Short interview presentation

1. By Cesar Bustamante

2. My interview took place partly through e-mails and
Skype, with a professor that works with adult
students in several online universities around the
country. The interview with this professional was
fun and very inspirational sharing experiences and
suggestions to those that are planning to work in
the online educational field. The following is the
interview.

3. Well, first I was a traditional professor at one of the
universities in the area. I taught psychology for
undergrads students. At that time, online learning was
just beginning to become popular. I was a little
apprehensive about the idea of teaching online just
because I did not know much about it. But I have
always been willing to explore new avenues of teaching
and try something new, so I applied to teach at one of
the universities out west. Since it was through the
internet I didn’t have to worry about moving anywhere.
I went for it and I was accepted as an adjunct professor,
I began teaching and I have been doing it ever since.

4. Since the teaching process was taking place through a virtual
environments there was a need to fill a gap for some of the
elements missing. For instance, the face-to-face interactions of a
typical classroom, where there are conversations that triggers
exchange of ideas and debates in regards of a topic were not
present. These traditional ways of working in a classroom were
missing, therefore chat rooms, discussion boards and seminars
became the substitutes to these elements in this new platform. In
addition, working online bring a population of divers
students, therefore you have a wide variety of students with
different backgrounds, experiences and culture.

5. 
Since the teaching process was taking place through a
virtual environments there was a need to fill a gap for
some of the elements missing. For instance, the face-toface interactions of a typical classroom, where there are
conversations that triggers exchange of ideas and
debates in regards of a topic were not present. These
traditional ways of working in a classroom were
missing, therefore chat rooms, discussion boards and
seminars became the substitutes to these elements in
this new platform. In addition, working online bring a
population of divers students, therefore you have a
wide variety of students with different backgrounds,
experiences and culture.

6. 
I received an in depth two months training for different
platforms (LMS,s) systems and learning how to get my
your way around. Teaching online students has been a
gradual learning process for me. I think I have learned
more by working with the students than from
anywhere else. I am still learning form them, students
are all different no one class is the same as the other.

7. 
I would have to say is the combination of all of the above.
Teaching online is just different. The students are coming to the
class for reasons that have to do more with their personal sense of
achievement; perhaps they are a little more mature than the kids
in college. The use of technology also puts a different sense of
responsibility upon their shoulders. If they do not participate in
the class or do not do their work, they are the only one that will
see the consequences; therefore, there is a higher level of
independence in the work. In addition, the way that the courses
are set up guide them to immediate application of materials rather
than tans of reading of a stuff that is irrelevant to their goals. This
also makes the work more fun for the instructor, because you can
see that the students are interested in learning and I do not have to
put so much energy trying to keep them engage like I used to do.

8. 
I think, trying to work with students that they have hard
time learning their way around the system. I get many
students that they do not have basic computer skills and it
becomes a challenge for them. Sometimes it becomes a real
struggle for them to access; the materials, how to do the
work assignments or where to submit the work. You want
to help them and give them some direction but you do not
have the time to teach them the system. Another challenge
that I see is plagiarism. There are a many sites and places
where students can go online and buy work assignments
and submit as their own, but we can detect that, and it is
unfortunate because is a waste of time for everybody.

9. 
Keep up with technology, what is new today it would
be old tomorrow. Many of these technologies can be
creatively use to meet the need for times where you
need face-to-face instruction. You need to be familiar
with software and social networking tools that are
available, for example if a student is lost in the online
classroom, you need to be able to visually show them
around the classroom. There are many different way to
do this from taking screen shot to using a
communication tool such Skype, using screen shared
software or putting together a YouTube video.

10. 
I was glad that I met with her and spent time learning
so much about the online teaching first hand. As the
interview ended, I reflect on how different these two
modalities of learning are in regards to, not only the
process in it, but also the way that is approach. Careful
planning is involved in the development of the online
courses and learning strategies. It is essential for the
instructor to understand how online learning happens
and how learners are able to accomplish their goals
(Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). In
addition, I felt that online learning seems to be one of
the strongest tools that, not only educational
institutions will use to deliver knowledge in the future,
but also for corporations and companies to improve
employees performances, and it is here to stay.

11. 
Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L. (2007).
Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass