Tips and Techniques for Online Instructors Melanie Reddrick, Arch Technology Elizabeth West, English

Getting to Know You… The Basics

How Long Have You Been Teaching Online?

Do You Enjoy Online Teaching? What Are Some of the Benefits and Challenges?

What Are Your Top Three Online Best Practices?

Getting to Know You… Critical Core

What Are Your Plans for Integrating the Critical Core Signature Assignment?

Our Individual Plans to Integrate the Critical Core Signature Assignment Add worksheet

Common to all Department Classes CLICK HERE TO OPEN LINK Introduction: Common to all Department Classes Melanie: Here’s a sample presentation demonstrating how I could introduce the Critical Core Assignment in each online class. We will click on the start button to begin the short presentation. It was created using Articulate Storyline 360. I am thinking that a similar presentation format could be used in all of the department’s online classes to introduce critical core competencies.

Student evaluates information and its sources critically. Student uses digital tools and environments to locate, access, and gather information. CLICK HERE TO OPEN LINK Student evaluates information and its sources critically. Melanie: In terms of a specific example-- I am selecting my building information modeling class. Since this is not a General Education Foundation class, I will generally be working with Key Indicators 3-5. This specific class would be well-suited to key indicators 4 and 5. For this example, I will use Key Indicator 5. So here’s how the course-specific key indicator intro might go.

CLICK HERE TO OPEN LINK Student uses digital tools and environments to locate, access, and gather information. In order to craft the assignment properly, I need to access the rubric for Key Indicator 5. There are several resources on the Critical Core Website on how to load this content. Let’s briefly look at one of the video links.

What Are Some of the Benefits of a Multi-modal Approach? Elizabeth: I will bring up my course and one of my Panopto videos. Talk about visual vs. auditory learners. Personalization of content information and ability to disseminate information easily.

What Are Some of Your Strategies to Help Students Who May Be Confused by the New Requirement?

What Are Your Perceived Opportunities Concerning CC Signature Assignments? Any challenges?

Help! Critical Core Assistance

You Are Not Alone! Online Resources: http://www.cpcc.edu/criticalcore

Feedback from the Session

we counted a combined 100 years of online teaching experience Out of 28 participants, we counted a combined 100 years of online teaching experience in this session.

We Asked Participants to Identify 3 Best Practices of Online Teaching: Announcements Usage (scheduled and unexpected) Integrated LMS (do not make students go to separate sites for coursework) Use of multi-modal/multi-media options (Panopto, Articulate, audio etc.) Consistency and clear communication of course content Use of Adaptive Release to unveil modules or weeks (do not give students the entire semester’s worth of content at once- confusing)

We Asked Participants to Tell Us the Benefits and Challenges of Online Teaching: Benefits: Flexibility, no paperwork Record of prior semester (gradebook and content) Computerized grading- time stamped Student accessibility to gradebook Job security for instructors Learning new technology Meet the needs of different learning styles Challenges: Keeping up with changes (updates) Disconnected from students (personal interaction) Technical challenges (student and instructor) Student engagement issues Cheating More time consuming to create lessons/modules

Critical Core Discussion Takeaways Feel confident to rely on each other and our online teaching skills to roll out Critical Core initiatives Mark your graded Signature Assignment as (SA-”Title”) and the Critical Core ungraded as (CC-”Title”) Collaboration is a must when deciding the content of the Signature Assignment-open minds needed Need to focus on communicating the benefit of skill building for students- Critical Core might be confusing language, focus on skills needed to transfer to a 4-year institution or workforce