In moving from theory to practice, I had to let go of any thought of the in-class classroom (at least at first.) This helped me get away from one thing I couldn’t let go of from F2F, which is the whole nature of the “syncronous” classroom. Anderson describes this hangup as necessary to let go of because ” it constrains participants in terms of a single time that learners and teachers must be present.” (Anderson, 348). To get past this concept, I needed to rethink how I looked at discussions, and looked at ways to get the same content across without relying on time as being a necessary component (other than the two week time period.
Anderson also discusses my attempt to combine some of the more transferable elements of the online course in describing some of his best practices. He states “many institutions, including Athabasca
University, are developing both paced and unpaced models of delivery to accommodate student learning preferences and needs. Within a single class, it is possible to offer optional synchronous activities…” (Anderson, 362). I’ve been able to integrate this into my course as their are some activities that require a synchronous component in discussion (you must post a response to a written assignment before you post comments on anothers).
It made me also curious after reading bits of Anderson’s book to explore what exactly they do at Athabasca, and direct from their website (http://www.athabascau.ca/aboutAU/). They break down barriers by:
- Time: Individualized study courses allow you to learn at your own pace. Flexible instruction frees you from the demands of specified class times and rigid institutional schedules. For undergraduate individualized study courses, there are no admissions deadlines; students may enrol year-round.
- Space: The University can be wherever you are, through individualized-study packages (student manual, study guide, textbook(s), and if appropriate CD-ROM, audiocassettes and videotapes) and the Internet.
- Past educational experience: Any person, 16 years of age or older, is eligible for admission to the University.
- Level of income: AU’s method of learning allows you to pursue part-time studies and a full-time career. No longer does a university education necessarily mean the loss of employment income.
- Recognizing prior learning: AU’s Prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) process permits you to seek credit for learning that you have acquired through your workplace or your life.
(excerpt from http://www.athabascau.ca/aboutAU/)
This has given me more to think about when it applies theory into practice. How can I take into account students who may not have the time to complete all the activities? How can I structure future courses to allow attendance at asynchronous times (i.e later start dates?)
Robert (4)
Sources:
Anderson, Terry. Teaching in an Online Learning Context. Retrieved 8/4/08 from
www.aupress.ca/books/Terry_Anderson/TerryAndersonEntireBook.pdf
Athabasca University. About Athabasca University. Retrieved 8/4/08 from
