About me
Patricia Peterson
Activity
I would love to see what others are doing to engage a high level of online learning through the use of media options. If you can share, please provide a link that I can visit.
Discussion Comment
Thanks Merle for pointing out a key aspect in successful group/peer projects and that is matching student capabilities. I have tried the A student matched with a C student and it doesn't work - the A student ends up doing the bulk of the work, and the C student gets a ride. I now match students on how well they performed to date (A to A, B to B...) and save the group/peer stuff for end of term so I have more time to assess who would work with who on a match.
Discussion Comment
We always make a space for synchronous each week in the form of a conference call with the instructor to discuss questions on the content of the week, but response is very light. Our online learners don't want "appointment based" instruction, they want to do it on their schedule.
Discussion
This section emphasizes the importance of using media in creating modules. We are limited to media aids that can be downloaded from the web for free (ie no budget for purchasing apps). What are you using, and is it free or fee based?
Discussion Comment
I loved the suggestion to add a self-assessment column to rubrics and have the student actively engage in their own assessment - what a powerful idea; and one that I hadn't thought of on my own - thanks!
Thanks Robert, I was unaware of this as a formal approach, we have been doing web research to enhance topic discussions, but I was not savy to the tools you listed. Appreciate your sharing.
Patt
Discussion Comment
Hannah, you are right and we were also getting that as well. My colleague, Shannon Baxa, created a message that she sends out at the beginning of the term to the students and it seems to be helping, here it is: Late Work: It is vital that you submit all assignments/labs/exams and complete all work by the time that it is due. If you encounter an emergency and cannot submit on time - please send me an email ASAP apprising me of the situation and the duration of the extension you are requesting. An important part in planning for your… >>>
Discussion Comment
We use Moodle and I can see participation at a glance for each of the classes. When I see a student go silent, I look and see if they are doing it throughout their courses, or in just one. If just one, it may be a content or instructor issue. However, if they are really MIA there could be a legitimate reason. I have had students dealing with a child being shot, a spouse missing in action, death in the family. Because I know there can always be a reason, I make sure to phrase my inquiry so that it… >>>
Discussion Comment
I create an electronic newsletter for our department on a monthly basis and use this as a forum for getting info to students that I want everyone to know about (new courses, scheduling issues, prepping for internships, etc).
I also encourage my faculty to submit short articles on topics of interest to them so that students can start to appreciate their instructor's skills (especially helpful for adjuncts).
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While good design in the course content is crucial, even the best designed course will fall flat if the instructor is "absent". We monitor weekly engagement activity and provide a scorecard of all majors so that instructors know that being engaged in the class is vital and is being monitored.
I am always surprised that even though this is a standard at our school, there are still some faculty that might only post once or twice in a week with 14 students in the course!