Jane Leight

Discussion Comment

Paul, Did the article say shy employers preferred traditional learning over distance learning? What characteristics do online learners have that would make them good employees? :) Jane

Jane Leight

Discussion Comment

Online discussion methods...

Paul, I agree... the combination would be the best of both worlds. Would you allow students to choose the method they prefer or would you require both methods be used? I am interested in your thoughts :) Jane

Jane Leight

Discussion Comment

Online assessment methods...

Your online courses in criminal justice are impressive. You have made the most of what online education has to offer. It seems that your students are local; am I right? Are you combining online and classroom learning for all of your students or are some online and other onsite? Another fine post! :) Jane

Jane Leight

Discussion Comment

Online course design specification...

Hi Paul, It is refreshing to hear that you are against the template design style. Although it is simple and meets the needs of most courses, it can become boring to students who take a lot of online courses. However, I must qualify that by saying that consistency does breed familiarity, which may be important to some students. Especially to students with limited computer skills. You also bring up a good point about regular course evaluation and critique. This is important during development as well as after development. Good post! Jane

Jane Leight

Discussion Comment

Online assessment methods...

James, That would work! Or they could correspond through a threaded discussion or even the old fashioned telephone :) Jane

Jane Leight

Discussion Comment

Online course design specification...

Hi James, You make a great point about the vendor being able to adjust their template to your needs. This flexibility is very important. Creating a Course Design Specification can be a time-consuming and costly process. An alternative would be to have your course vendor create a prototype from your initial description of the course and improve it through iterations (versions). Which method would you prefer? I am interested in your thoughts :) Jane

Jane Leight

Discussion Comment

Online course design specification...

Debi, Would the design specification approach still be appropriate in this case? You mention that this method is proven and cost effective. Is it possible to use this canned approach and still develop interesting and educationally sound courses? I am interested in your thoughts :) Jane

Jane Leight

Discussion Comment

Online assessment methods...

James, Matching quizzes and multiple-choice tests would certainly be appropriate for an online course. You also bring up a good point about including visual items in your online lectures. With the technology available in today's course management software, video, animation, and audio are a breeze to incorporate into your online lectures. There are several ways to make group work happen. For example, you could set up separate discussion areas for each group for them to collaborate. You could also encourage students to participate in a group chat session. I have used both methods. Can you think of a way to… >>>

Jane Leight

Discussion Comment

Online discussion methods...

James, Your point that asynchronous discussion provides more opportunity for more students is a good one. It is nice when students can enjoy the flexibility of completing their assignments in the middle of the night if that is what works for them. Some online teachers contend that deeper learning can happen when asynchronous discussion methods are used. What do you think? :) Jane

Jane Leight

Discussion Comment

Online discussion methods...

Good point! The time that students have to think before responding to questions in an online discussion is valuable. I always suggest that my students read the discussion questions before reading the material in the textbook. Furthermore, I suggest that they wait one more day before posting their responses to the discussion questions. What they come up with can be quite insightful :) Jane