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| diagram Ontl 652 |
When I first began this course I was excited to get back into the grove of ONTL, since I took a semester off. I had known Jan from the first online teaching certificate course so it was nice to be around familiar online peers.
When I registered for this course, I thought it was not going to include so many intense detailed components. Already online courses are far more intense than a face to face course, but I always enjoyed that challenge. I enjoyed the challenge of the online learning environment because I was being asked to become a learner. I read for me, participated for me, I learned a lot through online education and enjoy this new form of learning; which at one point thought I was never going to see it in a face to face setting. Except this summer I did, however that was only one course in my 18 years of learning.
Okay, moving on to course design particular issues. While reflecting on the process in ONTL design all I can say is wow! What a challenging semester! The course designing was just as Jan our instructor had forewarned. The course had many detailed aspects to it, for e.g. many draft opportunities, peer reviews submissions, blog entries, discussion board topics, summary design evaluations, assessment worksheet assessment plans, instructional worksheets, wow again and out of breath!
Now that the course is at its end, issues I had with the design process were the fast passed environment, more so than previous online courses. The class kept me on my toes! I would have liked more contact with classmates but not through peer review other forms of interaction. The group work was helpful in terms of guidance and some interaction.
The peer reviews where helpful, but also was a hard process. Offering peer review feedback after completing my own work confused me. I think this process needs to be adjusted somehow, I don’t know if the confusion or lack of interest was because of overwhelming course content already on my plate, I don’t know. If it was me I would not include peer reviews online because I found that it was hard to get good feedback and a comment needs to be a complete thought offered by further comments and that is impossible to do online. I was guilty of this myself; I felt that if I offered feedback it may confuse the reviewer because I was not able to offer feedback to the feedback. Lol
Peer Review Resources from course readings:
http://www.fastrak-consulting.co.uk/tactix/features/evaluate/evaluate.htm
Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Learning
Assessment was a difficult concept to grasp at first but I enjoyed the readings for assessment they helped a lot.
Principles of Assessment and Evaluation
http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/onlinepd/Assessment%20&%20Evaluation/Assessment%20Frames.htm
Authentic assessment tool box http://jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/index.htm
I most enjoyed Ice breakers which introduce peers to one another and the blogs. Maybe because these course contents are laid back and relaxed.
The most difficult was completing the final, and the instructional plan in sections. I am not used to this type of paper process. I usually have to present a final project by completed plan from beginning to end, and then present it for a final grade.
Also I found it difficult to understand the concept of delivering one portion of the course design. For instance, I presented the design plan for only three units. For me it is more difficult doing it in stages rather than completing all the lessons and seeing the whole picture and then making final adjustment. It made it difficult picking out the course readings, resources, assignments. Of course, the design process became clearer as I completed the course because finally I’m able to see an outcome. So this was a difficult process and adjustments in mind set. But Jan did say it was going to be interesting to see the final outcome and she was right there.
This course design process has taught me to consider issues in a design process which I have not thought of before. But maybe that is the purpose of designing, to explore issues that work and did not work then adjusting them to fit your students learning needs. Each instructor and learner will find things they like, and thing that they do not wish to include. This ultimately will reflect their personal course design.
All in all, the course was a challenge. I worked very hard to complete this course; I went through many devastating personal issues yet kept going. So I end this course knowing even though I had difficulties in the course and life, I prevailed.
It was great meeting everyone; we might cross paths again someday, until then, love life, live it well and live it with purpose.
Bye
