Technology and Online Learning
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Technology and Online Learning
Brittany Santiago
School of Education, Liberty University
Technology and Online Learning
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The education of students has greatly changed over the years and even more in the last
two years. Students went from classroom settings where their learning was greatly based on
direct instruction to being at home and being completely dependent on independent study. The
use of online learning or virtual schools has spread across the country, changing how students are
educated and with this the national standards change with it (Orlich, 2017). Online or virtual
learning is described as the use of computers of any size used in education. This can be full
education online, computer games or computer-aided instruction (Orlich, 2017). Online learning
falls into an independent study or student-initiated instruction category, positives of this type of
study are the emphasis on exploration, flexibility in movement and classroom structure. These
things can help students comprehend what they are learning better because they get to determine
how they reach the outcome. In order to effectively teach online, an educator should have a vast
knowledge of the content they plan to teach, knowledge of the technology itself, as well as how
to apply the technology to the content in a way that it will educate but not hinder students.
There have been many studies that demonstrate the need for students to learn in different
ways. This information is directly helpful when considering what is required of an educator to
deliver an effective lesson in an online format. One of the principles for effective online teaching
is respecting the diverse learning preferences of your students. Cynthia Tanis notes in her
research that 75% of faculty say that it is critical to have multiple ways for their students to
demonstrate their knowledge (2020). Examples of this would be discussion boards or projects
that are relevant to their learning. This principle expands far, suggesting many opportunities for
students to personalize their education such as sharing their opinions or choosing the topic for a
paper. This flexibility is shown to help students achieve their goals. Another principle of
effective online learning and educating would be consistent student-teacher communication. This
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would range from prompt feedback to rubrics for assignments. Online teaching comes with the
downfall of no face-to-face interaction and real time results; because of this it is important to
remain consistent in response time. Two important aspects of this as an educator would be
maintaining an open line of communication with students through email, where they know they
will receive a prompt response as well as providing rubrics for every assignment. As an online
educator, the rubric is the most helpful tool for both student and teacher. It allows the teacher to
state expectations for an assignment up front while also providing a detailed list of what should
be included. For the student, they have something to refer to while working on the assignment to
help them complete the work completely. These rubrics are used for feedback as well, while
providing clear constructive feedback and showing exactly why the student received the grade
they did (Tanis, 2020). One last principle that is important in online teaching is a strong equal
knowledge of technology, and content. While a teacher doesn’t have to be a technology pro it is
important to understand how to use technology with lessons. Knowing how to mold the use of
technology around the content of the classroom will aid in the success of the students. These
principles help create an effective online learning environment that greatly differs from in person
classrooms which have become more isolated and teacher-led, leaving students minds not being
fully shaped and their thoughts or opinions often ignored (Han, 2021).
An important strategy for effectively teaching online is to know what technology to use
and how to match these tools to the goals of the classroom. Using something like the SAMR
model is a great tool for integrating technology without losing the goal in question. SAMR
stands for substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition. This model demonstrates
four steps of slowly integrating technology into a lesson so that the technology works around the
lesson, instead of the lesson working around the technology (Dunn, 2020). The most important
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part of this strategy is to understand that the tools should support learning. For online learning
this would present as watching a video on the topic, searching for online data and participating in
an online discussion board to discuss the topic. By using tools in this manner, students with
different learning preferences have a variety of methods used to learn and work (Foley, 2017). A
great example of choosing technology to support education would be using a poll system to close
out a lesson. It’s important to know that students understand the topic before moving on and
something like a closing poll would give the opportunity for reflection and feedback (Brennan,
2020). No matter how the technology is integrated Foley states that “your major contribution is
your knowledge and expertise on the subject, not your technical skills” (2017, p. 59).
Another strategy for effectively teaching online would be providing consistent growth-
based feedback to students. With online education, there can be room for confusion when it
comes to assignments and students understanding what they must do. Typically, within the
classroom a teacher is providing constant feedback and rubrics tend to be diagnostic. This means
they are focused on the deficiencies and there’s little potential for future actions, leaving little
room for communication of what was done right. The downfall of this is while the teacher is
providing feedback, a student is likely to stop committing any effort. A strong strategy for
keeping students dedicated is to use prescriptive language. This change gives a course of action
to use in the future that also encourages the student (Reibel, 2020). While discussing a different
topic, there is also research into the success of peer-review amongst fellow students. This study
found that sometimes the teacher's feedback does not provide enough guidance. However, with
peer assessments the student receives various viewpoints and opinions that help them reflect on
their work. While from a teacher's viewpoint, feedback demonstrates as a rubric or grading scare.
The formality of this can do the same as a diagnostic rubric, causing a student to be
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overwhelmed and not want to continue with their effort. Receiving feedback in a more formal
manner can be beneficial to the student. This practice could be demonstrated as a discussion
board where a student posts their work, then receives feedback from classmates that can be
applied to the final product (Hsia, 2016).
Having strategies on how to run a class are important to a teacher’s success. Strategies
such as knowing how to use technology in the class with a model such as SAMR reflects the
principle of using different methods to help students who learn in multiple ways. Providing
feedback that promotes growth is also an important strategy because it provides consistent
feedback with the student and helps guide the student towards their goals. “I will instruct you
and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you (New
International Version, 2012, Psalm 32:8)” is a verse that is important to keep in mind when
discussing principles and strategies in effectively educating students because it demonstrates the
teachers responsibility in educating and guiding students and keeping their best interests in mind
while doing so.
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References
Brennan, J. (2020). Engaging learners through Zoom: Strategies for virtual teaching across
disciplines. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
Dunn, R. (2020). Integrating Technology. Liberty University.
Foley McCabe, M., & González-Flores, P. (2017). Essentials of Online Teaching: A Standards-
Based Guide (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi-
org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.4324/9781315686905
Gideons International in the British Isles. (2012) The Holy Bible: New International Version
Han, Y., & Luo, L. (2021). Research on the “Three Movements, Two Steps, Three Dimensions”
online and offline hybrid teaching model--The Principles of Management as an example.
EDP Sciences. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202125103081
Hsia, L.-H., Huang, I., & Hwang, G.-J. (2016). Effects of different online peer-feedback
approaches on students' performance skills, motivation and self-efficacy in a dance
course. Computers & Education, 96, 55–71.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.02.004
Orlich, D. C., Harder, R. J., & Trevisan, M. S. (2017). Teaching Strategies: A Guide to Effective
Instruction (11th Edition). Cengage Learning US.
https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781337517393
Reibel, A. R., & Thede, M. (2020). Small changes, big impact : Ten strategies to promote student
efficacy and lifelong learning (a pocket guide to school reform through research-based
instructional strategies). Solution Tree.
Tanis, C. J. (2020). The seven principles of online learning: Feedback from faculty and alumni
on its importance for teaching and learning: Association for Learning Technology
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