That organization is the key. If you are not organized your students will not have confidence in your teaching.
Many factors and strategies will make all the difference in workload management. When teachers have planned their courses effectively and taken the time to familiarize themselves with all support systems available for themselves and their students this can help in getting off to an informed and more comfortable start. A well organized and strong course structure with well presented course introduction and course syllabus should guide students to communicate with staff and fellow students using the best communication tools to assist in workload management by assuring students can access the information they need while taking responsibility upon themselves and working together to solve problems as often as possible while avoiding the unnecessary or lengthy discussions with staff that may disrupt other important responsibilities that teachers must manage for a successful class. Including a Frequently Asked Technology Questions (FATQ) Section that both students and staff can add to as new technology questions and problems arise can help participants solve problems without unnecessarily disrupting the teachers existing workload management schedule.
The importance of organization and discipline from the students and the instructor
I have learned that there is much more to online classes than just teaching. Organizing the time and managing the workload are skills that teachers must develop. I especially appreciated the information about technology support for teachers. Teachers need support too for technical questions. I like the idea of the FATQ system for students.
Online courses may be completed in 8, 10, or 15 weeks, so there are also inconsistencies in the length of the course. Also, the content of an online course impacts the workload.
I will set-up a FATQ section. Sometimes we assume that students are more computer savvy than they really are. The use of smart phones and tablets does not make you proficient on the computer.
SETH SORONNADI
Learned that "This mentoring system is developed through institutions to supplement support structures that already exist, in a more interactive way which provides human contact"
As an online instructor I need to be able to manage time, information. Be aware that students will contact me for tech support. I will need tech support as well. Developing a FATQ (Frequently Asked Technology Questions link is most helpful. Hopefully the students will use that first and be able to find what they need to do prior to seeking tech support from me.
I learned that it is important to have a team to help manage information while teaching online. I would like to look for ways to get support with technology issues that may arise. I hope to create a plan to help me with starting my online class.
Time management and organization are essential for success for the instructor and the students. I liked the idea of using 3 lists of 3 to prioritize without becoming overwhelmed.
Having workload strategies is essential to the online instructor. Having time management and information management is just a part of the workload strategies. There must be support from the instructor and from technology groups.
With the sudden change from in-class to on-line delivery of curriculum, the development of workload management skills has often not been prioritized as educators struggle to deliver content in this new environment.
Create a schedule and stay organized
Management and organization go hand-in-hand to partner as support for the students as well as the instructor. Because there is a variety of needs for the classroom regardless whether traditional or virtual more is better to provide the gradual release for success.
The online environment will run efficiently on the well oiled mechanism of the instructor, support staff and students. While not being all knowing, the instructor is the hub of the entire operation, having control of the management of time, information and technology.
To draft a workload management strategy, it's helpful to refer to the course syllabus.
Generally, every assignment you give the students that requires feedback can be noted and scheduled out. This helps the instructor know how much time they will need to block off for student communications. The instructor can then go back and look for areas where this communication can be streamlined, such as usilizing auto-responses or FAQ databases.
Good time management skills are important for both students and instructors of online classes
Workload management skills are equally as is important to online instruction as any other skill the instructor may have.
As an instructor and Information manager we must have control over structure, processing, and delivery of information.
It is important to be organized and have a workspace
