| Introduction
The Best Job in the World
The human individual is born to learn. From the moment an infant begins to perceive his or her outer surroundings (and even before) she is experiencing stimuli, applying cognitive processes, and forming perceptions about her world. Humans have an intrinsic motivation to learn, grow, and evolve (Reeve, 2009). The absolute best job in the world is providing individuals with the tools and support they need to satisfy those primal urges for self-actualization; teaching.
The Online Classroom Environment
The online classroom environment is a genuine window to the world. An online facilitator has the opportunity to interact with individuals from a variety of different social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. The online forum establishes a venue in which the facilitator and students can interact with one other in a manner that will foster the kind of high-quality interpersonal relationships necessary to encourage motivation and learning (Reeve, 2009).
Motivational research indicates that a genuinely cooperative and constructive relationship between the facilitator and the student is the most important element of the structural learning process (Reeve, 2009). Individuals learn in many ways; trial and error, observation of a specialist, and practice, practice, practice are just a few of the methods the individual may choose to employ when attempting to master a new task or concept. A facilitator can most effectively motivate her student(s) by first providing an appropriate model of preparation, mastery, and enthusiasm for the course material. Second, maintaining an open, nonjudgmental, growth-promoting atmosphere in the online forum. Third presenting the student(s) with interesting and challenging course material, and finally supporting the student in ways that affirm her “capacity for self-determination and autonomous self-regulation” (Reeve, p. 454, 2009).
Conclusion
From the very earliest stages of development the human individual is driven to interact with and understand her environment. The individual is motivated by intrinsic drives to improve both personally and socially according to internalized perceptions of ideals derived from experience and social interaction. In short, people want to learn, they are compelled to learn. The online facilitator has the glorious privilege of assisting individuals in that endeavor.
Especially at the college level, the personal gratification for an online facilitator is without bounds. Adults returning to college are generally doing so because their efforts to advance in the job market have made the importance of higher-education extremely clear. In this case, the facilitator does not have to convince the student of the benefits of completing the course, the long-term benefit has already been internalized and the student is ready and willing to learn. The absolute best job in the world is providing individuals with the tools and support they need to realize their highest potential; teaching.
Dr. Sarah E. White
Illuminating Bliss
References
Reeve, J. (2009). Understanding motivation and emotion, (Fifth Edition). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken: NJ |
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