My Learning Journey to a Manifesto of Online Teaching and Learning
- Colleen Farris
- Aug 15
- 4 min read
My Starting Point
I am a classroom teacher with 12 years of experience at the high school level for 14- to 18-year-olds in grades 9 through 12. My blended learning Culinary Arts classes combine in-person instruction with supplementary or fully online curricula. Project-based learning forms the core of my instructional practice. Classroom learning activities challenge students to apply their learning through student-choice projects that accomplish authentic tasks.
Some form of online curricula has always been part of my face-to-face (F2F) teaching; however, my online teaching experience is limited to the combined synchronous and asynchronous online instruction necessitated by COVID-era school closures. I have online learning experience as a graduate student, having taken 10 fully online courses.
My learning journey took me from South Korea to Ireland and many points in between.
My Inflection Point
Prior to studying online teaching and learning as part of my master’s in educational technology (MAET) at Michigan State University (MSU), I misunderstood the constraints and affordances of teaching with technology. I embraced technology, so I thought I was doing a good job of leveraging it to improve student outcomes. But, my understanding of the power and possibilities, as well as the risks of teaching with technology fell short. Developing online teaching excellence requires more than exposure to online teaching and learning. Through my MAET studies, I discovered what matters when integrating technology into excellent teaching practice.
My online teaching and learning manifesto highlights what matters to me now, and what will guide me in the future as an educator.
Spark Matters.
Ideas are fire. They light up learners with enthusiasm when they discover how something works, or make something meaningful. Formal education must provide learners with the opportunity to be fired up to learn. I believe that teachers must use all the tools and modes of teaching at their disposal to spark that fire. When constructed well and thoughtfully, online teaching ignites learning. It must be part of every teacher's repertoire.
Design Matters.
Excellent design cannot replace good teaching. Neither can excellent teaching overcome poor digital design. In its role as a facilitator of learning, online platforms can powerfully affect learning outcomes (Jaggars & Xu, 2016). Thoughtful design customizations that apply the principles of universal design for learning (UDL) and design justice must be made so that students can access and navigate learning with ease and equity (Cast.org, n.d.; Constanza-Chock, 2020; Jaggars & Xu, 2016; Nickley, 2021).
Connection Matters.
Teaching students to learn together teaches more than the content. When done well it teaches students to value each other as human beings. Online learning must provide authentic opportunities for human connection between teachers and students. Humanizing online learning makes students feel seen (Pacansky-Brock, 2020). To be successful, online learners need to be able to anchor their learning in real-life. Meaningful peer and teacher interactions provide that anchor.
Mode Matters.
How we interact with students changes the quality of learning they experience. As teachers, we need to choose our technology tools and modes of learning thoughtfully to ensure we are providing the right support to learners. Different modes of online learning offer different affordances and constraints (Hrastinski, 2008). The choice of synchronous or asynchronous online learning should match the desired learning objective.
Critique Matters.
Online learning and online learning technologies are not neutral, uniformly positive for learning, or risk-free. It is essential that we maintain a critical view of tools and innovations in online learning. Online education is not necessarily better than in-person options, and it can be much worse (CREDO, 2019; Cuban & Jandrić, 2015). We must question the motives of the companies that promote online learning and pay attention to systemic inequities that are reinforced by digital technologies (Bayne et al., 2020).
Engagement Matters.
Learning requires the investment of energy, physical and mental, on the part of the learner. Online learning is no different. Teaching and learning online needs to give each student an opportunity to actively engage with content, process it, and use it for a meaningful purpose. This is where group-based active learning strategies can be used to good effect. Communication drives this kind of learning. Structured discussions give students the opportunity to discover, solve, and create together, to make learning visible in real life (Baumgartner, n.d.; Hrastinski, 2008). Active, discussion-based learning is a critical tool in increasing engagement and learning in online teaching modes.
Equity Matters.
During COVID, I discovered how the expansion of digital opportunities opens the world up to those who cannot travel or move about in the world easily. Many people with chronic diseases were able to fully participate in conferences, learning, and many opportunities because of the expansion of online offerings. I was able to finish my master’s degree online, which would not have been possible otherwise. The availability of online education options increases access to education, but does not guarantee equity.
Ensuring that online teaching and learning is both accessible and equitable is a matter that requires continual vigilance and effort. Unless teachers understand the entrenched systemic barriers of the American education system, and learn how to mitigate or remove those barriers, online modes of teaching will simply replicate systemic barriers to education found in brick-and-mortar schools (Bayne et al., 2020; Constanza-Chock, 2020).
References
Baumgartner, J. (n.d.). Teaching tools: Active learning while physically distancing. Louisiana State University.
Bayne, S., Evans, P., Ewins, R., Knox, J., Lamb, J., Macleod, H., O'Shea, C., Ross, J., Sheail, P., & Sinclair, C. (2020). The manifesto for teaching online. MIT Press.
Center for Research on Education Outcomes. (2019). Charter school performance in Pennsylvania 2019. Stanford University. Stanford, CA. https://credo.stanford.edu/
Cuban, L., & Jandrić, P. (2015). The dubious promise of educational technologies: Historical patterns and future challenges. E-Learning and Digital Media, 12(3–4), 425–439.
Hrastinski, S. (2008). Asynchronous and synchronous e-learning. Educause quarterly, 31(4), 51-55.
Jaggars, S. S. & Xu, D. (2016). How do online course design features influence student performance? Computers & Education, (95), 270-284.
Nickley, W. (2021). Design Justice 101: Unpack & Interact with the 10 Principles of Design Justice [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyxRC4b4Ofs
Pacansky-Brock, M. (2020). How to humanize your online class, version 2.0 [Infographic]. https://brocansky.com/humanizing/infographic2
