Teaching an online course

--> Step 1 --> Step 1b --> Step 2 --> Step 3 --> Step 4 --> Step 5 --> Step 6 --> Contacts \| Deadlines
Step 1b - Taking Your Course Online: Questions To Ask Yourself	<- Prev \| Next ->
Taking your Course Online! Questions to ask Yourself Teaching a course online is not always as simple as it may seem. The online environment is very different than the classroom environment and requires new and different ways of structuring and teaching the course. Below are some questions to consider before taking your course online. Course Structure Will you use your own web site, courseware package, or textbook publisher's package? How will you organize course materials so students can work though them in the manner intended and not get lost or confused? Remember, you are no longer meeting regularly in person to direct/guide students. Everything you say in the classroom has to be captured and communicated somehow in the online environment. Will online material be all text-based or will there be video/audio components as well? How will assignments be organized and presented? How will assignments be turned in (mail, e-mail, fax)? How will assessment and testing occur? How will you give feedback to the students? Will you need to have an orientation meeting and/or other face-to-face meetings? Will students need access to other resources on campus? If so, can they access these resources online? Communication Will you use E-mail, listservs, discussion boards, chat? How will you make announcements to students? How will you motivate students to participate in class discussions? What skills do you need to moderate effective communication online? How often will you access the class, and what kind of response time will you employ? How often will you expect students to access class materials? Do you have any way of checking this? Technical Issues What hardware/software skills will students need to access your course? What hardware/software skills will you need to create your online course? Do students need to have e-mail? Do students need any specialized software or plug-ins? Who is going to handle the technical difficulties that some students are sure to experience? How will you handle students with disabilities? Where to begin? Start incorporating some online components (web site, e-mail, listserv) into your traditional classroom based courses. Have your students use the class web site for some aspect of the course. Have your students do an online assignment and submit it to you electronically. Take a look at other online courses to see how they are structured. Take an online course yourself. © Learning Technology Series. No portion of this may be used without the consent of David Diaz. * I need help! I am unable to continue without further assistance.
Developed by: Kevin Bontenbal and David Diaz	<- Prev \| Next ->