This document discusses the roles and competencies of teachers in online learning environments. It identifies the main roles of teachers as being pedagogical, professional, evaluator, social, technologist, administrator, advisor/counselor, and researcher. For the pedagogical role, key competencies include designing instructional strategies, developing learning resources, implementing strategies, facilitating participation, and sustaining student motivation. The document also discusses the roles of instructional designers, graphic designers, and technical support staff who work behind the scenes. It outlines techniques for administrators to ensure high quality online courses and emphasizes that roles and competencies will continue to evolve with advances in technology and research.

1. Know Your Role
EAC 539 – Teaching in the Online Environment
Spring 2014
Terry Herring
Matt Misuraca
Jenny Taylor
Beth Vincent

2. Roles and Competencies in Online Learning
Environments
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role

3. Roles and Competencies in Online Learning
Environments
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role

4. The Role of the Teacher
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role

5. The Teacher: Instructor Roles
• Pedagogical*
• Professional
• Evaluator
• Social
• Technologist
• Administrator
• Advisor/counselor
• Researcher
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role

6. The Teacher: The Pedagogical Role
• Competencies
– Design instructional strategies
– Develop appropriate learning resources
– Implement instructional strategies
– Facilitate participation among students
– Sustain students’ motivation
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role
Bawane & Spector, 2009, p. 392

7. The Teacher: More Requisite Competencies
Competencies to be developed to support
future roles:
– Active leaders
– Reflective thinkers
– Researchers
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role

8. Teacher Education Framework
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role
Bawane & Spector, 2009, p. 384x

9. The Team Player: Behind the Scenes
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role
Instr.
Designer
Program
Coord.
Graphic
Designer
Tech
Experts
Media
Developer
Tech
Support
Testing
Coord.

10. The Administrator: Course Quality Techniques
• Design courses that helps students
construct knowledge
• Expect more detailed syllabuses
• Motivate students
• Align styles
• Include real world doing
• Use the web as an enhanced social
environment
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role
Alley, 2009, p. 50

11. The Administrator: Course Quality Techniques
Rely on great teachers as pioneers and mentors.
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role
Alley, 2009, p. 55

12. The Role of the Student
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role

13. Transitioning Student Activities to the Virtual World
Interaction Examples
student-to-student Discussion board, blog, wiki
Instructor-to-student Discussion board, virtual
classroom, group exchange,
blog, wiki
Instructor-to-student/student-
to-materials
Content items, blog, wiki, video
uploads, attachment
Student-to-materials Usually occurs off-site
Student-to-instructor Quiz tools, discussion board,
blog, wiki
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role
Palloff & Pratt, 2003, p. 101

14. EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role
Baran, Correia, & Thompson, 2011, p. 431

15. Roles: Bringing it Together
• Roles & competencies
will continually evolve.
– Technology continues to
advance
– Our approaches to
online learning develop
– More research is
conducted
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role
Bawane & Spector, 2009

16. The Future
Instructor’s responsibility
to continually research
leading practices,
evaluate technological
advances and shifts
within the online
teaching profession, to
ensure personal
pedagogy and
approaches are evolving
and growing over time
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role

17. The Discussion Continues
Continued in the course discussion forums.
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role

18. References
Alley, L. (2001). What makes a good online course? The administrator’s role in quality assurance of
online learning. Converge, 4(11), 50, 52+, retrieved from Education Research Complete (EBSCO),
November 2007.
Baran, E., Correia, A.P. & Thompson, A. (2011). Transforming Online Teaching Practice: Critical Analysis
of the Literature on the Roles and Competencies of Online Teachers. Distance Education, 32(3),
421-439.
Bawane, J. & Spector, J.M. (2009). Prioritization of Online Instructor Roles: Implications for
Competency-Based Teacher Education Programs. Distance Education. 30 (3), pp. 383-397.
EAC 539, Spring 2014Know Your Role