Implementing an Online Learning Program
eDOT has developed a series of five articles that address issues organizations or ministries should answer prior to implementing an online program.
View the article “Solving a Problem”
In this article, eDOT will offer guidance and suggestions about the choice of an LMS and infrastructure based on our experience and the experience of other ministries.
This is the second out of five articles designed to help your ministry in implementing an online learning program.
View the article “Choosing a Learning Management System”
Of the topics explored in this series, the preparation of instructors for online learning may be the most significant component. The importance of well-prepared instructors for the online learning environment cannot be overstated. It is safe to say that a mediocre online course can be made a great learning experience given a well-equipped online facilitator. However, even a well-designed and well-implemented online course can have dismal results if the facilitator is not prepared or equipped for the online learning environment. It should not be assumed that because an instructor has classroom teaching experience that the person will make a good instructor online. Certainly there are teaching practices that carry over from a classroom to the online learning environment. However, there are significant differences between teaching in a classroom and teaching online. These differences must be recognized and appreciated, and instructors should be prepared for the changes that are necessary as teaching moves online.
This preparation of instructors for the online learning experience is a vast topic. When this author learned the techniques, skills, and methods to become an online facilitator, it was through a series of online courses that spanned nine months and the reading of thousands of pages of texts. The best practices of preparing to teach online can only be summarized in this article. It is our goal in this article to give guidance to instructors for further preparation.
View the article “Preparing Instructors for Online Learning”
View the article “Instructional Design for Online Learning”
To begin the discussion, a question must be posed: is online learning for everybody? The short answer is no. Online courses are not suitable for every student. Simply put, some students will thrive in the online learning environment and other students will fail online. This may not always be attributed as a failure of instructional design, but of student preparation. This article serves to help ministries distinguish the different types of students and decide what to do with those groups, i.e., how to prepare each of these groups for the online learning experience. This article also goes into detail about ways to assess the potential students and what the ministry can provide to help the potential students reach the level of preparation they need in order to successfully complete online learning courses.
View the article “Student Preparation for Online Learning”