WelcomeWelcome from the Vice-Chancellor
HistoryHistory of the University of Tauranga
StudentsStudent life when studying with us
GoivernanceBoard and structure
CoursesIntroduction to the courses offered by Tauranga University
CommerceCourses under the Division of Commerce
HumanitiesCourses under the Division of Humanities
SciencesCourses under the Division of Sciences
Online learningHow does online learning work with Tauranga?
Learning contractsHow learning contracts empower the student
LecturesWhy lectures do not work
SupportSupport available to learn online
Online > Home
Every student has their own unique mixture of learning tools that work for them. Effective online instruction depends on learning experiences that are appropriately designed and tailored to the individual student. Online educators should design activities that include multiple modes of learning. Teaching models should also be adapted to the new learning environments.
Online Courses & Multiple Instructional Strategies
Traditionally, in a teacher-centered classroom, instructors control the environment and how information is dispersed and shared. In an online course, with instant access to vast resources of data and information, students are no longer dependent on the faculty for knowledge. Learning is becoming more collaborative, contextual and active. Educators must identify their objectives, design their curriculum, and then consider how the online environment serves the instructional objectives/activities of that curriculum.
With learning-centered instruction, instructors take on the role of facilitating and sharing information while guiding students toward solutions. Teachers as well as learners must take on new roles in the teaching-learning relationship, and faculty must be willing to release control of learning to the students. Online learning environments also require a range of interactive methodologies. Instructors find that when adapting courses to online models, they pay more attention to the instructional design of their courses. As a result, the quality, quantity, and patterns of communication students practice during learning improve.
The University of Tauranga has always been an online learning platform and has designed learning methodologies from the ground up, rather than traditional lecture led universites who have had to work at adapting the tools they currently use. Of the many instructional strategies available for use in the online learning environment, most were not been developed specifically for online instruction. Tauranga has chosen the strategies that facilitating better online learning. Below are some instructional strategies that Tauranga facilitate.
Learning Contracts
Discussion
Lecture
Self-Directed Learning
Mentorship
Small Group Work
Project
Collaborative Learning
Case Study
Forum
Panel
Symposium
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