Cyberstress and Course Design
I've noticed that the amount of student cyberstress is directly proportional to the quality of the course design. I teach an introduction to computers course for two online universities each with its own standards of how the course should be set up, the number of assignments, grading rubrics and late assignment policies.
At University A, which could use a little more work on their course design, I get quite a few emails every term from frantic students who are trying to finish an assignment and the instructions are unclear or the submission method is not evident. Since I can’t change the course design, I try to anticipate potential problems in announcements and discussions. I also create some quick online tutorials using Jing – a free screen / video capture tool. If you haven’t used Jing – it’s a great program when you need to show a student how to do something. You capture a video of your actions on your computer, it automatically gets uploaded to screencast.com, and you can send your student a link to that video. Did I mention it’s free? I know I’m digressing but I can’t help evangelizing some of these incredible software tools.
At University B – which has an excellent system in place for course design and review, I hardly ever get emails from students; the course interaction focuses on the discussion topics because the students know the mechanics of the course and all instructions are very effective. Also, the university has a very good student orientation course which plays a key role in reducing the amount of “cyberstress.”
Hi Robert,
You wrote: "At University B...the university has a good student orientation course which plays a key role in reducing the amount of 'cyberstress.'"
I currently am enrolled in an online program studying at the masters level. I see a correlation of cyberstress with not only the amount of orientation a person may have had, but also to their overall computer literacy skills. Those learners who admit to just not being very knowledgeable in computer technology often have the highest stress levels. I'm actually basing my final research project on this very topic.
Hi Renee,
Thank you for sharing your perspective on online instruction. Your approach lets you develop a relation with students that you would normally find in a regular classroom. This personal touch is to be commended and I know it helps to keep your students engaged in the learning process.
Gary
I also teach online. I teach pre-designed courses, however, even though I did not design the course, I can still create a learning commmunity within my "classroom." As an instructor, I set the tone and pace of the course through my email messages, bulletin board posts, chat room persona, and whiteboard. I reveal my personality through my messages and the number and type of communications. I try to establish an environment in which learners feel free to discuss and question, however, are still respectful of other students and the instructor. I also think spending less time in materials preparation of a pre-designed course allows me more time to prepare studnets for working with assignments and discussing course content. I think because I am like no other instructor, my perspective and experience differ from any other instructor's. My focus can be directed primarily on meeting the students' needs and guiding the class to new materials as well as through the current course content.
Renee Weeks
I've used Jing too, and yes, it is a great resource. I am in complete agreement in terms of preparation and organization of online courses. The more you can anticipate what questions students may have and answer them in advance, the more the students can engage in the learning activities on a deeper level. The focus is then on learning rather than trying to figure the course itself out.
Hi Robert,
Thank you for the excellent comments on how two different colleges offer and support their students. This information should be valuable to other instructors as they embark on their teaching careers. The key is to anticipate what may come out of the organization and structure of the the college that you are working for. The information about how to use free resources is appreciated as well. Keep up the good work.
Gary
