A good way to keep the students involved in online learning courses is to encourage them to stay in touch by posting virtual office hours.

It is important to make sure that the students have the course goals and know how to access the materials online.

I'm a big fan of formative assessment: it allows the teacher to better understand students' progress before quizzes and examinations. Also, it is critical for students in that it gives them road markers to see what their progress is and what they need to practice more. Formative methods are endless: the teacher may be creative in finding new ways to constantly assess students at all stages of learning.

It is critical to match feedback methods to the nature of the assignment. Discussion Boards demand a much different approach to feedback than do individual assignments. Different formats, such as with a PowerPoint project, will also require different feedback (comments on the layout/format of the file in addition to writing skills and task completion).

I've noticed that with online environments, the syllabus needs to be even more detailed than in a traditional classroom. The idea is that it is difficult to have a real-time discussion (when ALL students are present) to address questions and concerns. The more time and detail that goes into an online syllabus, the less confusion there will be on the part of the students.

Having many years of experience teaching both online and ground courses, I see that the teaching methods are very different: in an online environment, students receive information in very different ways. The teacher must keep these in mind when designing the course so as to ensure that the same learning outcomes will unfold as with a traditional course.

I am thinking about transitioning from classroom teaching to online instruction. What are the main challenges in transferring the knowledge to students if you can't gauge their level of comprehension?

It is important that the instructor should keep checking his or her email now and then, and shold set up adefinite schedule for the students for their assignments

From my experience the buddy system only works when the instructor is involved and can hear what is transpiring between the others. I have had students advise giving the wrong information. It is so very important to share with the instructor the information being passed on.

It wise to keep students engaged in the classroom in the virtual world the same as the physical classroom for retention.

As there are a number of methods that can be used; I like the idea of pretest. This method gives you a general idea of the student’s current knowledge in the subject matter. I realize that some students do not test well or may be reluctant therefore resulting in a poor result. In this case I think it would be advantages to communicate to the class that this is clearly assessment and grades will not be recorded. Overall, I feel there is no one-size fit all type of evaluation method and it will take a combination of methods to yield the best result. You will find that what fits in one session may have a different outcome in the following session. As an instructor you have to find the baseline for each class and proceed.

Providing meaningful feedback is very important for the student. This communication between student and instructor can set the tone for the students learning experience. I find myself struggling each session with this element. It is important to be fair and consistent when providing feedback to your students. As it is important to set a positive tone; it is also important to let the student know the mistakes made and how they can improve in their upcoming task. I have also found that many students do not read and take advantage of the feedback you provide for them; but in contrast you have those that want to hear what you have to say and utilize that information to provide a higher quality of work for future assignments. For the most part a student wants to know the weak areas and where they can improve; providing feedback that correlates with the rubrics will enhance a student’s work.

As a current online instruction I feel that communication is one of the most important elements in being successful. Many students have a fear of online classes because the feel in some sense they are learning on their own. When a instructor in constantly communicating and interacting with the students that gives the students a sense of comfort. It is important for a student to be as comfortable as possible as not to hinder the learning process; it frees some of the stress on encounters when approaching something new. In my current status I hold two chat sessions per week and one office hour. During this time I have a chance to interact with the class as a group and they also have the chance to interact with fellow classmates. The office hour allows the student a more individual approach; which gives one on one contact time with the instructor. In all of this; I can always be contacted via email and of course instant messaging. I feel communication is the foundation to success in the online environment.

In course development it is important to ensure the course material is easily assessable. It is also important for the student to understand what is expected of them and how they will be expected to present the information that have received for grading or testing their knowledge of the content. With today’s technology the media is so extensive and there are so many options in developing content for online learning. It is always important to understand that there are a number of learning styles and it is important to cater to a combination of styles. Once the information is presented to a student; the framework is set; then a student can familiarize themselves with the structure and feel a level of comfort in navigating continued class material. The bottom line is if the student does not understand what to do; there is no progress.

What kinds of evaluation tools do you use?

What kind of feedback do you use with your online classes?

How do you communicate with your online class?

So how do you create your online classes?

How do you resolve online conflict?

What is your learning style?