Sally Shipey

Vital to practice good time management. Designate specific times for responding to emails, checking progress, etc. 

Instructor and technology support are key components of an effective online environment.

I am currently doing school online with my high schoolers, It amazes me the lack of technical knowledge they have. I am a Gen Xer and for the most part, I just figure it out on my own. I am pretty savvy but I am also not an expert so I am constantly trying to communicate different components of online learning. I am definitely surprised at my level of tech support that I provide.

It may seem basic, but it's important to survey students on their technology capabilities from cutting and pasting to what type of operating system they are working on. On a regular basis, I teach students f2f that do not know how to format basic computer programs and it blows my mind. They are geniuses on social media but not in other formats. 

I hadn't really thought about different generations communicating in an online course. So, as an online instructor, it will be even more vital to model and thoroughly explain assignments and course requirements.

Common sense should be the basic rule, but without experience, common sense may not be common. The instructor must also model appropriate communication and demonstrate leadership in this area. Setting standards early in the course is a necessary step to establish a level of professionalism.

The above exert from the module regarding common sense is perfect. As teachers, we must make sure that we are covering all areas, even if it seems like our students should know it. Modeling appropriate communication techniques is also vital to create a positive learning environment. 

Teachers should make sure and evaluate all tools available before choosing the best ones. They should also provide a variety to help meet the different modes of learning. To evaluate effectiveness teachers should survey students and if their attitudes match up then they probably have an accurate picture. 

Good facilitation techniques suggest that multiple strategies should be used to engage students which may include:

Welcome letter, introductions, syllabus, email, discussion boards, synchronous and asynchronous learning, etc. 

"Asynchronous learning networks are designed to provide students with the ultimate anytime, anywhere learning environment. This type of environment is designed to be more of a "student responsibility" environment in which course information is provided to all students and it is their responsibility to read, analyze, and learn the information. Asynchronous learning is designed for self-learning in a constructivist theory type of environment. The constructivist theory indicates learners generate learning and knowledge from their own experiences. This type of learning environment provides students with the ultimate freedom to access the learning environment on their own time, in their own way… >>>

"During the review of your assignment/project, complete or provide the following information: 1) make necessary edits, 2) complete the rubric, and 3) list the main edit made during this review." 

Here is an example of guidelines for peer-assessment:

"During your review of your peer's assignment/project: 1) complete the rubric, 2) list 1-2 strengths of how your peer completed the assignment/project, 3) provide written constructive criticism – how could your peer's work be improved, 4) clearly indicate specific edits that should be made, 5) discuss the information provided in #1-2 with the peer (if not an anonymous review), and 6) review… >>>

Consistency is key when designing an online learning environment. It is important for instructors to ensure things like lesson/module length to the language we use must be consistent. Also, so important to consider things like font size and video length as well. It will be important to consider all of the items as I plan for online learning.