Adult learners in particular want to know what is expected from them in advance so the course facts is a great idea.
It is great to explain in detail where assignments should be submitted and what types of assignments there are.
I have created APA style guides and quick references to proper grammar and academic writing styles. I have also provided advice for time management and how to properly cite academic sources.
I have provided aids for proper citations and APA format, as well as to recognize academic quality sources. I have also provided guides for critical thinking and time management.
Donna,
Sounds like you have discovered what students may have problems with and you are working to help alleviate any issues they may have. Nice job.
Deborah,
Developing how to guides is beneficial to all students. Sounds like you are really trying to help all students in your course succeed. Thanks!
Information I have created to support my online students have been varied. I have created a tutorial for APA formatting that I thought would be a good resource on how to cite commonly used resources. I also created an APA formatted template for students to use to complete their paper or essay assignments. In the statistics courses that I teach, I like to create tutorials that outline steps on how to complete common analyses or how to use the SPSS software. There are many ways to support students. I like to use the feedback from students as an indication of what types of resources will be helpful.
I develop job aids with step by step directions as well as post information provided by the school. Each week I try to add to the “how to†information that corresponds with the tasks students need to do (such as “How to review the weekly video†or “how to develop a table in Microsoft Wordâ€) in a “Pathway to an A†area on the discussion board.
Also, I develop presentations and post appropriate You Tube videos as needed.
Detra,
I give examples but "B" examples and tell students they it's d more for an "A." Otherwise they assume if they include the exact same info as the example, they will earn an "A." Hope this is helpful.
Detra,
I think the what's new section gets students attention. It's a good thing. Thanks.
Detra,
Ah - connecting the assignments, rubrics, and objectives together will help all involved. Thanks for your inut.
Krystal, I'm big on giving examples so that students have a clear understanding of my expectations. I hold a weekly live chat and I go through each week's assignment(s) during the chat to ensure that students are 100% on track with what they need to do to earn maximum points.
Roger, I do the same in regards to posting helpful announcements on the "Announcement Board" or the "What's New" section of the course. Students tend to see them as soon as they access the Virtual Campus and it helps reduce the number of emails received from students.
I post and/or upload attachments that align with each week's assignments to further assist students with the learning objectives/outcomes. It's easier to have all necessary attachments/documents located in one central location.
Nizar,
Sounds like you are providing a variety of tools for students to use as they connect best to their learning styles. Nice job. I LOVE Jing and use it all the time. Five minutes is long enough for many students - and me. ;-)
Hi Dr. Crews,
Students very in knowledge and learning skills and habits. Some learn easily by reading the textbook, others need audio and visual aids. The instructor should cater to these diverse needs. As a result, I create a mix of written information, as well as tutorial videos. One of the free and easy to use tools is Jing. It allows us to record our computer screen for up to a 5-minute video. It's short, but that's why it's free :-) I have received great feedback from my students with these tutorial.
roger,
A central repository of information is a great idea. We want to students to be able to easily find the information they need when they need it. The combination of your announcements and live chats helps address many students' learning needs. Thanks!
I provide a series of documents that are posted to the website so that students can find them all in one place. Additionally, I provide announcements to the course home page to alert students to items of importance, so that they can see them as soon as they enter into the course room. I conduct live chats, instant messaging and email communications as well. The live chats contain video and audio, with me demonstrating features of the software and materials for that weeks instruction.
Some of the documents pull together information from diverse sources into one or a few concise "Cliff Notes" versions that pertain to the class, lessons or methodologies, such as APA.
Fred,
What technology is include in your "high-tech" manner? Have you tried TeacherTube?
Just wondering. Thanks!
Thomas,
Yes, we, as online instructors should be able to tweak what is provided to us to help students meet the learning outcomes. Thanks!
