I believe that online learning should be intriguing and encouraging; therefore the three most important things to consider are:
1. Capturing and retaining the interests of students; Do I have my audiences' attention
2. Effective communication with visuals aides...which helps the efficacy of the lesson
3. The technical advances...do my students understand how to use the tools inside of the LMS effectively.
Thanks;
Muriel
I have to be honest and thank others in the thread for some ideas, but after reflection ...
1) Clear Expectations - Students are learning material, they should not have to learn the expectations as they go along. Setting clear expectations so that the students know what to do is crucial. I find it very frustrating when I do set and articulate what I expect (and even have Rubrics that establish assignment expectations too) and Students ignore them.
2) Realism - Teach relevant material, it is a little embarrassing to be given a objectives or book that I have to follow that is out dated. I always try to me the Classes requirements and expectations, but try to be flexible enough to add topical and modern material to the discussions
3) Responsibility - We hold students accountable for meeting submission deadlines, we as instructors need to do the same, respond back to students in an appropriate time frame, grade assignments in a reasonable time frame, hold synchronous sessions at the agreed upon time.
-- Matt
oel,
Good info. Thanks. Keeping students engages and making them feel a part of the course with interaction with others and the instructor is essential. Feedback should be meaningful and consistent. I tell my students "immediate" to me means 24 hours. If you answer students questions at midnight, they'll expect it every time. I put a statement in my syllabus that I do not consistently check email on Saturday and Sunday, but if they post a question on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Discussion Board (I tell them not to email me, but post their question on the discussion board so everyone can benefit from their question and the answer) that I (or another students - and I give extra credit for this) will answer within 24 hours. Just something that works for me, but it prevents me from becoming an 24-7 online instructor.
Joel,
Communication, communication and did I say communiation? It's WAY important. I tell online instructors all the time - "If you want to get the worst teaching evaluations you have ever received. . .don't communicate." ;-] Research shows that it takes about 15 hours to put 1 hour of online instruction online, as you have to develop the material, make sure it's accessble to students, provide feedback, answer questions, etc. However, if you teach the course over and over again, that number drastically dimenishes. Keep it up!
My three most important things to consider are:
1)How am I making the course interesting, engaging, and beneficial?
2)Making frequent contact and facilitating interaction with students so they feel connected.
3)Providing constant and immediate feedback
Three things that I consider when teaching an Online Course are:
1)Electronic Communication is limited in tone and inflection. Messages/Posts can easily be misread and misinterpreted. I try not to read too much into messages.
2)Students in Online Courses are typically very busy and tired. Many work full schedules and have families they tend to which is why they are often taking online classes.
3)Interaction is time consuming. Online classes require MORE time than onground due to the time intensive nature of reading and responding to discussion posts etc.
Ginny,
You're right, it can be difficult. But just knowing that communication is essential to any classroom, but especially the online classroom is awesome. As students "come" to class they want to develop a relationship with their peers and instructor. Effective communication can help. Thanks!
Hi Dr. Crews,
Trying to pick only three things is very difficult as there are many to choose from. I would have to say that communication is the most important. Without it, you have basically nothing. Secondly, being accessible and having a presence is also important, not "being there" would be detrimental to the success of an online course and ultimately the success of the students. Finally, motivation and excitement in the classroom, assignments, chat sessions, etc. If the students enjoy the classroom and assignments, they tend to put more effort into completing the work. They will get more out of the course and will want to "come" to class, which is a win-win for everyone. Retention goes up and students have viable knowledge that will only serve to help them throughout their lives.
Thank You,
Ginny
Laura,
Knowing what the studnets know helps you determine how quickly or slowly you may go through the course material. Providing course content in a variety of ways is also helpful. And, you are right, they are not all computer literate. You can provide a troubleshooting guide or helpful hints on what to do if the technology does not seem to be working. Also a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) discussion board link can also help. Thank you for your input.
The tree most important things for me to consider are:
1) Knowledge base the students come in to the course with
2) That students learn and communicate in different ways
3) Not each student is very computer literate
Jeanette,
Nice job. Announcements and other communication vehicles are so important. Communication is the key to helping students succeed in the online environment and stay on task. Thanks!
When teaching an online course, I believe that the following are the most important considerations:
1. Creating weekly learning modules that are consistent and predictable for students. I like for each week to contain some type of audio/visual experience, in addition to assignments, and discussion boards.
2. Utilizing technology so that students have a variety of ways to learn and communicate within the classroom, sharing learning and discussion with each other and with me.
3. An announcement board on the home page where students log into the online classroom. This is a common area where I can keep students up to date with tips and announcements about weekly activities. I also include a FAQ where students can ask and answer questions about the course.
Scott,
It is the combination of S2S, S2I and I2S. It all have to be there to make sure everyone understands the expectations, assignments, etc. And, the students want to not only feel they are a part of something, but be a part of something.
I read several answers and they pretty much match (almost).
1, Good communications between Instructor and Students is I believe the most important aspect.
2, Making sure that students know what is needed and wanted is also critical. Making sure they (students) understand what are the expectations of the course and assignments. Not making sure of this, leaves students confused and frustrated.
3, Scaffolding is also really important, building on previous knowledge and experience is important to the development of the students learning experience.
Thanks
Scott May
Brian,
Don't worry! ;-) You are right on with your comments. Ensuring you are facilitating the learning and covering the appropriate content is essential. Provinding various activities and learning opportunities will help all students.
Tipton,
Yes, it is essential that the students understand the expectations. Being clear and concise in your syllabus and communicating with students in other ways is important.
The 3 things I worry about are: Am I covering everything they need to know?, Are the students understanding the material?, How can I make this material as understandable as possible? .
Clear and concise instructions in the syllabus.
Accessibliltiy - as the course material is assessed by students participating from all over the world.
Diversity and the experiences that foster learning during S2S participation.
Rose,
Good advice. Thank you. So much of what you are saying comes out of good communication. Nice job.
The three most important things are:
- Have very clear goals and objectives for each phase of the learning. The class assignments need to be clearly stated.
- Let the students feel you are there for them. Whenever the students need help, you can be reached easily. The prompt answers to the questions will help students better understand teh courses.
- Create an environment that students could learn and communicate with each other. Let them have the real classroom environment.
