CEP811: Online Learning: Meeting Today's Learning Demands

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It is true that the Michigan Merit Curriculum Online Experience Guideline Companion is focused on middle school through high school students, but it is still a foundational reference for me to use as an educator who teaches adults.   Every student, regardless of age, should have a meaningful education by experiencing the same quality approach in conducting online learning through the use of technology and innovative tools.

I have been teaching classes where I can incorporate online modules to enhance hands-on learning for my students.  These online training and assessment tools assist the educators in helping students acquire skills they will need in a 21st century workplace.  Some examples are SimNet Online and Certiprep which are both for Microsoft Office and computer concepts; KeyTrain as a career planning tool; and GeoLearning for business skills modules.  Moodle, a learning management system, is also incorporated into our courses to build up their online learning experience.  It has been an effective teaching strategy for me to use the hybrid instruction.  The students have the best of both worlds by being able to work outside the classroom walls and to interact personally with the teacher and classmates in the computer lab.

Our current programs are more geared toward self-paced and hands-on method of delivery.  It has been challenging in our school for our students to have full online learning without face-to-face contact with teachers because our students were required to have their in-seat hours in the lab monitored.    Although, there have been changes and openness to new learning approaches in our school. I believe that this recognition and acceptance to changes contribute to the same goal of preparing our students as they encounter the media-rich and technological demands of not just today’s workplace but also in their personal daily lives.