Online learning and teaching has been an area of interest for me since taking my first intro to online course back in 2005. I am a full-time mother and work on and off in social work. Online learning is ideal for people with a little more than full-time responsibilities such as myself. Traditional lecture can be non-personal, out-dated, and flat out boring. This is not fair for a person who learning style is different than most people. I personally learn better through hands-on experience.

Online courses provide an alternative to traditionalism. This concept ties into interacting with other classmates as well. Most of the time in lecture halls, it is customary to be silent during a lecture. However, most people would like to share their ideas with other students. This limits a student’s ability to explore new ideas that are potentially able to form into theories.
On the other side of the spectrum of learning, teaching has its various forms. Online teaching is rather unique. It seems to me that an online instructor is more of a mediator/facilitator than a traditional professor. There are many things that an online instructor must do to insure student achievement and satisfaction but I will name three:

· Instructors must initiate and maintain motivation and participation of every student enrolled in the course.
· Instructors need to insure that he/she participates in the course just as much or more than the students. There is nothing more discouraging than a teacher demanding assignments be completed on-time and offer no means of assistance or suggestions.
· Instructors have to find and gather course appropriate materials.

With this online course, I hope to learn a few things. I always wondered about the intricacies of preparing an online course. Are there models that instructors follow? Is there a rating that the instructors must meet for the university? What kind of leeway are instructor allowed to give students as far as discussion boards, assignments, and grading is concerned? I want to learn where to collect course necessary resources. Most of all, learning how to effectively communicate with every student is an essential objective. ‘High touch’ techniques intrigued me once I read the article.

Links:
High Tech High Touch
http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/view/v2n7/hightouch.htm

"High Touch" in a "High Tech" World: Strategies for Individualizing Online Learning
http://www.ecollege.com/Newsletter/EducatorsVoice/EducatorsVoice-Vol3Iss4.learn

In reflection on my blog about online learning and teaching, I expect to gain new insight on how to share my joy about the online courses and in turn develop a new understanding on the mere concept of learning online.