Best Practices for Teaching Online109 8

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This handbook is compiled and edited from hundreds of teaching tips drawn from a wide variety of Web sites that provide resources for faculty teaching online. It is not intended as a tutorial – only as a guide to acknowledged best practices for

faculty new to teaching in an online environment.

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Contents

Preparation

Planning

Expectations

Presence

Presentation

Interaction

Engagement

Communication

Feedback

Assessment & Evaluation

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Expect to spend more time than you would on a traditional •coursethefirsttimeyouteachitonline.Seekoutsuccessfulmodels.Eventhemostseasonedclass-•roominstructorsneedhelptransitioningtoonlineteaching.Go one step at a time, carefully assessing what works and •whatdoesn’t.Expect to receive and respond to lots of email from your stu-•dents.Ifpossible,getsomefirst-handexperienceasanonlinestu-•dent.Keepanotebookofideasandobservationsabouttheroleofonlinestudents.Experiencethetechnologyfromastudent’sperspective.Tryto•seeyourclassasyourstudentswillseeit.Knowyourstudents’namesandusethem!•Knowyourstudents’needsanddoyourbesttofillthem.•Consider the challenges your students will face in your course •Would you want to take the course? Keepyourinteractionsprofessional,butlight;makeyourstu-•dentsfeelcomfortablecommunicatingwithyou.Knowyourstudentsabilitiesandskilllevelssoyoucandesign•appropriatematerials.Makenoassumptionsaboutwhattheyknow.Providenumerousresourcesforstudentsandhelpthemfind•thehelptheymayneed.Wrap your learning elements in a context that will be meaning-•fultoyourstudents.Teachtoyourlearners.Findouthowtheyliketolearnandad-•justaccordinglywhenyoucan.Learningonlineshouldn’tseemlike“pageturning.”

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Preparation1

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Plancarefully,butstayflexiblesoyoucanreacttofeedback.•Prepare.Prepare.Prepare.Thenprepare.•Beasfamiliarwiththetechnologyaspossible;makeusingthe•technologyastransparentasusingachalkboard.Testthetechnologyandsolveanyproblemsbeforeyoustart•soyoucanfocusonyourcontentandyourlearners.Makesureyouknowhowtologin,connect,andopenapplica-•tions.Makesureyouhaveallthepluginsyouneed.Learntousehighlighters,pointers,andannotationtools.•Planhowyouwillteachandhowmuchtimeitwilltake.•Expecttheunexpected.Preparefortechnologyfailureand•havealternativesinplace.Knowwheretogoforhelp.Testallexercisesandactivitiesbeforesendingthemoutto•students.Testcomputer-basedactivitiesonacomputerotherthanyourown.Read all assignment descriptions as if you were a student •lookingforloopholes.Developroutinesformanagingyourcourseeffectively;seta•scheduleforonlinecommunication.Learnhowtotroubleshootthetechnologyfromyourstudents’•pointofviewsoyoucanhelpthemwithsimpleissues.Knowwhatsupportresourcesareavailabletoyouandletyour•studentsknowhowtofindthehelpyoucan’tgivethem.Consider the difference between self-paced study (all materi-•als available at once) and group-paced learning (materials madeavailableinstepwithasyllabusorschedule).Maintainequitybetweenyourin-classstudentsandthose•studyingonline.Makesureallyouractivitiesareequallyen-gagingandaccessibletobothaudiences.Providecomparablealternativesforthosestudyingonline.

