Jennifer Hawkins

Learning about all of the different types of e-learners was fascinating. I also enjoyed the tips given to deal with challenging e-students.

I liked how the course divides into asynchronous and synchronous learning. There are a lot of helpful tips to manage both groups.

For an online course, it is important to connect with the students. Responding and engaging in discussions through discussion boards or video is great. Getting to know your students by having them do a getting to know each exercise helps to relieve some of the disconnectedness that can occur in online courses.

Understanding the CMS and its capabilities will help the instructor in an online class. Also, knowing where to go for learning support or tech support in case problems arise.

Going forward I will try to implement more strategies other than lecture to engage the students. I like the idea of 15-18 minute increments on lectures, cutting out chunks as necessary, and never skipping the summary. I would also like to record myself to improve my lectures.

Learning the students names and preferred names is important and should be done as soon as possible.

I like the idea of having a checklist as to not forget anything important in class.

I think my biggest take away from this module is how important it is to remain active in my career field. Whether it is a continuing education course, staying up to date with news laws and legislation that affect my career, maintaining professional contacts with employers, or industry representatives, all of these will help keep me connected to my field and provide me with the knowledge to best prepare the students with the profession they will be entering.