An opportunity to develop your skills, experience and techniques in creating, promoting, running and developing successful online learning groups, using the Janison Platform.

This course is entirely online and runs asynchronously for 4 weeks.

There is a growing demand for the provision of flexibly accessed learning but few lecturers have themselves learnt this way. E-moderating is therefore not a set of skills most lecturers have acquired vicariously whilst they themselves were learning. Many lecturers may believe that learning online is to do with the provision of subject resources requiring high levels of computing skills. This is a very limited conception of online learning. This course is centred on discussion and the use of dialogue to express ideas and opinions and give and receive feedback amongst peers. Learning is achieved through group interaction using online discussion boards in Janison VLE.

Lecturers are challenged by the use of discussion boards as many fail due to lack of student participation or conversely are overwhelmed by too many inappropriate contributions. Whether experienced or novice, the e-moderating course will offer you a conceptual framework to increase your success and effectiveness, for less time. All the ideas can be applied right away to your own modules, courses and programmes.

High quality e-moderating cannot be achieved by doing what lecturers always did in the classroom. As yet there are few online mentors to guide lecturers through step-by-step, nor is there time for long-term apprenticeships. E-moderators must be specially recruited and trained. This course offers just such an opportunity. The course is based on a group of lecturers working online together, so it’s very important to start on time and continue to contribute throughout the 4 weeks.

The course provides a series of group activities which are carefully paced throughout the 4 weeks. Your course will be facilitated by an experienced e-convenor under the overall direction and guidance of course directors Dr Gilly Salmon and David Shepherd.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to buy the companion text book, ‘E-Moderating: The Key to Teaching and Learning Online, by Gilly Salmon, at a special reduced price (see Application form) though recommended, this is not a requirement.

You will need good access to the Internet, preferably from both office and home, and a flexible and open approach to exploring e-learning. You will not need a high level of technical skill to get started. If you can log on to Web sites you can access the course!

Willingness to log on at least 3 times a week over the 4 week period and take part. The course requires at least 25 hours overall.

Participants must be available to start on the start date. You’ll get the most out of the course if you can log on regularly for an hour or so most days.

Dr Gilly Salmon from the Open University Business School has been working online since 1988 and involved in online teaching and e-moderating since 1989. She has now been responsible for designing and delivering online e-moderator training for around 700 individuals across universities and corporate training facilities. She has also worked with a number of large scale international corporations at the forefront of online teaching and learning processes.

Critically, she believes that e-moderator training should be undertaken in the online environment itself, and has proved it can be done.

David Shepherd who has already been extensively involved in development and e-convening a number of online e-moderating courses and has trained over 100 e-moderators. He is a management development consultant, helping teams to improve their performance. Since 1995 has been increasingly involved with online groups, and is a part owner of a dot.com! He has helped to train e-moderators in the Open University and is Director of All Things in Moderation Ltd.

Please complete as fully as possible

Completion of this application form does not guarantee a place on the course. Your application will be considered in the light of the number of applicants and you will be notified by email of the results of your application. No payment will be sought unless you are accepted onto the course.

The cost of this course is £325 + VAT per course place. Payment can be made directly to ‘All Things in Moderation Ltd’ and posted for the attention of:

David Shepherd
All Things in Moderation Ltd
99 Falmouth Avenue
Highams Park
London E4 9QR

Further details from David Shepherd