Eileen Epsaro

In an online course, it is best to have both synchronous as well as asynchronous activities, lectures, discussions.

In teaching online courses, the content must be organized and sequential. The course site must be attractive and easy to navigate. Students must be able to find information easily. It is also important for students to interact with peers and the instructor. A variety of different types of learning activities help to engage students.

WOrkload strategies are very important for teaching online. These include time management skills to prioritize and accomplsih tasks, information management skills which enable the instructure to have control over the stucture, processing, and delivery of information, and technical support for both instructors and students. A FAQ or FATQ site in the course may be helpful for support.

Management skills are crucial for successful online teaching. These include time management skills, information management skills, and managing technical support. Time management skills are necessary to prioritize and accomplish tasks. Information management systems involve providing good information, knowledge, and data. Tech support must be provided for both instructors and students. A FAQ or a FATQ site in the course may be very helpful.

In active learning there is a shift from techer-centered to student-centered learning. Engagement strategies include a relevance to student lives, inspirational notes,good boundries, high standards, good exampels of work, and targeted feedback. When doing online lectuers, periodic breaks are effective.Initial assessments shoudl not be graded with self-assessments and peer-assessments coming later in the class. Rubrics are very helpful in grading assignments.

In active learning, students must take responsibility for their own learning. THe instructor can be a guide in this process. Ways to include active learning in the online and F2F envirnoments include individual assignments, small group and large group assignments, talking, listening, and relecting on course materials. The R2D2 approach is good. This includes: reading, reflection, displaying and doing.