There are multiple techniques to use to keep students engaged in online learning. One strategy is using a welcome letter, it’s a great way to start off a course. It will make online students feel more welcome. A personalized introduction is important as well, as this helps students in getting to know you.

Providing informative feedback is one of the most important aspects of the role of an instructor.  It’s critical to make sure to give the feedback in a timely and informative manner as well. This is great for students learning and helps them from feeling isolated or detached in an online environment.

I’ve learned that I much prefer an asynchronous discussion, as I think this works well for my students too. This type of environment is designed to be more of their responsibility and an “anytime, anywhere” experience. I believe it also gives my students time to research on a topic, rather than be nervous or stressed out trying to be on a live (synchronous) discussion. As I know from experience, there can be disadvantages to this type of discussion as well.  Such as; students procrastinating and not staying on top of their work.

All instructors must develop their own personal teaching style that works for them and the students as well. But instructors should find technology tools that support their teaching style.  This will help assess teaching methods and match with learning outcomes.

Creating multiple evaluation tools is critical for students.  It takes multiple tools to provide feedback, as instructors/teachers we cant just use student evaluations to revise courses. Some examples are: concept maps, question tools, and stuctured interviews.  

I did learn that rubrics allow instructors to target specific tasks in an assignment or project, and this helps with assessing learning.  Student performance can be assessed as well.  As an instructor, I can review the assignment to ensure all requirements are met, and if not, edit it before handing out to students. 

I learned that a course syllabus should be dynamic so students have something to go to access information.  It must be designed in a way for students to access it electronically. Also, making sure I participate in discussions is key, because if I’m not involved it can lead to less participation from students. 

Making sure the course modules are all the same for students to navigate through courses easily. Students will gain a better understanding this way.  Another important aspect I learned is ensuring the content being used has meaning and purpose. 

This module recommended strategies for our communication with students and how to counsel them as well. As instructors we need to do all we can for online students who are feeling alienated or feel as though the workload is too heavy.  Offering tips and providing support for students is important so they can be successful.

This module taught me the differences between asynchronous and synchronous discussions. Asynchronous is more or so what I would use as an instructor because it doesn’t happen at the same moment. So many students can post to a forum and still read other students posts.   But if I did see any students struggling I would do a separate synchronous discussion because it may be more effective for them and easier to focus.