Tena Crews

Dian, Thank you for your very informative response to this forum. You use very key words that shows your knowledgebase in the area of online course development. You are correct in that consistency and clear navigation are key elements. It is also very useful to use a learning objects database so that you can reuse material each time you teach the course. Thank you for your feedback.

Michelle, You are on target. Thanks for your concise, yet informative feedback. Feedback should be positive and yet constructive. Students need specific feedback to help them improve. It's a fine balance. And, you make a very good point to think about the students' skills and needs as you are providing the feedback. Each student is a differnt individual. Nice job.

Debi, Yes, gathering data from students (diagnostic testing) is a great way to see what students know at the beginning of the course. Then you know how to proceed, what content must be reinforced, etc. I agree that some type of template is good whether for PowerPoints or your whole online course so that there is a consistent look to your course. This minimizes the learning curve for students as to where information is located, etc. Thanks for your input.

Beth, Again, you make a good point. "Always" looking for ways to improve is the correct answer. Teaching online is dynamic in that it's ever-changing. Getting feedback from students, peers, etc. is great. Just keep getting feedback, make changes to the course and keep making the course better and better. Thanks!

Beth, Trying to stay positive with your feedback yet providing detailed, constructive feedback isn't always easy to balance, but it should be your goal. You are correct. Student do need the personal touch especially in an online course. They need to feel like an individual and not a number. You have commented on consistently stating the expectations in all of your postings. You obviously understand the importance in doing this. Nice job.

Beth, Your comments here relate back to your previous posting. This is good because you can see the overlap in authoring and teaching a course. Communcation is a key element in teaching period, but specifically when teaching online. Your point about a secure online environment makes the communication more frequent and honest. Thanks for your input.

Beth, Thanks for your input. You are right on target with your comments. Developing a student centered online course with clear expectatinos defined in an easy to navigate format would be the perfect course. Nice job.

Juliette, You are on target! Positive, constructive feedback is essential. When discussion an "appropriate timeframe," I always define "immedate" to my students. They want immediate feedback and immediate to me is 24 hours. I always try to get something back to them within 24 hours. Thanks for your input.

Lindy, Thanks for your input. All of your topics deal with communication which is the KEY element in teaching online. Nice job!

Daryl, Yes, there are many types of evaluations. It's important to align the appropriate type of evaluation to the situation. You have provided good detail about each and the identification of such information is key to using the proper evaluation at the righ time. Thanks!