Posts Tagged ‘online teaching tips’
March 4 - Who Are You? Putting Faces on Virtual Learners
By: Cynde Gregory in Online Education
One of the first and most difficult tasks an online instructor faces is how to establish the presence of a learning community. Learning in isolation may be possible, but it’s neither enjoyable nor complete, and many online students end up quitting or failing the course simply because they miss the classmate support that is readily available in face-to-face classes. To ignore the importance of peer learning and personal connection in any classroom, including those in which participants might not physically meet, is to deny the significance of social interaction in learning.
February 4 - Tips for Online Instructors: Managing Files, Feedback, and Workload
By: Eileen F. Schiffer, PhD in Online Education
Teaching online is a rewarding experience; but any instructor who makes the transition to online education, thinking it will be easier and less time-consuming than face-to-face classroom teaching, is in for a big surprise! Establishing a regular presence in the online classroom, grading assignments and discussions, and maintaining records and notes from term to term are all time consuming – but essential – tasks. Learning to take care of the details of online teaching more efficiently makes it possible to be more effective in your teaching. The following is an abbreviated version of guidance I provide to new instructors about ways to keep their course files organized, students engaged, and workload manageable.
November 29 - Working with Online Teaching Assistants
By: Melissa A. Venable, PhD in Online Education
The presence of Teaching Assistants (TAs) in a college course benefits both instructor and students. An assistant’s responsibilities typically include grading, troubleshooting, and fielding student questions, and their role is evolving to meet the needs of the online classroom.
November 15 - Six Ways to Get Your Online Students Participating in the Course
By: Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti in Online Education
Have you ever worried about the level of participation in your online courses? Perhaps you have difficulty encouraging students to interact with one another, or maybe you find student responses to be perfunctory. Surely there must be a way to encourage the kinds of participation that really supports learning.
September 5 - Mapping Success: Essential Elements of an Effective Online Learning Experience
By: Danielle Hathcock in Online Education
An online course is like walking into a foreign land with an entire map laid out, but having no sense of the land’s origin or how to navigate the terrain. How the instructor formats and interacts with the class will ultimately determine the student’s travel experience. The purpose of this article is to provide an understanding of how the elements of an online course are integrated such that they form a cohesive whole that creates easy travel based upon instructor presence, appropriate feedback, and easy navigation for students.
July 31 - Selecting Online Learning Technologies: An Interview with Tony Bates
By: Rob Kelly in Online Education
With so many technologies available to enhance online learning, it’s important to choose wisely. In an interview with Online Classroom, Tony Bates, an e-learning and distance education planning and management consultant, offered some insights on what to consider when making technology choices. We offer an excerpt of that interview here.
July 27 - What Are the Communication ‘Musts’ in an Online Class?
By: Mary Bart in 20 Minute Mentor, Teaching Online
Through better communication you will strengthen student relationships with you as an instructor, deepen student engagement with course content, and increase their level of participation in class.
April 23 - How Should I Manage My Online Course?
By: Mary Bart in 20 Minute Mentor, Teaching Online
Managing the workload of an online course can be challenging. Learn how to stay organized, manage your workload, and keep your students working toward the learning goals.
March 8 - Personality Matters When Teaching Online
By: Errol Craig Sull in Online Education
Online instructors are hired because they are judged as having the right combination of education, teaching experience, content expertise, and professional accomplishments. But once an instructor is in the classroom, these abilities and achievements can go only so far. There also must be a constant injection of personality.
February 20 - Five Ways to Build e-Learner Confidence with Low-Stakes Grading
By: Mary Bart in Online Seminars
Frequent low-stakes grading assignments and quizzes create a rich learning experience for all students, and give instructors more opportunities to clarify materials or address issues that are inhibiting learning. This seminar demonstrates how this approach can demystify assessment and encourage a constructive learning environment.
