Role of Students

The facilitators are not the only ones who have responsibilities when it comes to distance learning. The Students (or learners) also have them. Some responsibilities of the students are in the table below:

Responsibilities of the Student

Participate         Ask questions         Read all entries in discussion          Reply to others       Read Announcements          Answer questions asked of you         Provide examples & links additional to resources provided by instructor       Check and make sure their device can handle the technology needed for the course

Students need to participate in order for a distance learning course to work. Student need to care about their learning in order for the discussions to work especially when one is supposed to be engaged in their learning (See Attributes of Successful Distance Learners). Caring about the learning will lead to a student asking questions of other students in the discussions to promote a sense of community amongst peers (Simonson et al., 2012). If a student reads all entries they will be sure not to repeat something another student had already said. Think about it…if one is in a traditional class, one does not want to hear the same response repeated over and over again. Also, if someone asks a question of another student it is polite and expected that the question is answered. This helps to continue the learning and the discussion. Announcements are also another important part of a distance learning course, especially if a facilitator needs to specify items for an assignment. To help others understand what one means through an example or a resource it is best to cite it so if a peer wants to learn more they know where to go and how to find the information one is discussing (See Teaching Materials: Discussion Boards) Students should reads these carefully along with the syllabus in order to know what is expected of them and to be aware of any changes taking place (See Teaching Materials). .

            

Distance-learning courses require both the student and the facilitator to be involved in order to be successful. It is a difficult thing to make distance learning work properly but it can be done as long as the student and the facilitator know their responsibilities and apply them to their course. Instructional designers have the responsibility to make sure that technology is included in distance learning courses and that their facilitators know how to work the technology (Laureate Education, n.d.). If facilitators do not know how to use the technology properly or know their role in making the course work properly, then the various components of a distance learning course will fall short of engaging students in their learning. 

Back to Guide

References