Role Change: The Ever Changing Role of the

Online Instructor

Cynthia Sistek-Chandler,

Associate Professor, National University

Hoppy Chandler, Educator,

iHigh Virtual Academy,

San Diego Unified School District

Introductions

Cynthia Sistek-Chandler, Ed D

http://bit.ly/18VDiiU

cchandler@nu.edu

Mr. Hoppy Chandler

hoppyc1@netscape.net

Online education should be built on

a highly interactive model, one that promotes social presence, helps establish relationships among all stakeholders, and encourages the creation of a learning community.

(Sistek-Chandler & Serdyukov, 2012)

Role Change

The focus of this presentation and subsequent paper is focused on the

roles of an online educator.

Based on definitions by Stephen Downes (2010) and T. C. Smith

(2005), there are a myriad of roles and responsibilities for the online

educator.

Key Points

Brief Demographics in Online Learning (US and Worldwide)

Four Roles (Downes, 2012) Theoretical Framework and Categorization

of Online Educator's Roles Research Activity: Best Practices in Online

Facilitation

FTF versus Online versus Blended

Teaching face-to-face and teaching online are both teaching, but they are qualitatively different. In comparison, driving a car and riding a motorcycle are both forms of transportation, but they have enough differences to warrant additional training and preparation when switching from one to the other. The same is true when faculty move from the traditional classroom to the online classroom.

Commonalities, unique attributes, differences?

FTF versus Online versus Blended

What are unique attributes, commonalities, what are the distinct differences?

Blended Versus Online

Teacher Forecast by 2015

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/05/how-many-teachers-will-we-need-by-2015/

Online Students

Number of Online students K12 (2000) 45,000 students 2010, 4 million- formal online learning Since 2010, Pre-K through 12 online

population growth 43 percent Higher Education (Half of all Post-

secondary students will take at least one online course in their college experience by 2014).

Online Educators Projections K12

http://www.onlineschools.com/in-focus/k-12-blended-learning.html

Online and Blended Learning: A Survey of Policy and Practice of K-12 Schools Around the World, International Association for K-12 Online Learning, November 2011

Online Education Higher Ed

Over 6.7 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2011.

Thirty-two percent of higher education students now take at least one course online.

Babson Survey Research Group & the College Board U.S.

Agency for Standards iNacolInternational Association for K12 Online Learning

Online instructors Keeping Pace with K-12 Online and Blended Learn

ing (2012)

Held to standards through quality assurance measures

Pedagogical strength and hold professional qualifications

Quality Online Teaching http://vimeo.com/channels/qualityonlineteachingKey Points

Discussion BoardSynchronous Discussion

What are the roles of the

Online Instructor?

Four Roles (Downes, 2010)

1.Instructor2. Social Director

3. Program Manager

4. Technician

Four Roles (Downes)

1. Instructor

2.Social Director

3. Program Manager

4. Technician

Four Roles (Downes)

1. Instructor

2. Social Director

3.Program Manager

4. Technician

Four Roles (Downes)

1. Instructor

2. Social Director

3. Program Manager

4.Technician

Attributes of an Online InstructorSmith (2005) identifies and describes 51 competencies

needed by online instructors, among them: Create a warm and inviting atmosphere that promotes the

development of a sense of community among participants Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students Develop relationships Encourage contacts between students and faculty Mandate participation. Step in and set limits if participation

wanes or if the conversation is headed in the wrong direction Model good participation Teach students about online learning Most of all have fun and open yourself to learning as much

from your students as they will learn from one another and from you!

How the Roles are Changing?

Reliance on content quality and updating of resources Instructional designer, the

instructor in many cases needs to be able to curate content from a variety of sources.

Facilitation skills Planned Synchronous

Discussions Building your flat classroom

with Global Connections

Purveyor of ContentOnline Facilitator Online Orchestral Director

The online instructor orchestrates more than assessment of student work, they masterfully coordinate, curate, construct, and create the experience between instructor and student, student to student, student to text, and student to community.

Virtual Choir by Eric Whitacre, Water Nighthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3rRaL-Czxw

5 Roles (Sistek-Chandler & Chandler, 2013)

1. Orchestral Director

2. Psycho-Social Director1. Empathy and cultural understanding

2. Relationship development

3. Understand the basis of social division (Stuart, 2013)

3. Online Instructor Co-Learner (Bull, 2013)

4. Coach (Bull, 2013 and Bray, 2002)

5. Mentor of Applied Learning and Knowledge Construction

What Works in Online Education?

Knowledge Construction

Online Community of Inquiry Relationships (Research Serdyukov & Sistek-Chandler, 2012)

85% of respondents believe that relationships in the class affect the outcome of student learning.

67% agree online learning promotes relationships in the class, while 31% disagree; this reflects previous opinions of the social/asocial character of this educational format.

88% believe online classes should be personalized in the way that students develop more personal relationships in the class with the peers and with the instructor;

86% believe instructors need to establish empathy, emotions, and personal relationships in an online class. This is an important recommendation for practicing online educators.

Points to Remember about the Online Instructional Role

Social Emotional Environment

Role of Relationships

Move from Impersonal to more Personal

Interactivity is the Key

Communication needs to be clear and concise

Teacher Roles in the Blended Classroom (e2020)

Monitor Coach Mentor Teach

How are you going to encourage engagement, deep learning, and interactivity?

1. One technique to try

2. A second

3. A third

COI Model Communication

(Rourke, Anderson, Garrison, & Archer, 2001).

Online education should be built on

a highly interactive model, one that promotes social presence, helps establish relationships among all stakeholders, and encourages the creation of a learning community.

(Sistek-Chandler & Serdyukov, 2012)

References

Babson Research Group and the College Board (2012). Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United Stateshttp://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/changing_course_2012

Barbour, M.K., Brown, R., Waters, L.H., Hoey, R., Hunt, J., Kennedy, K., Ounsworth, C., Powell, A., & Trimm, T., iNACOL,Online and Blended Learning: A Survey of Policy and Practice of K-12 Schools Around the World, International Association for K-12 Online Learning, November 2011.

Bull, B. (June 3, 2013). Higher Ed Teaching Strategies Newsletter/Blog. Magna Publications,http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/eight-roles-of-an-effective-online-teacher/

Christensen, C.M., Horn, M. B. & Johnson, C. W. Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008), 91.

Downes, S. (2012). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-downes/the-role-of-the-educator_b_790937.html

e2020, Role of Online and Blended Instructor.

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-105. pdf Full Text

Sistek-Chandler, C. M. & Serdyukov, P. (2012). Online Learning, Less Personal, More Social? Published Abstract, WCCE, 2013.

Smith, T. C., “Fifty-One Competencies for Online Instruction”, Journal of Educators Online, (2)2, (2005)