All too soon, we arrived to the final week of the course! It felt like it was only yesterday when I signed up for the course. The ONL course has certainly shifted my ideas surrounding online learning, and consequently, how to teach effectively over the online platform.
At the start of the ONL journey, I considered the online platform to function similarly to a that of a physical space while teaching. My thoughts could not be more different now! The journey has been memorable, and welcomed, considering the restrictions of the pandemic. For several hours a week, my PBL group mates and I put our responsibilities aside and concentrate on the topic on hand, and engaged in spirited discussions. Now that I am on the final stages of the ONL journey, I come away with some very valuable information and experiences.
To me, the ONL course is successful because of the structure that it has adopted. I have come to realise how important structure is to online learning, and over the online platform. Everything has a place within the overall framework. This is no different from a physical class, but the parameters are different, and must be considered independently. Online platforms are not an extension of the physical space, and therefore online classes are not extensions of physical ones. To me, this is the most important lesson that I come away with!
One of the most relatable and useful topic we covered was Gilly Salmon’s Five Stage Model. I had thought little of preparing students specifically for the online platform in the past. I see now how important the first two stages of the Five Stage Model are to achieving efficacy in online teaching. The facilitators are perfect examples of how online learning/teaching can be achieved by providing appropriate guidance and just-the-right amount of information. Coming into the new semester, I am already implementing Salmon’s Five Stage Model for my online classes.
Lastly, the ONL course has done a phenomenally tremendous job is ensuring representation and diversity in PBL groups. My groupmates are from diverse disciplines, and we are from four different continents! Our vastly different disciplines provided material for fertile discussions, and varied viewpoints. Chatting with my PBL group twice a week was something I began looking forward to! Our PBL groupmates are keeping in touch, but I do miss our biweekly discussions. In gifting me these wonderful colleagues and friends from all over the world, I thank the ONL facilitators! I may have been initially hesitant at the start of the course, but I am certainly glad I made the choice to enrol!
