Unit Lesson Plan: Directions and Template Report (Assessment)

June 22, 2022 by Essay Writer

What You Bring to the Classroom

I am Mr. David Christoffel. I will be your instructor for this course. I bring with me various strengths and weaknesses, which will affect my teaching activities and your learning as students. I am going to work closely with you to identify these strengths and weaknesses, which will guide the teaching and learning process. I am also looking forward to your active participation throughout the course to ensure that you gain the needed knowledge and skills from the course.

Strengths

The first strength concerns my vast knowledge that I have gained in the past five (5) years in online learning through studies and experience as an online instructor. With such knowledge, I am confident that I am in a good position to offer skills and knowledge that students will find helpful and relevant to their training processes. I also have strong presentation skills. I strongly believe in teamwork to facilitate meaningful learning. I will use my creativity to ensure that students are learning and/or using teamwork to participate adequately throughout their learning process.

Weaknesses

One of my weaknesses is assuming that students have understood the concepts that I teach, especially when the students do not ask questions. However, I am working towards reducing this weakness through my increased participation in individual student progress to ensure that I can point their weaknesses and gaps in knowledge. Lastly, I am more effective in physical class than in online class. In this case, it is evident that I always feel a disconnection between the online class and my profession as an instructor. However, I am working towards eliminating this weakness by adopting essential social media presence approaches, which will help to reduce the gap between the students and me.

Social Presence

As your instructor for this course, I am very central to any meaningful learning process. My main work will be to guide you in this course. I will use various approaches to promoting social presence, which is a central tenet in the online learning platform. I will expect your cooperation throughout the learning process to ensure the best outcomes for your learning. I will use the following approaches to ensure social presence:

  1. Affective Social Presence: In this approach, I will focus on expressing and responding to emotions, feelings, and mood concerning students’ behavior, learning outcomes, and questions in the process of instructing (Kehrwald 89)
  2. Interactive Social Presence: Online learning is highly dependent on the effectiveness of various technologies that facilitate communication and interaction. In this approach, I will seek to show evidence of reading, attending, understanding, and thinking about other people’s responses concerning various questions and issues that arise during the learning process (Kerr, Rynearson, and Kerr 96)
  3. Cohesive Social Presence: In this approach, the focus is on ensuring that I deliver or encourage responses that facilitate building and sustaining a sense of belonging, commitment to the group, and common goals and objectives for the group (Resta and Laferrière 68)

To ensure that I augment my online social presence, I will incorporate central lessons into the teaching process. I will deliver knowledge and lessons in a manner that students can understand and/or enshrine into their knowledge base. I also have a clear understanding of various strategies that facilitate online learning. Firstly, I will promote student interaction and the faculty through the available means such as voicemail/email, and online chats. Secondly, I will ensure that feedback to students concerning the queries is constructively and timely. Lastly, I will offer students the proper research approaches and knowledge.

Tone of Lesson

I am Grace Morgan and your teacher in this subject. By the end of this lesson, you will appreciate the power of using the appropriate tone when presenting a subject to any person. As your instructor, I will adopt a tone or style that is appropriate for academic setting. I will demonstrate the distinct difference between how one communicates in normal life as compared to the learning setting. I also expect you as students to adopt a tone and style that is appropriate for this academic setting as specified below:

  1. The first approach relates to the choice of words and phrases to express ideas concisely and precisely to reduce ambiguity while at the same time passing the intended message (Ally 16). For example, I will avoid the use of words that have unwanted connotations, which hinder the learning process. The use of such words affects students’ concentration in class.
  2. Secondly, I will tailor language and tone, including word choices, to reflect the subject at hand and the audience (Moore and Kearsley 23)
  3. The other approaches will involve avoiding the use of informal and colloquial language in the teaching process to ensure that the formal setting of the learning environment is well maintained throughout the learning process (Clara and Barbera 131)
  4. Lastly, avoiding the use of sexist, homophobic, or racial language will be a sign of respect for all students, regardless of their backgrounds or affiliation while maintaining focus on ensuring that they get the best out of the course (Moore and Kearsley 23).

