Transitioning from F2F to Online
Learning
How
difficult can a transition from a F2F learning environment be to an online
learning space? If this question is answered from the learner’s point of view,
it is possible to spot some difficulties students can face in the migration: a)
time management, b) autonomous learning, c) success orientation, and d) the
role of the instructor.
In
terms of time management, the student needs to prioritize his/her
curricular and extracurricular activities. Managing one’s time is a need in any
learning situation, whether that is a F2F or online class. The most important
difference in this particular situation is that the learner can be on his own
much of the time and some sort of agenda can help him/her to meet deadlines. Procrastination
is indeed the greatest enemy to defeat when taking a blended learning or a 100%
online course.
Can
a student achieve autonomous learning? A learner does not need to be
in a hybrid or online course to realize that the power of learning lies within his/her
brain. Fully comprehending one’s learning preferences and fully profiting from
them are possible tasks to accomplish. Self-discovering the way one favors
learning is vital to achieve learning; the fact that an instructor is not with
him/her all the time is a great challenge that confronts the learner with the
vast possibilities of learning on one’s own. A teacher can be and is a great
guide, but with that guidance learning can be attained exponentially and beyond
the course boundaries.
With
the proper guidance and being success-oriented, the learner will always be able
to achieve his/her learning goals as well as the course’s objectives. Success orientation is the sense
of accomplishment that should reside in the student’s mind. This sense can be
the intrinsic or extrinsic motivation that governs a student’s desire for
learning and becoming a successful professional in the short or long run. Such
a sense of accomplishment needs to be always nourished by instructors to
trigger some positive, long-lasting, and meaningful learning outcomes in their
pupils.
Learning
outcomes can also be achieved by understanding the role of the instructor in an online course. It is
imperative that learners comprehend the real role of a teacher. An instructor
is not the only source of information and learning. Although the teacher can be
the starting point, tasks, activities, etc. can also foster learning. Besides
being an initial source of information, it is also essential to understand that
instructors are not meant to be 24/7 for online or hybrid students. There will
be a time for them to ask questions, and a time for their teachers to answer.
Let it be borne in mind that communication is vital in this (semi-) virtual
teaching/learning environment. Data and questions-answers must be canalized
properly to ensure effective communication.
To
conclude, student transitioning from F2F learning environments to online
virtual learning spaces is indeed a challenge for both actors involved in
education: the instructor and the learner, but it is worthwhile. If a student
is able to maximize his/her learning time, to learn autonomously, to guide
his/her learning successfully, and to understand his/her roles as well as the
instructor’s, s/he is more than ready to embark him/herself into a
self-discovery of powerful and meaningful learning that can take him/her way
beyond the course boundaries and major.
E To fully develop and
comprehend this teaching issue, it’s advisable to research and expand these
areas:
1
|
Blended
and hybrid learning
|
2
|
Time
management and online learning
|
3
|
The
role of instructors in online learning
|
4
|
The
learner’s role in blended and online education
|
5
|
Autonomous
learning in blended education
|
Professor
Jonathan
Acuña-Solano
ELT
Instructor & Trainer based in Costa Rica
Freelance ELT Consultant four OUP in
Central America
For
further comments or suggestions, reach me at:
@jonacuso –
Twitter
Other blogs and sites I often write for my students at
the university are:
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the article, feel free to do it here.
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