I use Camtasia to increase my presence within my classes. This tool adds a presence in the classroom when used as a Welcome Greeting, an Introductory Roadmap for the course, assignment clarifications and comments/feedback on assignments. Your picture can be added also. It adds a visual/audio component for students to connect with. Does anyone use this? Jean

How do you adjust the balance between supporting students and encouraging their independence as the term progresses? Here are some of my strategies but I can always use some more. Having instructed Foundation Courses for a number of years I have found that the first two weeks are the most crucial for learner’s success. That is not to say that support is not needed the next 10 weeks. On opening day, I email my students the following letter: Dear Student, Welcome to Foundations for Ph.D. Study I am Dr. Jean Gordon and I will be your instructor for this course. I am looking forward to a semester where we explore the most fascinating topics including academic protocols, critical thinking, and inquiry-based analysis and other important doctoral program foundational skills, including time management, using the XXX online library, and academic integrity. I do not wish to overload you with information on the first day but there are three particular areas that I want to be sure to point out to enable a smooth start. From the experience of instructing many sections of this class, I want all to be aware so we can all enjoy the learning experience. First and foremost be sure to pay close attention to the Announcement section which will contain various clarifications. I will post Announcements weekly. Secondly, ALL applications in this class are required to be in APA 6th edition format and includes a cover page, reference page, double spacing, etc. . If you are rusty in this area, the Writing Center has vast resources including tutors that can and will provide help. I have witnessed amazing results from students who use the resources of the Writing Center. Thirdly, follow the instructions of each application carefully. If it calls for two separate summaries, then submit two summaries. If it calls for using a template for the PDP assignment, then use the template exactly with no deviation. If you have any doubt whatsoever of an applications directions then be sure to contact me. I am in class and in emails daily for any clarifications you may need. I am looking forward to meeting you all in the class café area to introduce yourself and will “see” you on the boards. Let the learning begin! Sincerely, Dr. Jean Gordon I let students know that both I and the resources of XXX are available for any clarifications they may need. I want students to know that I am available to help and support their learning. Next, I respond to each and every student introduction welcoming them into class and finding something that we both can relate to. I start building trust and community immediately and make myself accessible for any questions they may have. I monitor email and Contact the Instructor area daily to assist with clarifications. I do not just answer the questions but let the student know where they could find the information. I also make weekly announcements that are almost like a FAQ for the first few week’s applications and any others that need clarifications Week 1 Discussion Posts is an important area for instructors to lead by example. Once a trusting environment is established in which learners can witness that there are no attacks or non-constructive critical comments, they are more likely to offer contributions. Pointing out good posts and providing feedback will ensure better participation in future weeks. As the term progresses into Week 3, you will know who needs to be encouraged to use the resources in the Writing Center. Reach out to those and ask them if they need assistance with the upcoming Application instructions. By Week 4, the questions will become less and you will know who has found their way. Now where is the balancing point? My position is that it depends solely upon the student and each is different. Your thoughts?

i believe online courses have better experience for students and teachers. for students because they can access the course anytime and any where. one on one discussion . direct help from teacher. faster submission of any homework and getting their results. for teachers because they give more time for students to review the material and study it. plus for shy students it is very helpful to take online courses/

online courses are very useful and helpful. can be accessed any time, any where. and can be reviewed. also student has one to one discussion with teacher which makes outcome better.

it is great to be able to join online courses because they have great online tolls such as videos and PDF to access them any where and any time.

online training is very convenient for busy working professional. specially if program is approved and setup good.

I find it has been extremely important as an instructor to stay organized when teaching online courses or hybrid on ground/online. I teach writing courses so the amount of feedback I give students on their work tends to be more than say a class where grading is more black and white. I find it critical to organize my communication with students into folders. That way I can quickly access what the last line of communication was with the student. Another way I stay organized is by keeping the same routine or method of grading week in and week out. I follow my own system so that the more familiar I am with it the more I will cut down on errors. I find staying organized allows me to respond to students more efficiently and timely as well as having the most up to date information available for that student. This gives them the feeling that I care and I am able to give them more of a personal connection with me.

Procrastination in an online learning environment is inevitable. For asynchronous learning it allows students to do things at a time that is most convenient for them. However, as an instructor it puts me behind in grading and I must focus my time on past due material instead of putting the energy to use on the current weeks course material. Are there any successful methods for circumventing or minimizing procrastination for asynchronous assignments?

