About me
William Becker
Activity
Discussion Comment
Hello
In an online environment your choices for evaluation can be rather limited. The course material is usually predetermined as well as the weekly assignments. Keeping track of the weekly class average would be the easiest but not necessarily the best. You could pose questions on the Discussion Board weekly that could challenge student compression.
Bill Becker
Discussion Comment
Hello
Using a rubric for assessment not only helps the student stay focused and on track but it also helps the instructor to do the same. I always post my rubric on the class Announcement Board usually one week prior to the due date of the assignment. Not only does this give the student a clear road map as to what is expected but it also reduces confusion and countless angst on the student’s part trying to figure out what it is that I am looking for.
Bill Becker
Blog
Hi
This course is great. I have been teaching online for 11years and definitely learned some knew tricks. I highly recommend taking it no matter how long you’ve been teaching or your level.
Bill Becker
Discussion Comment
Hi In my 11 years of teaching online, I have had my share of conflict with students. It usually starts with a student who requests an extension for one week and then requests another the following week for some new and unrelated emergency. I realize the strain of being an online student and often bad things happen to good people. Therefore I have a rather liberal extension policy. Most times it works but there will always be the student who sees this as an opportunity to try and procrastinate all the way to the end of the course. As an… >>>
Discussion Comment
Hello As I mentioned earlier in my response that as an instructor it is easy for the facilitator to take a backseat or misunderstand the importance of instructor involvement when it comes to the discussion boards. I made that mistake in my early years of teaching online. I mistakenly assumed that the discussion board was solely for student interaction and that I really had no place interfering or getting involved. What I found was that my students were adopting the same the same philosophy and were posting weak or short comments and only reaching the minimum requirements each week. Since… >>>
Discussion Comment
Hi At my university, it is mandatory for the instructors to post their biography. I am lucky because I have 20 years’ experience in aerospace engineering and program management besides my years in academics as well. I am lucky in the sense that I have achieved a lot during my career. Normally I am a very private person who does not like to have my credentials made public. However, it has made a big difference for me when establishing my role as content expert and authority in the classroom. It helps add to the respect that an instructor needs to… >>>
Discussion Comment
Hi
I have been teaching online for 11 years. Over that time period I have developed a series of postings that I place on the classroom announcement board. I include welcome, class expectations, lateness/assignment extension policy, late penalties for assignments, academic integrity policy, and my office hours.
Can anyone think of other announcements that would be appropriate for the first day of class?
Bill Becker
Blog
Hi
I just finished EL101 and actually found it very informative. I was very surprised and happy and learned a lot.
Bill Becker
Discussion Comment
Hi
There has to be a boundary between what is acceptable as far as using outside media and what would consider too much. I know of instructors that during an hour chat turn on some presentation that they have downloaded and sit back and add nothing to the experience. This is lazy and unprofessional in my opinion and does not afford the students a change to grow. It is so easy to get caught in that trap. What would be a good mix?
Bill Becker
Discussion Comment
Hi Using another instructor’s syllabus is an easy way to get out of doing your own. It relieves the burden of trying to figure out if our syllabus will be accepted or rejected by the Department Chair who usually has the responsibility of reviewing our syllabuses before they are distributed. After all they approved the original didn’t they? The problem is that there is no guarantee that the coursework covered is adequate or complete. My suggestion is that when using someone else’s syllabus is to just use it as a template as to how to format it. Most schools publish… >>>
End of Content
End of Content