Donna Cole

So, hopefully in the case that prior units introducing skills needed for later units, there is a way to lock a module for a student until you have been able to give them feedback.  Something to look for when/if I am asked to teach a distance delivery course.

For me this has been the most informative of the units so far.  I really like and will use the idea of having a separate forum space for students to refer to and ask questions about the course management, because when it is an issue that their classmates can answer it will cut down on time that I can otherwise use for course content.

I also like the idea of posting a list of types of inquiries that I am authorized to respond to.  I don't think I would have thought about that myself, and feel that it will cut… >>>

I too think that the small group activities are vital to promoting interaction and interest in students.  I know that when I'm put into a small group in professional development courses the material suddently becomes much more personal! :)

I've learned that you should use asynchronous communication for teaching course content, synchronous communication mainly in a one to one situation to further a single student's understanding of concepts, etc.  I found it instructive to learn about the different strategies in each communication mode that you can use to motivate students to pursue the courses objectives.  I'm not really sure that I will be implementing this at this point, but I feel that this is giving me a clearer understanding of the key things to look for and do to encourage student participation.

Communication, communication, communication.  What most impressed me about the section is that communication is key to establishing your presence and control, and establishing trust between yourself and your students in the course.  I was particualrly impressed with the concept of establishing a general chat room or forum for yourself and students for things that are not necessarily course related.  I would probably not have thought of that on my own, but it really does make sense.  Most classes also have a social aspect, especially in the grades I teach (elementary).  In the in-class environment we supply the opportunity for soical… >>>

I learned that as an instructor in an institution, that I may have no imput on what platform I will have to use to teach.  So, to me, that means that if requested to do an online course, I must factor into my plan TIME in which to completely familiarize myself with the online platform or program being used to deliver the course.

• I am having difficulty completely understanding this passage:
• "If completion of the content is linear, are students locked into a specific time-frame within which to complete a particular component, for example a module? If not, are you required to provide feedback on content from another module which has a different time-frame?"

Does this mean that as the instructor you are under a race to provide feedback from the module(s) prior to the one the student is working on, and/or completing?