Victoria Au

In this module, I learned different activities and methods of engaging the class, to help with retention of information.

From this module I learned that students learn best in an active learning environment, and also, that it takes exposure to material 6 times, before a student can retain it ~90%

Through "Common Instructor Mistakes" module, I learned that we are all human and make mistakes.  The important thing is to acknowledge and correct it right away, and learn from it so that it won't be repeated.

In "Managing Student Behavior" module, I learned useful tips on understanding students' behavior, and how to correct the behavior in order to move forward with the class.  While some individual attention and care is helpful for students, we as instructors also need to think of the class as a whole, and have the end goal of moving the whole class ahead.   And we should be aware and collaborate with the resources available to us, such as our fellow instructors, and administration if needed.

Through "Dealing with Challenging Students" module, I learned that there are different reasons why a student may be challenging.  The module gave examples of how to approach these different kinds of students.  I will try to apply these methods in class, and will try to remember that every student is different, so I may have to try multiple methods.

In "Setting the Stage for Success" module, I learned that it is important to be clear on your expectations.  As instructors, we should ensure students have a good and clear understanding of the syllabus, and what we instructors are expecting from each assignment and exam.

The "Managing the E-Learning Environment" module had useful lessons and advice on how to handle situations that we may come across in an online classroom.  There are some unique situations that may pop up in an online classroom, such as knowing when to use different tools (individual chat, group chat, public forum, email), considerations for students with competing responsibilities, and helping students to resolve alienation and/or technical issues.

In "Engaging Learners" module, we learned the difference between asynchronous and synchronous discussions.  I learned the types of situations in which asynchronous discussions would be more effective, and vice versa.  Also learned about how to give online feedback, and about fostering effective online discussions for different types of students.

In "Projecting Your Presence" module, we first reviewed strategies used in a traditional in-person classroom setting.  We then learned ways to convert these strategies, to fit and to work with an online classroom setting.  I learned strategies for an instructor to show their presence, to establish relationships, and to be interactive, in an online classroom.  We have to be creative in finding ways to establish instructor-student and student-student relationships in an online classroom setting.

Through "Course Delivery" module, I learned that it is important to familiarize oneself with the CMS.  Becoming familiar with CMS - knowing what it allows instructors to do, and what it allows students to do, will help in effective online teaching and learning.