There are many studies that look at how online students differ from those in face-to-face classes in terms of performance, satisfaction, engagement, and other factors. It is well-known that…
Most online faculty know that discussion is one of the biggest advantages of online education. The increased think-time afforded by the asynchronous environment, coupled with the absence of public…
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Four Crucial Factors in High-Quality Distance Learning Courses
October 31, 2014 Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti
“Distance learning is here to stay. Educational institutions should have a vision for what type of distance learning programs they will implement and the standards they will hold to.…
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In Course Design, Online Education
Instructional Design Based on Cognitive Theory
October 17, 2014 Rob Kelly
Andy Stanfield, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at Florida Institute of Technology, is a proponent of using Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning to improve…
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In Educational Assessment, Online Education
Alternative Assessment Methods for the Online Classroom
October 3, 2014 Rob Kelly
Tests and quizzes are often the primary means of assessing online learner performance; however, as Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt, online instructors and coauthors of numerous online learning books,…
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How Does Temperament Affect Online Student Success and Retention?
September 23, 2014 Rob Kelly
o certain personality traits increase students’ chances of success in the online learning environment? It’s an intriguing question that has not received much attention, an oversight that Ben Meredith,…
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In small online courses, instructors have the luxury of participating in frequent personal interactions with students in online discussions. But doing this with more than 15 students can be…
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Introduction to Key Concepts in Five Minutes or Less: The ‘Did You Know?’ Microlecture Series
September 11, 2014 Julia VanderMolen Ph.D.
The traditional, hour-long lecture that is so familiar to on-the-ground undergraduates has little place in an online learning environment. However, a shorter, more tightly focused microlecture can help engage…
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Building Community and Creating Relevance in the Online Classroom
September 8, 2014 Amy Erickson and Catz Neset
Remember feeling nervous before starting your first day on the job? You may have experienced butterflies in your stomach, had questions about expectations, or concerns about learning the rules…
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A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats: Raising, Communicating, and Enforcing Expectations in Online Courses
August 22, 2014 Marie A. Revak PhD
As an instructor new to the online environment, I carefully reviewed the syllabus and the requirements for the course discussions and assignments and incorporated the following ideas from Myers-Wylie,…
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I have been teaching online courses for more than eight years now. I was one of the first at my previous institution to transition a face-to-face (F2F) course to…
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The Art and Science of Successful Online Discussions
August 11, 2014 Stephanie Maher Palenque and Meredith DeCosta PhD
Faculty use asynchronous discussions to extend and enhance instructional practices in the online classroom. It is widely reported that online discussions play an integral role in facilitating students’ learning,…
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Teddi Fishman, director of the International Center for Academic Integrity at Clemson University, advocates an instructional design/community-building approach to academic integrity rather than an adversarial approach. Her stint as…
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This summer I am teaching online, in part because many students prefer to take classes online. Summer is the time for mischief, experimentation and creation—there is just something about…
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Improve Accessibility in Tomorrow’s Online Courses by Leveraging Yesterday’s Techniques
June 30, 2014 Emily A. Moore
Traditionally, when a face-to-face student requested a sign language interpreter or other assistance, individualized accommodation arrangements were made through institutional channels. With the advent of online courses, however, the…
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Through regular student feedback, Jennifer Luzar, associate professor of language arts at Northwood University, has compiled the following things students want in their online courses and ways that she…
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Promoting Students’ Self-Efficacy in the Online Classroom
May 20, 2014 Ben Vilkas and Crystal McCabe
As online education enrollment increases, (Allen & Seaman, 2011), innovative practices are needed to improve quality instruction. One area that needs further exploration is that of promoting online students’…
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According to self-determination theory, a theory developed by Deci and Ryan, three basic psychological needs affect motivation: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Susan Epps, associate professor of Allied Health Sciences,…
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Integrating Technology into the Online Classroom, Part II
April 29, 2014 John Steele Thomas Dyer Elizabeth Larson Rick Holbeck
In Part I of this article, we wrote about the value in collaborating with peers. Here we conclude the piece by sharing with you the steps we followed in…
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Integrating Technology into the Online Classroom, Part I
April 28, 2014 John Steele Thomas Dyer Elizabeth Larson Rick Holbeck
Most of us have encountered students who struggle with a particular course objective or assignment. Finding innovative ways to help students break through these barriers to learning is a…
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When Hayley Lake, lecturer at Eastern Washington University, got the opportunity to develop an online version of Survey of Alcohol & Drug Problems, a multidisciplinary course that draws students…
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One is the Loneliest Number: Helping Doctoral Students Build Connections Online
April 22, 2014 Kelly Grattan PhD
The online learning environment, no matter how robust the platform, does not fully address the isolation many students feel. This environment can be especially isolating for doctoral students. In…
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Moving a Face-to-Face Course Online without Losing Student Engagement
April 14, 2014 Louise Sharrar and Paula Bigatel
The rapid growth and popularity of online learning is necessitating the creation of online courses that actively engage learners. Research has shown that effective integration of multimedia that is…
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Sustained, high-quality student participation usually doesn’t happen on its own in the online learning environment. The instructor needs to model participation, create assignments that encourage it, and foster an…
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In Blended and Flipped Learning, Online Education
Can You Flip an Online Class?
