I am new to online classes and I thought that taking these courses would prepare me if I ever received the chance to teach online. I am concerned about underestimating the amount of time it takes daily or weekly to successfully manage an online class. I would like feedback and any suggestions on how professors are able to manage it while working a full-time job elsewhere.

What are some of the ways other instructors become active participants in their class discussion boards?

The module recommends saving a transcript of remediation chat sessions. Do you also recommend saving video files of these sessions, if that is a capability of the system?

The synchronous course that I will be facilitating consists of video and audio of the instructor AND students. The students will be muted and will be able to "raise their hand" to get my attention (an on-screen icon). Core concepts will be transmitted in this manner, but students will be given detailed schedules and outlines for all sessions. Feedback will be immediate and similar to an in-class environment, or so I hope. Am I fighting a losing battle?

The module on projecting authority mentions using video, audio, photo and/or text (in that order) information about the instructor to familiarize students with his (my) capabilities and background. Would you recommend creating an on-line presence (blog, forum, etc.) and directing students to that site?

Which is most effective with undergraduate students?

Hello to the forum. I will be teaching a synchronous on-line paramedic program that will consist of "traditional" lectures and demonstrations of practical skills. The didactic portion will have upwards of 25 students and practical demonstrations will have a student:instructor ratio of 6:1. I have taught pre-hospital providers for 25 years in traditional face-to-face settings and have developed teaching idiosyncracies that will not work on-line, such as walking around while on video camera. I was wondering if anyone had experience with, what to me is, a major change in presentation style and how they worked around it. I find that moving around in front of a class helps me work off nervous energy and I am concerned with not having that crutch to aid me.

It is so important that we as instructors attempt to build a report with our students. In an F2F classroom this can be easy but in an online format this can be more challenging.

How teachers are going to cope with the fast pace of the new 21st century technology and integrate it into online virtual classrooms?

The first impression means thousands of words. As an instructor it is very important to give a postive impression of self at the beginning of class or on line learning. This reflects professionalism, integrity,enthusiasm, and respect.

Is it important to respond to our students in a timely manner? Yes, definitely. Our students present their topic or answers to question and depend on the instructor to get a response. This demonstrates to the learner the instructor is interested,engaged in the learners success.

You can show respect through on line, from your voice and if there is camera also you can show it to the students

I wonder if course revisions are also dependent upon the student cohort. In other words, if it is noted that the student are not familiar with material from a prerequisite course,then would it be necessary to provide remediation from the prerequisite course?

I am concerned that peer assessment exposes students to their peers shortcomings and errors. Could this defeat the purpose of learning from one another and encouraging one another?

Scaffolding involves building upon a students prior knowledge. One way to determine students prior knowledge is to conduct a pretest or prerequisites assessment. Would you agree?

I generally view a framework as a foundation upon which you build the course. So, how is the framework different from a course outline?

"Which of the following items is not crucial to the success of your course? A quality course should: Answer: A) Be well-organized and easy to navigate. Students should be able to clearly understand all components and the structure of the course B) Include a course syllabus that identifies and clearly delineates the role that the online environment will play in the total course C) Include an aesthetic design that presents and communicates course information clearly throughout the course D) Always include online lectures with synchronous and asynchronous component." This question is asking both which of the items are NOT crucial, as well as which of the items are crucial to a successful course. Please revise.

One of the things to consider is if the students/professors will have the capability of using the tool. For example, if the tool requires a camera and a microphone and the student does not have this equipment, then it creates a major problem. Another thing to consider is if the tool is supported by the operating system that the students'/professors' computers have. Lastly, is the tool effective to accomplish the task that it is meant to.

I had a student who had emailed me the second day of class and "told" me that all of her assignments would be late due to her work schedule and that she only had an afternoon and evening one day a week to do all of the week's homework. She further informed me that she did not expect to lose any points for her late submissions. I responded to her email with a constructive reply about how the class was set up, pointed her to the late submission policy, and asked in that email if there were other times she could participate in the class. I received a "very angry" reply that I did not "dictate" to her how she would do her homework and that I was "disrespecting" her. I responded calmly, but firmly that she was the student in the class and would need to follow the course and institution rules like everyone else. This student dropped the course at the end of the first week and blamed me for "not working with her." My questions: How would you respond to a student like this? Raymond Lombardi

It is critical to level-set students' expectation of the course and keep them motivated and focused on each week's objectives and results. Matt