Delivering Content
On line classes are mainly expository lectures. The online campus does not lend itself well to an interactive lecture. Although the instructor can be innovative, bio-directional communication is difficult. The technology is not developed to create an open two-way classroom discussion. Online is generally a one way communication event where the instructor speaks and the student types back. In many cases, the dynamics of active communication is lost.
What suggestions are there to develop an interactive online lecture?
Hi Walter,
This is a good question that many of us that teach online are dealing with. In some of my online courses we meet once a week for a "live" session. When these occur I share content and then we have a discussion about the just covered material. This work very well and we get some excellent input. For classes that are more individually paced then it becomes harder to get interaction going. I have with certain courses required that the students interact with at least two other students as well as myself. This has helped to get discussions going. Just an idea of how I have helped get interaction going. I am sure there are many other strategies out there and I hope we see some of them in the forums.
Gary
Hi! I completed a portion of my graduate degree online in the field of education and was surprised by how interactive the lessons were. We often had to log on and particpate in class discussions at a perticular time in a live classroom chat with questions posed by the instructor. In addition, we were required to post answers to discussion questions and respond to other posted answer of classmates as well. Some of my online classes were more participatory than onground classes becuase they required this. But, yes, it can be a sterile environment if discussion is not used.
