Preparation Ecosystem continued
Transitional support is critical for classroom to online shifts. Instructors need to provide a transition process. Students expect similar levels of support and direction (as they have in classrooms), and suddenly find themselves in an exploratory environment - a disorienting experience. (Is this a reason for the high drop out rates we have in elearning?). For example, one participant stated:
“I currently have a group of students, and during a recent feedback request, the responses were heavily centered on ‘I need an instructor to tell me what to do/think/know’. Usually, with most courses I've taught online, the number one concern relates to the changed role of the instructor in relation to student activity - e.g. - the instructor allows students to explore content...rather than giving the answer.”
This is not an issue only in online environments - anyone who takes a similar approach (exploratory learning) in a classroom has the same student responses. In a classroom, however, an instructor can still give the answers when students are frustrated with the ambiguity of exploration. Learning online, on the other hand, forces students to explore - putting them at the center of the learning experience.
I should expand my statement...in a classroom, during a lecture session students can ask and receive clarification immediately. This obviously isn't the only time learning happens, after all, much of the students time is spent reviewing notes and reading texts outside of the classroom lecture. If classroom students have questions outside of the lecture, they actually have less access to an instructor than do online learners (unless the instructor has an email/discussion forum or chat sessions scheduled).
Online, students do not receive information in lecture format. Information is acquired through exploration, so an instructor is often not present at the time the question arises (unless a synchronous format is used - instant messaging, or even a platform like HorizonLive) As such...the student may have to contact the instructor via email to have questions answered - which is not as rapid as asking an instructor a question during a lecture.
Students online can still receive answers to "ambiguity of exploration", but there may be a time delay versus a student in a classroom lecture (though, as stated above - the time in lecture is a small part of the classroom learning process - students online actually have greater access to instructors the rest of the time).
