21545f


 * Proposal submission #21545**

Online Education: Message in a Bottle or the Medium Is Not the Message
 * Title**

Fran Gregg, Kaplan University, Cape Coral, Florida, USA, fgregg@kaplan.edu Rhonda Hughes, Kaplan University, Cape Coral, Florida, USA, rhughes@kaplan.edu
 * Presenter(s)**


 * Description**

In all communication, the sender is trying to get a message to the receiver. In online education, the instructor (sender) needs to appreciate the importance of multi-modal conveyance of information to the student (receiver) and not expect that the student will understand needed information merely through the use of the online platform and/or textbook.

Giving concrete examples, providing detailed directions, repeating information in varying formats and places, and using color, pictures, and sound all help make the information more accessible to the student.

Asynchronous discussion Not previously published All audiences
 * Notes & Comments**

The content is a coordinated attempt by a student and instructor to build better lessons to help students become more successful.

The idea sprang from the fact that Rhonda, a Kaplan student, found herself lost in classes where the instructors did not explain material in an accessible manner. Online learning requires detailed explanations and examples, but some of her instructors didn’t seem to realize exactly what was needed for the students to be successful. Rhonda’s concerns were increased because she was not raised in the United States, so cultural issues also clouded directions. Most of these issues could also have been solved by better explanations and examples.

Rhonda and Fran, a Kaplan instructor, agreed to collaborate on a Power Point presentation that would urge instructors to rely less on merely giving theory and definitions and more on analogies and examples. Rhonda would provide the student view point, while Fran would provide samples of accessible examples.

Example: How do you teach what a thesis statement is in such a way that students can understand it? This will be an instructor/student presentation.