When establishing a pattern of teaching, the two most important things to consider are:
1. A clear and well-written syllabus.
2. Grading Rubric.
-Christine Ballesteros
When I wish to establish a pattern of teaching for my students, I feel consistency and attentiveness are vital.
Just as I want my students to submit their work on time, I also think it is important for the instructor to be on top of things.
I believe the two most important things to consider are:
1. Get to know your students and what their backgrounds are at the beginning of the course. This helps to individualize the lectures according to what the already know and what they need to learn.
2. Keep communication channels very clear with the students. I post information on the Announcement page or in the Drop Box and also copy/paste it to a class wide email. I think more than one modality helps to keep the students connected to the class.
Thank you. Elizabeth Dunham
Clarity and consistency. Online students, especially in their first term, often don't know what to expect or where to go, so clearly outlining the 'flow' of the course and having that flow be consistent from week to week is crucial. By week 3 most everyone has caught on and are good to go. Also, having courses follow an institutional template helps students not have to have the three week figuring it out period EACH term.
I think that consistency and an online presence are two of the most important things to consider. Students need to know that they can count on you to deliver announcements, comments, advice, encouragement, whatever is needed on a consistent basis to help students develop as learners in the classroom. Students also need to know that you are available and ready to interact with them throughout the week.
I too find that students don't always read and understand the expectations and my tend to lengthy as well to ensure all the pertinent points are covered.
I have tried to refine them as much as possible and make them shorter and more succint. It is difficult with so much information to cover. I think re-stating them at pertinent times throughout the couse may be helpful. What do you think?
You are right on target when it comes to grading rubrics. I have started using detailed grading rubrics for each assignment and include in a unit checklist in addition to the posting the rubric with the grading feedback. I have noticed there are less questions about grades and students seem to do a better job meeting the objectives.
I appreciate you sharing your insights. They were helpful.
I think learning outcomes and communications are most important.
Communication covers a variety of areas such as clear instructions for assignments, expectations, grading rubrics, etc. Communication with students in an onloine envionment is key. Learning how to share your smile in an e-mail and discussion board is helpful. When dealing with a challenging issue, I try to "wear" the same face as I would in a face to face environment. I found this helpful in personalizing the message and ensureing that responses are positive.
We must ensure that we provide every opportunity to every students to master the learning outcomes. The outcomes should be threaded through our discussions, assignments and assessments. I have found it helpful to review the course learning outcomes in a course overview and then re-state applicable outcomes for each unit. This along with a detailed grading rubric is helpful to keep me organized and ensure I am providing clear expectation to the students.
Two important patterns that have to be considered are the involvement in the on-line learning environment. How often you participate.
Second, the grading of assignments with respect to the rubrics has to be consistent.
Perry
1. Learning outcomes
2.Communication
1. Desired learning outcomes. What method/ structure/ rhythm engender the most effective participation?
2. The technology available. What are the limitations/ possibilities for interaction and guidance?
When I am working on the establishment of a pattern of teaching in the online environment, I want the students to know that I am accessible within a reasonable amount of time. Therefore, I begin by opening the doors of communication. Those schools that require synchronous chats actually seem to have a student body that is completes assignments on time and are motivated by the "in person" communication. There are some classes that do not have mandates for synchronous chats and I still hold a weekly chat just to let the students know I am there for them. Secondly, we focus on tasks or learning outcomes. I try to relate each unit with a real life application to help the students make the connections.
Two important items to incorporate into a teaching style are (1) communication expectations and (2) grade determination/evaluation.
As a college instructor, I am a passionate that students use good communication skills. ‘I’ is ALWAYS a capital letter; some words use an apostrophe, ‘8’ is a number, ‘u’ is a vowel; texting is never allowed---ever.
A student must know how their work will be evaluated. An assignment rubric can convey this information easily to the student.
Dr. Kelly,
In all of my online classes, the teaching pattern is already pre-established. Therefore, my first goal is to make sure I effectively communicate to my students what they must do each week. A reminder email or announcemnt can make sure the students are submitting work on time. Also, it is important that I also adhere to certain deadlines in the course. That is, responding to emails, questions or discussion posts within 24 hours and also returning assignments in a timely manner. This way students know what to expect each week.
For me, the two most important things to consider when establishing a teaching pattern is making sure that I organize my material in a way that is logical so that my students can see how one thing connects to another. Also I want my students to know what to expect and to be able to predict my approach to communicating course content.
I want them to see how little bits and pieces add up to the bigger picture. This is how I make learning effective.
When establishing a teaching pattern, I believe the two most important things to consider is communication and content delivery.
It is important that students understand that the instructor will not only be able to effectively communicate with the them but also to communicate in a timely manner, especially when students have questions.
Content delivery is also important because it helps the student to know what to expect. If the information is being delivered via lecture, the student may need to prepare for that by making sure they are in an area where they can adequately hear the lecture. If the content will be delivered via power point, the student will need to plan to be in an area that will facilitate them being able to concentrate on the visual information.
The two most important things to consider when establishing a pattern of teaching are:
1. clear expectations. I outline and explain my expectations and then I outline and explain what students can expect (contact time, grading, etc.).
2. Clear objectives and weekly schedule. Planning is vital, especially asynchronously. If I can take the course expectations and give students a weekly to do or calendar, I am more likely to see students stay on target for the week. Plus, I am reminded of what we are doing and I can plan supplemental and outreach material.
Erica
Establishing a pattern of teaching can also rely on the stuent body. In any particular class, some adjustment may need to be made to accomodate students. That said, two critical areas include:
1. Be clear and repetitive. Using clear and effective language, be sure to state requirements multiple times in multiple places. As noted, most students do not read. When they complain about their grade, you can show them that the instructions were posted in multiple places (including being sent directly to their email) and so the otis now sits on them. This is my shameless attempt at forcing them to personal responsibility.
2. Be fair. While I often struggle with exceptions, I believe in a second chance. The student can be given an opportunity to improve their performance. Should they continue to underperform, the instructor is off the hook. Offer detailed instruction, detailed feedback and explain how you arrived at the decision you did. Many students upon hearing the explanation of the decision or presentation agree with the outcome.
It seems to me that consistency and repetition are the two most important things to consider when establishing a teaching pattern. I do weekly live lectures in my VC and have found that keeping my lectures consistent helps students stay engaged which allows them to anticipate the flow of each lecture. The biggest challenge I have found is balancing consistency with not becoming redundant or boring. Therefore I always try to spice up each class with a short class discussion and/or field trip on the internet.
Since a Teaching Pattern centers on how an instructor provides information to the students, the two most important things to consider are:
1. The Learning Objectives.
2. Characteristics/limitations/needs of the student population.
I answer this way assuming that the LMS is capable of handling most any and all methods of teaching.
Anita,
You make a great point. I also think there can be time management issues with faculty also :)
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
