This morning’s read: E-Tutoring: Teaching, Supporting, Managing and Assessing Students Online
Here are my responses to some of the questions posed on their website:
What would it mean to you for your students to be “empowered” by online learning?
It would mean that students can learn at anytime and anywhere, as long as they have some sort of learning device and an internet connection.
They can attain mastery as they can practice repeatedly and gain immediate feedback.
They can help themselves and help each other through platforms such as forums.
What are the emerging learning needs for experts in your discipline, how might these change the emphasis of existing course objectives and how might online learning support these?
I think we need to learn how to design curriculum with e-learning in mind. There is definitely a question of how to teach practical skills (such as cooking) online, or even more challenging, how do you assess those practical skills online?
What are your personal opportunities and concerns for e-learning and e-tutoring?
Opportunities – I see e-tutoring (or teaching online / HBL) as an opportunity to expand my skillset. The website mentions that a good face-to-face teacher may not necessarily be a good online tutor, even if the technical abilities are added. I also see e-tutoring as a way of expanding my reach with my teaching.
Concerns – I have often heard Web 2.0 applications being likened to a microphone. It will amplify whatever voice is put to it, whether the singer is good or bad. I am concerned that if I am not so competent in my online teaching, that this will be magnified in some way.
Lee Xiu Ping 