Reflection on My Online Facilitation Skills

Presented by
Dreana Marshall-Stuart

to
Dr. Charmaine Mckenzie

for the course

The Essentials of Online Facilitation 2022

 
 My current teaching philosophy is based on probably the most widely accepted
approach to instructional motivation, Keller's (1983) ARCS model. ARCS is an acronym
that represents four motivational factors: getting learners' attention, keeping instruction
Relevant, giving learners confidence that they can learn the new skills, and maintaining
interest by providing learners Satisfaction. With different experiences in technology, I
have had different experiences in teaching and learning. But what remains constant is
my belief that while it is essential to gain the student's attention, the facilitator must be
able to maintain that attention throughout the course as the attitude of the learner plays
a large part in decisions made for the implementation of the instructional strategies.
Therefore, as a facilitator, I must come up with methods of incorporating the various
experiences of diverse learners, especially in terms of presenting students with relevant
examples and frequent feedback.  

From the resources here, I realize that one of the most important criteria for
creating online activities is to consider what knowledge and skill you want the learner to
have at the end of the course. It is essential to arrange all the activities at the start and
during the course in a logical order so that when the closing activities are introduced,
they will bring closure to the course. It will also make the other activities seem more
worthwhile to complete. I have done a course at UWI where the last activity had
absolutely nothing to do with the other activities, which was very disturbing.   I need to
know that everything I have done during the course was meaningful. I believe that one
of the first steps in beginning an e-learning environment is to ensure that it supports the
institution's aims and objectives.  It is also necessary that the instructor can provide
authentic learning experiences that will engage and motivate the students. 

My competencies allow me to work as an Instructional Designer, Course

Designer and Curriculum Development Specialist at a military training institute and
various tertiary institutions. I previously taught Information and Communication
Technology and have recently transitioned to designing and writing courses for the
online environment. I have over six years of experience in education,  designing and
developing instructional content for traditional on-campus courses, blended courses,
and fully online courses. I am keen on learning and utilizing new software technologies
to meet instructional goals and objectives. I have worked closely with faculty to bring
their courses online, and to enhance the usability and aesthetic qualities of their course
interfaces, multimedia presentations, learning objects and other instructional materials.
By I am aware there is so much more to learn. 

 This opportunity has arisen for me, who have been using computer technology
in my classes, looking more critically at how I can use that technology to improve the
effectiveness of my courses. Of course, this will mean developing pedagogically sound
online lessons before they can be used with students. By understanding this, I can
create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active
engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

 In my future as a facilitator, I hope to use the best practices I learned in these
courses to create effective icebreakers that will elicit information which will provide each
student with an idea of the person they are; and also allow the other students to have a
deeper insight into the people they are in class with.  I have also learned that
assignments should increase in complexity as the course progresses – this will allow
the students to adjust to their roles and responsibilities as online learners.  

As part of this reflection, I had to step back and ask,  what are the major best
practices for creating, maintaining and sustaining an online environment?   What is the
problem we were asked to solve?  What do our students need to learn?  Who is our
target audience?  What are their learning styles? What are the delivery options
available?  What constraints exist? 

If instruction seems to meet some personal need or goal of the student, then the
student would be more dedicated to remaining and excelling in the course. Wang et al.
(2001) concluded that when a group of students work together in a collaborative
learning environment, new knowledge is constructed through the social and intellectual
interaction between peers and experts. The learners' attitude plays a large part in
decisions made to implement the instructional strategies. 
 To build confidence, facilitators at the UWI can emphasize the likelihood of
success and stress realistic goals. Students can gain confidence in their abilities when
they experience success at challenging tasks. UWI facilitators should try to meet their
students' needs by encompassing as much different intelligence as possible in their
lesson plans. Different technology applications and activities can be planned to help
meet students varying needs and enhance individual strengths and weaknesses.

UWI facilitators can further maintain confidence in my students' ability to learn the
skills and knowledge through frequent reinforcement and prompting. Keller (1987)
identified feedback as a means to develop a student's confidence. Satisfaction can also
be gained by offering motivational feedback and rewarding students for their work.
 References

Keller, J. M. (1983). Motivational design of instruction. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.),

Instructional-design theories and models: An overview of their current status.
Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Keller, J. M., & Kopp, T. (1987). Applications of the ARCS model of motivational design.
In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional theories in action: Lessons illustrating
theories and models. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, Publisher.

Keller, J. M. & Suzuki, K. (1988). Use of the ARCS model in courseware design. In D.
H. Jonassen (Ed.), Instructional designs for computer courseware. New York:
Lawrence Erlbaum, Publisher.