Running Head: E-PORTFOLIO ITEM 4

ePortfolio Item 4
Hannah N Hopper
Regent University
UIS 350

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Online learning is becoming more and more popular in the education world. A person can
complete their entire college degree by never stepping foot on a college campus. Online learning
is not only becoming popular at the collegiate level but also in grades kindergarten through 12th.
Online learning brings a range of innovative methods for teaching, while also brings a few large
drawbacks. Because it is not the conventional method for teaching, teachers must be aware of the
expectations and adapt to the unique challenges found in online learning. Teachers must be
mindful about how to successfully evaluate students progress and must also creatively think
about how to connect with their students and sustain relationships.
In the article Everybody is their own Island: Teacher Disconnection in a Virtual
School, the authors highlight the main challenges teachers face with teaching students online.
This article uncovers the different presences, which add to a learning environment. There is a
teacher presence, cognitive presence, and social presence (Barbour, Graham, Hawkins, 2012).
Teachers express how difficult it is to connect with students and know why they are struggling
without having this face-to-face interaction. Research has shown that feedback and teacher
presence [are] central to student motivation (Barbour, Graham, Hawkins, 2012). Teachers must
stay actively involved and in communication with the students to clearly state expectations and
keep the students motivated. This is useful information for future educators to know in order to
reach the students the best. By knowing what presence is lacking, teachers can attempt to fill this
void in other ways.
Another aspect involved with online learning is accessing the growth and comprehension
of the students. Standards for evaluating the progress of students look different. In the article
Priorities in K-12 Distance Learning, Kerry Rice presents through a study the top priorities
teachers should focus on for online learning. Rice identifies the top priorities as evaluation of

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course design and delivery, best practice, accountability, access, online learning/learners, and
professional development (Rice, 2009). Teachers who enter into online learning must be aware
of these priorities, which are specific to teaching online. Online learning requires a teacher to be
very organized, prepared, and develop the best delivery for students to comprehend the material.
The delivery and design will involve several parts and require the teacher to be skilled in all of
the online tools and resources.
Teachers who enter into the virtual teaching world must also be highly skilled with the
tools and programs used in the course. Online teachers must become adept at using web-based
technologies to offer students activities that make use of the webs powerful tools for
collaborative learning (Cavanaugh, C., Barbour, M., Brown, R., Diamond, D., Lowes, S.,
Powell, A.,..Van der Molen, J. (2009). Not only are teachers expected to teach the content but
also they are expected to teach digital skills. Even though the younger generation has grown up
around technology, they still need to be taught how to be proficient in these skills. This is an
expectation for teachers and will help ensure the course moves smoothly.
These articles are useful to a future educator because it uncovers some of the details,
which go into teaching online courses. The classroom is moving towards a balance between
teaching with technology and the traditional method. It is important for future educators to get a
glimpse of what to expect from online courses. I found it important to read about the different
types of presences which all add to a students learning. When one of those presences is not
there, learning will look different and a teacher needs to adapt. I also find it important to know
what is expected of online teachers. The priorities look different from face to face classrooms
and it is important to be aware of these priorities. Online learning brings new challenges but a
teacher who is well prepared and educated will be able to enter this new realm with confidence.

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References
Cavanaugh, C., Barbour, M., Brown, R., Diamond, D., Lowes, S., Powell, A.,...Van der Molen, J.
(2009). Research Committee Issues Brief: Examining Communication and Interaction in

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Online Teaching. International Association for K-12 Online Learning, 4-20. Retrieved
December 10, 2015.
Hawkins, A., Barbour, M., & Graham, C. (2012). Everybody is their own island: Teacher
disconnection in a virtual school. The International Review in Open and Distance
Learning, 13(2), 123-140.
Rice, K. (2009). Priorities in K-12 Distance Education: A Delphi Study Examining Multiple
Perspectives on Policy, Practice, and Research. Educational Technology & Society, 12
(3), 163177.