Facilitating Online Learning and Building a Community of Learners

Question 1

An important role of the online teacher is________ teacher-learner dialogue as well as learner-learner dialogue

Answer 1

facilitating

Question 2

The _______ is a powerful medium for dialogic learning

Answer 2

Internet

Question 3

2 Types of Interaction in Online Courses

Answer 3

1. Asynchronous interaction
2. Synchronous interaction

Question 4

What interaction is appropriate for electronic mail?

Answer 4

private messages and individual consultations.

Question 5

What interaction is appropriate for discussion boards?

Answer 5

discussing topics that require reflection, analysis, and integration.

Question 6

What interaction is appropriate for chats?

Answer 6

socialization, conducting group meetings, demonstrating an observable skill (i.e., speech), orienting students, and consultations.

Question 7

any online ‘bulletin board’ where you can post messages and receive responses to messages you have posted.

Answer 7

discussion board

Question 8

In online forums, the discussion is_________ — that is, exchanges are arranged by topic and in the sequence in which they have been posted by participants so that it is apparent who has responded to specific messages for example

Answer 8

‘threaded’

Question 9

Exchanges in threaded discussions are usually focused on specific or well-defined __________

Answer 9

topics or questions

Question 10

Discussion questions may be formulated to:

Answer 10

○ Extract factual knowledge and information
○ Query students’ comprehension
○ Enable learners to apply what they have learned
○ Get learners to analyze information
○ Challenge the students to synthesize information
○ Have learners evaluate content and make judgments

Question 11

discussion topics should be linked to the ________and assessment (LTU 2008)

Answer 11

core content (e.g., lectures, readings)

Question 12

An online discussion can take the form of a _________ and the like

Answer 12

debate, a case discussion, small group discussion,

Question 13

Information provided by the discussion protocol or parameters of the discussion

Answer 13

1. how long the topic is up for discussion,
2. how often learners should participate,
3. whether the participation will be graded, and the assessment criteria if participation is graded.
4. minimum expectations of the quality of contributions to the discussion
5. netiquette guidelines

Question 14

Components of a discussion plan

Answer 14

1. Learning outcomes for each discussion topic
2. Specific discussion question/s per topic
3. Time allotted to the discussion
4. Criteria for assessing participation

Question 15

Responsibilities of the online teacher with regards to asynchronous discussions (Rohfeld and Hiemstra, 1995)

Answer 15

1. keeping discussions on track,
2. contributing special knowledge and insights,
3. weaving together various discussion threads and course components, and
4. maintaining group harmony.

Question 16

online teachers must also avoid________ the discussion as this could further inhibit learners from sharing their ideas.

Answer 16

‘over-facilitating’

Question 17

The main strengths of synchronous discussion are _________ of feedback

Answer 17

immediacy and spontaneity

Question 18

Building _______ is critical to student success in online environments.

Answer 18

learning communities

Question 19

“a sense that members have a belonging, members matter to one another and to the group and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together” (McMillan & Chavis, 1986, p. 9).

Answer 19

Sense of community

Question 20

three dimensions of an online community (Carabajal, Lapointe, & Gunawardena, 2003)

Answer 20

1. Technological: must allow group members to contribute knowledge; provide scaffolded assistance and the interaction tools needed to adequately relate concepts, experience, and knowledge; and provide a space for the group’s memory
2. task: includes the learning content, materials, resources, and activities used in the courses
3. social: degree of mutual caring and understanding among participants through frequent interaction

Question 21

“the ability of participants in the community of inquiry to project their personal characteristics into the community, thereby presenting themselves to others as ‘real people’” (p. 94).

Answer 21

social presence

Question 22

three categories contributing to the development of social presence among students:

Answer 22

1. emotional expression
2. open communication
3. group cohesion

Question 23

qualifications and skills of an Online Tutor/Facilitator of Learning Communities (InWent, 2009)

Answer 23

1. Content-related qualifications
2. Social competence
3. Communication skills

Question 24

Tasks of the Tutor/Facilitator of Learning Communities

Answer 24

1. Feedback
2. Motivation
3. Hosting
4. Management

Question 25

it is as close an approximation to face-to-face interaction as you will get in an online course (Pan and Sullivan 2005; Barnes 2003).

Answer 25

Chat

Question 26

The _______ of chat can be a significant factor in building online community

Answer 26

immediacy