Strategies+To+Encourage+Active+Online+Learning

**What are the biggest differences in facilitating in an online environment compared to face-to-face? What are the key skills needed to facilitate in the online environment? **  Face-to-face classes offer **immediacy** –



Just as in a musical performance, a group psychology emerges from the live experience. Teachers and students adapt and respond more as a group to each other. This may offer the opportunity to be more flexible with regard to curriculum. Online classes tend to follow a more rigorous standard, and are dependent on individual report driven data. Teacher response is more individualized. Online learning is also suited to documenting individual responses to discussions and learning prompts. The individual learner is accountable for input developed without the benefit of the face-to-face setting. One of the key skills needed to facilitate an online class includes being able to respond to **diversity** in learners.



<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">For example, one student may write few words but drive right to the heart of the philosophy of the prompt, and another may write many words relating personal experiences, but not address what the learning prompt is drawing on. The facilitator must support all students in a manner that helps them extend their personal knowledge. The facilitator must also be able to develop quality tutorials with **feedback** and explanations for more in-depth concepts. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">As a mathematics teacher I know from experience that if I simply present an algorithm for students to memorize and then give some workbook type problems to work through, interest level remains low. In contrast, if I assign a team of students a project to work on, for example, to design and build a model house, and require the team to log everything they have used mathematically to accomplish the task, interest and learning will be extended. The facilitator must also offer **“office hours”**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">so they can be contacted by students in person for individual tutoring or guidance, and facilitators also need to be able to communicate expectations in a clear manner.