With a decade s online teaching experience, in this presentation I will outline successes, challenges, strategies and methods for engaging students online, as well as explore online teaching trends. Andragogical teaching/learning strategies will be used to stimulate thought about the discourse and encourage participatory reflexivity.
Universities have responded to changing demographics, technological developments and cultural shifts by diversifying content delivery, using new interface methods, and recognising adult education as a co-creation of learning. An online ontology equips students for diverse futures, develops digital literacy skills, and makes study possible for varying demographics, while meeting accessibility requirements. Research suggests students enjoy blended learning methods (Uur, Akkoyunlu & Kurbanolu, 2011), and trends point to steady increases in online study modes.
Online learning accentuates the Knowlesean concept of self-directed learning, where the learner makes decisions about content, methods, resources and evaluation (TEAL, 2019). Because we learn best by doing, educators need to look for opportunities to introduce interactivity. With ongoing cultural, theoretical and technological changes, my approach as an educator is necessarily dynamic and responsive. Teaching is not just something we do; it s an active learning process for all involved.
TEAL Center (Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy). n.d. TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 11: Adult Learning Theories. LINCS, access resources for state adult education staff. Retrieved from https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-initiatives/teal/guide/adultlearning
Uur, B., Akkoyunlu, B., & Kurbanolu, S. (2011). Students' opinions on blended learning and its implementation in terms of their learning styles. Education and Information Technologies, 16(1), 5 23. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/10.1007/s10639-009-9109-9