Angela Taylor

I learned the importance of student engagment within in an online learning environment.   I plan to develop a welcome letter to students as well as participate in online discussion boards, reply to student comments and triggering additional questions or explanations. I also learned the four 0's of course design: origin, organization, orchestration, outcomes assessment. I plan to address and incorporate all of these elements into my course/s as they are developed.

I learned that communication, fostering a learner-centered environment, structuring problem-based learning, and providing meaningful, informative feedback are all essential as a facilitator.  I plan to guide students through the course content so they can become responsible for their own learning.

Information must be both organized and presented in a consistent manner regardless of whether it is a synchronous or asynchronous.  All students must understand and know how to do what is expected of them.  For example. proscrastination is more common in an asychronous learning environment so you must front load course content; thereby making all materials accessible at any time, any where.

I learned that there are many technology tools that can be used in an online course. It is important to know what types of tools are available and how best to use each type so they enhance teaching and learning objectives.

I learned that you will need multiple evaluations and multiple inputs to improve your online course.  

I learned that meaningful feedback needs to be clear and connected to learning objectives.  Also,  rubrics are useful tools as they indicate how students will be evaluated and grading is more consistent.

I learned the importance of  a dynamic syllabus as well as how to effectively scaffold the learning in an online course.

I have learned how important consistency is when developing modules (ex. length of time to complete).

One of the most useful things I learned is what measures can be used to reduce attrition. Keeping students engaged and enrolled in your course is more challenging in an online learning environment so being mindful what causing attrition is very useful as an online instructor..

I learned how to facilitate both synchronous and asynchronous discussions as well as how to effectively give feedback to students.