The first thing to consider is to try to create a community - to create a comfortable atmosphere for students to learn. This can start with a simple meet and greet in a discussion board, sharing bios, interests, etc.
The second is to set clear expectations and follow through with the expectations set.
The third is to provide timely communications, including clear feedback on assignments and quick responses to email and phone calls.
When teaching my own online course the three most important things that I consider are as follows:
1). Who am I teaching? It is importnat for me to KNOW my student population for each course because I teach different levels, and my method of teching is different for each level. If I am teaching 2nd year students, my expectations are different form what I would expect from my sgrduate students.
2). Student Expectation. It is also important for me to understand what the students expect from me, and what the expect to gain or learn in the course.
3). Knowledge of Course Content. I do no not teach any course for which I am not well prepared. I like to go into the course ready to answer the basic questions that the students have about the course content.
Jerry.
1) staying in contact with the students;
2) answering all questions they have regarding the material in the class
3) encouraging them to continue their hard work!
Daniel ,
Yes. I provide my students with examples of appropriate and inappropriate responses. I also have a rubric for discussion board postings.
Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Daniel ,
Right on. We have to develop a community of learners to help students feel comfortable asking questions and we need to continues to motivate the to continue to learn.
Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Daniel ,
Communication and navigation are essential. Without them the students would be at a terrible disadvantage. Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Daniel,
You bring up a good point about retention. Glad you included that as we many times forget it is a part of our responsibilities as well.
Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Amanda,
Yes, the goals and students needs many time cause change. It is good to be flexible and open to change.
Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
cynthia,
Never assume us right. Clear, concise and simple are best.
Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Otis,
I think you first one - clear expectations- will lead to the other too.
Thanks for the input.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Kurt,
You bring up many good points. Things do happen as we have to adjust but I always tell my students to be proactive in their communication.
Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
It is hard to overstate the importance of civility in online communications. It seems that the student's reflect the instructors online tone and demeanor. Once a ground rules are in place regarding proper communication it is uncommon that a student will use the discussion board or forums as a pulpit. In fact, I see the reverse happening in many classes. That is, students tend to be too congratulatory and less challenging in your remarks.
Laura;
For those students who are not very computer literate they require a great deal of support and encouragement. I think it is easy to get discouraged and very frustrated if you are a student uncomfortable with the online learning environment. It is certainly reflected in their comments in the opening weeks of a course. It is also very nice to see as they gain confidence over time in their abilities to navigate the online process.
In no particular order I believe the following three items are important:
1.Translation; expressed as clear, civil communication across the classroom.
2.Tone; expressed as an instructor who is willing to be correct it and to learn from other students. It requires that we put our ego's to the side and acccept a wide range of alternative views from the students. This is not as easy as it sounds if a student brings in such personalized views as religious beliefs or political ideologies. Tone requires finesse.
3. Navigation; expressed as instructors capacity for directing students from information based learning to application and critical thinking. For me, that's the biggest challenge in any course.
When teaching an online course, the three things that I feel most important is:
1) Ensuring that the students are understanding my directions and the class expectations. I usually do this with a few follow-up emails in the first weeks of a course to make sure we are still on the same page.
2) Retention, I find that online classes tend to have higher drop rates. I think this is because some students think that they are supposed to be easier than F2F classes, and then are shocked to find that the same standards exist. So, I try to build up to the harder stuff, I usually include a few lower value assignments to help show the students what the expectations are without overwhelming them.
3)Access. Students must have access to the instructor for an online course. Most schools have a 48 hour window that an instructor has to respond back to a student. I try to do it within 24 (which, of course, may proof impossible if out of town or other circumstances)
I think these are the three most important things to consider when teaching an online class.
Three important things to consider could be:
1. Be ready to change and adapt and be open to learning and adjusting with what works and does not work
2. The students themselves (needs, wants, challenges, etc.)
3. The goals of the course.
1. Clear expectations
2. Directions for the most simple items - never assume!
3. Daily interaction
Hi Tena and classmates,
I feel the three most important things in teaching an online course are:
a. Clear expectations for a common ground
b. Establishing a community rapport
c. Understanding assessment and giving Feedback
The very first contact that one has with his/her students is the syllabus. Your syllabus is the contract between you and your students. It is mandatory that the student understands what is expected of he/she. Clear and defined expectations of what is expected should be first and foremost.
Establishing a warm and comfortable rapport with your students in an online discussion community. Yes, we as facilitators or instructors want to be leaders, but we do not know want to dictate the flow and transition of learning. Each student has a different level of comprehension and a comofrt zone for communication. We must establish a feeling of ease to guarantee that all can participate without derision or harassment.
Understanding your assessments and giving feedback is fundamentally essential. One does want to scare a student off or offend a student to where he/she might drop the course. Feedback must be timely and constructive and all about learning and improvement in the student's work and not so much about grade point average.
I believe that recognizing everyone has a different perspective is key. They may not see things the same way due to prior influence and past experience, and as such, may not understand everything the same either.
Maintaining contact is another important aspect, many times, all that is needed to retain a student and keep them engaged is visibility of the instructor and regular communication. Personally, I've seen my own performance drop in courses I've taken when the instructor is barely around.
Life happens. I make it clear to students that I know they're not sitting in a bare room with a book and computer focusing only on my course. I make sure to explain my take on things, I'm happy to make arrangements when life comes up. Arrangements are made before the deadline, exceptions are made after it has passed. I do not do exceptions.
Kurt "Trip" Bauer
Darakshan,
Thanks for including your three things as questions. It helps others consider questions they should ask themselves. Thanks!
