Bulgarian Journal of Science and Education Policy (Jul 2018)
Promoting Effective Teaching and Learning in Online Environment: A Blend of Pedagogical and Andragogical Models
Abstract
The emergence of new technologies has increased access to education. The limitation of face-to-face system in terms of adequate access to education by prospective learners and working class is being challenged by online learning delivery platform. The online teaching and learning environment opens up the access to all forms of education that have been restricted by factors such as school age limit, time, work schedule and other cultural and socio-economic factors. Thus, teaching and learning opportunities are now available both in the physical and online environments for all and different categories of learners teenagers and adults alike. This paper, therefore, considers blending pedagogi-cal and andragogical models as essential for promoting effective teaching and learning in online environment. The paper is an exposition on ensuring that both the teenagers and the adults are adequately catered for when designing online teaching and learning programmes. It highlights what makes effective teaching, educational delivery models, paradigm changes and roles of teachers/facilitators of learning in online environment among others. The paper concludes that effective teaching strategies help to activate students curiosity about a class topic, engage students in learning, develop critical thinking skills, keep students on task, engender sustained and useful classroom interaction, and in general, enable and enhance the learning of course content. It then recommends that facilitators/instructors in online teaching and learning should, as a matter of necessity, acquire skills both in pedagogical and andragogical models of teaching.
