Our online delivery of the M.A. in Training and Graduate
Certificates has grown tremendously over the past five years. Now nearly 80% of
our enrollment is fully online. With so many students choosing this option, we
must continuously improve our practices in online teaching. Our faculty is
creating an ongoing list of Best Practices in Online Teaching. . .
- Ask Strong Questions:
In the forums/discussion boards focus on asking strong questions that test
a student’s understanding of the topic. I presented a “seek circle
questions” tool in April to RU that I will share with this team as well if
you would like (Ken).
- Stay current in the forums–don’t
just check them, but participate as much as your schedule allows so
students feel connected (Kathy).
- Keeping in Constant Touch:
Checking discussion forums each day and participating in their discussions
helps to keep up with what they’re experiencing and helps me guide them
through any difficulties they have. (Meena).
- Change dates
in the syllabus, gradebook, and anywhere else that they appear (Kathy).
- Clean up the gradebook—remove
unnecessary assignments, check the weighting, change
dates, etc. (Kathy)
- Check links
prior to each module to make sure they still work. If they don’t work,
locate a replacement when possible and change it in the page. If you need
help with this don’t hesitate to ask (Kathy).
- Make written instructions for all
assignments as specific as possible i.e. what should be included,
how, when, etc. This will prevent misunderstandings and different
expectations (Meena).
- Late Assignment Policy:
Assignments submitted after the due date will be accepted up to 10 days
after the due date, but will lose 2% points for each day late. No
assignments will be accepted if they are more than 10 days late unless
there are extenuating circumstances. Free Pass: You have one
free pass that allows you to post an assignment of your choice-other than the final research paper-up to
10 days later than the due date with no loss of points. To use your
free pass, just notify me by e-mail.
- Give students detailed feedback
about their work–I’ve found that positive feedback needs to be just
as detailed as feedback focused on improvement or students will not really
know what they’ve done right (Kathy).
- Respond to student e mails
within 48 hours most of the time. If you’re going to respond later that
that, let students know (Kathy).
- I
answer emails each
day and am now taking my laptop everywhere when I travel so I can
log on each day. Responding quickly to emails/postings reassures students
we’re there to help them (Meena).
- My
best practice is calling
students on the phone if they are really struggling. I know we have
audio learners that need to talk it out or hear a voice. They always
appreciate the extra help and it is easier than back and forth when email
isn’t working for them. Plus, it makes a connection, they realize there is
a real person on the other end (Loren).
- Set
up a “Case Study” or
“New Tools” Toolkit in your class. I have a work in progress RU
Class Toolkit for students to provide tools and resources so students can
advance their new skills and broaden their understanding of theory in real
world situations (Ken).
- Make assignments as exciting as
possible. I think this is particularly important in online
courses. Use scenarios, cases, webquests, group inquiry forums, blogs,
journals, etc. to excitement to the course assignments as you facilitate
authentic practice (Kathy)
- I
try to help my students learn
to write better, and expect their papers to include appropriate
quotations and punctuation, complete sentences, consistent voice and parallel
structure, just to name a few. I warn them in advance that their
writing skills will be considered in their grades on their papers.
Those who get poor grades often ask to rewrite their paper or ask for an
“extra credit” assignment. Instead, I offer them the opportunity to submit a draft of
their assignment at least a week prior to the due date. I review the
paper, edit it enough to teach a little about writing, make comments about
the content and make suggestions for improvement. I send it back to
them, they correct it and return it to me on time. There is no
reason for a student not to earn an A, and when a student complains about
a C or D, I remind them of the opportunity they chose not to pursue.
(Maria)
- If
more than one person emails me a question about an assignment, I know that
there may be some confusion for all. I will post an explanation in the announcements,
or use the announcement to refer them to the Virtual Water Cooler for a
more detailed explanation. (Maria)
So what have we missed? Are there additional
"best practices" out there that aren't on our list? Add a
comment to let us know!
