Summary:
Bailey & Card set out to determine the voice of experience from award-winning South Dakota e-learning instructors. Below are the highlights of their findings. Their article is one of the best literature reviews on the subject for succinct efficient communication. Highly fruitful, well researched, well-written, and among the higher-caliber articles on the topic.
Citation-worthy:
"Chickering and Gamson (1987) conducted a meta-analysis of the research on effective teaching practices and identified seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. These seven
principles have been identified as effective pedagogical practices for online teaching as well (Brew, 2008; Morris & Finnegan, 2008–2009; Palloff & Pratt, 2005; Young, Cantrell, & Shaw, 2001).
1. Encourage contacts between students and faculty in and out of classes.
2. Learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race.
3. Active learning is encouraged in classes that use structured exercises, challenging discussions, team projects, and peer critiques.
4. Students need appropriate and timely feedback on their performance to benefit from courses.
5. Learning to use one's time well is critical for students and professionals alike.
6. Communicate higher expectations.
7. Provide a diverse delivery system" (Bailey & Card, 2009, pp. 152-153)
"Researchers have also noticed that the effective instructor has evolved from the role of teacher to being a facilitator, which has influenced pedagogical practices both in traditional face-to-face
classes as well as in online classes. Alison King (1993), professor of education at California State University, first coined the phrase “from sage on the stage to guide on the side” to describe this development" (Bailey & Card, 2009, p. 153).
"Palloff and Pratt (2005) stressed the importance of “allowing students the opportunity to work together to create knowledge and meaning, rather than providing facts and information that they memorize and retain in some fashion. The former provides the opportunity for the development of critical thinking skills, whereas the latter may not” (p. 126)" (Bailey & Card, 2009, p. 153).
"Morris and Finnegan (2008–2009) used Berge's (1995) taxonomy to evaluate different roles novices and experienced faculty used in online teaching: a social role, a pedagogical role, a management role,
and a technological role. Novice teachers predominately used the management role, giving directions on assignments and referrals for technical or tutorial assistance. Students reported a need to be “told
that time on task matters, both where they go in a course and how often, matters” (Morris & Finnegan, 2008–2009, p.57). Students appreciate the structure and organization that online instructors
provide to facilitate online discussions by providing topic headings for specific assignments and discussions (Brew, 2008). Effective online teachers make learning resources and instructional activities available to students instead of just providing instruction (Carr-Chellman & Ducastel, 2001; Palloff & Pratt, 2003). In comparison to the novice instructors, more experienced instructors used all four of Berge's roles to engage students and increase their success in teaching the course (Morris & Finnegan, 2008–2009). They performed the social role by welcoming students and encouraging them to share photos and experiences. They also demonstrated understanding and flexibility in recognizing the challenges that online students may encounter. In another study, online students reported that effective online teachers strive to establish relationships and will do whatever is necessary to make the online class a successful learning environment (Young et al., 2001). Experienced instructors focused on their pedagogical roles, providing prompt course-related feedback and encouraging students to engage in the course content and with each other. Morris and Finnegan (2008–2009) suggested pairing novice faculty with experienced instructors so the novices could learn how to more effectively use pedagogical and social practices in their online teaching" (Bailey & Card, 2009, p. 153).
"Interestingly, studies that compared the amount of time instructors spend teaching online and teaching in the classroom discovered there was no difference (Hislop & Ellis, 2004).
Hislop and Ellis (2004) found that when instructors teach an online course, their time is “more fragmented in nature” and occurs over more days in comparison to those in a face-to-face class where the instructor interacts and responds to students' questions within the boundaries of the class period (p. 27)" (Bailey & Card, 2009, p. 153).
"Findings ...
[1] Fostering relationships ... Instructors stressed the importance of fostering relationships... [looking at] every email ... [as] another opportunity. ...
[2] Engagement [involving] ... e-mails, class discussion boards ... discussion question responses ... student biographies and student group projects. ...
[3] Timeliness ... returning graded assignments promptly, frequently checking e-mails and responding to questions. ...
[4] Communication ... demonstation that you're willing to communicate with them and that you care about them. ...
[5] Organization ... utilizing the course management software tools, ... links ... and other supplemental course materials, and having all course materials available to students by the first day of class.
[6] Technology ... using a wide-variety of technological tools to deliver course materials to assist with student learning. ...
[7] Flexibility ... having the ability to adapt ... [to] system delays, ... accessibility, e-mail reliability, and being able to work through communicating using only the written medium. ...
[8] High expectations ... defining course goals and learning objectives and clearly estabishing these expectations at the beginning and throughout the online course" (Bailey & Card, 2009, p. 154).