Through the above approaches, I will maintain a formal and relevant academic tone that can augment the lessons learned by students without unnecessary distractions.

Student Information

My name is Erick Bean. I will be taking you through this topic on ‘Student Information’. The topic is vital since it lets the student equip him or herself with some facts concerning the topic before the teacher presents it to the entire class. To ensure that you achieve the intended learning outcomes, I will demonstrate awareness of information relating to your demographics, strengths, and weaknesses. I expect you to demonstrate the knowledge and prior information concerning the course. From the analysis of your education background, it is evident that all of you, except one, have a clear understanding of the use of at least two communication channels that will be deployed during the learning process. Hence, you do not need more training on these methods. I will solely add a little information concerning these communication channels. However, in case a certain channel does not seem clear to you, do not hesitate to ask for clarification.

I understand that you are also apprehensive of the effectiveness of the online learning process, as opposed to the physical classroom setting. This situation may be a hindrance towards a successful learning process. To counter this weaknesses, I will dedicate time to ensure that those of you who have limited knowledge of various communication channels that will be used during the learning process are brought to the same knowledge level. Further, I will ensure open communication and interaction through various established communication channels such as email, voicemails, or chats to ensure that you become more confident about the learning approaches that online learning process offers. These measures will be critical in ensuring that you are ready and prepared to gain as much as possible from the course and hence better learning outcomes.

Unit Topic

I am Mr. John Crow who will take you through the topic ‘Principles of Effective Online Learning in Psychology’. I will focus on the importance of establishing realistic and yet strict approaches that should guide the student and the instructor to ensure that the learning process is effective. Online learning presents a unique problem since the students and teachers do not meet in a physical environment. I expect you to demonstrate the ability to interact with me via technologies such as video conferencing and emails. I will establish measures to ensure your adherence to the schedules of learning. I will also establish a strict code of engagement between the students and the instructors. In this topic, the focus will be on proactive course management strategies, establishing patterns of course activities, responding to requests in a timely manner, and helping learners to maintain forward progress (Kehrwald 94). These areas of study under this topic highlight the key factors for success in an online learning environment, which instructors and students should establish and follow.

The topic is relevant to the “Best Practices for Online Learning” course since it guides how students and instructors should interact with each other during the learning process to ensure discipline and adherence to learning schedules as set forth at the beginning of the learning process. Through the topic, learners appreciate the need of developing the appropriate online interaction mechanisms with themselves, as well as with their teachers. In this case, the topic recognizes that online learning offers a unique learning environment where needs proper handling with strict rules and approaches. Based on the above reasons, the topic forms an essential part of the course on the best practices for online learning.

Backward Design

I, Mrs. Rose Johnson, will take you through the course, ‘Best Practices for Online Learning’. The course offers you central guidelines and approaches through which students and instructors can ensure that the learning process through the online platform is successful. I will ensure that you attain the essential outcomes. On the other hand, I expect you to learn significant communication channels and approaches that will guarantee your engagement between yourselves, as well as your interaction with other teachers. The course recognizes the importance of technology in ensuring effective communication, which is central to online learning (Clara and Barbera 132).

The second outcome is a clear understanding of the importance of active engagement in discussion and other online forums that are provided for each training course. The interactive discussion ensures active participation, sharing of ideas, and clarification of contentious or difficult areas of instruction that the students may come across in the learning discourse (Ally 19). Thirdly, time management is a crucial aspect of the online learning process that is characterized by strict time guidelines for learning activities such as webinars and wiki activities. These activities help in creating discussions and other vital engagement among the online class members (Resta and Laferrière 71). Lastly, the course seeks to ensure that students are well prepared for their online course by providing them with the necessary skills and approaches that will ensure their online learning process is successful and that they attain the intended outcomes.

