for Teaching Online Courses Best Practices for Teaching Online Courses Cheryl Brandon Wells Instructional Designer - Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) Dallas, TX

Instructors will: Explore the resources needed for developing an online class Identify strategies for locating and organizing learning materials Examine methods for disseminating information online

It’s Not as Easy as You Think Web Mirror Resources Time Design Revision Plan Links Content Respond Organize Setup

1. Plan Ahead Timeline Content Master Courses LMS Communication

2. Take advantage of available resources Together Everyone Achieves More

What Not to Do! I Want to Develop an Online Course Click the image to play the video. Source – YouTube by darrencrone Created with Xtranormal Movie Maker

3. Ensure Quality Is content accurate and up to date? Are the instructions easy to follow? Have you checked all hyperlinks? Have you checked the video feeds? Does the course design help or hinder learning? Have you considered ADA requirements?

Great Resource – Quality Matters Quality Matters (QM) Faculty peer review process Certifies the quality of online and hybrid courses Quality Matters Rubric http://www.qmprogram.org/

4. Mirror the classroom experience Encourage interaction Establish a question/answer location Have student introductions Consider letting students function as teachers

5. Establish response time Best option 24 Hours Acceptable option 48 Hours

6. Review Netiquette Respect differing opinions Fully identify yourself Avoid sarcasm Remember there is a person on the other end Avoid text message abbreviations Copy yourself on all communication

7. Set Expectations Review the learning objectives Don’t procrastinate Success requires effort Maintain a calendar of assignments/due dates Check announcements regularly

8. Create an online orientation Contact information Textbook Technology Learning Objectives Learning Resources

9. Review Course Organization Menu structure Navigation Learning Modules Evaluation Grading Policy Grade Book

10. Encourage student interaction