Patrice,
Communication, community and outomces - excellent list of three. Thanks!
The three most important things to consider are :
1. Communication : How will I communicate with the students to teach the course ?
2. Assignments : What kind of assignments will the student have to do ?
3. Time zones : Students are in different time zones and it is important to factor this.
The three most important things to consider are:
1) What is the best way to communicate these Finance concepts to the students?
2) How can I establish a learning community, through discussions, group projects or blogs?
3) What are the outcomes I expect from my students to achieve the goals of the course as well as their personal learning goals?
Jennifer ,
Good question - it's key to ensure students understand the expectations, learning outcomes and the assessment of those outcomes. Thanks for your input.
Course Expectation—are my course expectations clearly communicated? I include these on the syllabus and also a document on the announcement board they can refer back to at any time during the course. This is a dynamic document that I revise as needed based on feedback, changes and observations each session. For example, if I receive a number of student questions about a particular classroom requirement, I will be sure to include this in the course expectations before the next session begins.
Engaging Learning Community: The online environment can leave some students feeling isolated. Providing discussions, group projects, and community forums can help.
Utilizing Technology: I need to consider if I am maximizing the use of the tools available to me. These tools can facilitate communication with students individually (live messaging, emails) and also as a group (live chats, presentations, etc)
corinne,
Ah - and your communciation begins with your syllabus. And, the expectations for the course are there as well. So, communication begins with the syllabus. Nice job.
Frances,
Right on. When students understand the expectations clearly, they are more likely to succeed and meet those objectives. Thanks for your input.
Marie,
Anything you can do to help students defend their opinion and "their case" is excellent. They need to develop these skills. Thanks for your input.
When teaching your own online course, what do you believe are the three most important things to consider?
1. Your syllabus
2. The expectations of the course.
3. Communication.
We have to do two on-line chats a week at my college. When I do my first class of the session, I talk about being respectful with each other on the discussion board. I let the students know that it is OK to disagree with each other because of various experiences that they all have in their lives, just be respectful with each other and be open to the other person's comments. I have noticed that this seems to help in the discussion because there are some disagreements, but it encourages the students to "make a case" for their opinion.
The three things I think are most important to consider would be:
(1) The students should have a clear understanding of where to find the information necesary to complete the course such as the syllabus which includes the rules of the road for the class, the assignments, the resources, technology that will be used for the class and how to communicate with me as the instructor. If that information is not clearly delineated, the students may become frustrated and lose their initial interest and excitement about taking an online class.
(2) Communication is essential in an online class. As an instructor, I need to make full use of the technology available. For example, using the chat sessions as a place to give information to the students but to also allow participation by the students. The more that students feel an active part of the class, the more they tend to do better work in the class.
(3) Motivating students when they feel lost in the online environment is essential. It is much different than the interaction in a face-to-face class and some students can be overwhelmed by the assignments and feeling alone in completing the assignments.
Frances
Matt,
Clarity is essential. Everyone needs to understand the expectations to achieve the outcomes. Thanks for your input.
Dr. Crews,
You asked, "When teaching your own online course, what do you believe are the three most important things to consider?"
I believe that the three most important things for me to consider are the following:
(1) Ensuring that my expectations of students in terms of what must be submitted, when it must be submitted, and how submissions will be graded is crystal clear;
(2) What students can realistically be expected to absorb and create in the time duration of the course, given the degree program and the academic training students are expected to bring to the specific course and;
(3) How frequently and in what form I will provide constructive feedback and progress assessments to students during the course.
I can ensure that I address (1) through a clear and well-organized syllabus, regular announcements, and e-mail communications. I can ensure that I understand (2) by taking time to review the course curriculum in advance of the class to ensure I know what courses students will have taken prior to my class. I should understand the expectations of the specific school for Item (3) and augment with additional feedback for students in between required grade reports, if possible.
Dr. Keogh
Russell,
the syllabus is the first step in communicating everything to the students. Communication and collaboration helps establish the scaffolding for the students. Thanks!
Shelly,
Great. It's good that we see some consistency in our thoughts in these forums. Keep sharing your idea. Thank you.
I definitely agree with these. So many of these actually. I think that it definitely requires a different skill set to be an online instructor versus a face-to-face in the classroom instructor.
I do believe that setting course expectations and continuing to reinforce them is important. I like the comment about adjusting them, but I do think it is important that they stay consistent so that there are no questions about what the expectations are.
I definitely think creating a welcoming and "non-hostile" environment is important as well. Students need to feel safe to participate and contribute.
I like the concept of scaffolding as well. Most of the work done in the specific course I teach is building off of one another's thoughts and ideas and leads to one culminating final project at the end. It really allows them to see how all of the information is connected.
The three most important items to consider when teaching an online course are:
Create a “dynamic†syllabus. Identify course information, outline course topics, assignments, and assessment.
Establish effective communication and collaboration through public and private venues.
Design an effective course framework or “scaffolding†by providing clear instructions to reduce student confusion and increase efficiency in the classroom.
Elivett,
Right on! You've probably hear the saying we have to meet the students where they are - that includes learning styles, how they communcate, etc. Thanks for your input.
One thing to remember is that each student has a different learning style which plays a role in their processing of information. The second thing would be that communicating effectively and giving feedback is a necessity for success. And thirdly, offering the student a way to contact you when needed.
maryln,
Right on. Ensuring everyone understands the learning outcomes, developing projects/assignments based on them and making sure you are assessing them is essential no matter what the content. Thanks so much.
