Contemporary students are looking for alternative learning deliveries that meet their individual needs when selecting a program or school. Developers of learning environments need to be able design learning environments that meet a wide variety of student preferences and needs. This group is for educators who aspire to discuss and master the competencies necessary for exemplary performance and top customer service in a dynamic, rapidly changing education landscape. Group members share best practices, ideas, thoughts, reflections, and resources to help colleagues across the globe improve performance.
I never really thought about how many different class types and varieties there are. Essentially, when it's all said and done, class types come in as many different varieties as the students that comprise them.
Weighing in on the idea of having students take quizzes more than once, I feel this could be a positive for the learner.
One thing that has stood out and is gaining traction with me is the decision to have asynchronous/synchronous chats. I feel these are great tools for learners but they must have the ability to "hit home" for the learner so that they feel engaged with the course.
My big takeaway is communication is absolutely essential for student success in the asynchronous environment. Communicate early and often. Use gamification to assist students in modeling the desired behaviors/course expectations. Provide timely and constructive feedback - areas for improvement as well as excellence in execution.
What I have learned this week is the need for learners to have a structured path to open up the learners to immerse themselves in the topics and take away valued knowledge that can be retained.
I learned about this important resource since I work for a for profit institution: "Request assistance from an independent, third party copyright permissions provider such as the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to verify the need for copyright permissions and to simplify the ongoing permissions process. They have a specific pay-per-use licensing service for the instructor to utilize (http://www.copyright.com/);"
Modeling proper citation methods is something I already do in my courses (I teach writing/ research/ humanities courses), but it goes beyond that to truly teach them how to be good digital citizens.
I never realized the Fair Use Act, which I think many instructors rely upon to help them know what and how much information they can use from a source, doesn't apply at all to for profit institutions.
"The TEACH Act can also be helpful for instructors teaching in the online environment. It does have some drawbacks however in that it focuses on non-profit educational institutions only and not does apply to for-profit educational institutions." This statement from the lesson resonated with me because I teach for a for profit online school. While we rely on the Fair Use Act for educational purposes often, it makes me wonder if we're not as in compliance as we think.
Holistic assessment is more likely to engage students and when they apply their knowledge to real world experiences personal to them, it makes the knowledge not only more applicable but gives them more confidence in that knowledge.
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