April OSteen

One of the ultimate goals of effectively designed online programs from a teaching perspective should be to assess learning. As students communicate and complete assignments/projects, they must understand how they will be assessed. Criteria must be used as the basis of a framework for measuring growth in the learning process. To effectively complete assessments, rubrics are a key component.

A rubric is simply an assessment tool. Many are provided online or can be developed online through websites such as Rubistar. Rubrics should include a set of criteria that connect to specific outcomes/objectives of the course or assignment. Rubrics allow for… >>>

Both students and instructors have responsibilities when engaging in effective communication:

Students also need to feel comfortable working individually and in groups in an online environment. This requires effective communication and technologies that allow for collaboration. Students may need some training in using the technology, and encouragement for participation. Online learning is not for everyone. The level of social interaction may be high in the online environment and many barriers may be present. An online student is expected to:

Participate in a virtual environment
Work with others in completing projects
Use technology properly
Complete assignments on time
Communicate verbally and… >>>

I really like the idea of not only have a code of conduct for communication and rules regarding communication but also a rubric.  The rubric not only helps the students to see their participation, behavior, etc. correlated with a certain grade, but it also gives the instructor a fair guideline for feedback and grading.  Communication is such a broad area with so many potential "gray" areas, a rubric really helps it to become more concrete.  

There are a variety of technology tools that can be utilized for synchronous and asynchronous learning in online classes.  It's important to research the validity and appropriate use of these tools, based on what the course is meant to convey to the students.  Many factors need to be taken into account, including the needs to the students.  It's important to get constant feedback from students and evaluate each tool's effectiveness.  It's ok to switch up these communication methods as needed to best reach the needs of the students so that course content is effectively conveyed. 

All teaching innovations need to be tested in order to validate academic outcomes and benefits. Ongoing assessment and evaluation are critical to success. Assess and evaluate your course in order to provide justification and to demonstrate academic rigor for online instruction, gather objective data such as scores on exams (it helps if you have something to compare them to), and subjective data such as student feedback and preference.

As a facilitator, there are many important tasks. Communication, fostering a learner-centered environment, structuring problem-based learning, and providing meaningful, informative feedback are all essential. However, providing informative feedback is the more important aspect of the role.

Since synchronous learning is a real-time, same-time environment, students must be online at the same time. Synchronous basically means "at the same time." Therefore, the instructor must schedule a time that is convenient for all students to meet at the same time. In many synchronous courses, this can be a difficult task as time zones, work commitments, and family needs vary from student to student.  Therefore, the synchronous environment leads to the development of an instructor who seems to be available 24-7. Rules and regulations must be developed to avoid the personification of a 24-7 instructor so that adequate teaching… >>>

There are so many technology tools out there that are both engaging and effective for online learning.  However, it's important to constantly assess through various modalities the technology you are using to ensure it is still relevant, effective and user friendly.  Feedback from students throughout the course is a great way to navigate this realm of online teaching.

An online instructor must continuously evaluate feedback from multiple sources and stakeholders to close the loop, thus enhancing the program over time.  This is an ongoing process as multiple factors can change over time impacting the need to update the online course to fit changing needs.

Formative assessments throughout the lesson and summative assessments at the end should be appropriately and expertly constructed to ensure that students get the most from the online course.