I really like the idea of adding a welcome letter or a welcome video at the beginning of the course on the main page. This is something that I typically do in class as an introductory discussion for everyone on the first day of the new course. I think this is a good way to keep a certain type of continuity between what people would be used to, and what they will find online.

It seems that this module is teaching you to look at your course from all angles, including through the students’ eyes. You need to take their feedback into account and make sure that their voices are being heard to increase the feeling of community in the course. This will also help with future planning of curriculum delivery within the course. Letting you know what works and doesn’t work well when it comes to the delivery.

In this module I learned that although I may prefer a synchronous learning environment, there are certain times where an asynchronous environment is more preferable for the assignments given

 From this module I learned that although there are many different types of online learning tools, you have to take time to make sure that you are using the proper tool for the curriculum you’re trying to teach. It is important to assess the functionality of the online tool before using it, while you are using it, and getting feedback afterwards to make sure it is effective for instructor and students alike

Reply to Tracie Buffaloe's post: I like that idea. I typically provide a code of conduct that I expect people to follow verbally during first discussion and remind them frequently. Having it written down is an excellent way to provide quick reference back and to make sure it is spelled out clearly for everyone with no room for misinterpretation. 

The part of this module that I found interesting was the characterization of different types of students. I was able to picture, in my mind, these different personalities matching up with different students from my various classes.  Even as some personality types can be problematic, I found the simple guidelines that were laid out to be helpful in an almost “common sense” kind of way.  Sometimes it is good to have things laid out in plain English to reinforce what you may already know but didn’t think of originally as being so simple and direct. Dealing with a “problem child”… >>>

While I do agree with the majority of the module, I disagree with the idea that synchronous discussions should not be used to teach critical information. In the settings that I’ve used online learning so far, I’ve had to use synchronous discusssions or chats for this purpose.  Most of the time, it has been the setting of presenting our class power point presentations. While it does take a little more on my part as an instructor to make sure everyone stays engaged and involved, I find it useful to present a large amount of information in an interactive way that,… >>>

 This module made it very clear that online learning and instructing is not much different than classroom instruction. Creating a biography to share some personal and professional credential and educational information about yourself is very similar to what I do on the first day of class in my classrooms. I‘ve found that my students really respect  instructors who have a good background in the field that they are teaching. It is important for a student to see that what they are learning will lead them in a positive direction.  It helps them to see the value in what they are… >>>

I learned the basics of how an online course is set up.  This  course also reinforced the idea that I must have a good understanding of the material in my online courses before beginning any type of instruction.  Without a good handle on how the CMS works prior to starting with the students, questions that arise as we proceed will be much more difficult to answer than they would be with just a little bit of extra prep time. I feel that it’s also necessary to make sure that any technical questions that arise on my part are better answered… >>>