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Online Education

teaching online

What online students want you to know (from student surveys and focus groups conducted by the Office of Online Education). This information mirrors current research in best practices with online learning.

Discussion Forums

  • Give clear directions for the discussions. Good prompts lead the discussion to achieving the learning objectives.
  • Be part of the discussion. Respond to post, but then push the discussion to the next level.
  • Consider the trade off in grading the ideas of the discussion versus the grammar and syntax.

Resources

Feedback, feedback, feedback

  • Provide quality feedback for all work.
  • Feedback should be substantive and clear.
  • Feedback should be regular and reasonably quick - or at least let us know when to expect it.

Resources

Lecture Capture/Podcasts

  • Audio quality matters. It is painful to listen to/watch a podcast or video that isn't clear.
  • It is very important to divide up the content. Let us watch for a while then ask us to do something.

Community Service Type Assignments

  • Know your students and their outside lives when planning assignments.
  • Assignments that require significant outside non-academic work- such as community service - are almost impossible for working adults.

Group Projects

  • Logistically, group projects are very difficult with an online course.

ONLINE FACULTY

Vince Petronio

Professor Vince Petronio

Communication Studies


"Online Learning levels the playing field for students. It gives introverts time to think before participating and gives others the opportunity to say all they want to say without being interrupted"

FACULTY RESOURCES

Teaching Tips

Motivating Students

Academic Integrity

Professional Development

Course Approval

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