Breakdown of Unit Components and Time Allocations

In the section below, I, Mr. JB McGregor, will provide you with the breakdown of unit components and time allocation. I expect you to adhere to the time allocation for the unit to ensure the best outcomes for your study in this course.

Activity # Activity/Assignment # of Hours to Complete Task
1 Introduction to Online Learning 3
2 Assignments (Group Discussion) 2
4 Interactive Discussion Board 3
6 Assessment (Test) 3
Total Hours: 10

Unit Lesson Plan Details

In this section, I, Mr. Ishmael Khalif, will provide you with the lesson plan details, which will ensure that you understand the various objectives and expected outcomes for the course. On the other hand, your role will be to provide adequate feedback while at the same ensuring that all the objectives are met through active participation in the learning process.

Unit: Principles of Effective Online Learning
Title: Introduction to Online Learning
Unit1: The unit seeks to introduce students to online learning, as well as giving them vital skills and knowledge to guide their interactions with each other and their instructors throughout the duration of the course
Unit: Objectives
At the end of the unit learners should:

  1. Clearly define what is online learning
  2. Identify key approaches to online learning
  3. Identify and effectively use various communication channels for online learning

Annotation:In this unit, the focus is on preparing students for their online learning courses by giving them the tools and skills that will be necessary for their active participation and positive outcomes for their learning activities.

Unit: Readings
As given in the reference page, the readings are imperative and relevant to the course since they highlight concepts that relate to online learning. Further, by linking learning to psychology, the readings are relevant for the course.
Annotation: The above readings provide an in-depth analysis of various approaches that are effective in online learning.
Interactive Discussion Board:
Students will respond to questions that relate to the various lessons that will be offered in the unit. Further, the students will respond to questions that will emerge from the case study that they will undertake prior to the discussion.
Annotation: Through the interactive board, the primary aim will be to create an open platform where students can give their feedback on learning.
Collaborative Assignment or Group Work
Students will be divided into two groups where they will be required to undertake group assignment for submission at the end of the learning period. The student will undertake a project on the relevance of online learning as compared to the traditional classroom learning.
Annotation: The primary aim of the group assignment will be to nurture teamwork among students. Further, such groups will facilitate more group interaction and collaboration, where students will learn from each other.
Assignment (Tests):
Students will be required to undertake tests at the end of the learning period. Examples of the questions that will be used in the paper include:

  1. What is the relevance of various online learning approaches to the study of psychology?
  2. Mention key approaches to online learning

Annotation: The tests will determine students’ level of understanding of the various concepts that they have attained during the learning process.

Learning Object Choice

I am Ms. Cecilia Caleb. In this section, I will guide you on how to develop multi-media object using Web. 2.0 tools. By the end of the lesson, I expect you to develop your own object using any Web. 2.0 tool. As students, please visit the link below and read the object very well:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UOT-o_K0VliyCIWrCvsV8tJFb-8hkz5uWW0VMGexrCM/edit?usp=sharing

Works Cited

Ally, Mohamed. “Foundations of educational theory for online learning.” Theory and practice of online learning 2.3 (2004): 15-44. Print.

Clara, Marc, and Elena Barbera. “Learning online: massive open online courses (MOOCs), connectivism, and cultural psychology.” Distance Education 34.1 (2013): 129-136. Print.

Kehrwald, Benjamin. “Understanding social presence in text‐based online learning environments.” Distance Education 29.1 (2008): 89-106. Print.

Kerr, Marcel, Kimberly Rynearson, and Marcus Kerr. “Student characteristics for online learning success.” The Internet and Higher Education 9.2 (2006): 91-105. Print.

Moore, Michael, and Greg Kearsley. Distance education: A systems view of online learning, Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

Resta, Paul, and Thérèse Laferrière. “Technology in support of collaborative learning.” Educational Psychology Review 19.1 (2007): 65-83. Print.

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