March 31, 2014 Barbi Honeycutt PhD and Sarah Glova
We recently asked a group of teaching assistants, “How do you think today’s college classroom is different than when you were an undergraduate student? What is the most significant…
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The Online Discussion Board: Opening the Gateway to New Learning
March 28, 2014 Elwin L. Jones and Ronald C. Jones
In the online instructional environment, the discussion questions, posts, and responses are the lifeblood of the course. Although writing formal papers and completing quizzes are typical components of online…
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Because online courses have fewer opportunities for the spontaneous, real-time exchanges of the face-to-face classroom, online instruction requires a deliberate approach to design and facilitation. As Bethany Simunich says,…
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Three Ways to Breathe New Life into Your Online Courses
March 20, 2014 Meredith DeCosta Emily Bergquist and Rick Holbeck
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…
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Consideration of convenience and flexibility typically leads instructors and instructional designers to favor asynchronous over synchronous learning. But given the potential benefits of synchronous communication, perhaps it’s time to…
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Discussion Board Assignments: Alternatives to the Question-and-Answer Format
March 7, 2014 Rob Kelly
If you’re having trouble getting students to engage in the discussion forum, perhaps it’s time to rethink how you use this tool. “Think of it as a place to…
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Years of helping faculty pass to the dark side of online education have taught me a few simple rules that I brow beat (in a collegial way) into all…
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There are many ways to provide feedback to students in an online course. When selecting the type and frequency of feedback, consider what the students want and how they…
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Collaborative Research Circles Extend Learning Beyond the Online Course
February 25, 2014 B. Jean Mandernach, PhD
As an experienced online educator, I am confident that my students are not only learning but also excelling. Through our classroom activities and interactions, they are simultaneously mastering content…
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When designing an online course it’s important to carefully consider which tools align with the course’s learning objectives and the types of communication that will occur. There are three…
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10 Assessment Design Tips for Increasing Online Student Retention, Satisfaction and Learning, part 2
February 4, 2014 Bernard Bull EdD
In the part one of this article, we started our exploration of assessment ideas for your online courses. We explored the value of designing ample opportunities for formative feedback.…
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10 Assessment Design Tips for Increasing Online Student Retention, Satisfaction and Learning
February 3, 2014 Bernard Bull EdD
How much time do we put into the design of the assessment plans in our online courses? Is most of that time focused upon summative graded assignments that factor…
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Cynthia Schmitt, senior director of continuing education at Florida Institute of Technology, tries to make the online learning experience comfortable and efficient for students. Students want their courses to…
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Structure and Expectations Can Improve Student Participation in Online Discussions
January 17, 2014 Rob Kelly
Clear expectations, structure, and instructor intervention can go a long way toward getting students highly engaged and highly interactive in online discussions.
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Online instructors need to be intentional about creating a sense of presence in their courses so that students know that somebody is leading their educational experience. According to Larry…
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Online instructors face the challenges of keeping a course up to date, engaging students, and maintaining integrity. Having students generate some of the course content can address all three…