Online Counselor Education: Creative Approaches and Best Practices in Online Learning Environments

Year 2019, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 43 - 52, 01.06.2019

Suzan Wasik , Jennifer Barrow Chadwick Royal Racheal Brooks Levette Dames Livia Corry Corbin Bird

Abstract

The explosive and steady
growth in online learning has created seismic shifts education and in faculty’s
teaching methods and modalities. As a result of the continual market demand for
online educational options, counseling faculty are increasingly expected to
create, teach, and manage online courses. In some educational settings, this is
done with little or no professional development or institutional and financial
support for the teacing faculty members. Designing courses to prepare
counselors requires instructors to address various learning styles in the
digital environment through the offerings of their learning management
system.  Assessing students informally and formally can increase
understanding, engage digital learners, and prepare counselors for the use of
technology in their professional practice. Further, course development requires
instructors to discover innovative ways to create a platform for social
presence outside of discussion boards. This article offers creative
approaches that counselor educators can adopt when designing courses, creating
a classroom community, and engaging with students in an online educational
environment.

Keywords

Online education, Best practices, Counselor education, Education

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