E-Learning and Successful Online Teaching Strategies

Introduction

Many who transition from a traditional brick-and-mortar teaching environment into the online teaching environment hold the misconception that the two are essentially the same. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Teachers making this transition need to realize that significant changes are required in the way they present lessons, interact with students, and think about the educational process in order to succeed in this new medium. The following examines these areas of teaching and explores how teachers can enhance the online learning environment and make the endeavor a success.

Changing Relationships

The adoption of the e-learning environment requires some fundamental changes in the way teachers think about their relationships with students. In the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom, the student is a captive audience. Students must remain in the classroom and are compelled to be in a certain place at a certain time. They are told where and how to sit. In the e-classroom, the student has considerably more freedom of choice in these matters. They can get up when they wish, take a break when they wish, or even eat a snack while working. This places students in a different mindset than the traditional classroom allows — and it places the teacher in a different mindset as well. The e-classroom is much more relaxed than the traditional brick-and-mortar setting.

Student-teacher roles also differ in the e-classroom. In the brick-and-mortar classroom, the teacher presents information and students act as recipients of that information. Students have little choice in whether they receive the information or in the format used to present it. In the e-classroom, the student takes an active role in seeking information (Sweeney, 2005). They must choose to turn on the computer, open the lesson, and engage with the learning plan. The student in the e-classroom is a willing participant who must first seek to learn. It is, in fact, much easier to avoid turning on the computer than it is to cut class in a traditional setting.

The student must take a more active role in the learning process when engaged in e-learning (Arsham, 2007). Rather than having information presented in a lecture style, students must actively seek information and explore answers. They must examine websites, take online quizzes, and ask questions of the teacher when they do not understand something. The teacher cannot infer comprehension from a student's facial expression; the student must be the one to initiate communication when clarification is needed.

These basic differences are key to understanding that, although e-learning and brick-and-mortar settings are similar in many ways, they require a different mindset on the part of both the teacher and the student. Understanding these differences is essential to developing a successful e-learning experience. Not all teachers or students are suited for the e-learning environment. The teacher must be willing to give more autonomy to the student, and the student must be able to take more responsibility for the learning process. Both parties must recognize that learning in this environment is a partnership that differs from traditional teacher-student roles.

Changing Lesson Plans

In addition to recognizing that roles must change, teachers must also realize that what works in the brick-and-mortar classroom does not necessarily translate online. Transitioning a lesson plan to the e-learning environment requires that teachers critically evaluate their presentations and determine whether they will be effective in an online format. The content itself does not have to change — and in many cases cannot, due to state educational requirements — but the manner in which material is presented must change in order to be effective.

It is not enough to simply copy text to the screen (Arsham, 2007). To effectively translate material to the e-learning environment, teachers must be able to put themselves in the student's place — to think not as the sender of the message but as the receiver. They must critically examine their presentations from the student's perspective in order to successfully transition classroom material into the online environment.

One key consideration in translating material to the online classroom is awareness of the senses used to receive and process information (Broadbent, 2002). In the traditional classroom, students primarily receive information through hearing and sight, and the same holds true for the e-learning classroom. However, some classroom experiences enhance certain subjects — particularly science — by engaging other senses. A science experiment might involve smell or touch, experiences that are difficult to replicate in the online world.

One could create a video of an experiment, but this would still engage only two senses. If the goal is to provide students with a full sensory experience, there are only a limited number of ways to achieve this. Having students run an experiment at home is one option, but this approach has limitations. For a simple experiment using common household items, it may be feasible. However, if the experiment requires specialized equipment or compounds, students will not be able to experience the full sensory lesson. This is just one example of content that may not translate well into the online classroom.

Translating the full classroom experience into the online setting requires creativity. Teachers must often improvise to provide the richest experience possible. Visual aids and films are an excellent way to bring lessons into the online environment, but they must be designed to entice students to listen and to engage in active rather than passive learning. BrainPOP is one example of a website that does an excellent job of engaging students through animated content and interactive quizzes.