Amanda Capps

I'm curious about the peer-to-peer aspect in an asynchronous class . . . Does anyone have experience allowing students to answer each other's questions in an FAQ discussion area? 

I have worked at a school that required tech for tech's sake and required specific software, etc. that I didn't typically need. I found that as long as I was attentive to my class, they were indifferent as to whether I used a video or a written paragraph to make weekly announcements, etc. It is good to vary delivery methods, but in some cases, schools place burdens on instructors who have to find ways to check boxes. I appreciate the material in this course that emphasizes teaching style and matching both style and tech to the objectives. 

Comment on Ozkan Keskinkaya's post: Excellent point! How much of that do you think should be done by the instructor versus administrators or others at the institution? 

The most impactful comment about feedback for me was the one about instructor comments not being used to justify the score. Good rubrics do that, and it's our job to use feedback as a teaching opportunity. We can also motivate students this way.

Comment on Amy Neal's post: Hi Amy. I was actually a little taken aback by the dynamic syllabus. It seems like another complete copy of the class shell versus an outline/summary. Do you have any thoughts about repetition or how much detail we really need? Thanks!

I was struck by the note that students learn with technology, not from it. That reminds me of my role in reinforcing the learning objectives without being too repetitive or bombarding the class.

I was surprised to hear that too much video may cause cognitive overload. However, I'm glad it's not the only thing that will capture students' attention. It seems that healthy balance is the key.

It's tricky to keep people engaged without making them feel as if you're adding to the workload. I try to propel discussions with questions, but I understand those questions can't be so complex that students have to perform research or respond with something as long as their initial response. I'll do that deliberately, however, if their response is too brief to give them a decent grade. Sometimes that works better than calling them out privately and reminding them of requirements.

I gained a better understanding of the various personalities (competitive, dependent, etc.) and how they could affect group discussions. I'm more prepared now to balance the forum and make everyone feel included. It's just as important to keep the bolder students from feeling dismissed as it is to encourage the quiet ones.

I learned that a quick welcome message could go a long way. I had already planned to do it in the module, but individual messages via the CMS or email would enhance that.