How do we ensure that online learning is effective for all learners?

Jessica FarrisFall 2012

GOOD NEWS!

Students ages 8-18 years old spend over seven hours a day using entertainment media!

Why is this significant for teachers trying to create effective lessons? Please answer in the chat box.

THE LEARNER

In a traditional classroom we teach a variety of learners. We have students who range from gifted and talented to students with learning and physical disabilities.

What are some challenges you face in meeting the needs of all of your students in your current classroom?

ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO LEARN!

“Federal legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1990) mandates that exceptional learners with disabilities have access to curricular and learning opportunities equivalent to those available to students who are not disabled. This includes environments and courses for online learning. For other learners with exceptionalities, there many not be a federal mandate, but access to online environments is still the right thing to do (French, 2002)”

WHAT DO YOU THINK?When online learning was first implemented, teachers believed that it would never be as good as face-to-face learning. Many teachers still believe this despite the evidence that online learning provides as much success as the traditional classroom.

In the chat box, tell how you feel about online learning. Do you think this assumption could be applied to some groups of students (primary grades, graduate students, etc…) and not others, or is this assumption a “one size fits all approach?”

THE CHANGEDue to the continued rise in online education, there are several groups established to help ensure that all online students are successful.

• Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Consortium

http://wave.webaim.org

• National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)

• National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS)

What types of accommodations do you make for your students who struggle with reading?

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

Differentiated Instruction online is not that much different from differentiating instruction in a traditional classroom.

Remember to:• Present content in multiple ways• Allow for different models of student expression• Use multiple means for engaging students.

What are different online tools we can use to allow our students to express themselves? Think about some of the tools you use in your online courses or with your students.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

Representation:• Content presented in video, audio, slide show• Reading materials at multiple difficulty levels• Graphic representation (concept maps and graphic

organizers)• Illustrative representation (diagrams and simulations)

Engagement:• Interviewing experts• Role- playing• Threaded discussions• Brainstorming activities• Team inquiry project• Online experiments• Game Playing

ACCESSIBILITYTo meet the needs of all learners, online courses should be accessible.

A course is accessible when it can be successfully navigated and the student benefits from the contents on the different pages.

Is your homepage accessible?Do you have a statement to indicate your commitment to

accessibility?Does your site give information on how students can request

accommodations?Do you have a statement to show how to obtain print

materials in alternate formats?

SUPPORTIVEWhen thinking of “exceptional learners” or students with disabilities there are two ways to support online learning.

1. Design online courses that match specific learning profiles.

Ask yourself, “What would a course look like if it were designed for a specific population of exceptional learners?”

2. Design the course to meet the needs of individuals learners.

SPECIFIC LEARNERS• Physical Disabilities: mobility switches and alternative keyboards

• Visual Disabilities: computer-screen enlargers, text to speech, and screen readers

• Hearing Disabilities: electronic sign-language dictionaries and signing avatars

• Learning Disabilities: calculators and spellcheckers

WEB DESIGN• Instructors should act as facilitators • Use a variety of presentation styles

• Hands- on problems

• Frequent testing

• Clear feedback

• Available help screens

REMEMBER:

Information is not learning!

What does this mean in terms on online instruction?

Your online students should not feel like this if you are using effective online teaching strategies!

REFERENCESAsh, K. (2011, August 24) At-Risk Students Face E-Learning Challenges. Education Week, 31(01), s16. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=Gale%7CA266147488&v=2.1

Cavanaugh, Cathy, and Robert L. Blomeyer. What works in K-12 online learning. Eugene, Or.: International Society for Technology in Education, 2007. Print.

"Learning: Engage and Empower." US Department of Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010/learning-engage-and-empower>.

Singh, Harvey. "Building Effective Blended Learning Programs." Educational Technology 43.6 (2003): 51-54. Print

Swan, K. (2003). Learning effectiveness: what the research tells us. In J. Bourne & J. C. Moore (Eds) Elements ofQuality Online Education, Practice and Direction. Needham, MA: Sloan Center for Online Education, 13-45.