- Overcome the “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” Temptation – We all know that online classes do not teach themselves, yet the lack of the students’ physical presence and demand for attention can desensitize instructors. Even though you have no classroom, you can be ‘present’ at the course site, interacting and engaging students through liberal and regular communication. You are not just a ‘guide on the side.’ You are essential to your students’ success.
- Online Courses Require a Unique Syllabus – While some course components are unchanged, others require specialized description. Some helpful suggestions are listed below.
- Remind students that all communication for their online course exists within a definite structure and code of etiquette, unlike that in chat, text, or Facebook messages.
- Address the issue of plagiarism, independent of the university’s academic policy, to help your students avoid temptation and possible inadvertent plagiarism. Give them links to self-detection and checking programs such as Turnitin or Essayrater.
- Explain assignment specifics such as discussion post length, complexity, and participation requirements.
- Explain your online class attendance policy and how it will be monitored, perhaps by tracking how often they access their course online.
- Define response-time expectations in respect to students’ urgent messages, emails, discussion posts, and weekend/holiday issues.
- Troubleshooting in an online course is different. Whom should your students contact about technical issues? How do they access the university Help Desk? What should they do if the course site is down and an assignment is due? These issues can be addressed in a Contacts section or perhaps within Policies and Procedures. Some instructors use a Discussion Board forum where students can assist one another with troubleshooting questions and solutions. By posting these types of information on the syllabus you may save yourself quite a few frantic office visits, emails, and phone calls.
- Digital Content is King – If content is not available in a digital format, it basically does not exist in the mind and typical use pattern of today’s traditional student. In other words, since they have become accustomed to learning on the go, they gravitate toward electronic content and applications accessed through not only computers, but smartphones, iPads, iPods, mp3 players, and digital readers. For courses without digital textbooks, the digital content may only consist of supplementary material and study guides. Consider linking your material to current events to enhance relevancy and motivation, while offering guidance regarding credible internet sources.
- Ask Students for Informal Course Feedback and Suggestions – Don’t wait for an after the fact, ‘post-mortem,’ course evaluation. By that time, some of the students having trouble will have already dropped your course, so the chance to keep them enrolled and/or obtain their opinion has passed. Early feedback discussions and surveys can reinforce the things that are working well, while offering the opportunity to correct and revise areas in need of attention.
- Welcome Course Development and Improvement – Just as students are expected to absorb new material and concepts, educators are charged with the duty to welcome evolution and innovation that can benefit the learning environment. In 1977, U.S President Jimmy Carter reminded us that “We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles,” in a quote from his teacher, Julia Coleman. Consider asking a peer to review your online course and give feedback. For a professional review, you could even enter you course in a virtual education contest that judges online courses and rewards exceptional designers.
- Encourage Collaboration among Students – Teamwork encourages success by building a supportive online community and building morale. Blackboard offers several tools within your course:
- Chat allows classmates to interact with each other using text-based messaging.
- Discussion Board encourages outcome-based learning and can be applied in a number of ways to enhance learning and measure student performance. Consider developing threads that invite additional questions, opinions, and investigation, such as a “Cyber Café” where students can network and assist one another with assignments and the unique environment of online learning.
- Virtual Classroom is a forum where users can ask questions, draw on a whiteboard, and/or participate in breakout sessions, based on the tools you have enabled.
- Wimba Pronto/Blackboard IM group chat automatically connects users enrolled in the same course, as well as the rest of the SAU student body and faculty by invitation. Instant messaging allows everyone to collaborate and communicate quickly and easily, in an independent window that does not require Blackboard log in. Conversations can be saved for later review within Message Logs.
- Groups allow students the opportunity to brainstorm, explore course content with additional support, and mentor one another. Teamwork can provide a way for students to complete more complex assignments and projects than they might be able to manage individually.
- Quality Counts – Logging in as a student can be a very eye-opening experience. Make a checklist to test the readability, flow, and functionality of each item you have posted within Blackboard, including links to external websites and attachments, such as documents, images, and recordings. The process often serves as a great time-saver, heading off unnecessary confusion, questions, and complaints.
- Set Patterns for Course Tasks – Give structure to the wide-open flexibility of the online environment by establishing a course pace and pattern of work. This alleviates confusion about how the course operates and what to expect, while helping keep everyone on task. For example, consider dividing your Course Menu/material into units/modules, each with its own list of tasks such as: assignment(s), discussion board, quiz, study guide, and/or exam.
- Proactive Course Management for Lower Attrition Rates – Monitor assignment progress and offer advice through the review of draft submissions made to yourself, student workers, SI leaders, the Tutoring Center, or even the Peer Review feature within Discussion Board. Set up an ongoing system of communication to remind students of upcoming and/or missed deadlines, along with a reminder of applicable penalties. One option is the Blackboard Course Calendar, which posts to their My SAU campus calendar, as well as their course-specific calendar.
- Allow Customized and Personalized Learning, along with Core Concepts – As you guide students through the core concepts, or performance goals, tasks typically become more in-depth. Students’ strengths and weaknesses come to light. Additionally, working professionals and graduate students may need particular focus within their course. Consider offering assignment options and choices, particularly for special projects.
- Ask Yourself, “What is Going on Inside the Student’s Head?” – How much of your content is being digested as just vocabulary words? Are your concepts connecting and developing? Will he/she be able to use your material in a relevant way? Answering these and similar questions can help promote the evolution of your course.
- Help Maintain Positive Forward Progress – Return assignment and test grades promptly. Students appreciate the timely response and can use your feedback for subsequent tasks. Set clear expectations, such as the amount of time to be spent working on coursework each week, or in preparation of a major project.
- Virtual Office Hours – Connect with your online students, communicating in real-time and preventing excessive email inquiries. Use your syllabus and/or a Blackboard Announcement to publish times that work within your schedule.
- Blackboard Chat provides a live discussion arena via text chat, which can be utilized through Tools, then Collaboration. Options include a group forum, as well as a private message forum.
- Wimba Pronto/Blackboard IM also offers group and individual text chat with students in your course, as well as the option to invite other SAU students and faculty members campus-wide.
- Text Messaging could be an option for instructors who are constantly on the go and/or do not wish to be confined to computer-based communication.
- Use Synchronous and Asynchronous Activities – Learning can be more effective when it alternates between real-time interactive activities and discussions, as well as tasks that require more time for contemplation, planning, and execution. Online learning is often delivered as an entirely ‘anytime/anywhere’ curriculum. To facilitate and build student engagement, try incorporating their need for real-time interaction through tools that allow ‘anywhere’ collaboration.
- Make Thinking Visible as well as Physical – Encourage concept clarity by designing tasks requiring them to create, talk, write, explain, analyze, judge, report, and inquire. Through the differing activities, they should be able to resolve many of their own questions, while developing respect for the subject matter and its relevance.
- End on a High Note with a Good Wrap Activity and Closing – Yes, the end of the semester is frenzied and stressful. Help your students finish well by providing a clear end-of-semester assignment schedule and/or “To Do” list, even if it is just a refined excerpt from the syllabus. Post additional reminders and updates as needed. Offer an opportunity for course reflection and discussion of the material each student considered ‘most interesting.’ Don’t just grade final projects and papers, make note of how each student’s focus was affected by the course material. Seize the opportunity to recap course fundamentals and core concepts before the final exam.
References:
- “The Online Learning Idea Book” by Patti Shank
- “The Online Teaching Survival Guide” by Judith Boettcher and Rita-Marie Conrad
- http://www.facultyfocus.com/free-reports/principles-of-effective-online-teaching-best-practices-in-distance-education
- http://www.designingforlearning.info/services/writing/ecoach/index.htm