I learned that:

Response sequence is a technique for attending to students’ needs in a personalized manner whereas

the ARCS-based email model is a method for structuring messages in ways that enhance student motivation.

These techniques reinforce a collaborative, relationship-building tone when responding to and initiating

contact with students.

I learned that:

Highlight

Communicating with students through technology is quite different from face-to-face interactions.

Education professionals need to be aware of these differences if they wish to develop strong working

alliances with students they may never meet face-to-face.

I learned that:

Academic factors that contribute to poor academic performance can generally be categorized into 7 core competencies.

Though not exhaustive, this list can help faculty and staff tailor academic interventions to specific areas of concern.

These competencies are self-management, self-advocacy, technological fluency, information literacy, research skills,

writing skills, and virtual collaboration.

I learned that:

A working alliance is the professional relationship between students and institutional personnel, which involves the establishment of rapport, trust, and a mutual agreement about goals and action plans. Building strong working alliances with online students is fundamental to increasing positive student outcomes.

I learned that:

Problem-based learning is defined as instruction which starts with a problem. The problem can be anything,

and scenarios that exist in the real world are quite rewarding to use. Students can delve into particular topics

and build their opinions, thoughts and ideas based on their prior knowledge and course resources, as well as

the direction of the online instructor.

I have learned that:

All good teaching involves assessment. This includes courses using active learning techniques.

Rubrics can assist instructors in adequately grading students’ learning in this academic environment

and assist students in understanding the expectations.

I learned that: Active learning techniques can be readily used in the online learning environment,

but they usually take additional time, planning and effort on the part of the instructor.

The core elements of active learning activities are that students must read, write, discuss, reflect or be engaged in 

problem solving. There is an abundance of innovative strategies which can work in small and large group projects 

or individual activities.

Online instructors should encourage contact between students and faculty, encourage active learning, give prompt feedback, emphasize time on task, respect diverse talents and ways of learning and communicate high expectations.

LMS can sometimes be problematic for students with disabilities. LMS need to have alternative options built into them in order to compensate for what is lacking. For example blind students can't see the screen. Therefore an alternative option is required to be built into the LMS to compensate for their lack of vision.