If your students know what needs to be learned in order to master a particular objective, they will know what areas to focus on the most. In online and distance learning in general, learning objectives are key. Students will often experience problems if there are not clear objectives and instructions in order to achieve mastery…
Online teaching should really be called online facilitation. I’ve seen it time and time again; traditional classroom instructors are told they have to teach online. The problem is, many of them don’t know how. They are used to lecturing with a PowerPoint, going on field trips, or doing a lab – they TEACH. But in…
Creating a rubric can set proper expectations for your students. This short tutorial will show you the basics. Competency (Objective) Performance Tasks (Range) Criteria (Degree) You’ll want to start with the competency, then you will find that your rubric will just flow right together with the performance tasks, and the criteria. Competency or Objective: What…
How do students know what is expected of them to get a desired grade? How does the instructor grade consistently? Rubrics “if you get something wrong, your teacher can prove you knew what you were supposed to do.” —- Quote from a student who said he didn’t care much for rubrics. Rubrics are simply a…
Mentoring is especially conducive to the online environment. We talked earlier about facilitating instruction and coaching students. Mentoring is a form of teaching that enables students and encourages them as a guide rather than a provider of knowledge. Mentors serve as the model for expected behaviors while challenging students to perform at higher levels. In…
Case studies present students with a detailed description of a situation related to the class material. The students can then analyze the decision making process of the characters involved. Using hindsight, the students then can identify things that went wrong and explain or justify why they might have went that way. On the other hand,…
Project based work allow students to pursue their own particular interests. They can take place individually or in groups. Many online activities are project based already. Projects allow for students to receive feedback and different viewpoints from other students – not just the instructor. Students can then reformulate their project before final submission. Collaboration is…
Small group work can be just as effective online as it is in the traditional classroom. In many cases it can be more effective because students are not subject to external factors such as shyness, gender, disabilities, geography, etc. Students can share their ideas while analyzing other input from fellow group members. On Bloom’s Taxonomy,…
The online forums instructional strategy. Forums come in two variations : 1) Panel 2) Symposium The panel is a small group of subject matter experts (around 3 to 6 people) who sit (or sit virtually) in front of an audience and carry on a purposeful conversation on a topic brought up by the moderator (or…
Instructional Strategy: Online Discussions The asynchronous discussion strategy adheres to online learning in many ways. Students have more time to think about their answers and research areas in which they do not understand. When they have a clear grasp of the content, they can post a detailed analysis of their findings through writing. This luxury…