Teaching Online. Key Considerations and Best Practices. Presented by David C. Kaszuba, Ph.D. Susquehanna University March 20, 2014 at Hartwick College

Transcription

1 Teaching Online Key Considerations and Best Practices Presented by David C. Kaszuba, Ph.D. Susquehanna University March 20, 2014 at Hartwick College

2 Terminology MOOCs Online classes/distance learning classes Hybrid classes/blended classes Flipped classrooms

3 A Four-Point Plan For Online Teaching Deciding on Books and a Course Management System Early Outreach to Students Building Your Course Teaching the Course: Best Practices

4 Phase One Deciding on Books and a CMS Everything Flows From This

5 Phase Two Early Outreach to Students Conveying expectations, identifying special cases, and avoiding headaches later

6 Phase Three Building Your Course Incorporating Special Syllabus Content Synchronous or Asynchronous Learning? Content Dump or Gradual Rollout? Physical Appearance of Your Course Site Use of Video

7 Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Synchronously Everyone, students and teacher, expected to be online at the same time Advantage: more like a real classroom Advantage: instant feedback Disadvantage: logistical nightmare Disadvantage: students competing for screen time Disadvantage: does not allow for flexibility

8 Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Asynchronously Students and instructor log in independently, at times most convenient Advantage: flexibility (work, vacation, etc.) Advantage: more time for reflection, so better insights? Advantage: easier to coordinate/manage Disadvantage: students (and instructor?) procrastinate Disadvantage: less like a class we re used to

9 Content Dump vs. Gradual Rollout Content Dump Providing virtually everything (readings, assignment instructions, deadlines) at the start of the semester, with little facilitation or intervention Roll-Out Providing content gradually, with feedback and facilitation along the way

10 Phase Three Building Your Course Incorporating Special Syllabus Content Synchronous or Asynchronous? Content Dump or Gradual Rollout? Physical Appearance of Your Course Site Use of Video

11 Phase Four Teaching the Course Special Awareness of Tone Attention to Consistency and Readability Regular, Frequent Feedback Including specific guidelines for discussion posts A Variety of Assignments

12 Tone Because students can t see your non-verbal expressions, your messages are more open to misinterpretation. To counter this: Be wary of humor and sarcasm Use emoticons Avoid ALL CAPS (seen as yelling); instead, emphasize with italics or with *asterisks* Avoid underlining, except for hyperlinks

13 Consistency Create documents and approaches that students can get used to quickly Example: if weekly rollout, then maybe start each week with a checklist/overview that outlines readings, assignments, and deadlines Stick to one or two fonts Break up lengthy text with bullets Choose the right size font (too large makes students scroll too much; too small is hard on the eyes)

14 Feedback Let students know in syllabus or some other early document how often they can expect feedback If using discussion boards, don t try to respond to every post; it s not realistic Don t criticize students individually if you are providing feedback in a shared space; rather, use direct

15 Possible Assignments First assignment? Introductions/ice breakers Quiz on syllabus Use of a technology tool Sample posts what s good, what s bad, and why? Brainstorming/creating lists Case studies Problem-solving with role playing Online scavenger hunts to create bibliographies

16 More Possible Assignments Evaluating websites whose content is relevant to the course Creating outlines, flow charts, or conceptual maps If using discussion boards, have students summarize their peers posts, or designate a student as moderator-for-a-day Of course, quizzes and tests can be in the mix

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