online courses: how are they unique?

Orientation to Teaching Online

Audrey L. CutlerCenter for Instructional Advancement and Technology

Welcome!• All about you!• Name, Department• Experience with online

and hybrid courses (as faculty or student)

• Goals? Concerns?

Objectives

By the end of this workshops, participants will be able to: • Define online and hybrid courses at Towson• Identify the steps involved in preparation for and

design of your online or hybrid course using the Quality Matters rubric

• Evaluate the Digital Media Classroom as a resource for your online and hybrid course

• Locate instruction design, library, and technical resources for assistance through the design process

Defining Online & Hybrid Courses @ TU

Defining Online & Hybrid Courses @ TU

• Online Courses – Require no face-to-face meetings (no trips to campus) and all instruction is delivered electronically.

• Hybrid Courses – Taught partially online. The face-to-face classroom meetings are reduced by at least 50% and replaced with online activities.

• Web-supported Courses – Face-to-face classes that use online resources such as Blackboard to support instruction (unofficial designation).

 Online Teaching and LearningChallenges and Rewards

Challenges:Communication• No real-time F2F

communication & synergy• Slower communication• Majority of courses are still

text-basedTime Management • More independence - Both for

you and students• 24/7 access

Rewards:• Flexibility (own pace, space,

time)• Individual attention; guide

each student• Addresses different learning

styles• Self-reflection in redesign

leads to better teaching

Changing Perspectives

Face-to-Face Classes• Instructor-centered

(lecture-centered)• Take place on campus• Designated days to meet• Instructional content and

interaction occurs during class session

Online Course• Student-centered • Housed in Blackboard• Weekly modules – you

create when your week starts/ends

• 24/7 Access• Content provided via

Blackboard• Writing/reading to

communicate

Your New Role as the Facilitator/Coach

• Support students to construct their own knowledge

• Does not diminish the role of the instructor/faculty member

Similarities

• You’re the expert!• Online, we often face these same concerns in

face-to-face courses:– Student attrition– Students do not comprehend course content &– Students do not participate actively in class discussions

• The key to resolving many of these concerns:– Well designed and organized online/hybrid course– Clear and timely communication on the parts of both

instructors and students

Interaction and Feedback in a Traditional Course

Interaction and Feedback in a Traditional Course

• Instructor Presentation• Discussion • Simulation• Question and Answer• Classroom assessments

• Office hours• Extra help• Review• Group-Oriented Work• Assessment • E-mail

Where does it go?

Understanding Content

• Lecturette and graphics• DMC & Video • Audio • PPT with audio• Web resources• Guest lectures• Simulations• Case studies• Question and answers

for clarification

Face-to-Face Communication

• Face-to-Face signals used to gauge student comprehension or have reached content overload– Body language– Blank stares – Lack/lots of questions

• Information given verbally in class

• Learning community

Where does it go?

Online Communication

• These same types of cues can be identified in online course – response to assignments, discussions, or the number of times

a student accesses the course

• Clear, timely and accurate communication– Be Consistent!– Set and keep weekly or bi-weekly deadlines (not daily for

online course)– Post assignments on time (can use blackboard release

features)

• Learning community– Created through ice-breakers, ongoing discussions, groups,

peer-review assignments, feedback

Online Communication

• Syllabus: Contract and Map – Use to set expectations, deadlines and policies.

• Create a clear, explicit course schedule.• Email your students before class starts!• Hand-hold students through their first time in the

course site and the first three weeks.• Keep consistent, student-centered design in Blackboard.• Encourage not only faculty to student communication,

but also student to student communication. • Build time into your schedule to communicate

Ice-breakersQ & AFeedback

Applications and interpretation questions

Problem questions/Case studies

Connective and causal effect questions

Comparative questionsEvaluative questionsCritical questions

Interaction – Using Discussion Board & Groups

Group Areas

Peer Review Group Projects Journals

Feedback on assignments

Grade book entriesEmailsChat areaAnonymous surveys

Interaction – Feedback

• Quiz tool• Proctored exams• Project-based

assessment• Participation online

Mind reading skills?

Assessment

Sample Courses

Course Design

Chunking

• Chunking allows the instructor to break the content up into more manageable units or modules

• Chunking is good for recall, comprehension, focus and course planning

• Chunking content helps students prioritize, organize, and identify core elements

• Chunking presents the content in smaller manageable pieces to students

• Before starting to chunk your course gather your syllabus, reading and supplemental materials and resources.

Chunking - Example

• Define online and hybrid learning and its unique attributes • Which parts go better online? • Match current teaching styles to methods of online teaching • Identify elements of quality online/hybrid courses using the Quality Matters

Rubric • Write measurable module objectives using an alignment chart. • Organize and upload course content using the Blackboard Content

Management System • Use e-Reserves and organizing content with collection • Determine appropriate learning activities using available resources and given

available technology• Create a complete course module including module-level objectives, learning

activities, and assessments based on the module worksheet • Use basic functions of the Bb Grading Center and Assignments • Evaluate the Digital Media Classroom and tools - as a resource for

online/hybrid classes

Preparing Your Traditional Course for Online or Hybrid Delivery

Chunking - Example

Session One - Designing your course• Define online and hybrid learning and its

unique attributes • Which parts go better online? • Match current teaching styles to methods

of online teaching • Identify elements of quality online/hybrid

courses using the Quality Matters Rubric • Write measurable module objectives using

an alignment chart.

Session Two - Organizing Course Materials• Organize and upload course content using

the Blackboard Content Management System

• Use e-Reserves and organizing content with collection

• Determine appropriate learning activities using available resources and given available technology

Session Three - Supplementary Tools to Deliver and Assess Instructional Materials• Create a complete course module

including module-level objectives, learning activities, and assessments based on the module worksheet

• Use basic functions of the Bb Grading Center and Assignments

• Evaluate the Digital Media Classroom and tools - as a resource for online/hybrid classes

Chunking - Example

Session One - Designing your course• Define online and hybrid learning and its unique

attributes – Defining TU Online and Hybrid Courses– Facilitator/Moderator– Communication– Support– Move the Course Forward (time management)– Chunking

How do you Chunk?

• Gather your documents and identify the needed modules

• Write out everything on paper!• Reflect on the activities/assessment/assignments

will they work in an online environment• For hybrid courses identify what content can be

covered via online sessions

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