Question

1   At what moment in class were you most engaged as a learner?

2   At what moment in class were you most distanced as a learner?

3   What action from anyone in the forums did you find most affirming or helpful?

4   What action from anyone in the forums did you find most puzzling or confusing?

5   What event surprised you most?

Answer 1

1)   At what moment in the class were you most engaged as a learner?
The moment in the class I was most engaged as a learner was when the teacher or a trainer himself/herself was engaging i.e., engaged with students in class with two-way interaction while teaching, illustrating, giving demos, explaining concepts, or logic, making students or learners understand lessons. The trainer was engaged with students as casually as possible as if he himself was as another student or learner, with two-way interaction- say and ask, question and answer, playing roles. It was engaging when he/she illustrated concepts with examples, analogies, demos, practical labs, etc. Practical labs and demos are totally engaging with learners getting their hands dirty, having hands-on experience, failing and succeeding in experiments, assessments, assignments, tasks, and projects. I was most engaged when the trainer taught the subject in detail providing definitions, descriptions, facts and figures, examples, co-relating concepts with real-world things and events and with our lives. It engaged me when the teacher was creative and innovative. He was very supportive and was entertaining, and encouraging us asking him questions or doubts on the subject. They are engaging when they conduct seminars, presentations, demos, webinars, labs, activities or rather fun activities related to the subject.
    
2)   At what moment in the class were you most distanced as a learner?    
The moment in the class I was most distanced as a learner was when the teacher or trainer himself/herself was not interested in teaching, or training. I was distanced when the teacher lacked subject knowledge, provided us vague answers and explanations. I felt I was distanced when we felt the teacher was scripted or taught like how a robot does its routine job or tasks every day. I felt distanced when the teacher avoided us from constantly asking him questions or tricky questions and doubts on the subject. It distanced me when the online trainers or teachers who used music (or sometimes loud music) playing in the background in the videos which is not only distracting but also disturbing, irritating, discouraging to learn and losing our concentration in learning.

3)   What action from anyone in the forums did you find most affirming or helpful?    

The action from anyone in the forums what I find most affirming or helpful is when they- anyone i.e., the teachers, users, experts, or the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) go the extra mile of solving a problem, resolving issues, or answer questions posted in forums on the customer or other users' (learners) behalf. It is affirming when they take ownership of the issue or question been posted. Again, it affirms if anyone is interactive, his intention, actions, answers, interactions, gestures, etc are themselves helpful in a constructive way, encouraging me or other users to learn further. It is helpful if anyone answers to questions in details, providing steps, examples, illustrations, diagrams, analogies, etc. It is helpful when anyone supports his/her answer, why it is so, how, or why not. These users try to help other users understand the subject or topic helping them in every little and possible way appropriately, explaining the subject or topic, providing them information to gain knowledge.

4)   What action from anyone in the forums did you find most puzzling or confusing?    
The action from anyone in the forums what I found most puzzling or confusing was when the user, expert or the SME provided both the answers for supporting both the cases say, true or false, why or why not, for or against, etc. rather talking or discussing or making it a point only on one side. This makes me or anyone for that matter puzzling or confusing. Some users discuss many points or subjects when the topic, discussion, issue, or problem is about only one subject. Some users discuss irrelevant topic out of the subject scope. This is confusing.

5)   What event surprised you most?
The event that surprised me the most is when online teachers and trainers who are famous in their industries with their knowledge, skillset, experience, and expertise in the subject when they made videos of their teaching or training in their webinars, class, etc, and when they published the same online for viewers and users to watch and listen to the same, they embedded or developed the videos with "music" playing in the background which was a negative aspect. This was irrelevant, distracting, disappointing, disturbing, and frustrating in learning the actual subject. This surprised me the most as to how trainers or teachers with so much knowledge and maturity could miss on a simple thing like that. This is because all the viewers or users when watching the informational or educational videos on subjects, no one would want music to be played in the background, for the simple fact it is distracting and they cannot focus on learning and fail to understand the subject even when the trainer or the teacher has created the best content and taught very effectively. This mistake is actually silly or the silliest one. No one wants music to play behind an educational or informational video as their sole intention to watch the video is 'only' for the subject knowledge, not for music entertainment. This would not be a surprise but shocking to me.

What surprised me most when the teachers taught the subject topics so clearly, easily, in a simple manner, quickly, and effectively as if they themselves invented the tool, application, software, or the concept they were teaching the other users or viewers.