We’ve committed to teaching online, either totally or simply using Web materials to enhance a traditional classroom setting. Yet with all the features and potential efficiency of teaching software, we still know that too many students simply aren’t “getting” what we have to teach, let alone enjoying it. Why? We bought the best software available; we learned every bell and whistle it had to offer, and we’re confident of our own credentials.

So what’s missing? Maybe it’s as simple as a little up-front housekeeping. Before day one, we can take a few simple but effective steps that will help students launch through that first day, and then use their energy on the course rather than on frustration.

Here are some easy-to-implement best practices for kicking off your online courses:

• Don’t assume students understand the workings of an online course. Offer them tips for online learners that include knowledge of traditional versus online learning, Web etiquette, helpful links, and where to go for help. Also include suggested study tips for online learners. Remind students that even though they are at home when they log on to complete their class work, they still need to find an environment free from distractions where they can turn off the cell phone and the iPod, have someone else watch the kids, and really focus on their class work.
• Don’t assume students have the minimum equipment and/or skill requirements needed to be successful in an online course. Be sure to make the minimum equipment requirements readily available to students prior to the official start date. In addition to whatever postings your institution might offer, a personal email to all students enrolled is a great idea. If your institution doesn’t test students for minimum computer skills, be sure those enrolled understand the basic computer skills needed. All too many students who sign up for Web courses can’t save a file to CD or change a font to boldface.
• Don’t assume students know how to behave in a Web course. Require them to sign a behavior and ethics contract. Said contract should outline the acceptable code of conduct for the course. With the immediacy of email, students often fire off messages without thinking about the ramifications of tone or word choice. Students routinely use email and texting for their daily communication with each other and they may not realize that what works with peers may not be appropriate in an academic setting. Explain such concepts as flaming, using all caps, and interpersonal communication (inappropriate tone) via the Web.
• Don’t assume students know the more important rules and regulations in the syllabus. How many times do students receive a detailed syllabus only to come back and ask an obvious question? Again, give them a short syllabus quiz and require that they score 100 percent before they continue in the course. Four or five questions are plenty.

We’re by no means claiming that this list is exhaustive, or that it will guarantee success. What we can claim is that best practices will net fewer and less troublesome episodes; maybe you’ll avoid that mid-semester insomnia generator that brings you out of a sound sleep with these words: Why didn’t I take care of that when I had the chance?

Lori Norin is an assistant professor of speech communication at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, and Tim Wall is an English instructor at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.

Excerpted from Up-Front Housekeeping for Web Courses: Facilitating Consistent Performance with First-of-Semester Strategies, Online Classroom, Oct. 2008.

1. Save trees and time. Professors commonly pass out course outlines and discuss class policies, and then ask students to sign a contract or agreement that they will honor those policies. Here’s an opportunity to save paper and to simplify record keeping. Instead of handing out a syllabus, tell your class where to find it online and ask them to submit an acceptance form electronically.

2. Don’t show everything. A website can be confusing if it presents too much information. We’ve found that if we put too many items on a screen, students tend to surf through them instead of working on the lesson at hand. By hiding inactive lessons, we can make sure that students can’t “smorgasbord” through the course.

3. Keep students on track. There are a variety of content organizational methods that can be used; however, the week-by-week method allows you to use your calendar and your learning modules together. You can limit each learning module to a single week’s work and install links in your calendar.

5. Reinforce lessons with online discussion tools. Although you’ve already engaged the class in a discussion, you can reinforce that discussion on the bulletin board. After the class discussion, you can require students to post their thoughts. Then you can jump into the forum and ask the students to respond to other postings. This practice engages students who aren’t very active in class but who may have valuable input. As a bonus, sometimes these quiet students start participating more in class discussions.

6. Make use of text blocks. WebCT features the ability to publish headers and footers. You certainly can use this feature to design a page with standard banners like the name of the course. In addition, you can use the text block feature to publish urgent messages.

7. Provide tips for new online learners. Adding a direct link on the home page that provides “tips for new online learners” can eliminate initial confusion and provide students with a clear understanding of what the online learning environment is all about. These links might include tips on Web etiquette, where to go for help, thinking ideas through before responding, creating a private and positive working environment to study, and other helpful information.

Lori Norin is an assistant professor of speech communication at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. Tim Wall is an instructor in the English/Rhetoric department.

Excerpted from Trial by Fire: Online Teaching Tips That Work, October 2007, Online Classroom.

Initially, when our speech department was asked by our dean to put our basic course online, we resisted. In fact, our course was the last required general education course to go online. When we finally agreed to a Web-enhanced course, it was a disaster. It felt like our content took a backseat to the technology platform. Student feedback was mostly negative. Faculty members were frustrated. And one point the department recommended dropping the online course entirely.

Making the Switch to Hybrid Courses
As a last resort, we attempted to restructure the course by creating a hybrid offering that was half online and half on campus. The results were amazing. Student feedback was much more positive, and retention and assessment scores both shot up. Student retention improved 8 percent the first semester we switched to the hybrid course, while post-test scores jumped an average 20.5 percent. There was also a clear decrease in student and professor frustration.

Having found a delivery method that seemed to work well, we began to look seriously at strategies, tips, and techniques for using WebCT that would simplify and enhance the teaching experience. We frequently discovered we were “overworking” the course management system. There were so many tools at our disposal that we were tempted to use them all. Frankly, that just confused everyone—professors and students.

We decided to look for ways to make the presentation less busy, falling back on a lesson that all teachers learned a long time ago: sometimes less is more. At the same time, however, we didn’t want to simplify so much that we excluded useful techniques. Eventually, by trial and error, we found the right balance.

In the process we also learned how to use feedback mechanisms to enhance teaching. For instance, we discovered that a threaded electronic discussion on a subject like plagiarism puts students on record as knowing what it is. After that, the standard excuses for plagiarism pretty much went away. Similarly, a quick personal email is a handy way to find out what gaps there might be in student learning.

These are only a couple of effective ways in which judicious use of software enhances teaching without getting in the way. The trick, we found, was to use the software without becoming slaves to it.

Lori Norin is an assistant professor of speech communication at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. Tim Wall is an instructor in the English/Rhetoric department.

Excerpted from Trial by Fire: Online Teaching Tips That Work, October 2007, Online Classroom.