I agree with your assessment. If I have not taught the course previously I try to estimate the time based on the time it took me to prepare for the course. One additional thing that I also do is talk to other instructors who have taught the course before and get their input.
Shannon,
It's true as teachers we have many resources and tools to assist us these days.The real key is to be selective to the point that what is presented provides the best and most efficient class sessions, maximizing the available time and resources.
Barry Westling
I think one of the most efficient ways to select sufficient course content is to read over the course syllabus and stay focused. Allowing ample time and putting forth an honest effort are other ways to select sufficient content. I try to place emphasis on areas the students will need to be most comfortable. I love teaching and want to make sure the students get the most information from their courses that I can provide. If my students are not clear on a lesson, I will find additional worksheets/activities to help them along. Textbooks have so much information that is sometimes crammed into a certain amount of time.
Hi Ashlee,
Very appropriate and logical approach. Afterall, it's this foundation that forms the daily lessons, so relying on these really makes sense.
Barry Westling
I really look at the learning objectives on the syllabus and try to determine what content of the chapter meets the learning objective. I then look at the learning objectives from future lectures to see if there is any foundational concepts in the preceeding chapters that I need to focus on in order to build a baseline.
Hi Diane:
These are great points. Keep in mind also the more variety we use, the more the "energy" in the class will stay up and active.
Regards, Barry
Hi George,
The truth is sometimes it's just a trial and error thing. We can do our best to guess, but that's all it is, a guess. With time, we learn to have more material than there is time to cover, then if extra time is present, we can proceed as if that was the plan all along.
Barry Westling
Hi Sunshine,
Good deal. I read in subsequent posts you are very active in OL instruction, but I'm glad you felt my comment was helpful.
Barry Westling
I've been an instructor for less than a year, so this is a topic very interesting to me. Every course I've taught has been a "first-timer" for me - sometimes I have enough material to fill the time slot, sometimes I don't.
While preparing, I try to figure out how long the different elements (presentation, activities, quizzes, tests, etc) are going to take. I'm usually able to make a reasonably accurate assessment, but, I admit, I've had a few surprises.
Can't wait for that "experience" that everyone is talking about to begin to kick in!
Barry,
Yes, actually all OL chats are archived and many students review them at times convenient to them. I also upload my power point presentations, which include my notes, for students to access.
Thanks!
Sunshine
Hi Sunshine,
Good planning. Since you can't "require" online chats, can these be archived, and made required viewing during the weekly time period? Our OL chats are done this way, and in fact, students learn that it's more beneficial to them to be present for the live version since they get to particiapte and get more from it. But if key material is presented in an archived session, at least the main points will be covered. I believe there is nearly always multiple methods to get the message across.
Barry Westling
This is always a struggle for me in the online classroom. Because students are not required to attend the weekly live chat sessions, I never know from class to class how many students will be present to engage in discussion.
I work on assembling the main points for the course that week and then include additional knowledge-application activities at the end. This allows me to cover the important material, but also engage students in applying the concepts. The number of activities depends on the amount of time left at the end of the session.
Making sure that it is approved by the Education Management Team.
Hi Robert,
I like current event-type stories too. One problem is if even one person is not informed or has not been following the "story" they may be lost. An example of this is late-night comics. When they are doing their dialog and they refer to "in the news" stories in order to make a joke, sometimes the jke flops becuase only a few audience members are up to speed with the details. Then, if they have to explain it...double bad!
Barry Westling
Using my real world experience to interject into the content at the appropriate time. Currently we have a criminal law course and I'm using the current Penn State abuse situtation as a discussion topic. I try to use current events when available, it helps keep things fresh.
Hi Glenn,
These are great guidelines; In some classes, the degree of complexity may require more extensive facilitation. But the basic actions of involvment (see, hear, do) is still relative and a good standard to follw when possible.
Barry Westling
Having been an instructor for many years, and I have always tried to work on a simple principle:
Seeing, Hearing and Doing. I always try to incorporate these into each class. Another principle I always try to follow is the rule of five:
What are the five most important things in a chapter that the student needs to know above all else that session. With today’s text books, power point slides, most of the time requires the instructor to look at less not more for a session. Lecture, discussion and then do something with the first two!
A worksheet, quiz, or small group project with a report back to the class keeps the students engaged.
Hi George,
I think the course outlines, learning outcomes, and career focus should guide the development of new and even existing classes. These should guide generally what we're doing and teaching in our classes. Also, looking at objectives will assist when establishing grading processes and assessing performance.
Barry Westling
When teaching a class that I have taught before, I use my experience to guide me. When it is a new class I ask others who have taught it before for guidance. I plan extra activity for my classes in case I have extra time, because sometimes it take me more or less time depending on the students in the class.
Miriam,
I like to think of my role as a tool capable of doing many jobs. Pace and retention in a class is a common occurence so even my best plans for presenting material may need to be adjusted (and I'm able to adjust to the situation).
Regards, Barry
