Monday, July 2, 2001

African Professors Learn Online How to Teach Online By SARAH CARR Title: "Teaching in the Online Environment." Institution: Walden University. Instructor: Ray Thron, a professor of health services. Course content: The course teaches professors at the University of Namibia, in Africa, about how to use technology and the Internet in teaching. It focuses on such issues as online grading and testing, in addition to surveying the different types of learning resources that are available online. Students are also briefed in the basics of instructional design. How delivered: The course is delivered online with one live session at the beginning, when students and professors can communicate through a high-speed video connection. Course requirements: Students are asked to respond to questions that the instructor posts and to participate in online discussions. Throughout the course, they also work on a long-term project to create some piece of online instruction. They are not required to create an entire course, but may share a lesson from a course they are working on, for instance. When offered: The course is taught over a period of 12 weeks on a rotating basis. Enrollment: Twenty students were enrolled the last time the course was offered. Unusual features: Mr. Thron says one of the challenges is teaching a course in pedagogy when his own classroom and teaching style is very different from that of the professors in Namibia. For instance, he says that his students are not always accustomed to fostering interaction and dialogue in their classrooms, and instead are used to simply lecturing. Instructor comment: "It has been really enjoyable for me to do this, primarily because I have enjoyed working with faculty members from a different country. By and large, I have found that we all have similar aspirations and that their interest is great in blending online learning and teaching activities into their regular curriculum." Easy-to-print version E-mail this article

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