Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference October 23, 2009

Teaching Strategies for Online Health Care Courses

Rose Miller

Professor of Nursing, CSM

Challenges when Teaching Online

• Two ends of the spectrum– Generation Y students – computers in

the delivery room and in the bassinet when child is born – “Communication technology is their middle name”

– Traditional older student – never did anything with computers and afraid to even touch the computer

Teaching Strategies for Both Groups

• Need to stay on the cutting edge of communication technology to keep the Gen Y students engaged

BUT

• Need to keep it simply enough you don’t scare the traditional student away

Challenges when Teaching Online • A student myth, taking an online class will be a

“walk in the park, EASY!!!”

• Squash this thought immediately while still in the drop and add period!!

• Syllabus is the key to “enlightening” the student about the realities of YOUR online class

• Must have weekly activities to keep the students engaged

Format for Online Courses

• Keep it simple• If you teach more then one online

course – use the same format • Use the college’s online orientation

program• Use as many learning styles as

possible • Use audio or visual recordings

Audio Recordings

• Must have a log of recording to comply with ADA regulations

• What items may be audio recorded?– Explanation of how the course grade is earned– Layout of the course– Any special tips for studying or learning

course content

When to use Online Components

Discussion Board vs Assignment Drop box

• Factual question for Assignment Drop Box

• Thought provoking questions (reflections) – DB

• Factual questions with an application component, such as giving examples to support an answer – DB

Pros & Cons of Discussion Board

• Pros– Active engagement – Students must respond

to a number of classmates’ postings

– Shy student can relay thoughts easier

– Everyone has a “voice” on the topic

– Easy to record grades

• Cons– Can get cumbersome

with large groups of students

– Must manage grading system

– Takes longer to grade– Must open e-mail to

send feedback

Pros and Cons of E-mail

• Pros– Can communicate with

each student or a large group of students

– Can limit who gets the e-mail

– Will have a record (unless you delete -NEVER DELETE!)

• Cons– Grading assignments

through e-mail - must get out of e-mail and go to the grade book

– May forget to record grades

– What you say is in writing!!!! (Could be a pro also)

Pros & Cons of Assignment Drop Box

• Pros – Private – only

instructor sees– Can give feedback

without going to e-mail

– Student can submit large file

– Can record grades quickly and easily

• Cons– Other students are

not able to see – Usually have

attachments– Instructor may not

be able to open attachment

Pros and Cons of Chat

• Pros– Students can meet

at one time– It is live and

recorded– Decreases traveling

if a hybrid web class

• Cons– Cumbersome with

large groups– Must have rules of

engagement & ENFORCE

– Needs to be synchronize

– Must be a good typist!!

Teaching Strategies

• Learning Activities for each chapter or module

• Calendar – in syllabus AND on Learning Module page (webCT calendar also)

• At a Glance Assignment section on Learning Module page

Teaching Strategies (con’t)

• Exam information section on Learning Module page

• How to succeed section on Learning Module page or in syllabus

• Clarify what is to be turned in for a grade and what is there to help them learn

Teaching Strategies (con’t)

• You tube clips

• Publisher sites and CDs with books have quizzes, games and active learning exercises

• Require student to log into the course at least three times a week (tracking tool useful)

Teaching Strategies (con’t)

• Case studies

• Power points or class notes

• Study guides or workbooks

• Muddiest Point and Current Issues topic on Discussion Board

Evaluation Strategies

• Quizzes/Exams – Chapter quizzes much better at keeping

the student engaged then several big exams

• Learning activities with EACH chapter or module

Evaluation Strategies (con’t)

• Learning activities may be: – A thought provoking question/reflection

to post to the discussion board– Discussion questions with required

responses to other students’ postings

*Readings from the book

*End of chapter questions

*Current event related to topic of the wk.

Evaluation Strategies (con’t)

• Examples of weekly activities:– Select five words from a chapter,

breakdown, define and tell a story using the words

– Define ageism and give three examples

– See the handouts for more examples of weekly learning activities

Evaluation Strategies (con’t)

• Research papers

• TV/Movie paper to reinforce learned content

• Reflections on a topic or guided questions

Evaluation Strategies (con’t)

• Patient teaching plans using the Nursing Process for Pharmacology course

• Writing “pulling it all together” papers at the end of the course

In Summary

• It is best to have the students do at least one activity each week

• The activity should related to everyday life events if possible

• Require the student to log into the course at least three times per week

Any questions?

Enjoy the rest of the conference!