Building Trust in a Virtual Classroom

As I embarked on my first on line course nearly three years ago, I wasn't able to escape the uncertainties that plaque many new students. Was I smart enough? Would I understand the content? Could I keep up with the workload? Could I articulate the thoughts related to the content in writing? When I stepped back to analyze what I was thinking and feeling, I realized I was experiencing a whole host of emotions, that I later found out, are experienced by many students new to on line learning. That initial self-discovery has been the catalyst for two and a half years of research related to the 'soft-side' of on line learning.

What emotions do learners new to virtual classrooms experience? How do these emotions differ from those experienced in the traditional face to face classroom? Are there critical characteristics that must be ever present in the virtual classroom to make it successful?
I want to take a moment to explore one element that is an absolute necessity in all types of learning environments and that is -- trust.

I recently heard an analogy that related building trust to building a savings account (I call it a Trust Fund) Over time, people interact in certain ways which we either agree and therefore trust is deposited in the Fund. When we don't agree with actions, or they don't follow through, the Trust Fund is decremented. Interesting thing about trust is that in general it is built over time, but it can be wiped out quite easily. That is, unless you have a very solid Fund Manager!

Trust can be tenuous at best in a classroom setting so in a virtual environment we as facilitators need to be extra sensitive to the plight of students. In an online environment, I'm unable to, even sub-consciously, read the visual cues that are being displayed by students. I'm totally reliant on the screen in front of me to read the written word. I am unable to see smiles or frowns of the author or recipient of the post. This is how many misunderstandings occur. Folks reading this, you get my point. Yet there are numerous proven strategies for working through the lack of visual cues in on line learning and facilitate personal and community building in on line environments. Those strategies will be the focus of my next blog and perhaps one focus of my Capstone.

I'll revisit this when I have some links to articles to post.

From a different perspective...

The evidence is telling, it's a fact, one I'm both okay with, yet ponder, that is, I'm not a teacher.

I've never managed a K - 12 Classroom, and probably never will. I've never experienced the pressure of school aged students hoovering around me, all asking questions of me at the same time. The thrill, the pressure, I've not been there. Yet I've long admired, and respected, those who have the gift of handling that sort of pressure. The curriculum, the parents, the kids, the lesson plans, the tests, the grades....how do they do it all. But despite the fact that I'm not a teacher:

• I am a trainer who has developed curriculum to support adult learners.
• I've worked with teachers to help them develop programs for grant funding.
• I am passionate about schools of choice.
• I constantly look at experiences as learning opportunities.
• I understand the learning beyond the results of a test.
• I realize that learning which occurs outside of the classroom walls is as much, or more valueable, than that happening in the classroom.
• I can recognize what teaching methods work for me as a learner, at this point in my life, both in the classroom and in everyday work situations.
• I think someday I think I'd like to be one.

As I reflect on my professional experience, I realize that I come to the table with a rather diverse background. On one hand, the variety of experience is an asset, while on the other hand it lends itself to a broad view of situations that may stray from traditional thinking. Although my perspective may sometimes be the catalyst of discussion, it also may prompt a shift in thinking.

So as I continue through Ped II and understand more about learning and instructional design, I hope to build the confidence I need to converse with understanding and conviction, among educators and students alike. I remain aware of my own metacognition as I wade through the concepts critical to effective instructional design for diverse learners.

You Need it When?

"Would you be willing to present the topic of Manage Assignments at the department meeting on Friday? Our goal is help staff understand how time reporting effects their utilization. I want to empower staff so they feel more in control of their own time reporting and assignments. Show them how they can figure out these four metrics....blah, blah, blah...."

Okay, I can do that, I thought to myself. By Friday, hmmm... Do I even know how to Manage Assignments? Let me take a look. Hmmm.... no not really. I think I'll need to walk through lots of steps but I only have five minutes to present the topic. This probably isn't going to be my best work. I would like to have this be a hands on session and at least thirty minutes. How staff are managing assignments today? Are they even aware of this functionality in the system? Maybe they know an easy way to manage their assignments. Where do I start? Hmmm....

Breathe...
I have five days to develop this. I can do it. Break it down.

First Step: Learn the functionality. - Found a handy short cut.

Step Two: Document steps knowing that five minutes is much too brief a time frame to effectively deliver this content to 150 users. - Ready step by step process hand out, to be posted on the Intranet immediately after the presentation.

Step Three: Review current level of task competence with a cross section of users. - None were familiar with the functionality. Ground zero level of competence.

Step Four: Ask user to walk through the task without my intervention to understand ability to assimilate the process for completing the task. - Able to complete after initial review with two or fewer interventions. Topic relatively easy to assimilate but a handout will definitely support the effort.

Step Five: Update Documentation to reflect initial user experience. - Revised.

Step Six: Present the task completion process to several individuals to gage understanding of material presented. - Feeling more comfortable with my ability to deliver a refined presentation in simple terms.

Step Seven: Ask for documentation review and make final updates. - Develop email to department and send when document has been posted.

Step Eight: Deliver content during Department Meeting and post handout. - Done - Phew!

Step Nine: Follow-up with users to gage level of understanding. - People are using the functionality and asking questions about additional functionality.

Lessons Learned:

As I neared completion of the above process, I realized many of the steps that I had been completing were those described in Dick and Cary's Model of instructional design. Wow, I was doing it as prescribed. I also reflected on how the process of instructional design in business, in many cases, can be abbreviated when compared to the same process in academia.

In business, when there's an immediate need to deliver content that may be impacting operations, designers simply do. It was actually a luxury to have the input of users to understand current level of competence with the task. It was interesting, and at some level empowering, to apply the concepts to authentic real-world learning. Each application will lead me closer to my course goal of being apply to think in terms of instructional design models and options when facing with a described situation and deciphering the language of instructional design.