The platform you use choose for delivering online instruction is going to be critical to shaping the learning experience of students. Content management software (system) offers the equivalent to a physical classroom to online learners (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Often, the choice of content management system (CMS) is determined by the institution offering the course. Fortunately, there are many great CMS choices available to individuals and institutions. Several companies even offer free classroom hosting. My favorite CMS is Canvas by Instructure, a web-based CMS. Canvas offers both free and paid accounts and will match the needs of their clients. Moodle, which is an open source CMS, and Coursesites by Blackboard are two other commonly chosen options. All three offer similar features and are relatively easy to use for both the learners and instructor.
As I noted previously on my blog, discussion forums are the centerpiece of the online classroom and are instrumental in forming online learning communities. Learning communities in turn help students become invested in learning and help with student retention (Palloff & Pratt, n.d.). One of the keys features to look for when selecting a CMS is ability for students to engage in threaded discussion within the course. Many content management systems also offer students chat features and other collaboration tools built into the software. These tools foster a sense of community amongst students and aid learning outcomes (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Other common CMS tools are course announcements, assignments, file sharing, embedded multimedia files, grade books, and quizzes. With so many built-in tools, new instructors may want to focus on learning the essential parts of the CMS first (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). That doesn’t mean that those are the only technologies available to use with online classes.
There are a couple of considerations to keep in mind when deciding on which technologies to use in an online class. Although Boettcher and Conrad (2010) note that meeting the needs of learners without overwhelming them is the primary concern in choosing which technologies to use, I would argue that the instructor’s comfort level with each technology might be even more important. It does not matter how comfortable students are with the technology if the instructor does not know how to use them. Conversely, a good instructor can build in time for students to learn new technologies. Conlan, Grabowski, and Smith (2003) point out that the online learning needs to be learner centered. This means that the technologies used must be user friendly to everyone in the class. This is a big reason why Canvas is my favorite CMS. Canvas is full featured yet simple to set up and to use.
So, what other technologies might merit inclusion in an online course? Messaging systems with push technology, which update automatically, are great for keeping everyone updated on course events (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Facebook, Twitter, text messaging, and email all appear on our devices automatically. I am old and am still stuck on text messaging. However, I recently collaborated on a project using Facebook and can see the why many people are choosing it. The near instantaneous nature of message exchanges and ease with which groups can be formed make collaboration easy for Facebook users. To me there are no one size fits all choices here. To ensure that every learner has their needs met multiple approaches should be used. One is way to do this is to simply create the message in a document, then copy it to various platforms. Plain old fashion phone calls are another tool instructors and students should consider using when the need for quick and clear communication arises. These technologies cover the basic needs of an online course more than adequately (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010).
Group projects may require additional collaboration tools beyond those discussed already. Real-chat offers multiple students the opportunity for rapid exchange of ideas and scripts can be recorded and shared with those who were unable to attend the chat session, as suggested by Boettcher and Conrad (2010). Wikis and Google Docs offer students the ability to collaborate on documents online. Skype and other services allow class participants to videoconference. Prezi allows users collaborate and share presentations online. I anticipate that YouTube Channels, which can host and distribute video presentations, will be increasingly used in online learning.
In this brief overview I have touched on a plethora of online technologies that can be used in online learning. I am a big believer in sticking to the bare essentials when using technology in teaching. Simple is better. Palloff and Pratt (n.d.) agree with me on this point. They advise instructors to only include the technologies that make sense and increase learning outcomes (Palloff & Pratt, n.d.). Although many of us enjoy great broadband Internet access, some parts of the country and many parts of the world still rely on dial-up. Mobile technology is rapidly becoming the most popular way for students to access online learning (Palloff & Pratt, n.d.). Instructional designers and online instructors must be mindful that technology not become a barrier to learning. The technology selected must be simple to use for both the instructors and learners and must foster the creation of an online community. Of course the technology chosen should meet the learners at their level. If chosen carefully, it can also engage and motivate the learner.
Thanks for reading. Please share your feedback.
Marc
References
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on earning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved March 26, 2012, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning.
Canvas by Instructure. Retrieved October 3, 2013 from http://www.instructure.com.
Coursesites by BlackBoard. Retrieved October 3, 2013 from www.coursesites.com.
- Retrieved October 3, 2013 from https://moodle.org.
Palloff, R. and Pratt, K. (n.d.). Enhancing the Online Experience. Presented for Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved September 30, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3466249_1%26url%3D.
Palloff, R. and Pratt, K. (n.d.). Launching the Online Experience. Presented for Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved September 30, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/ webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3466249_1%26url%3D.
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