What we have at our school is blackboard discussion forum. Every week is a different topic. I really enjoy reading my student's answers and like how their classmates give them feedback on their answers. I like to read them and see them all get involved.
Although synchronous chat is a great substitute for live class interraction, as a teacher, while managining multiple streams, it is very hard to stay on top of the student chat-exchanges.
Just about anything you can do in a face-to-face classroom you can do in an online classroom. The online technologies have made this possible, but it has its limitations, so, we have to work around them. And there are a variety of ways to establish these different ways of communicating and submitting class assignments and tests. But if these are established with students there should be few problems in conducting online classes.
Reply to rene kagan's post:These synchronous sessions can be a great way to improve teaching presence while also improving community presence in online classrooms. Have you ever had an online class where there were no synchronous sessions?
Reply to Suzanne Boese's post: So, why do so many people say that they don't like online classes? What is it that is missing from online classes that makes it so difficult for them? Personally, I prefer online classes, especially since that's what I majored in.
What I have learned from this forum is how to create effective interaction and communication within the class. The use of assignments, discussions, asynchronous and synchronous chat, integrated hyperlinks as well as reading materials. This is information I will be able to use when I teach online.
This was an introduction to using online platforms. In-person class activities and discussions may be carried out online.
This module provides a great review of different interactions we can have with our students. I particularly like the ideas of having guest speakers and taking virtual tours. These activities can facilitate information that they may not find in their textbooks.
Synchronous discussions may be more beneficial when guest speakers are utilized so that students can ask questions.
I have a class coming up that could make excellent use of guest speakers :) Also, it has been my intuition but this provides some confirmation that reading needs to be more focused in online learning rather than reading the entirety of a text regardless of its level of relevance to the course at the moment.
If you as an instructor set up a good onlone course, students can learn alot and it will be more convenience for them.
Online class is really the same as on-ground. Use of guest speaker, one on one training or tutoring and face to face whole class teaching.
Online classes could offer all the same things that is offered in a traditional class.
Students are finding out that online programs can be an affordable education path. Though not all online programs have less expensive tuition than traditional schools, the associated costs can be lower.
"The financial benefits of enrolling in online programs at universities is that students do not have to pay commuting expenses, may not need additional child care, and most likely will be able to continue in their current employment while in school as they can manage their own schedule and do their coursework around their families and work obligations," said Vickie S. Cook, Ph.D., director, Center for Online Learning, research and service/research associate professor, University of Illinois at Springfield.
I, personally, have gone to a Traditional College and an Online College. Both have their importance, but it depends on the stage you are in your life. I needed to be in Traditional College Classes right out of high school and I needed to take Hybrid College Classes in my late 20's and early 30's and now, I need to be completely online, not stating my age now. :) I enjoyed each type of teachings.
I belive you can get more out of your students on line than face to face ,, that student that never talk's in class ,, will be more willing to in group chats . Guess speakers would be a big asset to anytrainig ,for the student to hear it from the field that your looking to go into .
All of my lessons can be converted online easily.
you can still use guest speakers with online classes.
I like the explanation and ideas for synchronous and asyncronous courses. It's important to identify the needs of the students and how much time a synscronous session will take in designing the course.
Course planning is crucial to good course design. The organization of material, simple navigation, and content that ecourages critical thinking and problem solving are important. There are many learning activities available, such as synchronous and asynchronous discussions, guest lectures, and readings. Choose the most appropriate for your course. Link rather than upload files to steer clear of copyright infringement.
I really enjoyed learning about the idea using a chat as an engaging synchronus discussion. I would like to see this feature added in our LMS for instructors to utilize, and will introduce the idea to my instructors to get their buy in and feedback.
I have learned about the different kids of questions and learning activities for online corses which are suprisingly very much as being in the classroom Also the benefits and differences btween syncronous and asynchroneous learning.
