Three important things to consider is be knowledgable of the curriculum, know the students/audience, and know the expectations of the students and course.
KEVIN,
Right on. Who are we teaching? It differs if this is an undergraduate or graduate class. We also want to think about the course content. Thanks!
I believe the three most important things would be:
Who is the target audience?
What do they need to learn/know?
How do I go about imparting the knowledge required?
LE,
Good job. Sounds like you are continually assessing the learning environment and trying to make improvements. This is an ongoing event. Thanks!
When teaching online I try to keep on the alert for hints from the students:
1) What is working - are the students understanding what I am trying to teach? Are the Lessons Working as planned? Have I over/under-estimated the amount of time it takes for an assignment.
2) I am looking for signs of student frustration or people who are not interacting at all. I think it is important to try to engage as many students as possible. Although, some do just sign in do the work and sign out. The depth of learning seems to be better if there is some engagement and sharing within the class.
3) Am I keeping things POSITIVE? Too often, I see instructors adopt draconian rules and policies that hurt student motivation. We have to remember that most students in the online environment have a "Real" life and are going to school online because they don't have the ability to set everything aside and attend a class on a fixed schedule. I need to make sure that I am upholding the rules of the University but I also need to try to keep things positive and as flexible as possible to maintain a good attitude among learners.
Amer,
Students do need to know when and how they can contact the instructor. We need to be available and competent to help them become successful. Thanks!
Heather,
So true. We have to ensure the students understand the expectations and how to get around in the online environment. Nice job.
Mischel,
Yes, doesn't the roadmap thing make sense? I like the visibility angle too. Thanks again.
In my opinion, the three important things for an instructor in teaching an online course include :
1)Being readily available to students through e-mail/online office hours/phone.
2)Punctuality and Discipline ( Ex: ensure that student's grades are posted within in the required time frame).
3)Strong computer/ educational platform skills.
All three will help in ensuring a successful online learning experience for both the instructor and the students.
The first thing to consider is does the student understand the material or the assignment. Second thing to consider is does the student understand how to navigate the classroom. And the Third thing that is important to consider is to make sure my feedback is very detailed and explains everything.
Heather
The three most important things I will consider in teaching an online course are:
1) Syllabus/Roadmap - ensure students understand expectations and time lines.
2) Communication. Provide contact information and my availability for office hours, live labs, etc.
3) Visibility. Posting regular announcements, providing feedback on grading assignments and maintaining a presence in the discussion forums.
Justine,
You are right. There are some similarities and some challenges. Developing and communicating clear expectations are essential. With this in mind and in coordination with meaningful feedback, the personal connection will develop. Thanks!
The keys to teaching online are similar to F2F, but there are some separate challenges that come from the difference in communication. Three important considerations for teaching online include
1) Clear expectations
2) Meaningful feedback
3) Personal connection
You can't rely on your tone of voice or eye contact to get your point across or ad-lib in class, so it's important to set clear expectations from the start. Likewise, students need meaningful and detailed feedback in writing so they know how to proceed. Finally, because you don't have the opportunity to meet F2F, you have to find other ways to connect with the students and help them feel a sense of belonging in the course. This can be achieved by using their names in discussions and replies, praising them, and calling them out when they set a good example.
Stephanie,
Before you can build on that previous knowledge, you need to figure out what they know. Thia is a good first step. Thanks for bringing this up.
Lealan,
Thanks for the reference. It's good to see/read other's points of view and see what research has found. We learn so much from each other in these posts. This is one of those learning moments.
1. Build upon previous knowledge/objectives
2. Clarity in instruction and expectations
3. Instructor must be present, available, and have a positive tone when working with students.
My summary of best online teaching practices.
Good practices of effective teaching:
Student-faculty contact
Cooperation among students
Active learning
Prompt feedback
Time on task accomplishments
Communicates high expectations
Respects divers talents and ways of learning (Graham, Cagiltay, RoLim, Craner Duffy, 2011)
Seven_Principles_of_Effective_Online_Teaching.pdf
10 Principles of Effective Teaching:
Show up and teach
Practice proactive course management strategies
Establish patterns of course activities
Plan for the unplanned
Response requested and expected
Thing before your write
Maintain forward progress
Safe and secure
Quality counts
Click a mile on my connections. (Faculty Focus 2010).
Dwayne,
Isn't it great when you know you've been doing something right. ;-) Glad that was reaffirmed for you. Thanks for your comments.
Roland,
Right on. I'm teaching an 8 week course right now and the first night of class, after much discussion, the syllabus changed (to the students' advantage) that night. We have to be flexible, but understand the syllabus won't change for no apparent reason. There has to be a good reason behind the change. Thanks for your input.
You need to:
Create an Online Learning Community
Use Effective Communication
Scaffold Student Learning
I 100% agree with this guideance and find that I have been doing this in my courses, but in a unique way. Now that I have taken this course I will be able to improve my skills in these important areas.
Thank you,
Dwayne Roark
