Personal OLI Theory

Trekking Virtual Landscapes: Online Literacy and the High School-College Experience

Online Literacy Instruction (OLI) is defined as "instruction that occurs—at least partially if not fully—in a computer-based, Internet, or intranet instructional setting" (GSOLE, 2019). In my experience becoming certified in this field of study, I have expanded my own understanding of the online environments where not only our students learn, but also where we—as educators—can expand our instructional practices to further promote digital literacy and citizenship. When I initially started this course, I presumed that my learning would be limited to teaching online courses at the post-secondary level; however, my knowledge of digital literacy has been greatly extended and the application possibilities seem endless between both the secondary and post-secondary levels.

In my current position, I work at a high school-college partnership, and my primary field of study is in writing knowledge transfer from secondary to post-secondary levels. OLI extends its field into transferrable learning as the digital literacy skills gained at the secondary level could be significantly impactful on a student’s success in the online classroom. Joanna Paull and Jason Snart (2016) explained how the expanding growth of online learning, particularly at the college level, is still a territory to be intensely studied: “Massive online courses are making headlines, though few yet award transferable academic credit and their potential long-term impact on learning has yet to be fully understood” (p. 1). In my understanding of OLI, I feel that educators working in online environments (or even incorporating digital tools into their classroom) should strive toward growing their instructional practices around what students need at the moment to be successful learners and contributors in the online world. GSOLE (2019) includes in their principles for OLI that “instructors and tutors should commit to regular, iterative processes of course and instructional material design, development, assessment, and revision to reflect current effective practices.” While such a theory may require flexibility and adjustment on the instructional side, I truly believe that students would benefit greatly from the continuous development and improvement of courses based on the needs of the learners at that particular point in time.

The opportunity to learn and grow my teaching practices through the OLI lens has been enlightening, specifically on how I may improve my instruction at the secondary level to support learners beyond high school. One particular interest that stemmed from the course was in regard to Course Management Systems (CMS) and how such platforms may influence student learning in a variety of fashions. Alison Witte (2018) describes CMS as “generally static” entities that may limit layouts or formatting for how instructional materials are shared with students. Prior to taking this course, I personally did not take into consideration the problems (or learning opportunities) that may stem from different CMS. However, CMS interfaces truly enhance learning by “creating a space for students and instructors to interact outside of the brick-and-mortar classroom,” expanding opportunities for both synchronous and asynchronous activities (Witte, 2018). In module four of the course, I linked my theory of OLI to my teaching practices by evaluating how I utilized my CMS in the ENG 101 (Introduction to Academic Writing) course I designed. In hopes of improving digital literacy, I reassessed my practices and incorporated more low-risk assessments earlier in the course that allows students to interact and use a variety of built-in tools within the CMS (i.e. Smarthinking, video/audio recording). By including these low-risk assignments, I anticipate that students may become more familiar with the CMS, and ultimately, may use such tools without needing to be led by an instructor to the resource.

Lastly, my perspective on OLI has evolved in terms of the mobility of online classrooms now with smartphones becoming increasingly more common. Even at the secondary level, most students have access to their own smartphone or mobile device with access to the Internet, allowing them to interact in their digital classrooms without traditional face-to-face instruction. Rochelle Rodrigo (2015) argues that we can no longer avoid the use of such devices in class, but rather we should embrace the new age of online learning:

Thinking about mobile devices in higher education is no longer about looking forward to change; instead, it is about reconciling with technological changes that have been occurring over the past decade as Internet connection devices have become smaller, more personalized, and more prevalent (p. 501).

At the secondary level, mobile devices are often seen as a negativism as many educators associate student use with off-task behavior if done so during class time; however, my perspective on these technologies has evolved more toward seeing smartphones as tools for students to utilize in accessing their online classrooms. Understanding how students compose on such devices can also improve instructors’ knowledge of common grammatical mistakes or errors that may occur. Instructors at both the secondary and post-secondary levels “need to consider that if a student’s primary computer is, in fact, her mobile device, she might be drafting entire papers with her thumbs” (Rodrigo, 2015, p. 506). Keeping in mind these possibilities can help instructors become more empathetic of the student experience, especially in regard to accessibility, which can ultimately help students in the end by connecting them with available resources to support their education.

By the end of my OLI certification, my personal theory regarding OLI developed beyond simply the use of technology within the classroom. Instead, I have found that the role of instructors in implementing such digital tools and resources requires strategic planning that should take into consideration not only accessibility but also the student experience navigating the online classroom. More specifically, I have discovered a newfound interest in exploring the connections between knowledge transfer theory, OLI, and high school-to-college transitions. My future goals involve further understanding the correlation of these three areas, as well as developing my own theoretical findings on how educators may improve their practices by strategically planning with these fields in mind.

References

GSOLE. (2019). Online literacy instruction principles and tenets. Global Society of Online Literacy Educators. GSOLE Website. https://gsole.org/oliresources/oliprinciples.

Paull, J. & Snart, J. (2016). Introduction. Making Hybrids Work: An Institutional Framework for Blending Online and Face-to-Face Instruction in Higher Education. National Council of Teachers of English, p. 1-22.

Rodrigo, R. (2015). OWI on the go. In B. Hewett & K. E. DePew (Eds.) Foundational Practices of Online Writing Instruction. WAC Clearinghouse, p. 493-516.