Clinton Smith

It was interesting to learn about the various methods for evaluating a course and closing the loop. There were many I had not yet considered and will likely implement.

It was useful hearing about the differences between the various types of assessments and forms of feedback. I also liked the details on how to use rubrics and the suggestions on how to provide feedback. As a result I am likely to switch to providing more than written feedback for some assignments.

I liked the section on building a syllabus that highlighted the importance of not just posting a flat syllabus. In my courses I have steadily added to the syllabus and created a more dynamic document. There were some good suggestions on using blogs and wikis for creating an online learning community that I should put into practice.

A central lesson of this module was the importance of consistency in the design of each module. I also liked the idea of building a learning-objects database.

While i was familiar with many of the techniques covered in the videos for social and motivational engagement, I appreciated and learned from the detail and context covered. In particular it was helpful covering the nuances of motivational engagement and how that can be tailored to specific learning styles. 

In this section I learned some useful techniques for counceling by email and chat. The section identifying various learner profiles was useful, in particular the strategies for handling each learner type was very useful. The sections on conflict and attrition management could have been expanded.

I learned that synchronous forums are not good for imparting essential information and some strategies for improving their use in online courses. I gained some insight in how to better run asynchronous discussion forums that I will utilize in my courses. It was also very helpful to identify the main learning styles and how to recognize them. This will be useful in engaging students with my course content. 

I have learned various ways of projecting your presence and authority online in a course. I have already practiced some of these methods, such as providing an email introducing myself to the class prior to it starting, but have learned other ways of managing discussion forums. One method that stood out, one I have not used before, is to re-post a discussion forum post from another student.  

Creating clear ways to navigate the CMS is essential for student and instructor success. Not only should the methods of navigating the CMS be present within the CMS, but they should also be taught prior to being used. It is also important to identify your role as the online instructor and to explain the nature of the course content. The instructor should be with all of the course delivery techniques and strategies. 

This module was a effective introduction to some of the theory and methods for encouraging critical thinking in students. I appreciated the specific suggestions for the use of group based work, collaborative/cooperative learning, and problem based learning. The suggestions in these sections provide concrete mechanisms for building critical thinking into a course. Based on these suggestions I have already begun to construct critical thinking exercises for my course.