Technology has seemingly taken over every sphere of human lives. It is hard to think of a field that has not been influenced by technology in one aspect or another. Medicine, anthropology, education, transport, among others are just a few of the fields that technology has restructured. Currently, some scientists are working on robot prototypes that will be programmed to be working in kitchens. They will have the ability to prepare diverse delicacies through the recipe programs that will be embedded in their microprocessors. This is just to shade some light on the transformation that human lives have undergone due to technology. Education, like many other fields, has also been impacted positively by technology. The process of teaching, in particular, has completely been reconfigured by technology. Nowadays, teachers, professors, and tutors are able to carry out teaching easily and more effectively through the utilization of various technologies.
For this review, the first journal I chose is ‘ Expanding the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to Examine Faculty Use of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) In Higher Education Institutions. ’ The second journal article is ‘Learning “beyond the classroom” within an enterprise social network system . ’ The two journals describe the models of online teaching that have been facilitated by technology, their effectiveness, and their impact. It is important to point out that the process of teaching is void without the learning. This means that teaching cannot exist if learning does not take place at the same time. Thus a technological platform that facilitates teaching also facilitates learning. Online teaching is the utilization of internet platforms to propagate knowledge and skills to students ( Floden et al., 2017) .
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Online Teaching Platforms
The first article outlines four main online teaching platforms tailored to promote hybrid/blended teaching-learning, face-to-face, and distance learning ( Fathema et al., 2015). These platforms are regarded as Internet-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) where teachers and their students can engage each other in the processes of teaching and learning. The platforms include Desire2Learn, WebCT, Blackboard, and Moodle. These platforms are usually meticulously structured and their content organized to facilitate both teaching and learning. Desire2Learn, WebCT, Blackboard, and Moodle are similar in technological infrastructure and objective. However, the difference is in the tools available in each and the website that hosts the platforms. The functionality of these platforms is based on two main entities; the teacher and the students.
Internet-based Learning Management Systems are modeled in such a way that the teacher is not exclusively the center of the teaching process. This means that students are able to initiate teaching and learning with or without the presence of a teacher. These platforms are usually structured on a well-designed website which is accessible to students and their teacher. One of the functionality models is that the teacher posts periodic tasks for the students to complete. Once the tasks are completed, the students send copies to their teacher who posts them on an integrated discussion forum. Once the tasks are posted on the discussion forums, students are able to go through the posts of other students and make constructive comments and suggestions about the same. The journal article stipulates that the platforms ‘provide tools and functions like course management tools, online group chats and discussions, documents (lecture materials, homework, and assignments), power points, video clips uploading, grading and course evaluations to support teaching and learning’ ( Fathema et al., 2015).
According to the second journal article, online teaching platforms are divided into two main categories, face-to-face platforms technology and technology-mediated instruction platforms ( Scott et al., 2016). In the face-to-face platforms, the student and teacher are able to engage in the teaching and learning processes through video conferencing. It resembles a classroom model of teaching but instead of using a classroom, the teacher and students use the internet. In addition, the teacher uses charts and oral methods to facilitate the teaching and learning processes. The technology-mediated platforms are similar to the Internet-based Learning Management Systems of the first journal article. It mainly uses task-based prompts, which are basically objective assignments that are issued by teachers to propagate teaching and learning.
T he task-based prompts are assignments that are tailored meticulously to enable students to understand certain concepts. When students undertake the specific objectives of the assignments they are able to assimilate new ideas, concepts, or skills. Technically, the teacher acts as a guide in the learning process. Instead of classroom teaching or a video conference, the teacher identifies the objectives of a course and then formulates tasks that prompt the students to learn certain concepts ( Scott et al., 2016). This process of assigning tasks and assessing students based on how they have accomplished the tasks is done through the internet. Depending on the teacher, students, and the technological infrastructure of the affiliate institution, the method of conveying these tasks may vary. Most institutions have online portals through which students can access literary materials and receive communications or notices. Portals are often used as propagation tool for this model of online teaching. In fact, Emails can be used in other instances.
Advantages
Online teaching has many advantages for both the teacher and students. From the two journal articles, some of the advantages I was able to point out include the fostering of contact between the teacher and students even when they are thousands of miles apart. The contact is however not physical; it refers to the easy connectivity and linking between the teacher and students. Online teaching only requires access to the internet. In this regard, a teacher in Australia can teach students in the US, Ghana, and Bangkok at the same time. Also, students can easily reach their teachers through different online platforms ( Scott et al., 2016). Another advantage is that is cheap in the sense that students do not have to commute, carry packed meals, and incur all the other costs that come with classroom teaching. Online teaching also encourages self-reliance and sufficiency since it is mainly based on molding students to foster the learning and teaching processes with little guidance from the teacher ( Fathema et al., 2015). Finally, it is an amicable method of teaching since the misunderstandings that arise from classroom teaching rarely occur in online teaching processes.
Disadvantages
From the two articles, some disadvantages of online teaching are revealed. First, this method of teaching encourages fraudulent activities, especially in task accomplishment. This is because there is no physical contact between the students and teacher hence there is no way of assessing the legitimacy of assigned tasks. Fathema and the other authors point out that d ue to the physical absence of the teacher and students, the discussion between the teacher and students is rather lukewarm. Usually, students are able to ask questions and engage their teachers in constructive discussions when in a classroom. This cannot be effectively achieved in online platforms. Finally, online teaching may be faced with periodic challenges of power and internet fluctuations. A teacher or student, for that reason, may miss important sessions due to these challenges ( Fathema et al., 2015).
Relevance to Clinical Instruction and use to Nurse Educator
Clinical instructions and other teaching approaches used in the medical field require frequent allocation and completion of tasks. The relevance of online teaching to clinical instruction is that online teaching platforms can offer a foundational basis for the effective fostering of clinical instruction. The two elements are, therefore, coherent in structure and motive. This technique can be used by a nurse educator to take their teaching to the next level. Indeed, it is difficult to use online teaching exclusively to teach nursing students (Runnels et al., 2016). However, a nurse educator can use this platform to supplement classroom teaching. For instance, they can use this structure to receive students’ assignments and create discussion platforms where students can participate at any time.
References
Fathema, N., Shannon, D. & Ross, M . (2015). Expanding the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to Examine Faculty Use of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) In Higher Education Institutions . MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching Vol. 11, No. 2, June 2015.
Floden, R. E., Richmond, G. & Drake, C. (2017). How Teacher Education Can Elevate Teacher Quality : Evidence From Research. Volume: 68 issue: 4, page(s): 360-36. Article first published online: August 9, 2017; Issue published: September 1, 2017.
Runnels, M. K. T., Thomas, J. A. & William Y. L. (2006). Teaching Courses Online: A Review of the Research. Volume: 76 issue: 1, page(s): 93-13. Issue published: March 1, 2006.
Scott K. S., Sorokti, K. H. & Jeffrey, D., M. (2016). Learning “beyond the classroom” within an enterprise social network system . The Internet and Higher Education. Volume 29, April 2016, Pages 75-90.
