147PRACTICALTIPSFORTEACHINGONLINEGROUPSEssentialsofWebBasedEducationby:DonaldE.Hanna,MichelleGlowackiDudka&SimoneConceigaoRunlee(ForcompletetextyoumaycheckthisbookoutfromtheCTELibrary)CHAPTER1BEFOREYOUBEGIN

1. KnowyourselfAsateacher,youmustknowyourself,yourassumptions,yourlearningandteachingpreferences,andyourstrengthsandweaknesses.2.DetermineyourphilosophyofteachingandlearningTeachercentered,learnercentered,learningcommunitycenteredortechnologydriven.3. BeateamplayerAsaninstructor,youmaywanttoworkwithcolleaguestoformaninstructionaldesignteamforyourcourse.Teammembersmayinclude:*InstructorHeorisresponsibleforplanning,implementing,andevaluatinginstructionalactivitiesthatareusedtoteachthecourseandinfluencethelearningthatoccurswithinin.*CoordinatorThecoordinatormaybeinvolvedtoorganizetheprogramandserveasaliaisonbetweentheinstructorandtheothermembersoftheteam.*LearnerliaisonThispositioninvolveshelpinglearnersnavigatetheorganization;solveproblemsrelatedtoorganizationalstructureandpolicies,anddealwithotherlogisticsthatmightimpedethelearningprocess.*InstructionaldesignerTheinstructionaldesignerisinvolvedtoguidetheinstructorinoverallcoursedesignandtheuseofappropriatetechnologies.*GraphicdesignerAgraphicdesignermaybeinvolvedincreatingthegraphicsoreffects.*TechnologypersonnelThisindividualisresponsibleforequipmentsetup,networkconnections,testing,andtroubleshooting.*ResourcepersonnelResourcepersonnelareresponsiblefordevelopingorfindingreadingsandothercoursematerial,which

mayincludelibrarians,researchassistantsorspecialistsinthefield.*AdministrativepersonnelTheyareresponsibleforensuringanadequatebudgetforthecourse,implementingtargetedmarketingeffortsandoverseeingtheregistrationprocessofthecourse.

4. Learnnewskillsforteachingonline*Communicatewithteammembers*Preparingandfollowingtimelines*Workingwithdesignpersonneltodevelopcourseformatandstrategies*Schedulingguestexperts*Obtainingcopyrightapprovals*Developingcontingencyplans*Takingcareofprogramlogistics*Preparingcourseresourcesaheadoftime*Providingfeedbacktolearners5. UnderstandyouraudienceInmarketingaprogramorcourse,itsimportanttounderstandtheneeds,backgrounds,characteristics,andexpectationsofthetargetlearners.6. UnderstandtheonlineenvironmentMultiplecomponentstechnologyandresourcesbecomeessentialwhenyouredesigninganonlineteachingenvironment.7.Learnaboutthetechnology Becomefamiliarwithyourhardwareandsoftwareandtheirunderlyingfeaturesandsubtleties.8. LearnaboutyourresourcesBecomefamiliarwiththelearningandtechnologyresourcesavailablewithinyourorganization.9. RecognizetheabsenceofphysicalpresenceInacompletelyonlineenvironment,thisimmediate,informalvisualandverbalfeedbackisnotavailabletousinawaywereaccustomedtobothsendingandreceiving.Tosomeextent,youcancompensateforthiscommunicatedbodylanguageandotherphysicalcues.Asmorepeoplejoinavirtualenvironment,anewlanguageofcuesisbeingdeveloped,with:)andothersymbolsbeingusedtoexpressemotivecontent.10. Createmultiplespacesforwork,interaction,andsocializingLearningoccursinmorethanonesettinginfacetofaceclassrooms,(forexample:aspartofbeforeclassrelaxationandsocialization.)Youcan

