Miriam,
You have been posting quite a bit on the forums and I truly appreciate your feedback. Thanks so much.
You have touched on students' learning styles in several of your postings. They are very important, but as you have also noted knowing how to assess the students and making sure they reach the coruse objectives is equally important.
Nice job.
I consider the must teach objectives and how to best present them to the students.
I consider how to assess students' work and progress.
I consider the learning styles and needs of students.
Amanda,
Thanks for your input. Skype, Adobe Connect Professional, Eluminate, etc. are all effective technologies for communication. You have made it clear through this posting and your last posting that communicating expectations and outcomes is essential.
You can also use simple questions (diagnostic assessment) to see where your stuents are coming from and what they already know. Then, you can adjust your teaching.
Nice job.
1. Creating an online environment through the use of technology. Discussion boards aside, "Skype" for example is a great way to communicate with the instructor if needed.
2. Setting clear objectives and expectations for the students. They must know and be aware of what is expected and time lines as well.
3. Always consider the students perspective and where they are coming from!
Melissa,
I liked the way you described why activities should be provided in a variety of ways to make sure those who learn in differnt ways get the information they need to understand. Nice job. You are correct in that feedbakc must be specific and an interactive classroom (especially in an online environment) are essential.
Thanks!
Donte,
You are right when you note that students must know when assignments are due and they must also know where to submit such assignments. Students must also be able to contact you and know how to contact you. It is essential to be open to the students and communicate on an frequent basis.
Nice job.
The three most important things to consider when teaching an online course are:
1. Coming up with different activities or ways to convey the subject material. Not everyone learns the same way and this would accomodate different learning styles, as well as, encourage different styles as well.
2. Be interactive with your class. Provide feedback, ask questions to encourage discussions and get your class talking with eachother.
3. Be specific with what you are asking of your students. Don't jump all over the place and confuse them.
When I teach my course I consider whether the course task list is clear, as far as the students know the deadlines and assignments they are to complete. Is my contact information available for students so that the student feel that I am accessible and also are there enough resources in the course to assist with the the students completing their tasks.
Melanie,
Thanks for your input. You are correct in starting wtih clear course objectives. If the students do know what what is expected of them, confusion starts from the beginning. The syllabus is the perfect place to begin your communication with the students.
Keep your interaction high and you will accommodate the varying learning styles. AND, some students have dual learning styles, so the interaction and providing information in a variety of ways is perfect for them.
Nice job.
I think the three most important things to consider when teaching an online course are:
- Clarity of the course objectives and a good interactive syllabus
- Interacting with the students and giving good comments and feed back to assignments
- Having several learning styles to accommodate to all learning styles.
Mary,
Communication is the KEY! You are right on target with your response. It's nice that you tie the communciation to the objectives, feedback, expectations, etc.
Nice job.
There is no such thing as over-communicating, so the three things that are most important to consider when teaching an online course are:
1. Communicate the expectations of the instructor to the students. These expectations may be similar to the course expectations but often times are more detailed.
2. How will the students communicate with you? Make sure that every student knows how to reach the instructor and make sure that you are available.
3. How will you encourage students to do a good job, to keep on task and meet the objectives.
Robert,
Thanks for the organization of your input in this posting. This is a great way to also model to your students how to provide information in a concise, yet complete manner.
Getting to know your online students and communciating with them effectively and consistenly is a must. You must also make sure students can find pertinent information online and your course is easy to navigate.
Thanks! Keep up the good work.
1) You must know your students. Try and make an effort to gauge the students progress and knwo which ones require more attention.
2) Communication must be encouraged. Best way to relay feelings is to communicate them. It is the best way to find any issues that nee attention and focus on them.
3)Imparting knowledge with accuracy helps to assure your online students wont feel lost or misdirected.
Debi,
Right on target. Communciation is a major element to the online classroom (and any classroom). The syllabus is one way to communicate as well.
Doing some type of diagnostic test/evaluation/assessment of what the students know at the beginning of the course is also an excellent idea. Then, you know how quickly/slowly you need to proceed and what information the students can add to the conversation.
Nice job.
I think being able to communicate with the instructor and fellow students is quite beneficial as it allows the students to realize that other students may have the same questions. Also having a clear concise syllabus lets the student know what is expected of them. And then last but not least assesing the students skill level to determine their level of knowledge
I agree the syllabus has to be dynamic and the instructor has to explain the course content on the first day so that the students know the expecations of the course and how items will be assessed.
Michelle,
You reinforce the important facts that students learn in a variety of ways and are individuals with varying learning styles. This is correct! They also differ in age, culture, and aas you note technological ability.
It is important to give some type of pre-assessment (diagnostic) to determine such factors.
Nice job. Thank you.
Yes, change is inevitable...but sometimes it can be a little "nerve-racking" for both the students and the instructors.
When teaching online, I think the three most important things to consider are:
1. What is your overall goal or lesson to teach and is it presented clearly enough for all learning styles.
2. What is the technological ability of your student base.
3. Using a variety of resources to reach every student, because what works for one may not work for another.
