Session 4: Delivery & Managing Your Online Course

Announcements: • Resources, see BB folder for several e-books• Need headphones/microphones?• Consulting Meetings to date, Open Lab times on Wed?

Agenda• Discussion Questions (continued from last session)• The excellent online instructor• Social presence• Pitfalls and strategies for online teaching

• Management of your online course• General suggestions• DQ suggestions• Trouble shooting student issues

• Media Showcase: Respondus

Discussion Questions: Not Just a Space Filler!

Why Discussion Questions? • Access to resources beyond the classroom• Enable asynchronous participation• Accommodates multiple learning styles• Provide additional opportunities for interaction/reflection

with the content

How does discussion/interaction promote learning?• Creates interactive learning community • Of learners, of learners and instructor(s)• On and beyond the campus classroom

• Achieves scaffolding of student knowledge • Enhances engagement with the subject matter• Encourages/teaches teamwork• Enhances feedback – amount, timeliness • Emphasizes time on task• Increases social skills• Increases levels of student course satisfaction• Increases student persistence in distance programs

Interaction promotes learning because ….

• Students are more active; they must• complete assigned readings• reflect on and process concepts in the readings, present own

viewpoints/ideas• be exposed to diverse perspectives• interpret peers’ postings, compare with own viewpoints

 Types of DQs

Description1 Playground (PG) Questions require the interpretation or analysis of a specific aspect

of the material, or “Playground,” for discussion. Students are free to discover and interpret the material.

2 Brainstorm (BS) Questions ask students to generate a number of conceivable ideas, viewpoints, or solutions related to a specified issue. Students are free to generate any or all ideas on the topic.

3 Focal Question (FQ) Questions relate to a specific issue and require students to make a decision or take a position and justify it. Students are asked to support one of several possible positions.

4 General Invitation (GI) Questions invite a wide range of responses within a broad topic in an open or unfocused discussion.

5 Lower-Level Divergent (LD) Questions require students to analyze information to discover reasons, draw conclusions, or make generalizations.

6 Analytic Convergent (AC) Students are required to examine a relevant material and produce a straightforward conclusion, summarize material, or describe a sequence of steps in a process. Answers require analytical thought but lead to a single correct answer.

7 Shotgun (SG) Multiple questions that may contain two or more content areas.

8 Funnel (FUN) Prompt begins with a broad opening question, followed by one or more narrower question, and ending with a very concrete question.

9 Critical Incident (CI) Questions relate to a scenario or case study students have read; students are typically asked to propose solutions to the issues presented in the scenario/case study.

Richardson, Sadaf & Ertmer (2012)

The excellent online instructorWhat does the excellent online instructor look like? • Consider again the 7 principles from Sorenson & Baylen• Consider the change from face-to-face to online, what does it mean

for you as an instructor?• Shift from all knowing to guide on the side• Function of content moves from direct instruction to scaffolds and

resources for the most part• Establish your presence, model for students to establish their presence• Understand students need to take more responsibility for their learning

• Establishes presence early in course• Respects students as partners in learning• Be active and engaged throughout the course• Be open, flexible, compassionate, responsive and lead by example

• (Paloff & Pratt, 2011)

What is Social Presence?• Social presence: the degree to which participants feel

affectively connected to one another It allow the students to feel the instructor is paying attention to them and their learning needs and is involved in the course

• Creates a sense of connection, helps students avoid feeling of isolation

• social presence highlights encouraging social interaction as well as the underpinnings of critical thinking and higher level learning (Garrison, 2013)

Activity: Brainstorming ways to incorporate social presence into your courses.

Social Presence: Tips and Techniques Create a “Meet Your Classmates” section of your course where you and students

introduce yourselves to one another. model the exercise

Use short videos of yourself to introduce the course and particular topics. Model & encourage the use of verbal immediacy behaviors in interactions with

students. Language use: you, me, us, we, John Mary , Sue

Establish rules of Netiquette for your course. Encourage & support vicarious interaction. Consider including real time communications using applications such as chat,

collaborative whiteboards, interactive video.

Journal or otherwise interact with your students on an individual and personal basis. Reflective journal about the learning process

Use audio to embed feedback or video to assess assignments (PDFs, Camtasia, SnagIt).

Design community building activities. Design collaborative activities – problem solving tasks, projects, small group

discussion.