incorporatesimilarforumsintoyouronlinecourse.Forexample,youmightorganizesmallgroupsintoonespacetorespondtocontentquestionsortoworkongroupprojects.Orencourageindividuallearnerstoposttheirpapersandassignmentstotheirowncontentorientedwebpages.11. IncludemultipletypesofinteractionsOnecommonformofinteractionisforateacherorwebpagedesignertoputcontentontoawebpageandforthelearnerstoreadit,reviewit,orbequizzedaboutitlateronwithnoactualcommunicationtakingplacebetweentheteacherandlearner.12. ConsiderwhichinteractionstoincludeWhendesigninganonlinecourse,thinkintermsofthetypesofinteractionyouwanttoinclude.13. ConsiderlearnertoteacherinteractionThismayincludeonlinejournals,paperassignments,orquizzesinwhichlearnersinteractdirectlywithyouandreceivefeedback.14. ConsiderlearnertolearnerinteractionThisinvolveslearnersparticipatinginactivitieswitheachother,onlinediscussionsfocusingonproblembasedscenarios,problemsolving,orcasestudies.15. ConsiderlearnertoexpertinteractionToenhancethecourse,learnersmayinviteacommunitymemberorguestexperttoparticipateinorcontributetothecourse.Activitiesmightincludeinterviewingtheguest,holdinganonlinediscussionwiththeexpert,orexploringissueswithpractitioners.16. ConsiderlearnertocontentInlearnertocontentinteraction,youtheteacherplayanindirectrolebypostingcontentordirectingthelearnerstoworkontheirown.17. ConsiderlearnertotechnologyinteractionSomeactivitiesmayinvolvelearnersincompletingtasksusingasoftwareprogram.18. EstablishthepreferredclasssizeDecidethesizeofyourclassbeforeyoudesignthecourse.Itisimportanttorecognizethatescalatingsizeincreasesthelogisticalsupportyoullneedandreducesthedirectinteractionyoullhavewithyourlearners.19. Considerteambasedlearning

Teambasedlearningisanexcellentstrategytousebecauseonlinelearningpresentsrichopportunitiesforcreatingteamsforproblemsolving,projectdevelopment,anddiscussion.20. FormpersonalrelationshipsonlineThefirstclassmeetingandtheintroductionsamongparticipantssetthetoneforwhatistocome?21. DeveloplearningcommunitiesAlearningcommunityisagroupofpeoplewhohavecometogethertoformacultureoflearninginwhicheveryoneisinvolvedinacollectiveeffortofunderstanding.22. LearnthroughdialogueHopefully,yourparticipantswilllearnthroughdialogue,respondtoideas,andcontinuediscussionsbyofferingtheirconcise,thoughtfulcomments.23. BepreparedandflexibleTheonlineenvironmentrequiresadifferentamountandstyleofpreparationforyouasateacher.Inanonlineenvironment,however,youmustdefinethespacefordiscussionbeforetheclassbeginsbyoutliningwhatkindsofinteractionswillbeusedandthroughwhatformat.24. DefineyourroleintheonlineclassroomWhenteachingonline,youmayhavemorethanonerole,dependingontheinstructionalstrategyyoureusing.Considerthefollowingpoints:*Setattainablegoalsforyourlearners,andusethebenchmarkstoacknowledgetheirgrowth.*Stateyourexpectationsandminimumparticipationrequirementsupfront.*Negotiatenormswiththelearners.*Beaccessiblebutnotdominatingonline.*Considercarefullyyourmodelingandmentoringprocessesandideologies.*Beacoachandcheerleader.*Learnwithandfromtheclassmembers.25. ClarifyyourexpectationsoflearnersrolesInaninteractivecourse,thelearnersrolebecomesmorecomplexandmoreactive.26. Expectlearnerstobepresentonlineandtoavoidpassively

observingEachlearnercancontributehisorherideasatacomfortablepace.Somelearnersaremorecomfortablecommunicatingverbally.

27. Expectlearnerstocreate,share,andholdknowledgeandexperiencesForexample,learnerswhoaremorefamiliarwiththetechnologycanhelpthefirsttimerswiththeirquestionsorproblems.

28. Expectlearnerstobeselfmotivatedandselfdirected*Giveyourlearnersabriefquiztoassesstheirreadinessforonlinelearning.*Discussyourrequirementsatthebeginningofclass.*Askthestudentstocreateandsharewithyoucalendarsorlearningcontractsshowingwhentheywillschedulecourseactivities.29. ExpectlearnerstomanagetheirtimeeffectivelyOnlinecoursesmovequicklyandrequireselfdiscipline.Theonlinediscussionisalwaysthere,justaclickaway,butresponsetimeisrandom.30. ExpectlearnerstobereadytolearnLearninglooksdifferentinaninteractiveonlineclass;participantsmayneedtobemoreselfdirectedandattentive.31. ExpectlearnerstotroubleshootproblemsProblemsoftenoccurunexpectedlyinanonlineclass.Learnersneedtobeabletogethelpeasily,buttheyalsoneedtobeabletoapproachaproblemwithmultiplepointsofadviceandsolution.32. ExpectlearnerstocontributetotheclassdiscussionToensurecontributionfromyourstudents,youmaywanttorequireaminimumnumberofpostingfromeachlearnereachweek.33. ExpectlearnerstoteachothersandfacilitatetheexperienceLearnersinonlinecourseshaveenormousopportunitiestobetheteacherwhetherintroubleshootingthesoftwareandthetechnologyorinformingandcommunicatingtheirideasaboutthecontentoftheclass.34. ExpectlearnerstoactascollegialmembersoftheclassThewrittenlanguagemaybemisinterpretedandcausealevelofdiscomfortamongthemembersofanonlinecommunity.35.Expectlearnerstoreviewreadingsandmaterialsthoughtfullyand

