Kathryn Allen

A good online course needs constant revision, updating and evaluation.  

Communication within an online class is just as important as in a traditional seated class.  It is critical that the instructor sets up a system for students and him or herself to facilitate the necessary information in the class while establishing good communication norms that foster cooperation and respect.

Setting clear expectations for the instructor and the students is essential.  It is also important for instructors to have strong time management skills so that the online cours doesn't adversely affect the work/life balance.

Workload management is very important stages of developing an online course but especially when initially developing the learning environment.  Considerations include time management, LMS support and technical support.  Resources can come from personal experience, colleagues and the insitution.  A well-designed learning environment helps make the online class sucessful.

I learned that the online learning environmnet requires a special level of organization and record keeping that may not be necessary in a traditional classroom environment.  It is also important to set behavior and performance expectations for the students, just like you would in a classroom environment.

I learned the benefits and challenges with synchronous and asynchronous class meetings along with the appropriate uses for each type of instruction to best benefit the learners.

I learned the importance of establishing a approachable but authoritative online presence from the beginning of an online class.

I am not a natural online learner so I was nervous about becoming an online instructor.

I now understand how important is for me to familiarize myself with the CMS and all aspects of the online learning environment so I can help my students be as comfortable as possible in the online class.