Week 1Advantages & Challenges of Online Teaching Dos & Don’ts of Online DevelopmentDesigning Backwards

So you’re going to teach online...If you’re new to online teaching, you might be feeling a bit like this right now:

It’s true, the online classroom is different from a traditional one - but there are many great reasons to teach online.

Advantages to Teaching Online:

* Flexibility of time and space - you manage your course; and students learn anytime, from anywhere!* Equity of interaction - all students are involved - not just the most comfortable.* Quality of response - students have time to reflect before responding.

Advantages to Teaching Online: * Customized learning - students can move through materials at their own pace.*Fewer distractions - no one can walk in and interrupt your online class - and students aren’t sidetracked by Facebook while you lecture.*Archiving ability - students are easily able to review course content, and instructors have archive data for assessment.

* Durability of the course - the course can go on despite time conflicts, illness, weather, and other interruptions.*Value of professional experience - as more and more programs and courses are moving online, experience with teaching online sets you up for opportunities in the future.

Advantages to Teaching Online:

Challenges of teaching online:*Converting a course to an online format involves a steep learning curve and can be time-consuming.*Course activities are going on every hour of the day and night, requiring consistent “checking in.” *Online teaching sometimes requires very specific written instructions and lots of reminders and emails.

Challenges of teaching online:

*Students must be self-starters to be successful, and so must instructors as well.

*Online communication lacks body language, gestures, and facial expressions to convey meaning.

DOs & DON’Ts for developing your online course

DO develop the WHOLE course before it starts:

* The course must be fully developed before the start of the semester in order to check technologies, compatibilities, and operations beforehand. *Students taking online courses want flexibility to work ahead. *Once the course is developed, you can spend your teaching time implementing.

DON’T make your online course exactly the same as your face-to-face course:*Maintain the same goals & objectives, but delivery methods and assignments should be adapted for the online environment.

*Some resources may not be adaptable to an online course, specifically videos and copyrighted materials.

*Your role will be different: facilitator instead of sage-on-the-stage. Students become more active constructors of their learning.

DO focus on active learning and collaboration!

*It may seem difficult to do group projects online, but you can! Including collaborative assignments and discussion will enrich the online experience for you and your students.*Moodle features such as forum, chat, and groups can help facilitate active learning online.

DO consult the experts:

*Use an online course rubric to guide the development of your class. (Links also posted in Moodle.)

Cal State Chico Rubric for Online instruction

Quality Matters Rubric

DO work backwards:

*Backwards course design keeps you (& your students) focused on the ultimate goal of the course.

*It gives the course a unified feel, as all lessons & assignments move toward the final objectives.

Doing Backwards Design:*Start by defining the course goals and objectives.

*Design the final project/exam/exercise that aligns with the overarching course goal.

*Create other assignments for the course that meet objectives leading to the final goal.

Doing backwards design, cont.:

*After assignments & activities are created, situate them within the course outline.

*Add assessments to gauge student learning & provide formative feedback.

*Think about the course goal for your online class: After taking your course, how will students be different? Post your course goal to Moodle forum #1.

*What activities & projects have been most successful in traditional courses you’ve taught? How can they be adapted to fit the course goal, and the online environment? Post your thoughts to Moodle forum #2.

Forum Questions:

Moodle features for week 1:*On Moodle, download the Week 1 Moodle document and set up some navigational & organizational tools for your course.

Notes & Citations:*Image: Microsoft ClipArt*Backwards course design information and slides adapted from Ross Peterson-Veatch, Course Development Institute powerpoint presentation, May & June 2013. Used with permission.