Hello again, As an instructor, will I be fully creating a course, filling in a frame or a shell, or is the course fully set up? In the last scenario, can I implement change, and if so, how? Creating a syllabus or as necessary amending a syllabus to present areas of study as well as expectations is an important foundation. Determining what needs to be done to prepare an online course is, of course, of primary concern. It was a little odd to see the concept of “scaffolding” used for education, although perhaps this is a commonly used term. Years ago in a French class, a teacher talked about how Rabelais felt knowledge required a foundation upon which to add more knowledge. However it is worded, this is an important concept. Since an instructor will not have full knowledge of what type of foundation a student has in a particular subject area, often some sort of pre-test can be of value. Finding ways to adapt curricula to be easily accessed by different learning styles if also an important element in teaching. Today, students will often have read information about their dominant learning style, and they may ask for different forms of presentation or activities.

Hello, Often because most people have written since kindergarten or before, they may assume they write well and in a professional manner. For one particular institution where I have worked, an editor was in place, and after curriculum was in place, either she or one of her assistant editors would copy edit it. In this case, the school overall used APA format. In other schools, I have sometimes seen a variety of errors in the wording for the directions and assignments in the online classes themselves. If a school or a department has chosen a particular academic style, I think it is important to have all instructions for online classes to follow that style and focus on general literacy. Students learn from what they see. In a class I took while working for a degree a year ago, one of the textbook used was particularly interesting. In Usability Testing and Research by Carol Barnum, in a chapter that focused on various levels of usability testing, information was provided that on many cases, information is created so that the managers who need to approve it will understand it. This can lead to problems. Ideally, information presented for use in online classes should focus on student understanding and accessibility. Testing is very important. All links need to work well. Iteration also needs to be in place, where sites can be checked regularly to make sure everything is working well. Also, it is beneficial to review course content regularly to see if changes or updates are needed for the material presented to students.

I Think the easiest way to make your presence known is constant communication. I try to respond to all emails within 24 hours so students feel like I am accessible. Teaching online is tricky in the sense that students will start to feel anxious if they feel like the instructor is in a virtual cloud.

The hardest part about managing online instruction is engaging students in a dialogue that makes them return after they post their initial post. How do you get students to return after their required post has been posted? That is a questions I have about maintaining the fidelity of online discussions.

This will be my first time teaching and I am finding myself being a little intimidated at the thought of grading student’s assignments and providing quality feedback. Any suggestions on how I can overcome these fears?

Learning your student behavior online can help with attrition

Discussion Forum is a useful tool to get students interact with guidelines.

I find responding to students questions early as possible has been very effective.

Online instruction gives you an entirely new way of instruction.

One tool which has been effective for me includes "breaking the ice" or what I refer to as "Aerobics for the Mind" prior to each class. It may involve posing a slide question such as" what message would you put into one million fortune cookies " ? It receives an engaging response and helps get everyone involved before official class business begins. It also brings some light humor into the lesson which in my mind is so needed in our world today . Roy R.

Hello Everyone, Rubrics are a great tool for the online setting as a means to show students how they will be evaluated within a given task. By presenting the rubric early on students are able to develop a plan of action in meeting the requirements. I have found this tool to be successful within all courses instructed. Students are also very receptive to this way of assessment as well. They are confident with the requirements and are able to view specific areas of need and strength.

Hello Everyone, When developing a course it is first important to understand the ending objectives that should be attained from the students. When a person is able to understand the end expectations of a course development of the assignments and lectures can be developed in connections. It is also an important element to incorporate various learning strategies and techniques to support all students' learning. As a final element, the development of detailed assessments and alternative means of assessing students is also needed as a way to develop a successful course format.

Hello Everyone! The most important manners and patterns that should be developed within an online setting are the interactions within the discussion forums and expectations of the course. When responding to the forum students will view the instructors response and the content provided to frame their own responses. This will allow the students to view the importance of greeting their peers and adding content and questions to further expand upon the discussion threads. Also, setting expectations in terms of assignments is also another important element in developing a positive and productive online setting.

Hello Everyone! When implementing technology into the online setting it is important to ensure that tools you are using are working properly, that the students are aware of the uses, and that it will further add to the online setting in terms of sharing information. Technology is a great tool when implemented properly with proper guidance. When students are able to effectively implement new information through technology the course will be enhanced. Kindly, Dana

I think a ratio in an online classroom is manageable at 30-35 students, considering some will not start on time and others may drop the course. The traditional classroom should be managed 10 students below online. Daryl Richardson,

Just curious about the interaction with students who you are never face-to-face with. I find this to be one of the best parts about teaching. How difficult is it to connect through technology?

This is my first time teaching online and I have found that students are eager for feedback regarding their assignments. I try and grade papers within two to three days. If anytime after that, the student may contact me for feedback. Does anyone else have a different benchmark for assignment feedback? If so, is this working for you?

As I teach in Career Development, the students need both physical and mental organization to be successful in completing tasks. To be successful as an online student, the student needs to have the physcial organization of having the proper tools, such as computer with sufficient resources and software applications. If the computer does not have the updated operating systems or sufficient hard drive/memory to support this type of learning environmeny, he/she will quickly become frustrated. As important, the student needs to have the mental organization by having the correct skill set and experience in using a computer. I teach Intro to Computers. We certify each student to participate in the online community. I have noted a few of my students do not have the experience to participate in this type of learning initially. However, my job is to help them gain competency in technology. I want them to succeed not only in an online environment,but in an improvement in overall productivity through the use of technology.

This is my first time teaching on line, but this is a basic coding class and I have been a Certified coder for the past 14 years. Not only am I going over things I have not thought about in a long time but I can also share coding experience and tips to my students. I have a great passion for coding and so enjoy sharing my experience with new and old coders. There are so many rules and regulations in coding if you don't use it daily you forget the information. It seems everyday they are coming out with more and more information so you are always learning. I would love to hear from other Certified coders who teach on line sharing some of your experiences with me.

With the way the economy is going, people that have 20 or more years of experience getting laid-off, I am finding more and more Adult Learners of advancing age (the 50+ crowd), entering into the technical training environment, either in the classroom or online. My Question is this, Some of these older students find technology extremely intimidating, How do we keep these students motivated when they have a strong fear of computers?