, managing discussion threads, posting approved announcements, and managing day-to-day tasks and course issues in distance learning like communication.
And the best part? We have been doing this since long before COVID-19 and the push for online learning, so we have our process and systems perfectly in place already.
With the Fall quickly approaching, it is important to be fully prepared for online changes and distance learning. Many Universities will be implementing new procedures and have new classroom needs, in addition to their normal online courses.
Luckily, Universities who are moving more and more into distance learning and online education are able to utilize Instructional Connections’ online academic coaches as a resource for their faculty.
We first understand what each college or university needs relative to instructional support and other missions each school desires through in-depth meetings and research.
We recruit, screen, pre-qualify, and present online academic coach candidates that have been vetted and available in our pool for approval by university partners.
We individually assign online academic coaches and other support staff to courses and programs based on university, college, or even course-specific needs for online courses.
We train candidates on the learning management system used by our university partners and orient them into courses and programs.
We independently contract with, manage, and pay the online academic coaches and other staff that are provided to fulfill the service needs on behalf of university partners. This eliminates universities from adding additional human resources and payroll overhead.
We ensure accountability by having supportive leadership staff, who work directly with the university’s administration and faculty, making sure that the faculty member’s expectations, rubric, and goals are fully met.
We provide continual support to each distance learning course where our online academic coaches are requested and used, from beginning to end.
We are happy to work closely with faculty on the best practices of how to work with and use their online academic coaches, so that they understand our model, and we understand how course objectives and outcomes are met.
Each of our online academic coaches are highly-qualified, experienced professionals in the appropriate academic discipline and have earned a master’s and/or doctoral degree from an accredited university.
Every area of support from your online academic coach is decided by your faculty and will vary from course to course depending on your faculty’s expectations. This level of flexibility allows your faculty to be in complete control of their online program at all times.
Our faculty partners love the support they receive from their online academic coaches and continually think of new and better methods to help educate students through distance learning with our assistance.
Contact us today to learn more about our online academic coaches, and how they can help your distance learning and online courses this Fall.
P.O. Box 223696,
Dallas, Texas 75222-3696