reflectivelyYoumaypostmaterialdirectlyontheweborinawebconferencingenvironment,sendmaterialtolearnersviaemailattachment,orserver.36. Expectlearnerstoprovidetimely,meaningfulfeedbacktoyouand

theirfellowlearners

Whenlearnershaveastatementtomaketoyouortheirclassmates,theyshouldwriteandsubmititrightaway;otherwise,thenexttimetheyreadtheclasspostingstheirideamaynolongerfitinwiththediscussion.37. ExpectlearnerstobeleadersByactingasleaders,thelearnerscantakeownershipofthecourseandbetterconnectwithwhatsbeingtaught.38. ExpectlearnerstolistentoothersByhavingallinteractiontaketheshapeofwrittenwords,thelearnerscangobackandrereadcommentstoascertaintheintentandtheactualmeaningbehindthewords.39. Expectlearnerstocommunicatebyaddressingeachother,notjust

youTohelpyourlearnersbuildpersonalandcollegialrelationshipswitheachother,encouragethemtosharetheircommentsandideaswitheveryone,notjustyou.40. ExpectlearnerstobeproactiveTechnologydoesntalwayswork,andsometimesalearnermightbehavingtroublewithoutyourealizingit.Attimeslikethese,learnersneedtobeproactiveandinformyou.41. ExpectlearnerstoobservetheprocessLearninghappensonmanylevels.Inaninteractivecourse,learnersshouldavoidfocusingsolelyontheassignmentsandtheproductsofthecourse;theyshouldalsoobservetheprocessoftheonlinediscussion.42. EstablishacontingencyplanWheneveryoureworkingwithtechnology,youcanneverguaranteethatitwilldowhatyouwantittodo.Haveanalternativewayforyourlearnerstoreachyou(suchasadifferentemailaddress,phonenumber)incaseofemergency.And,astheteacher,testthetechnologyoften,backupyourfiles.CHAPTER2MYTHSANDCONSTRAINSOFONLINETEACHINGANDLEARNING43. Myth:LearnersareunabletoadapttotheonlineenvironmentPeoplelearninmultiplewaysandthroughmultiplesenses.Althoughthepreferenceforonelearningstylemaybestronger,mostpeoplecanlearninavarietyofways.44. Myth:Theinstructorhastoknowhowtodoeverything

Teachinginanonlineenvironmentshouldbeateameffort.Youshouldbeabletocallupontechnologyspecialists,instructionaldesigners,andmanyotherstohelpyoudevelopandimplementyourcourse.45. Myth:Timerequirementsforteachersarelowerinanonline

environmentOnline,interactivecoursesareopen24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek;theyaretimeconsumingandchallenging.46. Myth:Onlineclassroomsarentconducivetogroupinteractionand

activitiesConferencingsoftwareoffersmanyopportunitiesforinteractioninmultiplegroupsettingsthatyoudetermineandnegotiatewithyourlearners.47. Myth:OnlineclassroomsarentassocialasfacetofaceclassroomsYou,astheinstructor,areresponsibleforcreatingthetypesofspaceslearnerswantandneed,andforsensingyourlearnersexpectations.Youmustalsogaugehowimportantsocialinteractionistotheparticipants.48. Myth:ThenumberoflearnersinonlineclassroomsisunlimitedDemandforinteractionhasasimilareffectupononlineclassrooms.49. Myth:TechnologywillalwaysworkOfcourse,technology(includingsoftware)doesntalwaysworkandtechnologythatdoesntworkorthatissocomplexthatitlimitsyouandyourlearnersasyouattempttoachievethelearning.50. Myth:Thecoursewillmarketitself;postitonthewebandtheywill

comeUnlessyourcoursehasapredefinedaudiencethatisdelineatedandorganizedwellinadvance,marketingyourcourseonlinecanbeasignificantchallengeforbothyouandyourorganization.51. Myth:Learnerswillalwaysunderstandyourintendedexpectations

forthemfromyourclearlywrittensyllabusLearnersdontalwaysimmediatelyunderstandthedetailsofclassmaterials,theclasssyllabusappearsinatextbasedformatanddiscussionaboutitscontentisdifficult.CONSTRAINTSFORINTERACTIVEONLINETEACHINGANDLEARNING52. Constraint:FearoftechnologySomepeopleembracenewtechnologieseagerly,whileothersareafraidofchangeandthepressurestechnologyhasontheirunderstandingoftheworld.Althoughtechnologyisallaroundus,somepeopleareafraidofit.

