Pre-Week
From ElateWiki
One common tool used in various e-learning programs is the Pre-Week. This is a period of time when an online course is made available to learners prior to the start of the term. This allows the learners time to acclimate to the learning / course management system (L/CMS), review the posted online course materials, meet some fellow classmates, review some preview curricular contents leading up to the start of the course, and meet the instructor.
Contents |
[edit] Acclimating to the L/CMS and Technos
A Pre-Week may also involve some light tutorials on how to use the site. The Pre-Week may include links to URLs of software makers with viewers or readers to help them access the contents.
[edit] Introductory Course Materials
Instructors may post introductory course materials that would benefit learners in terms of refreshing their memories and "priming" them for the learning to come during the term.
Very high-intensity courses offer chances for learners to preview materials and read in depth.
Or this lead-up week may be used to help novice learners acclimate, as part of the "scaffolding" concept linked to Lev Vygotsky's "Zone of Proximal Development".
An updated syllabus is usually made part of these course materials. Whatever will help learners orient themselves to the coming learning will be important.
[edit] Connecting Socially
In a Pre-Week, online learners will connect with each other. They will also often contact the instructor with initial questions which may not have been addressed in the extant files.