Online Assessment
teach strictly online and I like the flexibility of giving tests any time and any place. I am required to do a Live Chat using Adobe Connect where I can quiz students on the spot and it seems to work quite well.
Jim,
Do students attend your synchronous learning sets? Are they required to attend. I don't have much success with online chats unless I make it mandatory.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I agree with you Kelly. It really is impossible to "require" students to attend synchronous sessions unless the school sets a schedule. If instructors are given the ability to set times, then a student could easily have two sessions scheduled at the same time. If both are required, then we are setting unrealistic expectations for the students. One advantage of online for students (and instructors) is the asynchronous aspect.
I get a decent following in some of my courses, but it really depends on the group within that class. It seems content, level of course or anything that directly correlates to the course is not a driving factor for attendance, the actual group of students are.
Matthew,
Have you thought of using twitter? I think there may be other technology that can create an alternative way of connecting and engaging.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I agree, I like teaching online, but I also like teaching on-ground, but for completely different reasons. Online teaching has the advantage is that the time of the class can vary, and I do not have to travel. On the other hand, on-ground teaching is fun because I have an audience, and I enjoy the personal interaction with students.
Donald,
You and I have similar views. I learned through practice that online course are as enriching to me as to the students. I find students need more encouragement regarding engagement and interactivity with other students. They know how to do it in the f2f course but they may need some facilitation in an online course.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I agree that there is a tremendous amount of flexibility in the online environment; however, there are many factors that make this type of environment a bit more challenging than face to face classes. Non-verbal cues are a major part of the teaching process (pertaining to communication), because some students try to "hide behind the screen" without seeking help. We may know that there is a problem, and the face to face communication helps the instructor to determine some issues based on non-verbal cues. Our institution requires live chat "office hours" as well each week. Since my time teaching, I've had very few students who participate by typing in the chat hour, and even less who actually join the conversation via webcam. The need of these students to work based on their own schedule can make these type of live setting in the online environment challenging specifically in regards to student involvement. However, in these instances where students were involved, I found the live chat option quite useful.
Aundrea,
Students may find the chat helpful, but I find if there isn't a purpose for chat (points) students don't participate. I find I have to develop my own persona that works like nonverbal cues. It may be specific words or phrases.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