53. Constraint:DifferentlevelsoftechnologyskillsThechallengesmayincludeadaptingthepaceofthecoursetoallowtimeforthoselearnerswhoneedtoupgradetheirskills.Theopportunitiesmayincludethepossibilityofteamingtechnicallyproficientlearnswiththosewhoarelessproficientsothattheycanbetechnologybuddies.54. Constraint:LiteracylevelsSomeonlinecoursesaredirectedatimprovingliteracyskills,butmostcoursesrequireparticipantstoexpressthemselvesandunderstandothersthroughthewrittenword.55. Constraint:AbilitytotypeandusethekeyboardAgain,sincemostinteractioninanonlinecourseistyped,learnersshouldbeabletotypeatareasonablelevel.56. Constraint:AccesstoacomputerandanInternetconnectionComputersandsoftwarebeingusedareonlytoolsthatenablelearningandinteractionamongyouandyourlearners.Learnersmusthaveaccesstoworkingtoolsinordertoparticipatefully.57. Constraint:ThecomfortofphysicalworkspaceThephysicalenvironmentwhereeachlearnerworkscandeterminethequalityoftheonlineteachingandlearningexperience.Soencouragestudentstohavecomfortablechairsthatsupporttheirweight,becausetheylloftenberequiredtositforlongperiodsoftime.58. Constraint:HavingadisabilityConsiderinadvancehowyouwilladdressissuesofaccesstoyourclassroomenvironmentandthematerialsyouuse.Manyphysicaldisabilities,suchasthoseinvolvingsight,hearing,andmovement,canbeeffectivelyaddressedinonlineenvironmentsthroughtheapplicationofspecializedtechnologiesdevelopedforthosespecificpurposes.59. Constraint:Notbeingabletocorrespondinthelanguageofthe

courseWiththeworldwidewebnatureoftheInternet,morelearnersarecrossingvirtualbordersandenrollingforcourses.Thus,assessingyourprospectivelearnerslanguageproficienciesisanothergoodreasontocommunicatewithyourlearnersbeforeyourcoursebegins.60. Constraint:ReachingacrossmultipletimezonesBecauseonlineeducationpermitsasynchronouslearning,itcanbeparticularlyeffectiveinconnectinglearnersacrossmultipletimezones.Atthesametimeyoureffortstobuildintoyourcourserealtime,

synchronousinteractionsortoincorporatesystematic,teambasedactivities.CHAPTER3ORGANIZINGTHEONLINECOURSE61. IdentifythecoursedesignInanonlinecourse,theelementoftechnologyalsoentersthemix.Thissectiondiscussestheissuesyouneedtothinkaboutwhenyoureorganizingyourcoursedesign.62. ConsidercoursegoalsandobjectivesTodevelopanonlinecourse(oranyothercourse),youneedtoclarifythesegoalsandobjectivesandwritethemsothatyoucanclearlycommunicatethemtolearnersandothersworkingonthecourse.63. ConsidercontentWhatwillyouinclude?Whatmethodswillyouusetoconveythecontent?Inaninteractiveonlinecourse,somecontentandmethodsworkbetterthanothers.64. ConsiderreadingsSelectreadingsthatprovidedifferentperspectivesonthecoursetopic.UsetheWorldWideWebforsomeofthereadings.65. ConsiderresourcesBecomefamiliarwiththeresourcesavailablewithinyourorganization.Manyorganizationsplacereservematerialsonlineandprovideonlineaccesstolibraryresourcesviatheweb.66. ConsidercopyrightissuesCopyrighttendstobeoneoftheleastfamiliarareasofconcernformostonlineteachers,butdontoverlookit.67. DeterminemethodsofdeliveryOnlineprogramscanbeeitherinteractiveornoninteractive.68. ConsiderinteractiveapplicationsInteractiveapplicationsarecomputerprogramsthatenabletwoormorepeopletointeractwhileonline.Amongtheseapplicationsarechatfunctions,bulletinboards,shareddocuments,andemail.69. ConsidernoninteractiveapplicationsNoninteractiveapplicationsarecomputerprogramsthatdontrequirehumaninteraction.Youcanusetheseprogramsforquizzes,webposting,streaming,contentpagesandmessageboardsputonawebpage.

