Teaching Online Course
When teaching your own online course, what do you believe are the three most important things to consider?
1) setting clear expectations- This can be done through the syllabus. Students need to know what will be expected from them throughout the course. Setting clear expectations with the student will also allow the instructor hold the student accountable.
2) fostering 2-way communication- it is important for the student to feel comfortable proving the instructor with feedback.
3)Creating on online environment through utilization of technology- Utilizing multiple forms of online communication and activities will allow the student to get to know one another and create a "classroom environment". this is important to ensure the students feel connected to the program.
Alisha,
Again, you bring good information to the discussion. Clear expectations are set through the syllabus and use of rubrics as well. Communication must be two-way and continuous.
Keeping the students connected helps build community among studnets and this can be done in a multitude of ways.
Thank you.
Dr. Crews
In teaching my own online course, the three things that are most important for me to consider are the syllabus that includes the course objectives, communication methods, and assessing learning outcomes. The syllabus is important because it provides information to the students concerning the course objectives, assignments, and assessments. The syllabus serves as a “map†to show students where they need to go and how they can get there.
A second thing that is important in teaching my online course is communication. The communication process begins with the syllabus and continues throughout the course. Providing good means of communication is particularly important in the online environment. All students must be encouraged to communicate even though the process of communication is easier for some than for others. Having a variety of methods of communication can help each student find a way of communicating that is most comfortable for him or her.
After developing a syllabus that lists objectives and providing a method of communication, it is important to find out if these things have been successful. As in communication methods, a variety of assessment tools should be developed to give each student the opportunity to communicate to the instructor what he or she has learned. These assessments should be provided throughout the course to give students the opportunity to measure their learning.
Rebecca,
I am glad to see that you are teaching online and have a grasp of important factors in the process. The syllabus is a part of the communication process - typically the first bit of communication. Always connecting the learning objectives to the assessment is essential. Thank you.
1. Are the course objectives outlined and presented in a way that all students understand what is expected of them. The course syllabus is on excellent way to establish this.
2. Communicatio within the classroom is essentail. My students need to know in how many different ways I am available to them, (email, chat room, phone, and facebook.)
3. Course relevance. Is the course meeting the needs of the students as far as preparing them for their chosen career and does the material they are learning represent real world scenarios and things they will encounter in their own lives.
When teaching an online course, I believe the three most important things to consider are:
1. Ensuring your course content maps back to the learning objectives outlined in the syllabus.
2. Effective communication: Understanding who your students are and knowing how to communicate with each of them.
3. Adequate feedback on assignments provided to students: Students cannot learn from their mistakes unless you give them adequate feedback on them.
Betty,
You are on target in your response. Thank you for adding to this discussion board. The syllabus is the initial step in the communication process and the learning objectives must be presented as you noted. The better the students understand what is expected of them and how they will be assessed, the better.
When you tie that into the course being relevant to their work environment or their lives in general, that's an additional plus. Thank you.
Sarah,
You bring up the feedback aspect and it is so very important. Feedback can be formative or summative in nature and both should benefit the students. Assessment is something that should be done for and with students not "to" students. Good info.
I am glad you emphasized a common thread in this discussion board of communication and learning objectives tied to course content. Excellent.
1. The course syllabus is essential. I really like the idea of the "dynamic" course syllabus. It makes sense that an online syllabus should be different from the inhouse syllabus. Having it chunked so that students could refer to the section of the syllabus they need for that assignment or project would encourage them to refer back to the syllabus to review guidelines and standards.
2. Good communication is essential. Again if we were to set up those guidelines about discussion groups and email protocal in the syllabus that would be very beneficial to the students and the instructors.
3. The scaffolding of knowlege is vital in communication classes. That has been attempted in the progression of classes that the students take in our college. But we often find students with huge holes in their knowledge base. We try to plug those holes through online sites that offer a tutorial approach to learning in areas of need, and instructors who will call students to help discuss that specific area of need.
Billie,
Thank you for bringing up the importance of scaffolding. I like that you also have analyzed your particular college and the "holes" that exist. With this knowledge you can move forward in reducing the holes with continued communicaiton. Way to go!
Betty -
I love your point about course relevance. Because I am in the area of "general education studies - social sciences" - I am often asked about the relevance of the course one is taking. I think you make a very good point that we, as instructors, need to help the students visualize how the class they are taking is important to their individual learning.
Thanks for sharing!
Toni Bond
Hi Sarah,
I agree with you about giving feedback to students. I think this is essential and really part of effective communication as well. If we were in a classroom setting, there would be immediate feedback - but since we are online - the feedback posted on assignments is essential.
Very good points, thanks for sharing!
Toni Bond
Hello Dr. Crews,
I feel that the three most important things to consider are:
Feedback: I think providing feedback on assignments is essential. We are online, thus the communication provided in feedback is valuable in more ways than one - it provides the student with the ability to see what he/she did wrong and correct for future - also what he/she did correctly so they keep on doing it - and allows that one on one interaction between the student and the instructor.
Course Relevance: I feel very strongly about this because I do teach as well as supervise general studies - social sciences focus (Psy/Soc/Polysci) and will often times hear feedback from students on the relevancy of the course they are taking. I believe it is important for us, as instructors, to provide the students with a new "vision" - a new "picture" for their future. Part of this is helping them to understand the relevance of the course.
Communication: I believe this is tricky - especially in the online environment because you don't have teh eye to eye contact, body language, you often times can't "hear" the voice inflection - so it is very important that communication, especially in our environment - be looked at and re-examined regularly.
Respectfully Submitted,
Toni Bond
Three important things for teaching online:
1.Establish expectations for the student and from the instructor.
2. Communication personal and as a class. Feedback on exams or assignments encourage the student to move in a positive way.
3. Know your subject matter! Reviewing the content weekly is a good idea so an instructor can assist with questions as they arise.
Dr. Crews:
I believe the three most important items to consider when teaching an online course are:
1. Clear and concise expectations communicated to each student letting them know what the course requirements are and what is expected of them as students.
2. Instructor involvement early in the class and continued involvement is crucial to overall student satisfaction, attrition and retention rates, and lets the students know that the instructor cares about them and their success in the course.
3. Offering various modes of communication including e-mail, chat sessions, discussion threads and even allowing students to call the instructor as needed.
Kim Houck
Hi Toni:
I agree that feedback, course relevance, and communication are crucial in Online courses. I have also found that by allowing students to call me by my first name instead of Instructor so-and-so helps develop that course community or relationship that is also very important in an Online course.
Kim
Robin:
I like how you added to know your material! Online instructors should really be one week a-head of the students in checking for errors in content, forms, etc.. so that the items can be fixed before the student has to find the error themselves!
Kim Houck
Hi Alysha:
With the use of technology we are able to reach a broader audience and who would have known how the Online world in Education would rapidly explode?
I think the use of new technologies is very important in an Online environment and think accepting change is also an important factor as new and upcoming technologies come to light.
Kim Houck
Kim,
Thanks for adding to the conversation and highlighting that change is inevitable. Change is the only thing constant in life AND online learning! ;-)
Dr. C.
