Karen Tuohey

When designing online course content an instructor wants to make sure that the course layout matches their learning style. It is important to use a variety of tools--both traditional and technology tools, when developing the course content to facilitate learning for all learners. 

As a facilitator of an online course, my role is to guide students to be responsible for their own learning experience. 

It does not matter whether a course is conducted synchronously or asynchronously. The most important point is for the instructor to develop a consistent course framework that communicates the course rules, expected learning outcomes, where to go to ask questions, and requirements to submit assignments by required deadlines. This must be done in a manner that is accessible to all students so each one can complete the course successfully.

Learning about the functionality and application of technology tools in an online course is critical to students learning the course objectives. Instructors must Instructors needs to assess the functionality of technology tools to ensure the tool facilitates not only the teaching process but also the learning process.

It takes multiple tools and data sources to complete the course review process. One needs to include both quantitative data and qualitative data from multiple stakeholders to continuously make necessary adjustments and improvements to the course structure and close the loop!

I learned that both formstive and summative assessments are needed to reinforce learning during the lesson and to prove that learning occurred once the lesson is completed.

In this module, I learned that as an instructor, I need to be effective in building a dynamic online learning environment for my students where communication and feedback are essential to learning the course content. Effective Communication starts with having a dynamic syllabus that changes as needs change and/or the learning environment changes. The key to effective communication includes providing detailed instructions in the course syllabus to start with, then going forward with the instructor being participative in the course and encouraging collaboration between the online learning community members. Another important factor is to scaffold learning throughout the course and… >>>

The authoring process includes using a course framework module for each lesson and being consistent in the format and length of each module is important in shaping student expectations in completing the course assignments.

In this session, I learned that keeping course records is important, ideas on communicating with students, how to prepare to counsel students, the best practices to deal with undesirable behavior in the online learning environment, suggestions on how to resolve student conflicts, and actions I can take to minimize student attrition.

In this session, I learned the differences between using synchronous and asynchronous discussion in an online course, how to encourage participation in these discussions for different learning styles, and how to provide feedback that encourages student motivation and confidence in their learning of the course content. Also, providing constructive criticism to students needs to have the right tone to instill a way for students to address future learning opportunities.