70. GivelearnersappropriateadvanceinformationWhenpossible,beforeyourcoursebegins,contactyourlearnerstotellthemaboutyourexpectationsforthecourseandtogathersomepreparatoryinformationfromthem.71. Telllearnersaboutthecomputerhardwareandsoftwaretheyll

needInaletterorphonecalltothestartofthecourse,remindthelearnersthattheywillbeparticipatinginanonlinecourse.Makesuretheyhavethesoftwareandhardwaretheyllneedtoaccessandparticipateinthecourse.72. TelllearnersaboutthelevelofcomputingproficiencytheyllneedInterviewtheregisteredlearnersabouttheirfamiliaritywithcomputersandtheirlevelofcomputingproficiency.73. Telllearnersaboutthelevelofcoursecontentandthecoursestime

expectationsInaletterorphonecall,andalsoinyoursyllabus,besuretoincludeinformationonthelevelofcoursecontent,yourexpectationsaboutparticipationsinthecourse,andadescriptionofthecoursesprojectsandactivities.74. DecideandcommunicatewhatsprivateandwhatspublicTeachinginaninteractiveonlineenvironmentdependsonestablishingasafe,trustinglearningcommunitywherelearnerscansharetheirexperiences,opinions,andideasrelatedtothecourse.75. DevelopcoursedetailsThissectionfocusesondetailssuchasthediscussionguidelines,thesyllabus,contentorganization,thecoursetimeline,andcourseassignments.76. EstablishdiscussionguidelinesEstablishingguidelinesforparticipantspostingsisanimportantaspectofonlineteaching(andlearning).Doingsogiveslearnersasenseofknowledgeandastructurefortheironlinediscussions.77. DevelopaflexiblesyllabusImagineitasaflexibleframeworkforthecourse.Useatopicdrivenoutlinethatfeaturesspaceformoreorlessindepthexplorationforthecontent.78. Organizecontentintomodulesorunits

Modulesorunitsprovidestructureandasenseofcontentorganizationforyourlearners.Byofferingstructureandaseriesofshortassignments,youllkeepyourlearnersfocusedonthecourse.79. CreateatimelineDependingonthetypeofcourseyouredesigning,considerprovidingchronological,developmental,orprocessorientedtimelines.80. DevelopassignmentsLearnersareultimatelyresponsibleforcompletingcourseassignments.However,youhaveadutytoprovidedetailedguidelinesforthistask.81. DecideaboutevaluationtechniquestouseEvaluationistheprocessofgatheringinformationabouttheworthorqualityoflearningandinstruction.Why,sothatyoucanmakedecisionstoincreasetheworthorqualityofthelearningorinstruction.82. EvaluateyourlearnersEvaluatebeforeinstruction,duringthecourseandafterthecourse.83. Assesscourseeffectiveness

BeforeInstruction:Howwellistheinstructionlikelytowork?Willtheinstructionholdlearnersinterest?DuringInstruction:Whatobstaclesarelearnersencountering?Whatcanbedonetomaintainlearnermotivation?AfterInstruction:Whatimprovementscouldbemadeintheinstruction?Didlearnersfindtheinstructioninteresting,valuable,andmeaningful?STRATEGIESFOREVALUATINGLEARNING

84. UsequizzesInanonlineenvironment,youcanpostquizzesonawebsite,attachthemtoemail,orpostthemasregularmessages.Whendevelopingonlinequizzes,besuretoconnectquestionstospecificlearningobjectives.85. UseessaysWhenusingessaystomeasureyourlearnerscompetencies,considerincludingspecificdirectionsbyphrasingquestionsorstatementsclearly(suchascompare,contrast,formulate,discuss,define,)thatwayyourlearnerswillunderstandwhatyouexpect.86. UseportfoliosTheportfoliodocumentsthelearnersefforts,development,oraccomplishmentsthroughoutthecourse.

87. UseperformanceevaluationPerformanceevaluationinvolvesassessingaskillthelearnerneedstoaccomplishaspecifictask.Itsatechniquerequiringthatlearnersknownotonlywhattodo,butalsohowtodoit. 88. UseinterviewsInterviewsareconductedononepersonaskingquestionsandtheotherpersonresponding.Youandyourlearnerscanconductinterviewswiththesynchronousfeatureofconferencingsystemsbyusingtextbased,videobasedandaudiobasedenvironments.89.UsejournalsTheyarerecordslearnerskeepastheyworkthroughanexperience.Attheendofeachstage,learnerscouldwriteouttheirthoughtsandexperiencesaboutwhathappenedduringtheprocess.90. UsereflectivepapersHerearesomeelementsyoumightlookforinlearnersreflectivepapers:*Asummaryofthecommonthemescoveredintheonlinejournals.*Ananalysisoftheparticipantslearninginthecourse.*Areflectiononhowtheparticipantsexperiencesasalearneraffecthisorherownpractice.91. UsewebsitedevelopmentEncouragelearnerstodevelopwebsitesto:*Educateatargetaudienceintheirfield*Performatask*Presentfacts*Teachconcepts*Showprocedures*Demonstrateprocesses*Provideprinciples/guidelines92. UselearnerparticipationfiguresYoumayassignaminimumnumberofpostingsweekly,whichwillmakelearnerspresenceknownthroughsubstantivecontributionstothecourse,discussions,andactivities.93. UsepeerassessmentSincemuchofthelearningthatoccursininteractiveonlinecourseisdonecollaboratively,youmightwanttogiveyourlearnersthechancetoassesseachotherscontributionstocoursediscussionsandcommongroupactivities.94. UselearnerselfassessmentItsagreatwaytouncovertheinternaljourneyofeachlearner.

