Heather Nebrich

I found the VARK tool really interesting. I had no idea that something like that existed. I completed my Master's degree in a hybrid synchronous/asynchronous model, so I see the benefits of both learning environments. 

I think the evaluation part of designing an online class is most often overlooked. Yes, the students can take an end-of-course survey but how often are those suggestions/feedback put into place? I think it is valuable to create a team to review these surveys and develop action steps that could be put into place to improve the online student experience. 

I did not know that there were five different types of lecture formats. I feel like instructors use the expository the most but I know students would benefit from more of a mixture of formats to keep their interest piqued. 

I really liked the idea of incorporating guest speakers into the asynchronous learning. Before the guest comes to class to speak, a discussion board question could be created asking students what they would like the guest speaker to focus on or what question they would like to ask. That way the speaker can prepare before the class meeting and isn't put on the spot, which can be stressful for some people. 

I was shocked by the percentage of schools that had all of their content online. I expected it to be higher than 6% given the increase in online learning platforms.