Karen Maiorano

I think this is another F2F thing that is easier, as we can usually "see" what generation folks are from. I find that the Intros allow us a bit of insight into what generation we are working with. As I am a Baby Boomer, who prefers to work alone I can work with more than one generation a bit easier than some I have spoken with, however [with that said] I am not sure I am doing a great job online of helping each at their level. Can anyone share a strategy they are using in their online class to… >>>

I love taking these courses as it reminds me [as an instructor] of things I can include in my classes to enhance the students' experience as well as lessen my load. The idea of creating a specific document (outside of my already posted Office Hours) can minimize students writing at 11:50 PM on the night an assignment is due, expecting an immediate response. In upcoming classes I am going to email and post a note as to when I am online specifically. Though it may vary, there are times I know for sure I am online, including during the early… >>>

While reading through this section, and these comments, a common "melody" rang through my head... as instructors we want to be available, however if we have chat rooms and instant messaging and question threads and email and and and..... however students are not taking advantage of all of those resources, are we spreading ourselves thin to then go out and create additional channels for students to utilize? As instructors we are already checking numerous avenues of contact as offered by our schools and our creation (I create "question" and "let's talk" threads, as well as continuously remind students to be… >>>

As indicated throughout this section, using multiple evaluation elements is the best way to decide on challenges in our courses, however I find that student evals are minimal in many cases. With a 20-30% (or lower) student eval rate it is hard to make course modifications as there is such a small percentage responding. If I see the same insights over several terms, changes may be made, however it is unfortunate that the students that do take the time to do their evals are in very diverse groups [that I have seen], they are the students who completely enjoyed being… >>>

Though we can learn about feedback and its different methods, the biggest challenge I face is that students do not read their feedback. On a regular basis I have students inbox me questions that have been responded to in my feedback. In the past, I would reiterate the feedback but then realized I was not teaching the students to use this valuable resource. My current response to students is, "Please refer to your feedback for detailed information regarding your grade. If you still have questions, after reviewing this important resource, please be specific in your question(s) when you write back.".… >>>

This section brought confirmation to my first comment (Forum 1, "The Importance of Discussion in Online Classes) that there is a balance that the instructor must find [for each class] of being involved, without stifling the conversation by participating too much. It was nice to see that I am not alone in knowing that this can be challenging, however as the "Using Effective Communication" section in Forum 2 indicates, "Online discussions can fail because the instructor is not involved or because he/she is involved.". Seeing that I am not alone in this challenge, reinforces my method of basing interaction on… >>>

It is important to have students interact via online discussion, however this requires two elements to make it work. First, you must have the instructor involved in helping the conversation move forward. Second, the instructor does not want to "take over" the conversation, but just be involved enough to move it forward by asking pointed questions and ensuring the class response. Though, as an instructor, I ask many questions in hopes of moving the conversation forward I find too many times only the student who began the conversation responds. Has anyone found a way to involve more than the original… >>>

When I first began teaching, it was on ground and I quickly became comfortable in a style that worked well for me. My retention was high, students were involved and humor was a big part of getting students past the fear of math. However, when I got online I quickly found humor does not work as well and needed to modify a style I had used for many years. Has anyone else found a specific thing they needed to modify or remove, once they went to the online arena after teaching on ground? I look forward to your responses. Thanks!… >>>