Get Your Students Hired
I've learned that not only should I assess the students online capability I should assess my own online capabilities, and will do so in future classes.
I believe that online learing is an extension of our hands on style. I like to speak to as many students in great detail prior to teaching. This allows me to guage their abilities and commitments for online. I also agree that time managment is very important. A student that can't commit to in-person learning because of prior commitments will also have a poor online experience if they can't dedicate the time required to interact online, as well as doing the required follow up and labs.
I must remind my students that if they need accommodation for a learning or physical challenge, they should connect with campus support services. It is on my syllabus that students are responsible to reach out to student services. Once they have the student's report, student services can work with faculty to identify the accommodation appropriate for the student's needs. This can't happen until the student's needs are assessed by support services. I am happy to comply with direction from student services since it is designed to maximize student success.
Working to set up an online class that includes encouragement, goal setting, and understanding and encouraging students to manage time, know their strengths and weaknesses along with the encouragement to strengthen their weaknesses will make the online experience better.
This was a good review of motivation, time management, clear instructions, expectations, and classroom accommodations for learning challenges. Identifying needs, however, without backup methods to assist student needs isn't helpful to anyone.
Instructor motivation is key. Meaning, try to motivate students throughout the online course in many different ways.
An understanding of students are motivated is essential to delivering an online course
Instructors that are teaching online need to be aware of their students and disabilities.
It is important to recognize the different learners in each cohort. I try to taylor my teaching to the majority and provide suggestions or meetings for those that fall into a different learning style or group.
Each student is different. We tend to look at students as a whole class or in groups. We must try to make sure to be able to focus on the one also. We have to be sensitive to student needs, their environment, the self image and self confidence, and their obstructions to learning. If we can model successful teaching and learning, we can help students become more efficient with time, more organized in their efforts, and more confident in their results.
I knew time was a valuable commodity; I saw it in a different way through the metaphorical use of closet space.
It is crucial to encourage structure, organization along with time management for online learners. Many students like the flexibility of online learning but push off their responsibilities for the course because attendance is not a specific time. However, this leads to disorganization and missing deadlines. Students need to set time each week for them to complete their discussions and assignments. They need to put due dates on a calendar and make sure each week they block time to sit and do their required work.
Keeping track of your work and staying on top of everything is key to being successful!
The idea that it takes we as instructors alot of time to prepare is so true. Add to this discussion, as an international instructor, the concerns I have to be language and culturally sensitive to my student audience.
I learned that online instructors need to evaluate their readiness to teach online, before committing to teaching online. And that online course often take more time and effort to complete than F2F courses.
Engaging and motivating students is essential to online learning and helping students with time managment, having clear guidelines for online learning and educating students about doing online courses is essential to student success