95. ConsiderhowyoullgradeassignmentsGradingisaprocessforassessinglearningthroughtestsandassignments.Gradingmeanstailoringthetestorassignmentstothelearninggoalsforthecourse,determiningcriteriaandstandards,helpinglearnersgaintheskillsandknowledgetheyneed,assessingstudentslearningovertime,etc96. DevelopawaytoevaluategroupprojectsYoucanevaluategroupprojectsbyaskinglearnerstoreflectuponthefollowingelements:

*Learningthatoccurred:Individuallyandteamgenerated,depthoflearningoverall*Presentationstyle/creativity:Organization,aspectsofthepresentationrepeatordodifferently*Content:Scope,depthandrelevancetothecourse

97. Developawaytogradeportfolios*Rationale:Providetherationaleorpurposeoftheportfolio*Goals/Intent:Definethegoalsorintentoftheportfolio,andprovideprocessobjectives*Content/Examples:Useaminimumnumberofexamplesthatillustrategrowth*Standards:Assesscontributionsofvaryingqualityandthelearnersreviewoftheprogressheorshehasmade*SelfReflection:Includeasummaryofpersonalexperiencejournalswrittenthroughoutthecourse*Judgments:Provideareflectivepaper,theproject,andthecoursegrade*Organization:Developcontentanddisplayslogicallyandsystematically98. Developawaytogradereflectivepapers*Content:Fulfilltherequirementsandbecomprehensive*Organization:Developcontentlogicallyandsystematically*Clarity:Writeinaneasytoreadstylethatcommunicatesideasclearly*QualityofWritingSkills:Usegrammar,spelling,andpunctuationcorrectly99. Considerstrategiesforcourseimprovement*Oneminuteassessment*Pretest/posttestapproach*Directobservation*Asklearnersfortheirreflections*Peerreview*Yourownselfreflection

100.UseaoneminuteassessmentTheoneminuteassessmentallowsyoutoaskquestionselectronicallyandcollectanswersanonymously.101.Useapretest/posttestapproachPretestsandposttestsassesslearnersknowledgeandskillsbeforeinstruction,theirgrowingknowledgeandskillsduringinstruction,andwhattheyvelearnedattheendofinstruction.102.UsealearnertryoutThisstrategyreferstoatestrunonaninstructionalactivity,approach,medium,ormaterialwithasmallgroupoflearnersbeforeusingitforaparticularunit/lesson/module.103.UsedirectobservationThisstrategyreferstoobservinglearnersastheygothroughsomepartoftheunit/lesson/module.Bydirectlyobservingthegroupdiscussions,youreabletogaininformationabouttheprocessofyourinstructionandtheoutcomesofthestudentslearning.104.AsklearnersfortheirreflectionsThisstrategyinvolvesparticipatinginsynchronousorasynchronousconversationswithyourlearners,individuallyoringroups.Youmightpostquestionsrequiringlearnerstoexpresstheirfeelingsaboutyourinstruction(material,timelines,readings,etc.)105.ConductpeerreviewsHavingsomeoneelselookatyourinstructionalmaterialshelpsyouidentifyinaccuracies,inconsistencies,andotherpotentialproblems.Youusuallyalsogainnewinsightsonthematerial.106.DoateacherpreviewOccasionally,onlinecoursesareprepackaged.Thismeansthatthecoursematerialandactivitiesareproducedcommercially.Ifthisscenariomatchesyours,youlllikelyneedtopreviewthematerialsbeforeusingthemtodeterminewhetheryoullusethematerials,usethemwithsomemodificationoradaption,ornotusethematall.107.ReflectonyourexperiencesReflectingonyourownexperiencesoverwhathappenedduringalesson/unit/moduleisagoodwaytoidentifythepartsofthelesson/unit/modulethatdidordidnotwork.

