Andrea Rimer

I had not thought about using a rubric to guide students in appropriate communication guidelines in an online course. I intend to use this idea in the future.

Maintaining frequent, open communication with students in an online classroom is pertinent to the student's success. If students are silent, instructors must reach out to them by email. Further, students must be made aware and reminded that online students are not easier. They might also be more time-consuming than traditional courses. I will ensure that my students are given a timeframe they should expect to be online each week - meaning, the number of hours it will most likely take them to learn and succeed in the course.

I like the idea of posting the communication guidelines in the syllabus and having them take an "exam" on it, so they are aware of the expectations from the beginning. Too often instructors rely on students to read the syllabus or handbook, but do not make any additional efforts to ensure they read and understand the guidelines.

Several communication tools are acceptable for online learning, as long as they convey the message clearly and effectively. Formative evaluations of these tools should be completed throughout the course and revised, modified, or replaced as deemed necessary based on the feedback.

It is pertinent that educators use multiple avenues of evaluation to assist in revising courses. This ensures that the educators receive quantitative and qualitative data from students, colleagues, and other professional stakeholders. Doing so will help the instructor create and deliver courses that align with the mission and values of the organization as well as industry standards and best practices.

Generic feedback can be used, but personalized feedback is much more meaningful and can lead to better learning outcomes. Additionally, self-feedback and peer-feedback can assist in this process. 

I intend to use scaffolding to assist the students in building on current knowledge. Just as scaffolding in construction provides a firm foundation for the building, scaffolding in education provides a firm foundation for student learning. Without a strong foundation, the students have nothing to build on.

I have learned the importance of creating a learning objects database. This data base will store learning materials that can be used in the same course again or in other courses. This will save time creating courses in the future, as the materials will be saved in one area and can be retrieved easily at later dates.

The biggest takeaway from these modules includes the various types of online learners that can disrupt learning in an online setting. I intend to use the strategies for managing these types of learners to maintain positive relationships with all students in the course and maintain attrition rates, as disruptions such as these can affect the learning environment for learners willing and motivated to engage and learn.

Providing feedback is essential to keeping students engaged and motivated. It is important to make sure the feedback is timely, constructive, and worded in such a manner that students can remain motivated and learn from it.