Gerson's e-class

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E-CLASS: A model for distance online course development

Developed by Dr. Steven M. Gerson, English Professor at the Johnson County Community College specifically for online courses, the e-class model of instruction has 7 distinct phases of instruction and details the aims of each phase as

Explain
Clarify
Look
Act
Share
Self Evaluate/Submit

Explain

The start of an instructional unit. Should provide an overview that may explain: - what's to be discussed - the context - a scenario or case to situate the assignment - why a topic is being introduced - the historical perspective of an assignment E explains why the assignment is being given and what is expected of the learner

Clarify

C should provide details on how an assignment will be approached; which laws or principles will be employed and what resources will be used.

Look

L should provide the student with examples of similar assignments or problems using simulations and modelling. All ranges of multimedia can and should be exploited to this effect.

Act

The focus here is to have learners put to practice what has been introduced and detailed in the previous phases. Exercises and activities should allow learners to participate in the application of what has been learnt.

Share

Gerson admits this to be the most difficult phase in a distance learning environment aggravated by it's asynchronous nature. Learners should engage in interaction to benefit from the learning that occurs within a community of learners. Educational technology tools that are available to this end are email, blogs, chats and forums for reflection, discussions, and collaborative work. The point is to simulate the interaction that takes place in a classroom environment.

Self Evaluate/Submit

This point in the sequence serves to allow learners to evaluate and revise their own work according to feedback received from peers and the criteria set out and finally submit their assignment.

Examples

eLML

References

Gerson,Steven M.(2000), E-CLASS: Creating a Guide to Online Course Development For Distance Learning Faculty, Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume III, Number IV, Winter 2000, State University of West Georgia, Distance & Distributed Education Center <[[1]]> (accessed May 31, 2006)