teaching an online course for the first time

The best piece of advice I could give an instructor who would be teaching his/her first online course is to ensure you’ve gotten the proper training to teach online! There are many benefits to pursuing an education certificate online, enrolling in online teaching courses in general, or seeking out continued education in any form. For example, you may arrive to find that the … That is like comparing an apple to an orange. This starts a conversation that allows you to connect with them and shows meaningful engagement. ​Kalenda Eaton, associate professor of English, Arcadia University. 2) Utilize backward design. Some of my local partners translated subtitles of my video lectures into local languages, which also deepens the student experience and helps to reach a larger audience. FIU Online is a “large shop” offering a full-range of services including multimedia, technical, and learning management support, giving faculty access to a range of resources, allowing them to focus on the teaching role rather than worry about the technical aspects of the course. Adapting a course from a traditional face-to-face offering or creating a brand new course online can be intimidating or challenging at first. Instructional designers are knowledgeable in the the field of online education, have experience with educational technology, and can provide guidance on best practices in the online environment. It is very important to be responsive and provide timely feedback. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Program. Be present. Curated tools , just-in-time training, job aids, course templates, real-time advice are all things an online unit can provide. A sense of community, content exploration and discussion can all be structured in an online class. I’ve had classes with fewer than 10 students, and now I’m working on RITx’s Soft Skills Professional Certificate with thousands of students in a single class. FIU Online is a “. Wherever possible, avoid this by keeping the videos as individually independent as possible. The more direct involvement your students have in the course, the more invested and productive they will be. No matter how good your evaluations were last semester, keep updating the course, make your course as applicable as possible and offer real-life examples and the students will remember and master the material. I took the advice to mean that, as a complete novice to online teaching, I needed to fully understand the first digital tool I was going to implement. When a course has previously been taught in-person, faculty already have many elements of the class complete and are looking for ways to enhance it for online delivery. I find satisfaction and even joy teaching a mix of on-campus, hybrid and online courses, but professors must be their own advocates -- together -- to make this transition well into a new educational age. I contacted a campus administrator, Michael Moore, who taught his government class via a blog. Leigh Ann Hall, professor, Wyoming Excellence Endowed Chair in Literacy Education, University of Wyoming. For my MOOC, I worked with U.S. embassies and consulates, local universities, seed accelerators and the Microsoft Innovation Centers to organize meet-ups around the world. Established with the mission of helping colleges and universities expand the availability of online courses, EUN offered its first online course in 1986 for use with DOS and Commodore 64 computers. Rather than thinking of weeks as we tend to do with face-to-face classes, modules work best in online formats. Finding solid, scholarly content online has never been easier, but it takes time. Erika advised me to get really good at using blogging with students before moving on to another digital tool or pedagogy such as podcasting. Inside Higher Ed. I realized that teaching face-to-face allows for a certain amount of improv. George encouraged me to accept that the course would not be perfect. Your students will feel more connected if they are able to see your face on occasion. Consider adding live sessions. I am not alone in emphasizing meet-ups as an integral part of my MOOC. Instructional designers can help by introducing and providing training to the learning management system and available technology. One of the most common mistakes I see instructors making is creating course content that cannot be maintained over time. At this point in my online teaching experience, the possibilities of what I can and want to do online often outnumber the hours I have to create and grade. Teaching online demands realistic support from your institution to facilitate quality production: before you consent to teach online, ascertain that you have adequate institutional resources to do this well. Use descriptive wording for hyperlink text (e.g., “DO-IT Knowledge Base” rather than “click here”). If you’re teaching online for the first time, staying in touch with your students might not feel as natural as it does when you can stand next to their desk and answer a question or pass them in the hallway and ask about their weekend. "Transitioning to teaching remotely in a disrupted environment is a big challenge for any faculty member," says Stephen Gange, executive vice provost for academic affairs at Johns Hopkins. However, this was before the invention of the World Wide Web, and students had to use proprietary software and communicate over telephone lines. I am currently teaching an online addictions course for undergraduate students. Strong rubrics with clear expectations and proficiencies will help with this and, in turn, guide the learning. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Of course, teaching online does take away the face to face involvement with students. It’s true that a lot of online teaching success is about course organization, like making sure content is clear, posted in the right place and linked to working supplementary materials. Erika Huezo was a Senior Instructional Designer at FIU Online. “Inside Digital Learning” asked instructors from across the country who teach online courses to answer one of two questions: What is the best piece of advice you received from a colleague, family member, friend or other person before you started teaching your first online course, or what advice would you provide to a new online instructor? Beyond Silicon Valley has been translated into 16 languages, the most of any course on the Coursera platform. Going to Planet Fitness (aka, face-to-face courses) potentially has the advantage that other people can keep you accountable (aka, your professor who will notice that you did not show up in class or that you struggle to meet the deadlines). The job of an online teacher is the job of an offline teacher is the job of a teacher. Putting Your Courses Online" is the title of one ... just show up and start taking class at the same time every day in an online environment," says Morris. Make sure you have decent software and know how to use it. VoiceThread allows varied ways to comment such as audio, text or even recorded video. She told me that taking online courses is like your treadmill at home. Spread out assignments with reasonable time to provide feedback to students. Be aware of not only the texts, but also the subtexts in student writing. It would never be perfect. But it is important to use these resources as methods to get students engaged. When leading these courses, try to incorporate direct interaction as often as possible. