(Page 2 of 37) - Beyond Best Practices: Creating Effective E-Learning Communities Outside the Virtual Classroom authored by Dierks, Rosa Gomez.

Introduction

Creating effective e-learning communities is both an art and a science.
Technology is more liberating and demanding for faculty and students, but
it can only serve as a lever to teach and learn online. In a virtual
classroom, faculty can easily shift from top-down, lecture-based instruction
to a learner-based approach emphasizing active and collaborative
learning. Students have the flexibility of completing a course while
working and managing other professional and personal obligations. Non-
linear learning on the web demands creative, analytical, and problem-
solving skills. Teachers and learners must commit their time and energy
to meet rigorous standards of excellence to create and sustain productive
learning environments.

The opportunities to teach and learn online are evolving at a dizzying pace
in the fields of public policy and public administration. In addition to a
multitude of virtual university classrooms, federal, state, and local
governments are delivering proactive online programs to train employees
on an ongoing basis. These programs integrate public management and
communications allowing public administrators to incorporate professional
online training and development to their daily problem-solving tasks. A
recent article, “Getting Smart About Learning,” available at:

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/1122/tec-elearn-11-22-04.asp

describes such

programs now underway at various federal agencies.

Technology must fit the discipline, not the other way around. The fields of
public administration and public policy offer unique opportunities to design
courses linking theory and practice, engage students in active learning,
and create learning communities that extend beyond the classroom. It is
not possible to export traditional classroom methods and practices to an
online environment and expect instant student-faculty interaction. The
quality of online courses depends on course design and students’
engagement in their learning environment (Duffy and Kirkley 2004, 4).

Designing quality online courses begins with the adoption of the seven
principles of best practices but it does not end there. Course design sets
the parameters for successful course management practices and provides
the framework for creating a learning community. In turn, course
management practices need to be consistent with the principles of best
practices and encourage learners to engage in the course content.

This paper will examine how the seven principles of best practices serve
as a catalyst to design and manage online courses. These principles
include frequent contact between faculty and students, reciprocity and
cooperation, active learning, prompt feedback, time on task, a
commitment to high expectations, and respect for diverse talents and