As a new on ground instructor and someone who has only taken, not authored or taught online classes the issue of personal connection comes to mind when learning about creating an effective online course. As was mentioned, having a variety of methods through which students learn including video, URL's, etc. is necessary. It is also important to consider how each student as well as student and instructor communicate and facilitate in the online environment. This personal interaction and often accountability between student and instructor is necessary for effective learning. This happens naturally in an on ground class but must also be established or given attention to in an online class. How can this be maximized is a good question and point of consideration.

As a paralegal instructor we may be required by the American Bar Association to provide synchronous instruction with students in classrooms and online. This is going to be a real challenge for the blackboard writing crowd of lawyers teaching in these programs. Any thoughts on how to make a smooth transition with instructors who have a hard time walking away from the lectern and whiteboard?

Recently, another institution I teach at evaluated my online performance twice. The first individual who evaluated the course hammered me. Up until that time, I received positive feedback. So, I was shocked and livid. I requested a second evaluation with a different reviewer. This person proved positive and offered constructive criticism which I appreciated. The initial reviewer wanted more course content added, and less student-centered facilitation. It was explained to me that I got a "tough one" the first time off. This correlates to the previous section that the human element must be accounted by all engaged.

Reality: Higher education is scrutinized more and more as it moves into the competitive marketplace. Therefore, rubrics must also be recognized for it practical and institutional values. It validates the the grading procedure. Years back when I was a college student and and started my college teaching career...my knowledge and my ability as a teacher formed my rubrics. The change is the key point, but the rubrics do not handcuff the instructor, but serve as a guide independent of his or her subjective assessment.

I understand why some would assume that utilizing technology is "the way" to teach or enhance student learning. However, technology is the platform by which the communication takes place (think of it as the virtual coffee joint where people can engage in a conversation) In the end, are we not teaching students how to communicate?

I am wondering if the course framework is analogous to instructional/course design? It seems to take a big picture approach than breakdown into smaller branches.

I am continually assessing for potential revision of online courses. No online course can just remain stagnant. It is imperative to have a solid revision process. Bernstein (2013) noted the continually evolving of online courses, specifically mentioning those courses in the science field --- changes are necessary to remain current with the times. Reference Bernstein R. (2013). Education evolving: teaching biology online. Cell. 2013 Dec 19;155(7):1443-5. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.11.038.

EL 112 was a wonderful note to end my 12 course load with! For development of a solid learning environment, I agree with the "seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education" as referenced in Module 1 of EL 112 by Chickering and Gamson (1987). Sowan and Jenkins (2013) also speak of "seven principles of effective teaching to designing and delivering an undergraduate nursing research course in a hybrid format affected course quality" and note that such principles proved to bring great satisfaction in nursing courses (p. 315). Reference Sowan AK, & Jenkins LS. (2013). Use of the seven principles of effective teaching to design and deliver an interactive hybrid nursing research course. Nurs Educ Perspect. 34(5):315-22.

I appreciate the move to use technology - but I thought it included "utilizing the students best". So I marked B. I think it is important to familiarize ourselves with all the different formats including videos and such to allow students the opportunity to share their understanding in the best way they can. It is related to when the discussion of "TXTSPEAK" came up in high schools when students started using such abbreviations in essays they were writing. While we want them to use standard acceptable forms of communication, it is important to understand their styles in order to "translate". How do we see the incorporation of students methods of "tech-pression" to share their ideas in the future?

It seems that the framework is similar to the syllabus. Is there a difference? I wonder how much the students benefit from a framework that has already been established, especially with asynchronous courses, if the revamping is cyclical? Also, how do online frameworks incorporate Socratic instructional strategies where the direction is student centered and may take a tangential (but related, we do have course objective y'know!) turn?

I have had intimidators in my courses, especially in intro to psych courses. They may have had prior experience with the psych environment. It is important to validate these learners and getting into a competition leads to a lack of respect for the instructor - generally, other students just think the intimidator is a horses ass. So it is with professionalism and knowledge that an instructor can win over an intimidator - but also acknowledging that they DO know course content and it is up to us, the trained professional, to push them further into critical thought and analysis (Bloom's).

I was so pleased to read the Bergquist research. I saw my on=the-ground students in those learning styles and I had never read that research before. I am going to figure out how to identify and engage those learning types into my ground courses as well as incorporate those reluctant styles in my online courses. I am curious about how Knowles' research on self-directed learning meshes with these Bergquist findings. If a student is self-directed, why would the competitive learner or even the dependent learner be seen as one who needs special attention?