CHAPTER4BEGINNINGINSTRUCTIONINTHEONLINECOURSE:

IMPLMENTINGTHECOURSEDESIGN108.CreateaspaceforlearningTheoverallgoalofanyteacheristocreateaspacewherelearnerscansafelyexplorenewterritory.Toachievethisgoal,youmustbuildconfidenceinyourlearnerssothattheyfeelyourerespectingthemandtakingtheirneedsseriously.109.Designstrategiesforassessinglearnerscharacteristicsandbuildinglearnersselfknowledge Youneedtobeawarethatlearningstylesdiffer,andthatmanylearners, arenotawareoftheirpreferredlearningstyle.110.DesignstrategiestointroducelearnerstoeachotherLearnerscanposttheirownbiographiesandexpectationsofthecoursetointroducethemselvesandtogettoknowothers. 111.UseeffectiveteachingstrategiesWhenteachingstrategiesareusedwellandappropriately,theycanhelpyouandyourlearnersbuildcommunity,understandthecontent,developskills,andreflectontheonlineeducationprocess.112.Gainagreementwiththelearnersaboutrules,norms,and proceduresfordiscussionanddosofromthestartIflearnersaretoplayanactiveroleindevelopingthecourseatmosphere,youmustpreliminarilydefinethestructure,rules,norms,andproceduresforcoursediscussionupfrontbutthengiveyourlearnersthechancetosuggestimportantmodifications.113.UseafreeflowingandinteractivecontentandstructureIfyouwanttoengagelearnerswiththecoursecontentandwitheachother,youneedtodevelopafreeflowing,interactiveframeworkaroundwhichyoucanstructuretheclass.114.Developteambuildingactivities Thecriteriaforformingteamsmightfocusupon: *Commoninterests*Commonmajors *Levelsofexperiencewithtechnology*Topicalfocus *Varyingdisciplines 115.SharebiographicalinformationorstoriesBiographyactivitiesmightstartwithyouandyourlearnerssharingpersonalorprofessionalinformationaboutyourselvesthroughthedevelopmentofpersonalstories.

116.SharecourseassignmentsThroughoutyourcourse,learnersmightcreatefourorfivepageissuepapersrelatedtothecoursecontent,andthensharethosepaperswiththerestofthegroupforcritiqueandanalysis.117.CreateasocialspaceAsocialenvironmentwillgiveyourlearnersanotherinformalavenueforestablishingpersonalknowledgeofeachothersinterestsandgoalsfortheclassandbeyond.118.InvolvelearnersinteamprojectsTeamprojectsgivelearnerstheopportunitytopracticeteambuildingskills,gainleadershipandtimemanagementskills,andexperiencereallifesituations.119.DevelopasynchronousgroupdiscussionsYoucanusethistypeofactivitywhenyourcourseisdividedintotopiccenteredmodulesforwhichspecificreadingsareassigned.Youmight,forinstance,expectlearnerstocompletereadingassignmentsandparticipateactivelyinonlinediscussionsattheirownscheduledtimes.120.DevelopchallengingproblemsWhenyouaresearchingforproblemsforyourlearnerstodiscuss,considerusingreallifeexamplesbutsimplifyingthemtothepointwherethefocusisclear.121.PromotecriticalthinkingLearnersneedtobeabletoevaluatethequalityofthematerialtheyrereviewingandtoconnectitwithotherpiecesofsimilardata.Theyalsoneedtounderstandthepurposebehindcommunicatingthisinformation:Isittosellsomething,tochangeanopinion,orjusttoinform?122.EncouragelearnerstoevaluateinformationEncourageyourlearnerstomakejudgmentsaboutsomethingbymeasuringitagainstastandard,determiningcriteriaforjudgingmeritsorideas,prioritizingoptions,recognizingerrorsinreasoning,andverifyingargumentsandhypothesesthroughrealitytesting.123.EncouragelearnerstoevaluateinformationInvolveyourlearnersinrecognizingpatternsoforganization;classifyingobjectsintocategoriesbasedoncommonattributes;identifyingassumptionsthatunderliepositions;identifyingcentralideasintext,data,orcreations;differentiatingmainideasfromsupportinginformation;andfindingsequencesororderinorganizedinformation.124.Encouragelearnerstoconnectinformation

