Remember equations with two variables? Somewhere in Algebra I your teacher said something like this, “We’re having so much fun finding x, why don’t we also add a y in there?” And your mind exploded. Oh math, why must you torture me?
The truth is that the two-variable equation is a thing of beauty. The two variables are reliant on each other. The easiest way to solve for x is to know the value of y, but you often won’t know the value of y. You have to complete some mental aerobics to isolate your x, solve for it, and then look at your y. Or you have to solve for both simultaneously and look for all values that could make the equation true. Believe it or not, the two-variable equation isn’t just math teacher torture. It’s the real world.
2x+y=14
Behold the two-variable equation!
The world is full of multi-factor equations. I can’t decide what time I have to leave home for work unless I also factor in the time of day and traffic speeds. I can’t decide what car I can afford unless I factor in how much I have saved, current interest rates, and dealer fees. We all have to cope with multi-factor equations. It’s rarely just one thing we need to solve in order to find an answer. It’s more than one.
Online learning is no different. High-quality online learning is a two-factor equation. We could make an argument for thousands of different variables that impact learning (an absolutely maddening truth about education research) but I think, if we boil down the online classroom to its essence, we have two core variables: curriculum and people. And we must solve for both.
In order to have a great learning experience, we first need a great curriculum. We need courses that are well-designed with easy navigation, clear learning outcomes, and thoughtful assignments. We need to ensure that our daily work goes beyond sit and click busy work to the deeper questions of our fields, including critical thinking and applying our ideas in the real world. Great curriculum is the x in our equation, but it’s not the only variable.
The second variable is people. Even with a great course and contrary to the MOOC models of the world, learning does not happen in isolation. Learners need to be in community together and their instructor needs to be highly involved in the process. All learning is a people business and online learning is no different. A great learning experience requires support from the online course community and from a great instructor. People are the y in our equation.
Just like a solving a two-variable equation, we cannot solve the problem of how to provide great online learning experiences unless we solve for both variables. Great instructional design teams must partner with great faculty support. Together we can create deep, meaningful online learning but only in collaboration. We have to solve for both variables.
