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Orientation
needs . . .
of
Instructors
It
must be assumed that an instructor undertaking the task of teaching
an online course possesses intermediate computer skills at the
very least. There must be means provided by the software developers
to familiarize potential instructors with the tools available
to them.
The
following are means that could be utilized to orient instructors
to the software and tools available:
- online
tour
- guided
tutorial
- samples
of best practices
- frequently
asked questions
- easy
access or online and phone support
- printable
user documentation available
- instructor
led training available from company
- production
of instructional and related materials on a fee basis
of
Learners
Learners
enrolling in an online course must have access to an established
level of technology to take part in the course. They must also
possess the level of comuter skills dictated by the nature of
the course that they wish to take. The potential learners should
be trained in needed skills or screened to determine the likelihood
of their success in an online course.
The
following are the means that could be used to familiarize students
with the online environment and determine their suitability
for taking a particular course online.
- pre-admission
prerequisite check and screening (well-designed pre-admission
screening will greatly reduce future frustration)
- online
tour
- guided
tutorial
- frequently
asked questions
- easy
access or online and phone support
- access
to instructor via email and/or phone
- printable
user documentation available
The
approach to orientation . . .
for
Instructors and Learners
Orientation is a key component of the e-education software.
The orientation button is second in position on the navigation
bar. The orientation menu is organized in a logical and easy
to read fashion. (Fig. 1)
The
orientation menu is also the help menu. This is an efficient
way of doing things, but orientation should be less rigorous
than the normal help menu.
There
is a guided tour of a generic course that is accessible from
the e-education web
site. There are separate tours here for learners and instructors.
The
primary tool for development of content is software called 'Course
Builder'. Figure 2 shows
a typical layout of an orientation screen.
Home
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Resources | Status
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