It is important that the instructor should keep checking his or her email now and then, and shold set up adefinite schedule for the students for their assignments

From my experience the buddy system only works when the instructor is involved and can hear what is transpiring between the others. I have had students advise giving the wrong information. It is so very important to share with the instructor the information being passed on.

It wise to keep students engaged in the classroom in the virtual world the same as the physical classroom for retention.

As there are a number of methods that can be used; I like the idea of pretest. This method gives you a general idea of the student’s current knowledge in the subject matter. I realize that some students do not test well or may be reluctant therefore resulting in a poor result. In this case I think it would be advantages to communicate to the class that this is clearly assessment and grades will not be recorded. Overall, I feel there is no one-size fit all type of evaluation method and it will take a combination of methods to yield the best result. You will find that what fits in one session may have a different outcome in the following session. As an instructor you have to find the baseline for each class and proceed.

Providing meaningful feedback is very important for the student. This communication between student and instructor can set the tone for the students learning experience. I find myself struggling each session with this element. It is important to be fair and consistent when providing feedback to your students. As it is important to set a positive tone; it is also important to let the student know the mistakes made and how they can improve in their upcoming task. I have also found that many students do not read and take advantage of the feedback you provide for them; but in contrast you have those that want to hear what you have to say and utilize that information to provide a higher quality of work for future assignments. For the most part a student wants to know the weak areas and where they can improve; providing feedback that correlates with the rubrics will enhance a student’s work.

As a current online instruction I feel that communication is one of the most important elements in being successful. Many students have a fear of online classes because the feel in some sense they are learning on their own. When a instructor in constantly communicating and interacting with the students that gives the students a sense of comfort. It is important for a student to be as comfortable as possible as not to hinder the learning process; it frees some of the stress on encounters when approaching something new. In my current status I hold two chat sessions per week and one office hour. During this time I have a chance to interact with the class as a group and they also have the chance to interact with fellow classmates. The office hour allows the student a more individual approach; which gives one on one contact time with the instructor. In all of this; I can always be contacted via email and of course instant messaging. I feel communication is the foundation to success in the online environment.

In course development it is important to ensure the course material is easily assessable. It is also important for the student to understand what is expected of them and how they will be expected to present the information that have received for grading or testing their knowledge of the content. With today’s technology the media is so extensive and there are so many options in developing content for online learning. It is always important to understand that there are a number of learning styles and it is important to cater to a combination of styles. Once the information is presented to a student; the framework is set; then a student can familiarize themselves with the structure and feel a level of comfort in navigating continued class material. The bottom line is if the student does not understand what to do; there is no progress.

What kinds of evaluation tools do you use?

What kind of feedback do you use with your online classes?

How do you communicate with your online class?

So how do you create your online classes?

How do you resolve online conflict?

What is your learning style?

Making yourself available to students in an online environment will be the key to their success.

I need to use e-learning along with, and to enhance, my traditional classroom setting. I am not sure how much I can mix e-learning and classroom learning. I have international students who will benefit from having things posted more on-line. Also, when students miss a weekly class,they need access to the course to avoid falling behind. Also, most students, even in traditional classrooms, use on-line resources on a regular basis, and express a desire for more on-line access to the course. I have yet to find out how much e-learning I can use with my school's available technology. I am excited and look forward to finding ways to improve my class. I also think it will help me interact with students who are shy in the classroom. Comments?

In dealing with students who are noisy, disruptive, or procrastinators, and also intimidators, I think it is important to know that the teaching institution will back you up in what you are doing, and that students can not complain about you for doing your job to keep order and fairness in the course. Does anyone have insights into whether on-line instructor have the support of their employers in handling difficult students? I think it would be hard for an instructor to "go it alone", especially since they lack personal knowledge of the student. Comments?

How much multi-media content do you think is needed in an on-line class to make it engaging to students? I would like to use carefully selected links to You Tube or certain websites to stimulate students to think. Do most CMS allow these aspects of multi-media? How important is it to use a video clip of yourself as the instructor?

I wonder if resolving online conflicts is difficult because students are attempting to be disruptive. This technique takes the focus off of their academic shortcomings as they attempt to discredit the instructor.

When I teach in the classroom, I sometimes design later portions of the course based on how the students do on assignments, tests, and class participation in the early parts of the course. In other words, I design the course around the students after I learn about them. How much of an e-course is set in stone before the class begins? If I can unlock parts of the course later, it would seem I can use the above strategies with an e-course. Any comments? Thanks!

I an actual classroom setting I have had noisy students. It was much easier to tame their behavior. What is the best policy for dealing with this type of student online?