As you learned in the previous lesson, CMC is unique. The broad range of possible implications for instructors has led Berge (1995) to recommend that CMC moderators be prepared to act as; "assistant, consultant, coordinator, facilitator, filter, firefighter, goal setter, helper, host, intermediary, leader, lecturer, manager, marketer, observer, pace-setter, participant, promoter, provocateur, tutor, and so forth" (p.24). In other words, becoming proficient at communicating via computers in a structured learning environment requires practice and flexibility.
Based on experience, specific recommendations for dealing with some of the more common challenges faced in on-line environments are outlined in the interaction below. As you become experienced e-Learning designers, developers and facilitators, you will, no doubt, be able to add to this list.
The above list of common scenarios and recommendations is not exhaustive,
though it should get you thinking about how you will manage your role
as an e-Learning facilitator. Perhaps your experience of participating
in this e-Learning course will give you insights into some other challenges
of communicating via computer for e-Learning.
Next lesson