Online Instructors
Online instructors need to provide clear guidelines for interaction with students. They need to provide prompt feedback in the form of information and acknowledgement. Additionally, online instructors need to provide well-developed discussion assignments, provide assignment deadlines, provide challenging tasks,and praise for quality work.
Dr. Marcia L. Brown
Wells,
Thanks for the good description of how your area/school works. It makes me think more about how to use groups to motivate students, etc. Thanks again.
Dr. Brown, I agree with your assessment. The discussion board assignments and written assessments are key components of any online course. This is especially true at the school I work for, as there are no tests, just research papers.
The discussion board assignments are considered so key that late assignments in the DB are not accepted. A good team assignment can also teach students how to work well and help motivate others.
Kimberley,
I agree. Providing meaningful feedback in a timely, consisten manner is very appropriate. Thanks for your input.
I think that feedback is key within the online environment. Students need to know what they are doing well and how they can improve on areas that they are having trouble with. It is the consistency with feedback to the students that allows them to do well in your class and classes in the future.
Leah,
Details and organization are two Important components. Thanks for your input.
Marcia
I agree that you must provide very detailed instructions. One of the things I struggle with is getting students to READ these directions. I find it frustrating when I spend a lot of time creating assignment guides or detailed instructions only to have them ignored. Do you find this happens in your courses?
Willie ,
Mentors can serve as effective components in an online course. Who do you use as mentors for the students?
Willie ,
Keeping students engaged in the discussions is essential. It he online discussions should not just be a place where students post things and some students read them and some do not. It should be an engaging conversation that ht einstructor or students facilitates. Thanks for your input.
I think that mentorship is important as well. A major benefit to online mentorship is the opportunity for frequent, convenient communication between mentor and student. Weekly or even daily journals and communications can be sent between mentor and student via e-mail, providing an ongoing "dialogue" which supports the development of the mentor relationship and offers numerous opportunities for timely feedback on student questions, concerns and issues. :-)
I agree that online instructors should provide students with well-developed discussion assignments. Discussion is the instructional strategy most favored by adult learners because it is interactive and encourages active, participatory learning. The discussion format encourages them to analyze alternative ways of thinking and acting and assists them in exploring their own experiences so they can become better critical thinkers. The discussion is often the heart of an online course. I am pursing a Master's in Instructional Technology, and this topic came up in on of my classes. :-)
Lori,
Communication is key to the success of the students and overall success of the class. Thanks for your input.
Online instructors really need that communication with their students. As a student myself once for an online course, I truly feel that the communication with the instructor and the student has to be there and strong communication/ feedback from the instructor and praise for the work is a must.
Marcia,
Yes - you are right on track. Students need to know what is expected of them not only when it comes to assignments/projects, but when it comes to communication, discussion boards, etc. Thanks!