2 Planning

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Never expect an online student to do something you cannot do •yourself;don’tassumeallyourstudentsaretech-savvy.Prepare your students for success in the online environment •byestablishingclearexpectationsandguidelines.Use a multiple-answer survey (check all that apply) to learn •about your students’ technology skills so you can spot poten-tialtrouble.Taketimeinthefirstclassorassignmenttointroducestudents•tothetoolsyouwillbeusing.Makesuretheyunderstandandfeelcomfortablewiththem.Createa“scavengerhunt”orsimilaractivitythatleadsstu-•dentsthroughyourcourseWebsite.Provide students with a means to download and print impor-•tantcoursedocuments;providedocumentsinmorethanoneformat.Definerequirementsforstudentparticipationclearlyandset•groundrulesforinteractionswithyouandwithotherstudents.Send out lots of information as far in advance of the course •aspossible;makesurestudentsarepreparedfortheonlineenvironment.Createclearmetrics;tellstudentshowyouwillgradethem.•Tellstudentshowtofindacademicresourcesandwheretogo•forhelpwithtechnology.Create a discussion thread where students can ask you and •otherstudentsforhelponclassissues.Thiscansaveyoualotoftimeansweringindividualemails.Makesureyourstudentsknowandunderstandyourlearning•objectives, performance expectations, participation guidelines, andgradingcriteria.Set clear parameters for computer use, instructor availability, •onlineetiquette,andemailconventions.Answer all email and phone calls as promptly as you reason-•ablycan.

3 Expectations

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Createanurturingenvironment;letstudentsgettoknowyou•andeachother.Maketimeforintroductions.Establishafriendlyandmeaningfulatmosphere.Thinktalk•show,notlecture.Useinteractiveandparticipatoryactivitiesasoftenaspossible.•Betherevirtually!Eventhoughyouareteachingonline,be•presentandcontributetothedynamicsoftheclass.Don’tdis-appearfromthelearningenvironment.Youarestilltheinstructor,notthetechnology.Makeyour•teachingaspersonalasyoucan;letyourstudents“see”youandknowwhoyouare.Listencloselyandlearntoreadthe“intonations”ofonline•communication.Theycanimpactyourstudents’learning.Bepatient,positive,andsupportive.Nevershowyourfrustra-•tionifastudenthasdifficultyusingatechnologytool.Readyourpostingsandemailsbeforeyoupostorsendthem.•Itiseasytoturnstudentsoffwhenyoucommunicateonline.Correctwithoutsoundingharshorcritical.Thisissometimes•harder to do online that in the classroom because students can’treadyourbodylanguage.Rememberthatalackofquestionsdoesnotalwayssignify•understandingorconsent.If you are recording your lectures, gesture and smile as you •speak;keepyourvoiceexpressive.Injectlighthumorwherepossible,butbecareful.Itisdifficult•tokeephumorincontextonline.Makesureyoudon’tcomeacrossascondescending,sarcastic,orangry.

4 Presence

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Beveryspecificwhengivingdirections--e.g.,“Firstdothis,•thenthis,thenthis.Askquestionshere.Givefeedbackhere.”Alwaysdescribewhatyouaredoingonscreen.Saywhereyou•aregoingandexactlywhichlinkorvalueyouareselecting.Repeatinstructions.Thenrepeatthemagain.•Use whiteboard and annotation features to help students focus •andaddvisualstimulation.Alwayssummarizewhathasbeendiscussedordemonstrated.•Speakslowlyandclearly,butwithemphasisandenergy;pay•attentiontopacing,diction,andtone.“Listen”carefully–tobothspokenandwrittencommunication.•Besensitivetonuancesinwhatyourstudentsare“saying.”Requirethatyourstudentsrespondtoyou,thecontent,and•eachother.Testyourgraphicsandmediaon-screenbeforehandsoyou•knowhowtheywilllooktoyourstudents.Don’tjustreadyourslides;breakupscreentextwithgraphics•tohelpstudentsvisualizeyourtopic.Alwaysprovideresourcestobackupyourlectures.•Knowandexploittherelationshipbetweentext,sound,motion,•andgraphics.When you create materials outside the classroom, imagine •yourstudentsinfrontofyoutomakethemlessabstract.Avoidthe“HappyMouse”syndrome;don’tmoveyourmouse•too rapidly or click all over the screen without explaining what youaredoing.Enlargethemouseiconifpossible.Establishagoodpace,rhythm,andenergy.Mixitup.Keep•yourstudentsguessing.Don’tgetcarriedawaywiththe“wow”factorofthetechnol-•ogy.Focusonyourinstructionalobjectivesandmakingyourinstructionrelevant.Waitforslidestoloadandscreenstorefreshbeforespeaking.•Summarizefrequently.

