Christine Davidson

Courses should be evaluated and improved continually. I love the idea of a peer review for my courses; maybe an instructor or supervisor could take the course with students to determine improvements. 

I love using rubrics, and I like to provide written feedback as well, especially when grading papers or discussions. This is another easy way to connect with students without interrupting their time. 

Scaffolding is crucial for adult learner success. The syllabus is one of the most essential pieces in an online course as it is a roadmap for students and instructors to follow. It should be detailed enough for students to understand without explanation. I'd like to review the syllabus in my current class and ensure it matches the course (application of knowledge). 

Consistency is key! I like to use Heading Styles, bold important information, and a consistent look and feel with each module. Including visuals is helpful as well.  

Procrastination is challenging for online learners, especially those with outside family or work commitments. I try to provide as many ways for a student to communicate with me as possible. REMIND is a free app for education where students and instructors can text each other, and the instructor can send group texts. It's been fantastic for students who have anxiety about online classes; they can reach me quickly. 

Student engagement is critical in an online environment. Instructors can stay connected by Implementing tools such as synchronous and asynchronous meetings, discussion boards, chats, and email. Course participation and retention rates go hand in hand. 

It's crucial to connect with students. I send a welcome email to all before the course starts with a link to an orientation video. Additionally, I post an Announcement with an introduction and any essential information students need to know when starting the course. I teach an online Ethics class, so I implement much of my own experiences from the workplace to make the course relatable. 

Please post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. 

It's essential to know all aspects of the CMS and use the tools to assist learners with navigating the course. Engagement is critical in an online course. For instance, I teach an online Ethics course. I use the Chat tool to engage learners with a weekly ethical question, the response has been positive.