I really think that the detail here in this course has allowed me to bring more light towards things that really improve the learning process. What is everyone else s thoughts here?

Computer issues abound. Most recently, a spate of Excel errors sought to derail (Statistics) students in Week 5. An add-in called Data Analysis tools was malfunctioning. Three faculty members reported the problem to the lead and each came up with different possible solutions to mitigate the technical issue. In this case, if each one had failed to communicate to the lead, there would not have been a pattern and odds are it would never have been addressed on a universal level. Several sets of workarounds were established for the particular tech issue. In a proactive move, the Statistics team is researching workarounds for each assignment so that a glitch in software does not stop a student from successfully completing the work and mastering the concepts. Once the list of "fixes" have been researched, that list will be distributed to all course faculty so they have a ready-to-use solutions for a student tech problem. No lag time, just a quick answer for a student who is struggling, discouraged, or frustrated. Perhaps the most common student technical impediment is lack of internet access. Depending on the situation, there are a number of solutions. • Free wifi at places like Starbucks (for laptop users) • Free, trial or low cost temporary internet: http://www.free-internet.name/country/United-States/ • Public computers (libraries, community colleges) • Internet cafes or pay by the hour services for students who are travelling Communicate with the student and find out if any of the solutions can work for them. Open up dialogue and work together to overcome. You need to be smarter than the obstacle. Use your critical thinking skills to outsmart technology. Sometimes all it takes is a quick internet search of free service or other in the student's area. You are the highly educated individual in the relationship, use that to your advantage; take the time to be part of the solution NOT part of the problem.

My worries with synchronous discussion have to do with the nature of some of the topics we cover in Sociology. Issues pertaining to race, class, religion, cultural values, sexism, etc. are the focus in many intro courses. I find that students are more likely to write something hurtful than they are to say it out loud in a classroom filled with many different people. This can make a synchronous discussion go south quickly. I do use the "socializing" time at the beginning to remind students of the code of conduct.....but sometimes the lines get crossed in the heat of the discussion. Does anyone else have this problem?

I've been teaching online and designing online courses for going on 8 years now. I think this is a good time to assess what's working and what's not working. So, my question to the group goes something like this: if you could build an online class from scratch, what would it look like? Would you start with an LMS or ditch it? Would you even include asynchronous discussion questions? Are there tools and technologies that we should be using that aren't being employed now? Personally, I feel that we need to build more synchronous opportunities into our online courses. This interaction between students and between students and their professor is of the utmost important in building community. What are some techniques or tools that you have employed that might provide for more synchronous opportunities?

I find that no matter where I place pertinent course information some students just do not "see" it. Invariably, these students are "lost". How to we get these students back in the groove of things? What works? Are there any tips for success?

It has been my experience with online learning classroom that communication is a key to success to any online student. Thanks, Marina

Technology in the class, On Ground classes are changing the views with including technology in the classroom. Online classes include greater access to rich, multimedia content, the increasing use of online coursetaking to offer classes not otherwise available, the widespread availability of mobile computing devices that can access the Internet, the expanding role of social networking tools for learning and professional development, and the growing interest in the power of digital games for more personalized learning. At the same time, the pace of change creates significant challenges for schools. Thank you, Christopher Davis

I have the most difficulty with responding in a 24hour period. I currently teach on-line and ground courses. I would like to know how to keep each student engaged when I do not have respond in a timely manner. The reality of my world is we are short staffed and I am the only faculty that is facilitating the course. I am not trying to make excuses, I am trying to figure out how to structure the online material to meet the needs of the students and my lack of time to manage it appropriately.

Currently, I am teaching a Computed Tomography program online. For each forum, I post a rubric that consists of 3 discussion items to keep the students engaged with each other. I have found that I have to remind them frequently to complete the whole discussion assignment. Is there another way to keep them engaged with each other? The rubrics seem to be straight forward and I find myself enabling their procrastination.

Clicking and monitoring are not enough. You must check in on submissions, follow-up with missing assignments, and send a few "How's everything going" emails to the entire class.

I always ask a follow-up question, even if it was "Did you have a chance to review the live chat from last night." A yes/no question can still get them engaged.

Adding an original posting to the forum helps them see you as "one of them" but also reminds them you are there as well.

I try to reply to each student's "Initial" post. Thoughts?

My primary focus has been on the instruction of accounting concepts. What are the best practices to use when teaching an online accounting course?

After several instances of "I don't get the rubric..." I pulled some old student work (de-dentified of course) and posted the three papers in the online course. Here is an example of a report that received an A, a B, and a C - see if you can identify each, and comment for each what led you to that decision. It really helped to open their eyes as to how difficult it is to be objective in the grading process. After this intro, we worked on a "class rubric" for discussion boards what do you need to do to get an A, B, or C. Since they were contributing to the creation of it, I saw a lot of the grumbling about the grading drop. I think it is about making assessment more transparent?

Any tips or advise on how to reduce the walk-away factor in online learning? I know I'm up against work schedules, raising children, household chores, and TV viewing time. Do you have any specific tips you can share on how to keep student engaged throughout the term?

I think the fast emerging concept of utilizing the cloud could be leveraged in course building. Most schools now have administrative type portals for basic information to live but I am curious about actual course material being placed on the cloud for internal use. By placing important blocks of information in a centralized location that can be easily accessed -schools can close the gap across programs or multiple geographical locations. The concept of using shared drives and other such tools has been proven to do that very same thing. However, shared drives usually come with an additional level of complexity when managing and developing. They are also not always synchronous in response to updates and changes. With the proper setup and access protocols, I think this technology might be leveraged by many institutions going forward. I am curious if anyone is doing this for allowing access to internal general course building components? If so - have you found it effective for driving toward standardization?

As an instructor who has always taught in an asychronous manner, I am curious to hear how those who teach in a sychronous manner feel about which method work best (based on your own experiences) for both you and the students. I find that asychronous teaching would be more advantageous for students who can learn on their own time/pace. Comments?

Like many Elearning instructors; it is so important to understand the appropriate direction in facilitating course material to filter the information incoming and outgoing. Online student’s have the desire to understand the course layout to effectively understand the information given. Charolette Brown

The Role of an Instructor The role of an instructor is the same mode of a facilitator. The instructor oversees student’s involvement as well as communicates the intended course material through live lectures as well as through chat sessions. Charolette Brown