Instructor Resources for Online Training

Resources for Success

This module will introduce you to five online resources that will help you to become familiar with the distance education environment. Resources are listed below and a brief explanation for each resource is also included. Your transition from experienced instructors in face-to-face settings to knowledgeable facilitators of distance education modules brings new challenges. For example, you’ll probably find that more discussion is used with online settings. Your distance learners may participate at varying times with these discussions. Another challenge may be that you may have to devote more time to preparing for each course module with less opportunity for last minute changes. These five online resources are but a sample of the rich and diverse resources available to distance teachers, facilitators, and learners via the internet.

A comparison of face-to-face and online courses is provided by Dr. Curt Bonk from Indiana University. “Dr. Bonk covers pedagogical and operational differences between on-site and online courses, strategies for adapting a current course to an online version, guidelines for creating, planning and designing a course and content. Please view the following short presentation available at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3H7PbkndOk .






CONNEXIONS

URL: http://cnx.org/
Description: The content in Connexions comes in two formats: modules, which are like small "knowledge chunks," and collections or groups of modules structured into books or course notes. This resource operates under an open license which allows for free use and reuse of all site content. Connexions houses one of the largest repositories of open educational resources (OER) in the world. This enables the user to create, share, and modify content accessible to anyone via the World Wide Web. Content is accessible online and can be downloaded using PDF and EPUB formats. Print on demand is also available to its users.





Open Educational Resources (OER Commons)

URL: http://www.oercommons.org/
Description: OER Commons provides open educational resources to build general skills with software programs like MS Word and Excel. It allows learners to plan a career as well as to develop marketable skills. Classroom management software can be used for setting the tone and rules for you classroom as well as intentionally designing classroom life connected to student learning, social skills and behaviors. Science can be taught and learned by doing active exploration and problem posing. An “Arts as Inquiry” feature allows the learner to delve into visualization, creative thinking and more artistic habits of the mind for arts-integrated learning across disciplines.
National Repository of Online Courses
URL: http://www.montereyinstitute.org/nroc/
Description: The National Repository of Online Courses (NROC) is a growing library of high quality online course content for students and faculty in higher education, high school and advanced placement. The main page for this resource is displayed in Figure 1 of this page. Check out this introductory video for this website: http://www.montereyinstitute.org/media/demo.html.
Teaching and Learning Technologies Centers

URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~tltc/index.html
Description: This web site provides support for effective, quality teaching and learning through the appropriate use of instructional technology at Indiana University Bloomington. It supports instructors and students, at no cost, who are using technology to enhance their teaching and learning. Different services include consultation, outreach and workshops, technology application, media conversion, and workspaces.

References:

Bonk, Curt Video Presentation: Planning an Online Course, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3H7PbkndOk

CONNEXIONS, http://cnx.org/

National Repository of Online Courses, http://www.montereyinstitute.org/nroc/

Open Educational Resources, OER Commons, http://www.oercommons.org/

Teaching and Learning Technologies Center, http://www.indiana.edu/~tltc/index.html