Thriving in Online Teaching
After 20 years in online teaching, my experience and research has taught me some things that have helped cultivate a long and meaningful career.
Noura Badawi, EdD
November 6, 2023
HIGHER ED TEACHING STRATEGIES FROM MAGNA PUBLICATIONS
online teaching best practices
Transformative Teaching: How Faculty Can Elevate Their Teaching Through Online Instruction
It is safe to say that online instruction may become to the traditional classroom what the telescope is to the naked eye. The future of
Tracey-Ann Carter, PhD, and Toni SimsMuhammad, DAH
August 14, 2020
A Resource Guide for Transitioning Your Class Online
In response to COVID-19, we’ve seen instructors and universities from around the world come together. We know this is not an easy time. But we
Faculty Focus
March 3, 2020
Three Ways to Breathe New Life into Your Online Courses
Online teaching is growing at a rapid pace. To meet the increasing demand of online education, many courses have been designed to enable the instructor to be more of a facilitator rather than an active participant in the classroom space (Ragan, 2009). However, building an active, student-centered learning environment in online classes is needed to prevent instructors from becoming stagnant and to motivate and inspire them to take on a variety of roles as the students’ “guide, facilitator, and teacher” (Ragan, 2009, p. 6). This article will discuss the unique needs of the online student and suggest three strategies to meet these needs through effective, innovative online instruction.
Meredith DeCosta Emily Bergquist and Rick Holbeck
March 20, 2014
What Online Teachers Need to Know
The majority of us teach the way we were taught growing up (Southern Regional Education Board, 2009). This presents a challenge for online faculty, who most likely received their education in a traditional, brick and mortar school. Online instruction is much different from face-to-face instruction. Over the past nine years, I have discovered four basic elements that contribute to being an effective online teacher.
Patricia Pelletier EdD
September 20, 2013
Applying the Seven Principles for Good Practice to the Online Classroom
Almost 25 years have passed since Chickering and Gamson offered seven principles for good instructional practices in undergraduate education. While the state of undergraduate education has evolved to some degree over that time, I think the seven principles still have a place in today’s collegiate classroom. Originally written to communicate best practices for face-to-face instruction, the principles translate well to the online classroom and can help to provide guidance for those of us designing courses to be taught online.
Oliver Dreon, PhD
February 25, 2013
Practical Advice for Going from Face to Face to Online Teaching
Developing an online course based on an existing face-to-face course requires more than learning how to use the technology and loading the material into the learning management system because, as Catherine Nameth, education outreach coordinator at the University of California-Los Angeles, says, “not everything will transfer directly from the face-to-face environment to the online environment.” This transition requires the instructor to rethink and reconfigure the material and anticipate students’ needs.
Rob Kelly
February 9, 2012
Guidelines for Online Teaching Success
Years ago at a faculty meeting Larry Ragan, PhD, director of Faculty Development for Penn State’s World Campus, was trying to soft-sell the idea of performance expectations for online faculty. He didn’t want the discussion to be misinterpreted as an indictment against their teaching style, but he also saw an opportunity to share proven practices for improving the online teaching and learning experience. Finally a senior faculty member grew tired of the tip-toeing around the subject and said, “If you don’t tell us what is expected, how will we know what to do to succeed?”
Mary Bart
May 18, 2011
Be Efficient, Not Busy: Time Management Strategies for Online Teaching
Online teaching redefines the faculty member’s schedule. The feeling of being a 24/7 professor can lead to frustration. Managing one’s time as an online teacher can be a challenge. As the popularity of online education continues to grow, teaching faculty need to develop effective time management behaviors to be efficient and not just busy. Here are ten strategies I like to use:
Deborah A. Raines PhD
January 24, 2011
Online Teaching Tips for Leveraging Students' Insights and Experiences
Teaching any online class is time-consuming and can be a juggling act. The instructor must keep students engaged and motivated, adhere to a variety of deadlines, quickly answer all student emails and postings, react to in-class “emergencies,” stay on top of all school policies, and teach the subject in an easy-to-understand manner—while remaining a patient, upbeat, and constant presence through it all. This is no easy task, and while we each have developed approaches to help us, there is one often underused “tool” that online instructors can employ: the students in one’s course.
Errol Craig Sull
October 28, 2010
