Instructional involvement in disucssion should not be overwhelming.
The nature of online education requires online instructors to purposefully think about how communication with students, collectively and individually, happens.
I learned from this assignment that online teaching is hard for the firat time instructor, it is overwhelming and I am going to be very sensitive to the student who is not computer savy. I am learning that also that not being able to see the questionable looks on students faces is going to be diffculty for me to decern the weaknesses of a student.
Communication and feedback are extremtely important factors that keep us in contack to the students so we can avoid the total disconnection.
I learned a lot about maintaining effective communication on line. I think I will have to challenge myself to not get too communicative on discussion board activities. I tend to want to help and intervene too much.
Instructor must set some norms for communicating online, so that everything will hopefully be civil and pleasant discussions.
I've learned it's important to clearly communicate exactly how students will be graded from Day One in the syllabus, establishment of virtual office hours, be prepared to use 1:1 virtual meetings, email, or video if necessary for communicating feedback. I'm an elementary teacher - 4th-5th - so keep that in mind if this info seems basic and fundamental to those of you who are working with college level students. I'm reading all this information through the lens of one who will need to adapt for the age of my learners.
In regard to being a "collaborative online instructor," I've learned it's important to balance so that this does not become overwhelming to the online instructor. Elements to consider include: building strong group interdependence, less than six per group, peer evaluation that is summative or formative or both, group peer evaluations. As a writing teacher with years of experience as a librarian who taught about the validity and credibility of sources in the research process, I especially like using this to ask students to pay attention to information sources and to suggest others in the process of group peer evaluation
It is important to establish a presence in the online course. You need to give regular and consisten feedback. Students need to know where they are. If a student sends a private message the teacher needs to give a prompt answer, within 24 hours. Without the face to face interactions students need additional support.
I can see that students need more support and feedback in the online environment.
You must give students feedback.
Clear communication is vital to provide worthwhile student feedback
One of the things I've run into in a F2F classroom is problems with slacking during group activities. I use a lot of different strategies to combat this, but I really liked the idea offered in the text. Offer the entire group bonus points if every member scores over a certain percentage on their individual grade.
"This can be as simple as offering bonus points to a study group if everyone in the group scores above a certain minimum grade on an assignment, test, or individual paper."
Communicate clearly and frequently
I do the task,we do the task, and you do the task independently.
I frequently use a Word template, especially when the student responses miss important items or include extra insight. Both of these occasions require feedback that may be repeatedly recyled and reused.
Dvelop procedures and policies that encourages.force,push, or motivate students to communicate.
Communication is what makes an online course successful, whether it is student to content, student to instructor, or student to student. There must be boundaries extablished regarding all forms of communication. This can be done in the syllabus. Feedback is very important to keep students from feeling alienated from class.
Feedback is extremely important in on line learning.
Teachers must establish communication in order for the students to feel in touch.
Communication with students should be frequent and continuous as to minimize the feelings of alienation. Students who do not participate in the first discussion I will need to contact individually and find out what the issue is. Issues may be technology. As instructor get students to work collaboratively (projects, discussions). As instructor I spark the discussion and keep a minimal presence.
SETH SORONNADI
Learned that "A Word document template can be prepared with examples of comments for feedback to learner assignments. By using the template, faculty members are more efficient with their time."
