Are you ready to take an online course? The instructor and the students should do a self-analysis on whether you are ready to take this course. Some of the questions would be, do you have the technology to dedicate this time? Are you self-motivated? Do you have time management? One thing I always stated to my F2F courses is that for every one hour of lecture you should study 2 hours at home. Can you set reminders the day before due dates?
For the instructor, it will take 20 plus hours to develop the online environment to be enriched and ready. After the initial investment of time then maintenance will not be a time worthy.
Also, considering special needs support we as instructors need to have an understanding what the disability is and how we can support your success. Should we allow for more time on testing, provide better study aids and furthermore ask student services for extra help. The more a student communicates the better.
I learned it's important to check in on my students to make sure they are staying on top of their work and staying motivated.
Doing an online employee survey is critical to making sure we have the tools to be effective as an online instructor. Also, procrastination has to be dealt with because the motivation might not be there with the student having to create schedules and stick to them to be able to complete each section on time.
What I've learned about being an instructor of an online course is that in order to meet the students needs, different delivery methods of content are necessary, and are usually different than the traditional delivery methods.
Motivation and time management will help students achieve their goals.
Instructors in online environments have to ensure that their students succeed by motivating them using positive feedbacks, a positive learning environment, meaning behind their learning and making them feel like a valued member of the community. They should also provide appropriate accommodations to all students as needed.
To take the time to get to know your student populace one on one. By taking the time to engage and learning their learning strengths and weaknesses will help the instructor set up and facilitate an effective learning environment.
Definitely on line teaching requires more structure, preparation, planning and deliberate sequence. Although personalization is difficult, there are ways we can detect what learning styles some of our students may have a develop content accordingly.
I generally think of favorable grades as the means of rewarding students, but it is a good reminder to consider going a step further by emailing students and telling them how they are succeeding in the class. This can further help motivate students.
Preparing students for online learning requires learning the students individual learning style. Students that are introverts should be identified as to not loose this student in a class of extroverts.
Keeping grades UTD, making accommodations, building relationships with students, and time management (both ways) can help us lead the way for online learners because they are here to stay.
I like the idea of posting a video for the instructor's biography and for weekly directives.
Online classes should follow a specific structure that meets students needs as well as fosters discussion and learning. This can be created by understanding where students are both comfort and technology wise at the beginning of a class. Scaling the class to the students' strengths and allowing them to build their weakness will give them more opportunities to be successful.
Students should look at time differently to know how to be efficient with time management.
From this module, I learned that not everyone learns the same by a singular teaching method. Adapting to differences, modifying lectures and time given for assignment submission, and developing methods for specific students may all be helpful.
It's important to realize and remember that each student learns differently, and each will need to utilize time management and motivational skills.
I really like the idea of giving students a self-assessment for how they feel about taking an online class. For some students, it may be their first online class and giving them the time reflect on how it is a different experience than in person can be very formative in their success or failure in the course moving forward.
I especially like the idea of using an announcement video. My thought is to use this along with the written announcement, giving students an opportunity to read or listen.
It is important to be tech savvy to be an online instructor. I wholeheartedly agree that motivation and time management are the keys to successful online learning.
F2F compared to online management of students requires the same if not more attention from you as an instructor. You must use both extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors and be consistent, be direct yet approachable. Time management is key as mentioned in the training.. For many, this may be the first time they have to multitask or utilize time management. This is opportunity for you to connect