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You should give yourself at least a semester to make plans and prepare materials. Erika worked closely with faculty to create engaging learning environments and kept current with instructional theories, tools, and trends. The ways in which students interact with you and each other will be different than in a face-to-face setting. The tools should be incorporated in ways that require students to be active, rather than passive, learners. … In order to deepen the experience of their online students, I would encourage instructors to find partners or encourage students to organize local meet-ups. Video clips, images, graphs and charts are enormously helpful in keeping students engaged. However, built with the right kind of structure, an online class can still have all of the experiences of a face-to-face class, albeit in a different way. One of the great benefits of online teaching is the ability to have students engage even when class isn’t “in session.” In fact, most aspects of your course could be done whenever they fit best in the students’ daily schedules. Our faculty responsiveness – and I try to get a response out within 24 hours – can alleviate some of that tension and truly make our learners feel supported. First-Time … Photo courtesy of New College of the Humanities/Simon Jones. Boosting a First-Time Online Adult Student’s Self-Esteem. While you cannot replicate the in-person back-and-forth of a classroom, encouraging students to utilize social media channels or set up virtual discussion groups to work together can help mimic that collaborative environment. Jacqueline Kelleher, assistant professor, education division, GTEP program coordinator, Franklin Pierce University. Insider is FIU Online's official news source. This is done by adding three “presences”: cognitive presence, which is essentially content and what students will learn and do; instructor presence, commenting and interacting with students; and social presence, which is a way for students to get to know each other. 2. Michael Poulakis, assistant professor of psychological sciences, University of Indianapolis. Instead, keep those in more fluid formats, like text, which allow for easier maintenance. This will help transfer meaning to/from your posted assignments and comments. Despite the lack of professor-student interaction, local meet-ups can produce a more meaningful educational experience and spark innovation for the online student. When I first started teaching in 2004, I was sceptical about the effectiveness of online teaching, but since then I have accumulated a lot of experience. Whether you study at home or your local café, it’s important to work in the … The advice that I would give is to update the course every semester and keep it relevant with what is changing in our society. Learn more about Harvard Bok Center 1 Explore your course home page. Remember to practice first; know what you are going to say before you start speaking. The 8-week Harvard Bok online short course aims to allow participants the opportunity to engage deeply with and reflect on their teaching practices, portfolio, and teaching journey in the higher education (HE) field. Teaching online requires more up-front work, particularly designing and inputting course materials thoughtfully into a course management system. Nora Nachumi, associate professor of English, Yeshiva University. What makes online courses different from face-to-face classes? The online delivery of a course can be a challenging prospect, as switching from on-site (or brick) to online (or click) is a significant change. That is, it’s important to appreciate the notion that just because you may be an effective face-to-face instructor does not mean, by any stretch, you’d be an effective online one. During the semester, reach out to them -- just a few each week -- and see how they are doing, tell them what you appreciate about their work, etc. Plan Your Classes. Staff from the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center are available to meet with you and further discuss any questions you might have about teaching. So, my advice is to sign up for as many peer teaching review sessions as you can and to continually ask yourself how both your course design and course activities work together to achieve the goals of your course. The best ones are short and give students something interesting to look at, like video clips, images, graphs, charts and etexts. Rather than using phrases like, "Recall the example we used last semester," say "Imagine this example." The connection (metaphorically and literally) to your online student may only be by way of your voice and, for some assignments, perhaps, only text-chatting discussion boards. But you have lots of ways to communicate digitally that are more flexible than just talking face-to-face. Amy Rottmann, program coordinator, master of arts in teaching, assistant professor of education, Lenoir-Rhyne University and regular "Inside Digital Learning" contributor. Adapting a course from a traditional face-to-face offering or creating a brand new course online can be intimidating or challenging at first. Beginning with the end in mind can help with outlining needed material and assignments. These spaces offer me a chance to get to know them individually, while discussion boards help me see them interact with each other as a community. University of Queensland student Robert Carrol participates in a surgery rotation at the Ochsner Clinical School in New Orleans. Use video chat features throughout the course, so students can become accustomed to your tone, voice and personality. HUD-Approved Online Homebuyer Education Course. Instead of the traditional discussion post, require students to post informational videos, podcasts, infographics, etc. I’ve experimented with things like recording myself grading papers and holding synchronous peer-editing sessions. Backward design requires instructors to identify learning objectives for their course as well as the evidence that support those objectives. Take this experience as an opportunity to explore a different pedagogy that is sure to enhance your creativity and communication skills when you remain open to what you can learn as well. An architecture of engagement is necessary to facilitate those experiences in an online environment. 4. This can take the form of reflective discussions, collaborative assignments, and presentations. Features of teaching online ——- The online teaching increases the flexibility of time that are more convenient and productive for both students and teachers. Creating an online class is just like starting a startup. Harvard CS50 is an entry-level free online computer science course which helps you to learn how you can think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. – Online activities happen asynchronously since students are not meeting at specific times. 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Online courses from the student perspective, do not neglect crucial academic matters. Amy Porter, associate professor, school of management, Case Western Reserve.! Never been easier, but it takes time Coursera, the academic quality and rigor of the course computers! Coursera, the video tool is the best advice i ’ ve with. Reflection time in face-to-face classes, but it takes time as possible allow easier... You been invited to teach online is like comparing an apple to an orange education course educational process which! Content and set the pace for the first time to discuss what is in! Developer/General course manager, online instructors and instructional designers are here to partner you. Providing training to the back-and-forth of in-class discussion not meeting at specific times, biology,,... Infographics, etc `` Recall the example we used last semester, '' say `` imagine this.. Integral part of my MOOC Valley has been translated into 16 languages, the video tool is the best i. 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