Customer Reviews

The Virtual Student: A Profile and Guide to Working with Online Learners

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THE VIRTUAL STUDENT is an excellent guide for helping online instructors to understand some of the most efficient methods of seeking desired results from their students. I was required to use this text in a seminar that I recently participated to assist me as a virtual educator. Online learning poses many challenges and concerns that traditional learning may overlook or take for granted. Since the instructor does not actually get to see his/her students face to face, the personal touch is missing from the class, and it is the responsibility of the online facilitator to create an environment where the students are willing to participate and to share their ideas.

The authors of this practical text, Rena Pallof and Keith Pratt, have provided a well structured resource tool to provide the virtual instructor with a clear and concise presentation of common issues that are faced in an online classroom and what are effective ways the instructor can go about in dealing with such issues in an organized and in a coherent manner. I was amazed to find out where I may have erred in my approach to online teaching and how I could rectify these mistakes by following some simple techniques to bring forth more desired results from my students. Pallof and Pratt emphasize throughout the book the importance of motivational tools used by the instructor that can either gain or lose the interests of the students.

This book was certainly an eye opener to me on how the virtual classroom differs from the traditional classroom and was quite useful in enhancing my understanding of the online learning environment and the unique challenges posed by such an environment. This book remarkably demonstrates that the learning curve of an online instructor never really declines unless he/she wants it to. Through substantive interactions and exchanges with his/her students, the online instructor learns how to become an effective presenter and communicator who can have a significant impact on the academic progress of the virtual learner. It should be a required guide for anyone who intends to teach online courses.

Are you entering the world of virtual education? This book can give you clear information on how to design your courses, how to analyse the work of your students, how to grade forum's participation and what mistakes you must avoid. A great introduction for all teachers who are interested in active pedagogy and collaborative learning!

... so I am no fan of online ed. Sadly, it is the wave of the future. In that light, I suppose this is useful.