How will I manage my Web-based classroom:Week 3

Today I read the lecture and first reading material for week 3. I came to know that Text based systems can have certain limitations. An online course can offer much more than just the text. One can have illustrations, graphics, video and even online labs. One such amazing online chemistry lab is http://www.onlinechemlabs.com/. I was totally amazed by the advancement of technology. So we don’t need expensive labs in schools perhaps. No need to buy a white lab-coat anymore. I remember my chemistry teacher Ms Sunita Deewan never allowed us to enter the chemistry lab without a lab coat. On the day of final lab exam in grade 11, I forgot to bring my lab-coat. I took it home the day before to get it washed. First Ms Sunita didn’t let me in the lab but when I requested she let me take the exam but she deducted my 10 marks!! I can never forget that silly mistake of mine. But now you needn’t remember to take lab coats. You can sit in your couch and do chemistry lab practical. WOW!

Lecture 3 explains the basic tools used in the Web-based classroom. Here are my views on how would I implement a Web-based classroom:

·         How would you (the instructor) ensure that you would have enough personal contact with your students to discover their individual needs?

Research shows that Email and Texting are students’ two most common electronic communication tools with 75% of students classifying themselves as frequent email users and 74% of students classifying themselves as frequent texters. Thus, I would use email to remain in contact with my students.

·         How would you respond to those needs? I would provide feedback and scaffold student’s learning.

·         How would you objectively assess students' attainment of learning objectives? I’ll use tools like self-assessment, journals, collaborative skills and  peer-assessment methods.

·         By what means will you assess student participation? The kind of reflections, peer assessment, online materials learnt and applied to asynchronous discussions will help me in assessing the participation

·         How will you encourage students to communicate directly with the you (both privately and publicly)? How will you encourage students to communicate with each other? How can you implement "team learning" strategies and accomplishment of small group discussions or projects?

·         Will synchronous interactions be an important part of your course? How do you view the split between asynchronous and synchronous interactions? No, I think I will not include synchronous discussion. Asynchronous interaction enables groups that are separated in time and space to engage in the active production of shared knowledge" (Gunawardena, Lowe, & Anderson, 1997, p. 410). Asynchronous discussion enables students to work independent of time constraints. It also encourages reflection, metacognitive processes, and articulation of students' own learning.

These views are, I would say, are in infancy. I’m pretty sure as I move forward in the MS OTL course, my thought process and views will mature.

Reference:

Vonderwell, Selma., Liang, Xin., Alderman, Kay.. "Asynchronous Discussions and Assessment in Online Learning." Journal of Research on Technology in Education. 01 Apr. 2007: 309. eLibrary

. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.