Engageyourlearnersincomparingandcontrastingsimilaritiesanddifferencesamongobjectsorevents.Encouragelearnersindevelopingoranalyzinganargument,aconclusion,oraninference,andinprovidingsupportfortheirassumptions.125.PromoteselfregulatinglearningSelfregulatinglearningreferstolearningnewcognitiveandselfmanagementstrategies.Encouragelearnerstodeveloptheirowncoursegoals,negotiatecriteriaandassignments,andcreateanenvironmentforindependentlearning.126.BuildcollaborativeskillsGroupprojects,teamwork,andcoursediscussionsallhelplearnersworktogetheranddevelopcollaborativeskills.Asyourgroupformsandthelearnersgettoknoweachother,peoplewillusuallytakeondifferentroles.Theseroleswillrotateandtransformaseachlearnergrowsandacquiresdifferentproficiencieswiththetechnologyandthecontent.127.CreatealooseframeworkforexploringtopicsWhendesigningyouronlinecourse,useaflexibleframeworkwithopenendedquestionsandtopicsasafocus,butwithenoughspaceforyourlearnerstodevelopandexploretheissuesindepth.128.CreateopportunitiesforlearnerstoteachandtofacilitatediscussionsAusefulroleforthelearnerstotakeonisthatoffacilitator.Mostpeoplelearnbestbydoingorbyteachingotherswhattheyrelearning.129.AddgamesandfunactivitiesintothelearningmixForsomevarietyinyourcourse,andtohelpyourlearnersdiscoverhowtoresearchtopicsusingtheweb,trydoingInternetscavengerhuntsand thensharingtheresourceslearnersdiscoverthroughanannotated bibliographyorresourcelist.130.UsingexistingsoftwareapplicationscreativelyYoucanusestandardizedsoftwareprogramslikeMicrosoftOfficeSuite,ClarisWorks,andCorelSuitetoenhanceyouronlinecourse.Theseprogramsgiveyouwaystocommunicateideasinamoreorderlyorgraphicalway,manageinformation,andconductresearch.131.UsecasestudiesCasestudiesaresimilartousingreallifeproblems,butyoucannarrowthemdowntoemphasizeaspecificfacetofthecase.132.Usesimulationsasopportunitiesforlearningbydoing

Simulationsfocusonlearningbydoingsotheycanhelpillustrateabstractprocessesorbeusedasteambuildingexercises.Theyalsocreateexcitementandbuildcohesionwithintheonlinecommunity.133.Useexternalcommunities,people,andresourcestobuildcontentknowledge Inviteoutsideguestspeakerstoparticipateinyouronlinediscussions.Or,asklearnerstointerviewpeopleinthecommunitytoaddadifferentflavortothecoursecontent.134.Createopportunitiesforreflectiononthecourse,technology,content, andprocess Tohelplearnersthinkaboutthebigpictureuseonlinejournalsthatrequirethelearnerstoreflectonthecourseprocess.135.HelpyourlearnersmanageinformationThiscallsformanagingaccesstorecourses,academicdiscourse,informationflow,andservicearrangements.136.Encouragesubstantivefeedbackfromlearnersincludingyou Yourresponsestolearnercommentsshouldbethoughtfuland provocative.Theyshouldhelpstimulatecontinueddiscussionofatopic,andhelpthelearnersmakeconnectionswiththeirfellowlearnersandtheotherknowledgetheyvegained.

137.MotivateyourlearnerstoparticipateOncelearnersareengagedinthelearningcommunityandthecourse,theyremuchmorelikelytocompletethecourse.138.GivelearnersrolesduringdiscussionsRollscanrotatethroughoutthecourse,witheachlearnertakingonadifferentroleatdifferenttimes.139.MakelearnersfacilitatorsAsfacilitators,alearnermayberesponsibleforinitiatingadiscussionwithoneortwoquestionsfromthereadings.140.MakelearnersprocessobserversAsprocessobserver,alearnermonitorsthegroupsdynamics.Processobserversareresponsibleformakingsurethateveryoneisparticipatinginthediscussion,thatthereisanevennessofparticipationandthediscussionmaintainsacollegialandhelpfultone.141.Makelearnersinformationnetworkers/summarizers

Thenetwork/summarizersroleistolookforkeythemesthatemergeintheconversation,keepingtrackofareasofconsensusanddisagreementamonggroupmembers.142.ConsideronlineofficehoursDuringofficehoursyoucananswerquestionslearnersmighthaveaboutcourseassignmentsorprojects.143.TakeadvantageofopportunitiesforcontinuouslearningNewsearchesyieldinformation,andthemultipleperspectivesandapproacheslearnerstakeintheirproblemsolvingactivitiesandresearchopenupnewavenuesforfuturecourses.144.ReadallyoucanaboutonlinelearningWhetheryousubscribetosomeonlinelearningorientedInternetdiscussiongroups,faithfullyreadtheInformationTechnologysectionsonTheChronicleofHigherEducation,ortrackdownsomeofthemanynewbooksondistanceeducation,besuretokeepupwiththisdevelopingparadigm!145.Understandthatyourenottheonlyonewhofeelsalittle overwhelmedonceinawhileChangehappensquicklyinonlineteachingandlearningthatitsimpossibletokeepupwithitall.146.Knowthatsometime,someday,youllstrugglewiththetechnologyTechnologyiswonderful,butitcanalsobetemperamental.Sobepreparedtobedisappointedorangeredbyitsomeday.147.EnjoyYourselfOnlineteachingmayscareyou,atleastatfirst.Butitcanalsobeveryrewarding,especiallyasyouperfectwaystoinvolveyourlearnersintheirownlearning.Sobepatientwithyourself,withyourlearners,andwiththetechnologyandhavefun!