Posts Tagged ‘online courses’
September 13 - Public and College Leaders Differ Over the Value of Online Courses
By: Mary Bart in Online Education, Trends in Higher Education
The growth of online enrollment during the past 10 years has far outpaced that of higher education enrollment overall, and college presidents expect that trend to continue. Results from a pair of surveys conducted by Pew Research Center earlier this year show the evolution occurring in higher education today, as well as some disparity between
August 31 - Designing Online Courses: Models for Improvement
By: Mary Bart in Free Reports, Online Education
Getting Started with Online Course Design and Development Designing Online Courses: Models for Improvement Designing an online course shares many of the same elements and processes that go into designing a traditional face-to-face course, however the online environment brings a unique set of challenges that require special attention and a different approach. Faculty charged with
August 17 - Humor in Online Classrooms: New Ways to Learn and Laugh
By: Michael T. Eskey, PhD in Online Education
Humor, whether in the form of jokes, riddles, puns, funny stories, humorous comments or other humorous items, builds a bond between the instructor and students; bridging the student-teacher gap by allowing students to view the instructor as more approachable. A number of researchers have found that humor is instrumental in creating an inviting classroom environment, reducing stress, improving attention, enhancing learning, creating a positive emotional and social environment, reducing anxiety, enhancing self-esteem, and increasing self-motivation.
June 29 - Lessons Learned: Advice to Online Instructors
By: Rob Kelly in Online Education
If you have taken online courses, you have likely gained some valuable insights into what to do and what not to do as an online instructor. If you have never been an online learner, here are some lessons learned from Anna Brown, a learning technology specialist enrolled in a hybrid doctoral program in learning technologies.
April 30 - Building a Connection with Online Students Right from the Start
By: Patti Shank, PhD, CPT in Asynchronous Learning and Trends
When teaching and designing courses, I find that it’s easy to slip into autopilot and use the same tools and strategies over and over. Autopilot can be comfortable and easy, but I know I don’t do my best work in that state. So I try to look at my courses and materials with fresh eyes as often as I can. Often, I’ll ask another faculty member or designer to look at what I’m designing with a critical eye, and I return the favor for their courses.
February 26 - Three Ways to Increase the Quality of Students’ Discussion Board Comments
By: Sedef Uzuner and Ruchi Mehta in Asynchronous Learning and Trends
As more and more courses go online, interaction and knowledge building among students rely primarily on asynchronous threaded discussions. For something that is so central to online learning, current research and literature have provided instructors with little support as to how they can facilitate and maintain high-quality conversations among students in these learning environments. This article responds to this need by offering three strategies instructors can use to ensure educationally valuable talk in their online classes.
January 28 - Instructor or Professor, It’s Not Your Title but What You Do That’s Important
By: Errol Craig Sull in Online Education
In a recent conversation, an online teaching colleague complained that her school had wrongly listed her as “adjunct instructor,” rather than “adjunct professor,” in its faculty roster. “That term ‘professor’—it means so much more than merely being an instructor,” she complained. Au contraire, I countered: ultimately, titles—and one’s accomplishments—count for little throughout any online course one teaches and never equate to long-term respect.
January 22 - Course and Instructor Evaluations: Misconceptions and Realities
By: Patti Shank, PhD, CPT in Faculty Evaluation
If evaluation sounds good in theory but feels bad in practice, it may be that you or others are operating under some common misconceptions.
November 23 - Synching up with Your Asynchronous Learners
By: Rob Kelly in Asynchronous Learning and Trends
Some students are reluctant to enroll in online courses, afraid they will miss some of the social aspects of the face-to-face classroom. For these students, it makes sense to incorporate online synchronous sessions to provide some of the benefits of the face-to-face class while maintaining most of the flexibility of an asynchronous online course.
November 9 - ‘Managing Online Education’ Study Sheds New Light on the Operations Side of Online Programs
By: Mary Bart in Online Education
A survey of senior campus officials responsible for managing online and distance education programs revealed some interesting findings, including almost half of the participants not knowing whether their program is profitable.
