In today's increasingly competitive education markets fueled by a rapidly growing
technologically savvy population along with the life long learning imperative of
the information age, more and more courses will be adapted for on-line delivery.
Concomitant with this growth will be the increased need for experienced instructors.
Continuing education instructors and programmers are challenged to explore new models
of teaching and learning, to shift away from developing online instructional design
models purely around content, and to overcome the common barriers to the achievement
of optimal learning outcomes caused by technology, time, and the separation of learners
and instructor. These challenges are of critical practical importance to university
continuing education units that are commonly constructed as for-profit-entities
and where quality is an essential outcome measure.
Engaging learners in the online environment is one of the greatest challenges facing
instructors. The sure sign of failing to engage learners is to bore them to death
which is often evidenced by non-participation. Activity-based e-learning is an instructional
design and learning facilitation model which focuses on actively engaging online
distance learners with learning experiences that maximizes interactivity. Activity-based
learning along with authentic assessment strategies are two instructional design
strategies which reflect the social dimensions of learning and a learner-centered
collaborative philosophy of teaching and learning. These strategies also appeal
to our instructors who have a strong orientation to praxis. This paper will share
the perspectives of an instructor who has recently begun teaching on-line and an
e-learning specialist charged with the responsibility to help instructors become
effective e-learning facilitators.
For more information on Activity based learning, click on the ppt icons.
