Reflecting back on our very brief journey through the Online Learning Orientation, there are several things that stand out in my mind. When reflecting upon an orientation program, there are a few questions that one would ask themselves. Do I feel ready for the upcoming tasks? Does everybody have an equal foothold at the beginning of the workload? Did the orientation provide adequate and appropriate training for the systems, processes and expectations in front of you? And did the orientation provide an opportunity to reach out towards something new and different, taking one out of their comfort zone?
In my opinion, the course ran very smoothly and should provide an easy transition into our regular workload in this cohort. The use of multiple forums (blog, discussion, group discussion, quiz, chat) was helpful not only in learning the navigating systems but also in getting to know colleagues in the group. There are some in the group that are freelance writers and more familiar with blogger or chats, while others who have published work are much more familiar with APA citation and written work. The exercises we performed in orientation helped bridge many of those gaps, and allowed participants to work with each other, helping fill in some of the information which may have been foreign to others.
After two weeks working in the discussion forums, and navigating pages in dashboard, everybody should be able to move past the technical issues that often seem to plague the first few weeks of an online course and hop right into meaningful discussion. It is very helpful that JHU uses a common platform for all the classes in the cohort as this helps flatten the learning curve. I've been in other programs that allow for changes within each class, and there is often a period of time in which people cannot determine where to post discussion or assignments, and sub-discussion in the forums regarding this causes clutter.
Additionally, I am very grateful and excited to work with such an extensive and diverse collection of wonderful educators and I cannot wait to get started. In my group alone, we cover roughly 5300 miles, 8 hours worth of time zones, and yet we all have one common goal: to become better at our craft.
I am very excited to take on the challenges that lie ahead with our cohort and our the group that we have assembled. The educators in the group bring a variety of unique and knowledgeable viewpoints into discussion forums and teamwork, and I truly believe that this will be an enjoyable and eye-opening ride. Thanks for the opportunity.