5 Presentation

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Construct your assignments so students interact with real-•worldscenarios.Don’t overdo your participation in discussion threads, but don’t •beinvisible—thereisahappymedium.Assign forum moderators (students who get extra credit to •monitor the threads and write weekly synopses) to your dis-cussions.Thissavesyouwork,rewardsextraeffort,andencouragesstudentstoreview.Setupa“StudentLounge”wherestudentscandiscussany•topicand“meet”informallytosharecommoninterests.Use a blank PowerPoint slide or a whiteboard slide to list top-•icsbroughtupindiscussions.Thendiscussthem.Setupcoursediscussionprotocolsandfollowthem.Make•discussionapartofthegrade.Refertodiscussionsinclass.Begin your course with an ice-breaker discussion that asks •studentstopostbios.Doyoursfirst.Provide a separate forum area for each discussion and inte-•gratereadingsandprojectsintothem.Set criteria for evaluating discussion posts—for instance, a •good post relates to the course material, is around one screen long, encourages others to respond, expands concepts or con-nects ideas in new ways, occurs in a reasonable time frame, supports a point of view with reasons and evidence, and is wellwritten.Encourageorrequiregroupinteractiontodiminishsomeofthe•isolationofstudentslearningonline.Watchforpossiblegroupinteractionproblemsandintercedewhennecessary.

6 Interaction

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Understand the differences between online and in-person •student engagement, including the increased availability of dis-tracters, the openness afforded by anonymity, and the safety oflurking.Engage students by raising their curiosity and encouraging full •participation.Beinclusiveandencouragediverseviews.ForWeb-basedself-study,includefrequentactivitiesthattest•understanding.Involveyourstudentstokeepthemfrommulti-tasking.•Use games, competition, and multimedia (voice, video, and •data)tokeepyourstudents’attention.Interact with students regularly and by name to promote en-•gagementandattention.Encouragelearnerstolearnfromeachother.•Develop collaborative groups that take responsibility for deliv-•eringsomeofyourcontent.Emphasizetheirresponsibilitytothelearningcommunity.Ask students to assess their learning styles and try to create •balancedgroupsbeforeassigningprojects.Keepyourstudentsactivebyassigningthemonlinetasks.•Use breakout rooms with facilitators to encourage students to •worktogether.Arrangestudentrole-plays.Usepeer-reviewforprojects.Moti-•vatestudentstodisplaytheirworkpublicly.

7 Engagement

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Usebothsynchronousandasynchronousinteraction.•Provideonlineofficehoursandphoneappointments;make•sureyourespondpromptlytoinquiries.Be aware of differences in time zones and accommodate all •yourstudents’needs.Getyourstudentstalkingtoyou,andtoeachother.•Beaccessible,flexible,adaptable,andasavailabletoyour•studentsasispractical.Becourteous,nomatterwhat.•Be sure to involve each student individually in some way dur-•ingthecourse;evaluatetheamountoffacilitationyourstu-dentswillneed.Whenpossible,useothervoicestoteachandlead.Make•everystudentcontributetothelearningexperience.Emailstudentsoftenandattachinterestingarticles;distribute•materialsviadiscussionforums.Reviewyouremailsanddiscussionpostingseveryday.•Bevisibleinyouronlineclassroom.Makefrequentappear-•ancesindiscussionsandworkgroups.Letstudentsknowifyouwillbeawayforanylengthoftime.•Develop as many communication channels as possible, and •putimportantmessagesoutoverallofthem.Respondtoinquiriesassoonaspossible—within12hoursif•possible.Answerallquestions.Alwayspreparecontent-specificchatsaheadoftime.Ifpos-•sible,distributequestionsortopicsbeforehandsoyourchatsareproductive.Alwaysprovideaplaceforsharingresources.•

