This Message Center is organized and operated by David Vitale Thursday, August 9-

Bridget Sullivan, Towson University.  Evolution of Online Course Design. 

Main points from the presentation:

• Create a sense of community that encourages students to login, communicate and discuss (Roundtables, blogging, journaling, etc.) Roundtable leaders serve as monitors of discussions.  Ask students to introduce selves, talk about selves, state likes and dislikes, fears, triumphs, and possibly include photos.
• Imbue online courses with personality
• Courses are now easier to underand and navigate
• Capitalize on the Internet, video, imagery
• Consider your audience.  Many students need F2F environments.  They're traditional learners.  Not everyone is a good fit for online learning.  Orientations to platform and the environment is extremely important.  
  

Patrick Cummings, Johns Hopkins University. Teacher Training Model for Online Education

Main points from the presentation:

• Teacher is the content expert or "driver" of course development (C&I Director, Principal, Technology Specialist are often "support staff")
• Online delivery is often:  asynchornous, consists of narrated segments in the form of Powerpoint or other multimedia, video clips, web conferencing, Web 2.0 communication tools.
• Good teaching is food teaching.  Successful classroom teachers are often successful online teachers.
• Basic requirements for teaching online and developing courses include: knowledge of threaded discussions, assessment ideas, email use, uploading images, Powerpoint or other multi-media tools for organizing content and ideas. 
• Sample unit structure (will vary)- 
• Intro of learning objectives
• reading assignments
• video or podcast
• narrated lecture (using PP)
• archived webcasts
• student assessments:  quizzes, exams, problem sets, threaded discussions, group projects, literature analysis

Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt.  Fielding Graduate University.  Building Virtual Communities that Work  

Main points from the presentation:

• The key to a successful online course is one where the instructor participates as a member of the online community (Roundtables, threaded discussions, moderating, guiding, etc.)
• Teaching learners how to learn:  students show self-direction, inquiry, and how to construct knowledge.
• Competencies of the online instructor (Davidson, 2006)-
• is intellectually exciting and challenging
• uses process-oriented instructional methods and keep the learning community-centered
• demonstrates effective use of group dynamics and dialogue techniques
• uses a variety of learning activities and methods other than lecturing
• interrelates various areas of the complete curriculum
• establishes clear objectives
• draws out creativity and innovation
• asks students to apply knowledge from the curriculum to real matters in life  (problem solving, critical thinking)
• promotes collaboration
• attends professional development workshops and models continuous learning.

Suggestions and Techniques for Building Community:  
1. Post bios and introductions. 
2. Don't engage in much content during the first week of course.
3. Establish guidelines for engagement (frequency, netiquette, what is substantive participation and what is not, etc.)
4. Disagreements online between students or with teacher are okay.
5. Debates, Roundtables, small group work, collaboration are encouraged
 

Gary Berry, Department Chair, National Security, Intel and Space Studies, American Military University.  Asynchronous discussion boards: Student perceptions.

Main points from the presentation:

• Clear guidelines for ADB use is important (frequency, quality of posts, etc.)
• Satisfaction with the instructor is tied to satisfaction with use of ADBs.
• Groups of 5 +/- 2 is optimum for participation and the development of critical thinking skills.
• Swan (2007) developed a rubric for assessing student posts by coding posts and searching for certain language.

 

posted August 10, 2007 « back to Message Center home

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