Pitfalls and Strategies of Online TeachingPitfalls include:• Upload your course materials and then call it a day.• Let the learning management system drive your thinking (VLE).• Insist on being the “sage on the stage.”• Expect your students to consume knowledge rather than create it.• Ignore the ways students learn from each other. 

Strategies• The focus of an online course is not simply on transferring information by posting your course materials

online but on actively helping students co-construct their own knowledge.

• The success of an online course depends on the active presence of the teacher not just on students’ use of the learning management system (VLE).

• Be sure to “listen” to your students in order to learn how you can help them with their academic challenges and issues. Listening in an online course can involve asking them to provide you with formative feedback on the course via online surveys, emails, and even telephone calls.

• Provide opportunities for students to discover and co-create their own knowledge rather than just prescribing set readings and activities.

• Provide scaffolded opportunities for students to learn from each other via group and peer learning activities.

Management of Online Courses• Be aware of and plan in advance: • There will be a shift from ongoing to upfront design and

development in terms of workload. Plan accordingly!• Precise directions for flow of course and assignments

• Rubrics are a great way to delineate what is expects, sample assignments, intro and navigation videos

• Post assignments in multiple places (within weekly folder and an assignments folder)

• Finding a balance between student-centered and instructor-centered; be the expert but don’t be the only expert!

• Consider, how can you leverage the student learning and your workload. For example, peer feedback on projects. Other ideas?

• Consider how can you leverage the technology and your workload? For example, self assessments with auto feedback. Other ideas?

Take the time to create protocols for communication. Include netiquette for course in general, best ways to reach you, and indicate you will not be available 24/7!• Dr. XXX will be available via email, and will respond as soon as possible (generally

within 24-48) hours. For the online discussions, the instructor will check in at least 3 times per week. Keep in mind that it is not possible for the instructors to respond to every single posting every week (nor is it pedagogically appropriate), but we will be sure to respond to a variety of postings and students each week and attempt to assure equality in terms of responses to students. If you feel you are being neglected in any way, please contact the instructor.

Planning for DQs and Managing them• Clearly define your expectations for discussion in general (participation rubric) and

for specific DQs. • Students should know they need to be formal, but not as formal as a “final paper”. • Netiquette is a must. Be prepared to intervene.• Employ the Socratic method• Design high level questions that (1) constructs knowledge from prior learning and

experiences, (2) incorporates the course readings, (3) that does not have one correct answer.

• Make students responsible for sustaining discussion threads.• Make students summarize discussion threads.• Have students serve as experts (e.g. lead a discussion)

My suggestions:• Participation in DQs should count toward final grade• Model responses• Provide detailed feedback for at least initial DQ• Don’t plan to respond to each student response each week—you’ll kill yourself.

Instead, respond to threads. I usually wait a few days until they get started.

Trouble shooting student issuesStudent Issue Solutions and Strategies

Late enrollments 

Welcome the student by sending them your introductory online course message and offering to have either a phone conversation or Skype session to help them catch up.

Course materials not visible to students

 

Be sure to check that you have selected the “Make Course Materials Available” function in the learning management system (VLE). If you are still experiencing problems be sure to contact your IT department.

Web browsers Check with your institutional IT department to verify what web browsers and versions are required to effectively utilize the course learning management system (VLE)

Study and time management issues

 

In the course learning management system (VLE), be sure to provide specific instructions, due dates, and expected time commitments for all of the learning activities in your online course. If a student continues to have study and time management issues in your online course refer them to your institutional student learning services office.

Students requiring course accommodations

 

Be sure that you include your institutional online course accommodations for students in your course outline and in your course learning management system (VLE).

What about those other student issues? Consider an unruly or other “behavior” from your face-to-face class. How would you handle it online?

For last session (Oct 21)• LDA 5 and 6 worksheets due next session• Review Paloff & Pratt, The Assessment & Evaluation Toolkit• Bring at least one assessment that you have used in your face

to face class that you want to transform for the online course. Or bring an idea for a new one.

Media Showcase: Respondusby Ronda Cassens

Lessons Learned

• Communication is key! From assignments to expectations to outcomes.

• Modeling and Examples (and Socratic method)• If an issue arises deal with it promptly—whether a behavioral

or communication issue• Types of behavioral issues, how to deal with these issues• Provide contacts that are available (content, technology, other?)

• Plan for sanity; set guidelines and expectations of your role but you need to be available (just not 24-7)

• You can NEVER please everyone!