8 Communication

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Providetimelyandmeaningfulfeedbacktolearners.•Askyourstudentsquestionsthatindicatewhetherornotthey•understand.Don’tsuggestanswerstoquestions.Letpeopleusetheirown•words.Don’tfinishideasforstudents.Letthemstruggletofindtheir•ownwordsandsolutions.Don’tacceptthefirstanswer.Letthegroupexhaustallpos-•sibilities.Don’tjudge,compare,orcontrastonestudentwithanother.•Nevergiveinsincerepraiseorunwarrantedcriticism.•Don’tassumewhatisbestforagroup.Helpthemtodecide•forthemselves.Askfrequentquestionstodeterminewhetherlearningisreally•takingplace.Providestudentswithmultiplemethodsforaskingquestions--•voice,chat,email,discussion,etc.Starteachsessionwithacallforquestions.•Askquestionsthatencouragesynthesisandevaluation“Lis-•ten”toyourstudents’answers—spokenandwritten.Askstudentstoidentifythemselveswhentheyspeak.Repeat•questionsbeforeanswering.Letyourstudentsknowspecifictimeswhenyouwillanswer•questions.Respondtopostsandassignmentsasquicklyaspossible;•giveconstructiveandsubstantivecomments.Askyourstudentsoftenwhatisworkingandwhatisnot.Don’t•waituntiltheendofthecourse.

9 Feedback

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Remove any answers or notes you don’t want students to see •fromyourhandouts.Provide multiple opportunities and modalities for students to •demonstrateskilland/orknowledgemastery.Adaptclassroomreviewexercisesforonlinedelivery.•Consider adding at least one peer-evaluated assignment or •activitytoyourmixofassessmentactivities.Sendannouncementsaboutimportantactivitiesordeadlines.•Includeofflineassessmentactivitiesinyourplan.•About half-way through the course, get a rough feeling for •learningoutcomestospotpotentialproblems.Considerad-dressingat-riskstudentsdifferently.Createquickreferenceguidesstudentscanusetopreparefor•majorassessments.Trackeachstudent’sprogressonaregularbasis.•Ifyouareusingonlinequizzesortests,createa“sample”test•for students to make sure they are familiar with the testing environment.Never schedule a test or assignment during a support “black •hole”--timeswhenstudentscannotaccesssupport.Followupeachlessonwithaknowledgeassessment.Ifyour•online system has a survey tool, use it to create pre- and post-tests.Evaluateearlyandoften.•Use surveys to get student feedback throughout the course, •andthenfollowuponit.Incorporate students’ suggestions or feedback in your plan-•ning,andacknowledgetothemthatyouhavedoneso.

10 Assessment & Evaluation

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Top10Tips for

Online Course Design

Keepitsimple.1. Planahead.2. Knowyouraudience.3. Personalizeyourmaterialsasmuchaspossible.4. Bepreciseandexplicitinyourexpectations.5. Buildsimpleandlogicalnavigation.6. Provideeasyaccesstosupportandresources.7. Blockyourcontentintosmall,accessiblepieces.8. Avoidthe“wow”factor;useonlyappropriatemedia.9. Staypresenttoyourstudents.10.

Top 10 Things Students Want in

Online Courses

Specificdeadlinesandcomprehensiveinstructions1. Calendars and checklists for time management 2. Whole course available at once so they can plan ahead 3. Detailed syllabus with information about the course4. Assignments that are related to testing5. Study guides and practice tests6. Strong sense of presence from the instructor 7. Discussion forum where they can talk to each other8. Clear paths to technical support and academic resources9. Study groups where students can help each other10.

Terri Winters, Dir. Academic Technologyterri.winters@unh.edu(603) 862-4639

Laurie Trufant, Mgr. Instructional Development CenterL.Trufant@unh.edu(603) 862-4394

Marquis Walsh, Instructional Designermarquis.walsh@unh.edu(603) 862-2431

Mike McIntire, Instructional Designermichael.mcintire@unh.edu(603) 862-0643

Ben Ranfeld, Intructional Designerben.ranfeld@unh.edu(603) 862-4158

April Rau, Training Specialistapril.rau@unh.edu(603) 862-3111

Instructional Development Center CIS Academic Technology • University of New Hampshire

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