Successfully transferring from a live classroom to an online course
I am developing my first online course. I have taught in the classroom over a year. Some of the courses I taught have very simple content, therefore, I try and gain class participation by doing projects and activities on a weekly basis. How can I maintain the same excitement and participation with an online course that contains basic content and material?
Katin:
You can include individual projects as well as group projects in an online environment. To increase participation, you can include peer evaluation of individual projects as well as group projects. If the nature of the content for your course lends itself to the inclusion of interactive exercises, these would also add to the quality of the learning experience.
Satrohan
Would interest and stimulation perhaps be maintained by the very projects and activities that are being utilized? Interesting and stimulating activities will garner far greater participation. Activities and projects that have relevance to the participants
Joel
Joel:
Your have struck an important point. By carefully crafting these projects, we can make them mor eengaging learning activities for the students. Another strategy some instructors adopt, especially those teaching courses laden with case studies, is that they monitor the discussion threads regularly, provide constructive feedback to individual students in a timely manner, summarize responses, offer their own respoonses, and open up new themes to keep the discussion on track.
Satrohan
The excitement can be maintain through various extra activities, that requires research on the students behalf for interesting topics pertaining to the course. It is always a plus to be awarded with extra credit points.
LaTisha:
Assigning extra activities would definitely result in students being more involved in their learning; however, this would be practical only if the original course workload is appropriate. Giving extra points could be a tricky strategy.
Questions for You
Given that students have different levels of potential, and some students are slower than others, how do you think the "slower" group will react to not being able to engage in activities that would increase the number of points they earn?
Could this lead to a high attrition rate in the "slower" students?
Satrohan
I have been teaching in a traditional classroom for years and wonder about how to keep students motivated in an online course. Are there specific techniques I can employ to ensure students get the most from the course?
Carol Silvis
Carol:
Let's explore your request. Please share with us the strategies you have used to motivate your students in an on-the-ground setting; then recommend which of those strategies you believe can be transferred to an online learning environment.
Satrohan
I have found through creative announcements in my virtual classroom that helps with the motivation. Keeping something informative and encouraging with some sort of fun picture or cli art.
Also, during my Live Chats that I have, i try to open the presentaion with some math humor. That at least gets them into the classroom. Plus, it tends to relieve some of the anxiety associated with mathematics let alone mathematics in the classroom. The research shows that humor is a method to relieve math anxiety.
I hope this helps.
Can you tell me a little more about what you mean by "creative announcements?" It sounds interesting...
I will use pictures to make a point such as when something is due I used a picture of someone running with a book that said Due Today on it. Anything that will get the students to look at the announcements.
I like that idea Edward! Thanks for sharing it with us.
