Tina Stavredes

Hi Michael, I think it is the challenge of most online instructors. We have tried to increase the interaction in our psyc lounge to try to engage learners in off-topic discussions, hoping that it will motivate them to engage in the course more because they have developed presence in low risk discussions. Tina

Hi Micahel, I agree, because you can individualize instruction, larger classes are possible. In addition, attrition in online classes is greater, so enrolling more learners can keep the classes from becoming too small, which can limit engagement. Tina

Hi Michael, your statement about the online instructors responsibility for retention is so true! We spend a lot of time doing proactive communications to reach out to non-engaged learners. Tina

Hi Angela, I think you have a good list of items that need to be included in your faculty expectation statement. I also recommend that you describe your teaching style and how you will engage with learners, so they understand what they can expect from you in terms of interactions in activities. Tina

Hi Angela, I think you make an excellent point about the type of student and the subject matter having an influence on the delivery mode. Learners online have to be much more self-directed, so an independent learner is a better candidate. Tina

Hi Earle, I think the more you can help him understand the relevance of the assignments to the real world, the more motivated he will be to participate. Tina

Hi Kelly, these are excellent things to include in your faculty expectation. Also consider other expectations that learners may have that may be inaccurate and make sure that you state them specifically. For instance, learners may have expectations for how often you will engage in online discussions, how fast assignments will be returned, how often they have to participate in the course, how fast you will respond to emails, etc. If unmet, they can become dissatisfied, so it's important to state at the beginning of the course what they can expect. Tina

Hi Earle, can you expand on how being student centered correlates with whether a course is delivered online or face-to-face? Tina

Hi Martha, I think having the capability to see and hear in the online environment can establish more presence, so as technology becomes more available and widespread, I think we will see more of these technologies used. Tina

Hi Rebecca, I agree. I think we will begin to see different delivery formats based on the year a learner is in their program and the subject matter. There also may be more opportunities to build collaborative courses across the world, which would require an online delivery. Tina