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You Are Here: Parent's Guide to e-LEARNing> The People Involved
The People Involved
As a student enrolled in an LEARN course, your child will communicate directly with an on-site facilitator (a school staff member), the teacher of the LEARN course and other students enrolled in the course. The course delivery is also supported by your School Board which provides technical support when needed. A Director of Educational Services oversees the delivery of all courses to all education and community groups using the LEARN network.
The following description of roles and responsibilities is taken from the Student Guide:
Students
Students will consult with the school facilitator about technology use whenever necessary. Computer "glitches" are fairly common and can cause frustration. You may be the only person who is aware of a problem so it is your responsibility to report it to your school facilitator immediately. Be prepared to learn course content from other sources (text book, CD ROM, videotape, DVD etc.) or use another method of communication (fax or telephone) if the online delivery system suffers technological difficulties. Prevent problems by allowing lots of time for set-up and shut down of computers.You may be the only student or one of a very small group of students in your school. Student participation in a distance education class is higher than in a classroom. This means that there is more responsibility on your shoulders.
Communicate with other students to help with procedure or trouble shooting minor difficulties. Communicate often with your teacher about course content and learning. Your teacher will establish a procedure for reporting absences, getting extra help, forwarding assignments and writing exams.
There are several qualities required to succeed in a distance education course:
•
Discipline Even if there is no teacher in
the 'classroom' with you, you will still have to listen to the lesson, take notes and focus on the
content.
• Patience Sometimes, there may be delays in receiving materials if they are sent by mail.
• Motivation You must be able to motivate yourself to hand in assignments on time.
• Concentration Since you cannot always see or be seen by your teacher, good concentration is essential if you wish to follow a lesson.
• Resourcefulness You may have to use other resources at school or at home to be able to complete work.
• Responsibility You are responsible for your own learning: take good notes, ask and answer questions, communicate difficulties immediately, prepare for online learning ahead of time, allow extra time for assignments.
• Perseverance If you encounter difficulties with either course content or technology, take the initiative and approach your teacher and/or facilitator.
• Patience Sometimes, there may be delays in receiving materials if they are sent by mail.
• Motivation You must be able to motivate yourself to hand in assignments on time.
• Concentration Since you cannot always see or be seen by your teacher, good concentration is essential if you wish to follow a lesson.
• Resourcefulness You may have to use other resources at school or at home to be able to complete work.
• Responsibility You are responsible for your own learning: take good notes, ask and answer questions, communicate difficulties immediately, prepare for online learning ahead of time, allow extra time for assignments.
• Perseverance If you encounter difficulties with either course content or technology, take the initiative and approach your teacher and/or facilitator.
Studies have shown that both teachers and students spend more time working on courses delivered online when compared with the same course delivered in the traditional classroom. If you are not, at this time, comfortable with computers, some of your time will be spent figuring out how to carry out difficult applications on your computer.
As a general rule, plan to give at least as many hours to online courses as you would to regular classroom courses. Some distance education experts suggest that you devote an extra 10% of time to this type of course.
Parents
Your parents can become enthusiastic supporters of e-learning. If you discuss your experiences, successes and difficulties with them they may provide practical as well as moral support.Facilitator or School “Responsable”
The facilitator at your school is a staff member who acts as guide or advisor to any student taking a distance education course. He or she has access to technical support from the School Board to which your school belongs. The facilitator consults the school principal on matters relating to the location of the LEARN work area and its equipment as well as on procedures for reporting marks and writing exams. He or she advises the teacher of any observed inadequacies of software or hardware in the delivery of the course content. The facilitator advises the teacher of any learning or behavioural concerns that the student exhibits. He or she offers moral and academic support for students. The facilitator reports absences to the teacher, updates student files at the school and supervises exams and assignments.Teacher
The teacher manages the class schedule and calendar. He or she teaches the course at the time and on the days specified in the course schedule. The teacher corrects assignments, exams and tests and assigns marks in a timely fashion. The teacher is available for consultation with a student, by mutual agreement, outside of regular class hours. The teacher forwards course materials to each school site in time for class use.Technical Support
Each school board provides technical support for each school site. Technical support personnel are assigned on a part time basis to upgrade and maintain hardware at the school. This person may also be a good resource to use if software problems arise.Provincial Administration
The provincial LEARN Administration consults with teachers, facilitators, principals, technical support personnel and the LEARN Management Team. They engage in research, oversee the technical training of teachers, the creation and distribution of teaching materials and ensure the smooth operation of network equipment. The Director (Margaret Dupuis), heads up a team consisting of the Administrator/Principal (Dianne Conrod), Site Managers, Technical Manager (Tim Scobie), Teachers, Research and Development Personnel, office staff and board technicians to work with schools and the Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sports (MELS) in Quebec to encourage development of a wide variety of courses and resources to be delivered via the network.Knowing who is involved in the online course delivery and what their role is can help you guide your child if difficulties arise. Do not hesitate to discuss any concerns you might have with the principal. You may ask the facilitator at the school to make contact with the course teacher as needed. The teacher of the course is also available to you via email, fax or telephone.