There were major issues with the online network and learning management system that prevented students and teachers from accessing online classrooms for an entire day. Email and phone became the primary means of communication until the problems could be fixed. These kinds of technical glitches are common in online environments and institutions should have protocols in place to allow education to continue even if issues persist for weeks or months. Instructors need to be comfortable with the technology used and have alternative plans to keep students engaged during outages.

1. Overcoming Obstacles
Revision: Overcoming Obstacles
Machel Bleken
EDU 697 Capstone: A Project Approach
Instructor: Keith Pressey
November 16, 2015

2. Overcoming Obstacles
In an online settingof anykindthere isboundtobe glitchesalongthe way,thisisnotany
differentinanonline educational environment.These glitchescanoccurwithanyone.Some of these
glitchescaninclude network,files,systems,equipmentandmore.We needtobe able to thinkoutside
the box whenthese situationsoccur. The scenariobelow discussessome of the short-termissuesand
some of the long-termissues associateswithtechnologyandinternetglitches.
ScenarioStart
There has beenamajor issue forthe whole daythatis notallowingstudentsandteacherstoentertheir
online classrooms.Lateronthatthe eveningthere isamass email toeveryone statingthere wasa
mandatoryupdate to the maindrive thathas shutdownthe network.Theyare tryingtofix the problem
as fast as theycan.
Several studentshave sentemail throughoutthe day totheirinstructorsandotherstaff members
wantingtoknowabout the networkissue.Once the massemail wassentthere was afloodof emails
wantingtoknowwhat to do,and howlongit wasgoingto take to fix the problem.Instructorsand
studentsare nowcommunicatingthroughemail andphone.
ScenarioEnd
These kindsof issueshappenall of the time tovaryingdegrees andthere are several waysthat
these can be handled. Email andphone are oftenthe mostpopularformsof communicationinand
outside of the classroom.I have had issueslike thisduringcourses.Below isone example.
Thiswas not a problemwithanetwork,buta classroomthat didnothave action buttons.The
classroomlookednormal andyouwere able toenterthe differentweeksof class,butnothingelse
worked.We couldnotopenany of the resource linksprovided,talktothe instructor,postdiscussions,
submitassignments,accessthe library,etc.The problemwasresolvedinamatterof daysand classwent

3. Overcoming Obstacles
back to normal.The classand instructorkeptintouch throughemail,andwe emailedourdiscussionsto
the instructoron the day theywere due (we were hopingtobe able topostthem).Thisletthe instructor
knowthat we were still participatinginclassandstill learning.
These little glitcheshappenall of the time andisnot somethingtoworryaboutrightaway.
Normallythe problemisfixedafewhourstoa few days.Havingalternate formsof communicationand
toolsavailable tostudentsandinstructorsisalwaysamustin anyonline course. Whatif thisendup
beinganongoingissue,twoweeks,amonthorsix months?
There needstobe a wayfor educationtocontinue withoutthe LMS(LearningManagement
System).There are several optionsforthistype of scenario:shutdownthe school (whichnoone wantto
do),email andphone,onlineconference tools,otherLMSand more.Knowingthe optionsisthe first
stepinunderstandingtechnologyinanyenvironment. YangandCornelius(2005) state,some of the
challengesandbarriersforonline learningare the change of rolesand responsibilitiesforinstructors,
use of technology,interactionwithstudentsandthe changesininterpersonal relations,andacademic
dishonestyof online learners.
Institutions andinstructorsshouldhave protocolsinplace forsuchlongterminstances.Inan
online learningenvironmenteveryone needstobe flexible,nothingisperfectandyouwill have glitches.
Take themin stride andrememberthere isalwaysanotherwaytodothe same thing. Instructorsshould
be able to use the alternate formof technologyandtoolstohelpthe studentsthroughthe transitionof
an online issue. Everyoneneedstofeel comfortable inanonline environmentforitto flourish.
The article “Hybridcourses:obstaclesandsolutionsforfacultyandstudents”discusses the
outline of hybridclassroomsandsome of the obstaclesthattheycanface suchas, resistance tochange,
lowmotivation,changingthinkingpatternsandmore.A bigtopicthat is listedinthisarticle isto know
your technology,if youare takinganonline classorhave workthat needstobe completedonline,know

4. Overcoming Obstacles
your technology.If youneedhelpwiththe technologyask.“Commonproblemsare forgettingtheir
passwordsandnot understandinghowtoaccessthe online course materials.”(Kaleta, Garnham&
Aycock,2005) Instructors shouldknowaboutthe technologythatisbeingutilized. Theydonotneedto
be mastersof everytool theyuse buttheyshouldhave ageneral understandingof how touse it.If a
studentisto askfor helpregardingthe tool theywill askthe instructorfirst.
“Are HybridCoursesfor Me?” discusseshow totell if youcanutilize technologyinaclassroom.
There are fourquestionsthat studentsshouldaskthemselvesbeforeenrollingina technologydriven
class.The studentalwaysneedstomake sure thattheyare gettingthe mostout of theireducation.One
of the mostimportantquestionsis, “Are youcomfortableworkingwithcomputersandusingthe
Internet?”(LearningTechnologyCenter,n.d.)

5. Overcoming Obstacles
References
Kaleta,R.,Garnham,C., & Aycock,A. (2005). Hybridcourses:Obstaclesandsolutionsforfacultyand
students.The Annual Conference onDistance Learning.Retrievedfrom
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/03_72.pdf
LearningTechnologyCenter.(n.d.).Are hybridcoursesforme?Retrievedfrom
http://www4.uwm.edu/ltc/hybrid/student_resources/for_me.cfm
Yang, Yi & Cornelius,Linda(2005) PreparingInstructorsforQualityOnlineInstruction,
https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring81/yang81.htm