It is important to be sure the content is structured and delivered in an organized way. I also learned how important it is ot be able to communicate with the students and for them to feel supported.
The aspect of becoming familiar with the course delivery techniques and strategies. Althought it seems so obvious it's something that I have over looked in the past. Just having the identified items below will be a great starting point for a checklist for future online courses.
- What is the manner in which the content is delivered?
- What instructional, media, presentation, and display strategies are used?
- Can students gain access to all of the content from Day One?
- Do they have to study the content in a specified order?
- If completion of the content is linear, are students locked into a specific time-frame within which to complete a particular component, for example a module? If not, are you required to provide feedback on content from another module which has a different time-frame?
- Can students gain access to the quizzes and examinations at any time or are these assessment measures released at a specific time? Are they timed?
- Are students allowed repeated attempts at quizzes? If they are allowed repeated attempts, do they receive the same questions with each attempt, or do they receive a parallel version of the quiz?
- Are quiz questions equally weighted or do some questions have higher points assigned to them?
- Are you responsible for unlocking course content? (If yes, create a time-table in which you note the points at which you have to do so.)
- Can students post contributions to all discussion questions throughout the duration of the course, or is there a specified time beyond which they cannot post to a particular discussion forum?
- What are the roles and responsibilities of any guest lecturers?
- Are there any notes the course author has provided to support the delivery of the course? (Remember to seek clarification on any aspect of the course from the course author, if necessary.)
Teaching online requires us teachers to learn the system we are using as well as learning how to do and delete certain things from the system to better assist us.
I used a online module for the first time last month. I didn't preview it and I had many questions about the module that I couldn't answer. Won't do that again.
I will need to become more familiar with Microsoft Teams. I will also need to be able to provide more interactive work instead of just passive assignments for each student. In order for students to be successful and stay on task, I will also need to be able to provide assistance with technical issues they may have.
It is important to be familiar with the course contents I'm taking in order to teach my students virtually online. It is very important to understand the course guidelines, format, and standards in order to impart this same knowledge to my students.
I find using Google classroom for assignments great in that I can assign the task and it will automatically grade the students work.
I plan to learn a few more skills in my LMS (like how to delete discussion posts and how to generate an activity report).
Quality online courses are characterized by structural integrity, navigational simplicity, intellectual interaction, and active learner-centered learning. It is important to become familiar with the CMS and complete the Student Orientation course to better understand how students will complete the activities. I will make sure the students will know I am there to support them and make their learning experience a successful one.
It is very important to understand how to communicate with students in a timely manner. The importance to manage the chat environment and to drop participatnts that are violating school policies.
I will use this to build a coarse that the students can understand and be susessfull upon completions.
Give students an understanding of what is required and responding quickley to the students needs.
Teachers might be very confident in their course content, but if they can not prove to their students that they are comfortable in the technical aspect of online teaching they will win over their audiences approval. This being said I plan to take the extra time this summer not taking familiar content loaded pds, but to focus more on our schools online platform trainings that will be more beneficial if we do have to go back to a virtual classroom this next school year at some point.
This will be beneficial in keeping everythhing in order. Having a meeting prior to starting is important because it gives the instructor the opportunity to meet with the students and also let you know if there are technology issues. We need to make it as engaging as possible considering we are teaching real hands on subjects.
In finishing out the school year teaching online I found that it be necessary that I understand all of the software that the students were being required to use, and how they could submit work so I could be there technical support.
This lesson has allowed me to understand the methadology of E-Learning as well as expectations. Many students may not be comfortable with the format so a strategy is needed to make sure all students are engaged. I understand the many components necessary to be a successful online teacher.
Having taught in several online environments, one key aspect that is important in all of them is preparation before the class begins. This is important not only for the first online class taught, but also subsequent classes also, especially if it is the same class. It is easy to get complacent after having taught a course several times and get into a routine. An instructor should always be striving to improve upon the course content or conduct as time progresses.
I think the important thing that I've learned is that it's more than just course content that we have to instruct the students on but how to maneuver through the CMS
by learning the in and out of the CMS being used I can be a more effective support system for my student
Make sure that students know you are there to help them and support their needs. Include ways that students can get in touch with you and that they know your office hours. Be consistant with everything you do including that you understand how to use the platform.
I've learned that as an instructor I'm expected to be totally familiar with the online platform that is being used to effectively deliver the course information. Also there are several ways to present information to students and to ensure students understand the lesson.
