As students learn in a variety of ways, utilizing a variety of evaluation tools can help students gain a deeper appreciation of teh material and where they need to focus their efforts to fully close the loop on their learning.

Yes, I think this is a great method for generating some energy about the course material and the group with whom the learners will participate. Kind of an e-environment icebreaker event.

I have gained an increased appreciation for two key points in preparing assessments and providing feedback. First, is the idea that not all assessments need to be part of a final grade, but may be better provided as tools for students to assess their own progress and readiness for formal assessments. Second, it is incredibly important that instructors provide useful feedback on why you assessed something the way you did, so that the learner can review, learn, and improve for next time. The learning being the real goal.

I think it depends on a number of factors to include the nature of the material, the quality of the resources, the age and maturity of the learners, and so on. There are certainly times I have greatly valued from studying on my own, or a mixed, schedule; but in gereral I much prefer (and get far more out of) face-to-face learning for most anything.

I have gained a greater appreciation for the importance of a well designed syllabus. Scaffolding is an interesting and useful term for a good and well designed course.  Also, the value of a well supported venues for student interaction is tremendously important for any course, but especially for the on-line learning environment.

I now have a better understanding of the importance of course organizational consistency. And, I learned some good tips with regard to use of multimedia to enhance, but not detract from, the overal course material; and a good tip to keep all multimedia organized in a seperate library for easy reference and future use.

I think the 24 hour rule is always appreciated, but may be impractical or unnecessary in some environments. Regardless, the instructor's commitment to a given turn-around time should be made clear to the group, whatever that time frame is, to minimize anxiety and maximixe the trust in the instructor and the the learning process overall.

A rubric is a tool that can be used to clearly articulate expectations for a given assignment and what are the metrics for a various grade.  They are best used for assignments where there may not be one set answer, and where subjectivity can come into play in the grading. It helps the student to focus on what the instructor deems important to the assignment, clarifys what the instructor is looking for in passign thru excellence, and helps to keep the instructor honest and fair as well.  For example in an essay, a grade may be based on a combination… >>>

I am starting to appreciate the importance of actively monitoring on-line discussion groups to ensure everyone feels comfortable and are participating. Two points for me include being alert to learners who may try to dominate a forum in some way that keeps others out, and to keep an eye out for students who are not participating for some reason. Then proactively reach out to each of those learners individually to help get them to participate more constructively.

Does anyone have any recommendations on the optimal group size for a synchronous on-line learning environment? Big enough where there is meaningful interaction, but not so big where learners can just check out without being noticed.