Feeling the course load

As we all know there are two different types of weeks to this course, the on weeks, in which we read articles, meet and discuss and the off weeks, the weeks we read articles and then write summaries and distribute comments.  I don't think it is so much the course load work differs its that having a discussion doesn't feel like work verses the written discussion.

When we have on weeks like this one I read articles but I also received an email from Tama giving questions and a short over view of this weeks discussion.  I like this because I could keep these questions in the back of my mind while reading and than write down my answers to better reflect on my reading.

I think this has a lot to do with the fact that I am an auditory learner.  When I do the readings I usually copy and paste them into a text-to-speech program/application and listen to them while following along on screen.  Sometimes I will listen at work, so it is a nice time saver.  Since taking the text-to-speech approach (Something I was nervous to do) I have "read" more articles than I would have without.   Long articles intimidate me and I lose focus easily.  This has always been a problem for me.  It has also given me some ideas as to ways text-to-speech programs can help students and some features companies might consider adding like dual voicing if reading a play with different characters or being able to record your own voice for playback.

Success

I think, for me, a big part of being successful in online instruction is structuring a class so that the students have a clear understanding of the expectations and what is due each week.  A great process for me during this whole online learning extravaganza is talking with others in the class about what is due and when.  I think when it comes to online education being able to talk with your peers is essential.  I have a friend right now who takes online classes and the only thing she does for the class is read the book and take chapter quizzes.  I can't imagine that she is getting much of an education from this format.  She has no contact with others in class and she has told me that at times it can be frustrating to have a class structured like this.

Groups

I have experienced blended group projects where some people are online and some are in class.  Last semester I was in a group with five people and two of us were on campus while another was in Arizona and the other two were located in the metro area.  We managed to find a time when all of us could Skype which I thought was incredible.  We managed to meet once towards the beginning of the project and once towards the end.  We delegated tasks and completed the project on time.  The tasks that we split up were shared which was a big help.
Other group projects I have done were totally asynchronous besides shared class time.  These types of groups are a bit more challenging because they do not offer the instant feedback that is sometimes critical to collaboration.  I like to be able to talk projects out to understand who needs to do what and to make sure that everything is going in the right direction.
I look forward collaborating the individuals in my discussion group.  We got to meet synchronously and discuss the dynamics of our group. I think it went well and we have a better understanding of what each of us is looking for out of the weekly discussions.

Distance Education

As the weeks progress I am learning there are some advantages to not always meeting in a classroom and having a face to face lecture/class.  An example is this week.  I was scheduled to work Thursday night at 7 and because this is a non-meeting week I could fulfill that responsibility.  However, the class I was suppose to teach was cancelled so now I get a Thursday night to do what I want.
It has been a challenge trying to juggle each week as to what needs to be done and what doesn't need to be done.  Because we met online last week I didn't need to fill out anything in the discussion but I feel as though my views were not expressed accurately during the discussion time.  I would like to see the async discussion happen each week.  Maybe during the weeks that we are going to meet we could just have a simple discussion over a few questions that will get the ball rolling and maybe trigger more reactions during class time.
On the whole I think my online educational experience is going well.  In the future I will give consideration to online classes.  Before I would not think twice in taking an online class.  It would have to be a blended class because I do miss the lectures and verbal discussions each week.