canvas.net
Teaching Online: Reflections on
Practice
Last edited by Emily McWorthy 5 days
ago
Welcome!! This course invites your critical reflection on the
methods of online instruction; beliefs and potential bias of the online
learner; policies and rules and how they align with course objectives; tone and
the purpose of communication. In this course you'll find
readings and experiences of practice from online instructors and students to
provide a foundation for discussion. These resources will help us make similar
or, upon reflection, different choices for ourselves and our students.
Those new to online
instruction will benefit from the practical knowledge shared in this
course. Experienced online instructors and designers will both
expand their exposure to new insights and focus on the details of their own
practice. The unique community college perspective, with all its diversity,
provides a rich backdrop and adds genuine complexity to the discussion.
Resource materials will be primarily
open web readings and videos. Participants will be able to collaborate,
share reflections and provide guided feedback to other participants.
Course
Outline
Review the syllabus and
start with the first module to familiarize yourself with Canvas.
Learner
Outcomes
1. Communication
- Communicate in the online environment with effective
tone and direction to guide students toward practice and concept
application
- Demonstrate timely communication (synchronous and
asynchronous) to aid the learning process
- Provide quality feedback needed to continue the
learning process
2. LMS/Tool Application
- Use online tools to aid with meeting course outcomes,
presenting materials to appeal to various learning preferences, course
design, and assessment of concepts
- Locate and share resources with colleagues to continue
the exploration of tools for tea
3. Course Design
- Apply and discuss essential core components of the
Quality Matters Rubric to a course design
- Develop course policies (tests, late work) that are
manageable and fair
- Research learning objects, digital materials,
open-educational resources available for your discipline
4. Online Learning Theory
and Methods
- Apply common habits of successful online instructors
and students
Need technical support with Canvas? Click on the word "Help" in the upper
right-hand corner of your Canvas screen. From there, you will be able to search
the Canvas Guides, ask a question, or suggest a feature. There is also a
collection of "How to" guides found at How to use Canvas Network.
Objective: Apply common habits of successful online instructors
and students.
Before we can get started designing online courses, it's crucial that we
understand our audience, or our students. Some questions we might
ask are the following: what are the characteristics of an online
learner? How do those characteristics differ from a face-to-face
learner? What is the role of an online instructor and how does it differ
from a face-to-face instructor when dealing with a diverse group of
learners? Reflecting on our own role and our students' contexts will help
you design a course that supports learning. The following activities will
help you to understand today's online learner and the role of the instructor in
online courses.
Unit Objective: Develop
course policies (tests, late work) that are manageable and fair.
Because the instructor is
not immediately present in front of the class reminding students daily of
deadlines, late work policies, and testing procedures, it is important to have
clear and concise policies available for students in multiple locations
throughout the course. Policies will vary by instructor and discipline. Some
instructors feel that strict deadlines are essential to keep students on task,
while others feel that flexibility better matches the purpose of the online
format. Some instructors will require proctored exams, while others will choose
to keep their exams accessible from home. Whatever policy choices you make for
your course, they must be clear, concise, and the purpose repeatedly
communicated to students in various formats. This week, we will discuss
creating an online syllabus, and several ideas for testing, late work, and
other course policies for online courses.
- Use online tools to aid with meeting course outcomes,
presenting material to appeal to various learning preferences, course
design, and assessment of concepts
- Locate and share resources with colleagues to continue
the exploration of tools for teaching and learning
- Research learning objects, digital materials, open
resources available for your discipline
E-learning is mediated via
electronic technology tools. Online courses are developed, delivered, enhanced
and limited using the tools of the medium. So how do you know which tools to
use? Do you use tools within the learning management system, or do you look
elsewhere? Where might you find supplemental tools? When does it make sense to
create tools yourself/in-house, and how do you evaluate tools that others have
created? These are some of the common questions among new online instructors.
This week, we will discuss several places to find and share the technology
tools needed for online teaching and learning. The goal is never to use every
tool under the sun, but to wisely choose tools that help learners meet the
course objectives and promote the attention needed for your discipline.
Unit Objectives:
- Use online tools to aid with meeting course outcomes,
presenting material to appeal to various learning preferences, course
design, and assessment of concepts.
- Apply and discuss essential core components
of course design standards for online learning.
We've now seen several cool tools
for presentation and interaction, explored the components and structure of the
all-mighty syllabus, and thought about creating learning opportunities.
Now we move to designing the course. There are several methods and
theories that can be applied to course design, many of which we will discuss
this week. We suggest a backwards approach - start with your course objectives,
and work backwards designing learning modules and then activities or learning
experiences that help students meet those objectives. Objective-centered
course design will help you re-examine your activities and assignments,
determine the purpose and relevance, and can improve course structures for
online, face-to-face and blended courses.
Unit Objectives:
- Communication in the online environment with effective
tone and direction to guide students towards practice and concept
application.
- Demonstrate Timely communication (synchronous and
asynchronous) to aid the learning process.
- Provide quality feedback needed to continue the
learning process.
Once the course is designed, we move
into the facilitation of the course. Communication and engagement go
hand-in-hand in online learning. In general, more communication better.
However, this communication must be clear, timely, supportive, and
perceived as useful to the student. This week, we will discuss strategies for
communicating with students, fostering student to student interaction, and
creating engagement in online courses. We could probably spend another 6
weeks on this topic, but time is limited, and so we scratch the surface
together.
