When teaching your own online course, what do you believe are the three most important things to consider?
1) Who are my students and what is their knowledge level?
2) What tools I’m going to use to teach and motivate them?
3) How am I going to assess their knowledge?
Herlaine,
Interesting that you discuss how the interest will be created through the material. We definitely have to keep those objectives in mind as we to through the process. Thanks!
The three most important things to consider when teaching an online course are: the level of interest the material will create, what makes the presented content motivating, how clear is are the learning objectives and class guidelines.
Jacqueline,
Yes, it does take a variety of methods to find the best approach. We have to think carefully about how we help students learn the content and achieve the learning outcomes. Thanks!
Jacqueline,
Right - it's getting to know your students and how to deliver that subject matter so that all students can learn. I like that you mentioned it's done through a mix of several methods. Thanks!
How to best deliver (method) the subject material to the student population (factors of the student body) that is being taught; as well as the way to assess how the student learned (testing method.)
There are various methods to use with online education. Finding the best approach is an appropriate mix of several methods.
Jacqueline Bloink
How to best deliver (method) the subject material to the student population (factors of the student body) that is being taught; as well as the way to assess how the student learned (testing method.)
There are various methods to use with online education. Finding the best approach is an appropriate mix of several methods.
Jacqueline Bloink
Brian,
To me, quality always wins over quantity. We have to keep striving for a quality experience for all students. Thanks!
I agree that the quality of the education experience can make the difference for students and instructors.
Thomas,
Thanks for asking good questions. We do have to think carefully about our audience, the students, and how to get them engaged in the content, communication and learning process.
Christine,
You are right that this is a short amount of time. Your syllabus, as you noted, must give them clear direction. The synchronous meetings are definitely helpful to you and your students in building that relationship. Thanks!
I believe the three most important things to consider are:
1. What level of prior knowledge the students have on the subject
2. How to get all the students engaged in communication
3. How can I give the highest level of support to the students and keep them engaged.
I currently teach completely online and I have new students every 5 weeks. That is a short amount of time to get to know my students and build rapport. I have to keep them focused and get them to participate in the class room.
I feel it is important to have a Dynamic Syllabus to give the students direction and keep them on track. It helps them clearly understand what is expected and may help with time management.
It is important for me that the students feel my presence in the classroom. Participation in discussions, responding to emails in a timely fashion, giving assignment feedback for good and poor attempts, and holding weekly live labs to work together as a class. Hearing a voice helps me to connect to the students as well as the student to connect to me. I had a student write to me at the end of her class "I know I did not contact you for help but I always knew you were there if I needed you."
I use a lot of supplemental scaffolding. I am continuously posting weekly announcements and weekly materials into the classroom.
Alfred,
I love that you list these considerations in the form of questions so others can think about questions they need to ask. Thanks!
Three things to consider are:
Communication: Giving students constructive feedback is a key part to learning.
Structure: How would you structure a course that would build upon past lessons towards more complex topics?
Resources: Where can students go to get help? Things such as office hours and prompt responses are very important.
Ra'kia,
Right on! Being flexible and being able to connect with students is so important. This all helps in making that ideal learning environment. Thanks!
I believe the three most important things are scaffolding, communicating, and being able to be flexible to teach the various learners. Organizing the important content of the course will allow learners to understand the "big idea" behind important topics. Also, in an online environment, the routes of communication are many and being able to utilize majority of the communication routes will only build a more effective learning environment. Being able to teach various learners using different techniques , what ever works for the students, makes an ideal learning environment which cater to the needs of all students.
Shenita,
Now you are bringing in the assessment piece. This is something we have to carefully consider especially in light of the objectives. Thanks!
When teaching an online course, the three most important things to consider are:
1. course objectives
2. students' needs
3. ability to evaluate student performance
Ed,
Right on! The more we know about our students and their background knowledge, the more we can "meet them where they are" and help them excel. Thanks for your input.
