Role and Responsibilities of Instructor in Online Learning
Online learning solutions are slowly becoming a definitive part of the Indian education system and are predicted to grow exponentially in the coming years.
However, as the learning process moves from regular classrooms to online settings, the unfamiliarity of the new medium may cause initial resistance from all the major stakeholders of an educational institute.
In this article, we will focus on understating the role of an instructor in facilitating online learning.
Communication Expectation
The outcome of any course depends on how successfully an instructor can communicate with the students. In this context, the word communication has the following two notions.
Pedagogical communication
This refers to an instructor’s ability to provide intellectual stimulation by contributing special knowledge and insights about the subject matter. An instructor plays an active role in designing and determining the course content. They devise strategies to ensure the successful completion of course objectives.
Interpersonal Communication
The instructor is responsible for creating a harmonious social environment conducive to learning. This requires “promoting human relationships, developing group cohesiveness, maintaining the group as a unit, and in other ways helping members to work together in a mutual cause”.
Managerial Expectations
This refers to an instructor’s administrative, procedural, and decision-making responsibilities. In addition, the instructor is required to display strong leadership abilities by providing timely guidance and direction to the students. This involves setting coursework and assessment timelines, determining assessment criteria, and providing timely feedback.
Role of Instructor in Online Settings
According to a 2012 survey conducted at New York University, the resistance to online teaching stemmed from the perceived notion that technology would completely take over on-site learning and that the role of the instructor would be rendered redundant.
This is far from the truth. While technology can lessen the requirement for in-person interactions, it cannot replace the instructor.
The communication and managerial expectations discussed above are very much a part of online learning. However, these expectations can only be fulfilled with the expertise and experience of an instructor. So, what changes for an instructor in an online classroom?
Technical Expectations
In an online setting, instructors will fulfil the responsibilities mentioned above with the help of technology.
- Communication responsibilities: Guide students to navigate the course within the online platform.
- Pedagogical expectations: Identify critical concepts, principles, and skills, as well as appropriate online communication tools to help achieve the learning objectives.
- Managerial responsibilities:
- Coordinate with the course designer to identify the best tools to build, manage, and facilitate online groups.
- Determine the best ways to create assignments suitable for online learning.
This article explored different facets of an instructor’s role in a learning environment. A close examination revealed that not much changes as far as teaching responsibilities are concerned. However, as the medium of instruction changes, there is an added responsibility of adapting to the learning platform and making learning feasible for the students.
The instructor must be involved in the course design process to ensure a smooth transition to an online platform. To sum up, proper coordination between the instructor and the development team will help deliver a hassle-free learning experience.
