Preparing to Teach Online Minnesota State University - Mankato February 11, 2004 Lesley Blicker

Web-Assisted Courses: Traditional land-based courses supplemented with technology (web-based activities, simulations, virtual labs, etc.) Hybrid or Blended Courses: Partially online, partially face-to-face. Some classroom sessions are replaced with virtual sessions that include online forums and web-based activities Fully Online Courses: Class is conducted completely online with no face-to-face sessions. Faculty typically use a web-based learning platform. Learning is primarily asynchronous e-Learning Definitions

IMS – Instructional Management System CMS – Course Management System eLMS – e-Learning Management System Terms used interchangeably A Learning Platform By Any Name

e-Learning has reached a critical mass in higher education as a core, maturing method of learning Poised for significant growth; issue of scale and strategic intent Moved beyond individual courses to whole programs and degrees being offered online Accreditation shift from programs to institutions Emergence of virtual universities, consortia, seamless systems, statewide portals Current Trends in e-Learning

Now measuring quality and evaluating learning outcomes of online learning Widespread use of interactive media and learning objects and more SCORM-compliant content Very early use of mobile learning Shift to single statewide learning platform Most students taking online courses have had several already and learn the technology quickly Current Trends in e-Learning (cont’d)

Continued development and sharing of learning content Standardization, interoperability of learning systems through SCORM Enterprise-wide learning management systems Continued investment in virtual university initiatives – including virtual training center component for faculty and staff On the Horizon

Anywhere learners Maturing of streaming technologies Deeper advances toward ADA-compliance and addressing accessibility issues in course sites m-Learning (mobile, wireless learning) On the Horizon – cont’d Data Sources for Slides 3-9 ECAR: Supporting E-Learning in Higher Education, Volume 3, 2003 Expanding Access to Learning: The Role of Virtual Universities, by Carol Twig, Center for Academic Transformation, 2003

Learning online pedagogy requires a certain openness for change, because the functions of an online teacher are quite different than a face-to-face teacher. Online teaching is no more appropriate for every instructor than it is for every student. But if you are expected to make the shift, then be prepared for a new learning journey. Is it for You?

The 3 Curves According to L. Blicker Technology Learning Curve Course Design and Pedagogy Learning Curve Time Now Preparing for and Teaching 1 st Semester 2 nd Semester

Don’t Expect to be a Believer Until You Have a Personal Epiphany

Considerations in Developing an Online Course Who are my students? What do I/we want to accomplish through this course/program? How do I/we successfully transfer it to the online environment? What guidelines, rules, roles, and norms need to be established for course/program completion? How is course material best delivered? Adapted from Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom, Palloff and Pratt, Jossey-Bass, 2001

Considerations in Developing an Online Course – cont’d How comfortable am I creating a student-centered environment/letting go of control? How are the course sites best organized? What look and feel do you want courses (within a program) to have for consistent student experience? How will I assess student performance? How will I address attendance requirements? Adapted from Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom, Palloff and Pratt, Jossey-Bass, 2001

Some Expectations of Students in the Online Environment That the course be easy to access That technologies are fairly reliable; relatively short download times That instructor feedback is turned around rapidly That not much synchronous time is required of them That they can access their grades 24x7 That they not be asked to read the equivalent of another text book online (i.e., your lecture notes) To be able to work ahead or see all assignments at the beginning of the semester Some material adapted from Jeffrey Feldberg’s presentation at Iteach, 2003 (Embanet)

Course Design Mechanics of Putting Your Materials Online Course Management The Basic Elements of Learning How to Develop and Teach a Course Online The Pedagogy of Online Teaching

Instructional design (storyboarding your content) Syllabus, course policies and guidelines as applied to online learning Web site design (layout, navigation, usability, accessibility) Technology know-how (some multi-media, html files, etc.) Copyright law applied to Internet Course Design

The Pedagogy of Online Teaching Knowledge of best pedagogical practices that most effectively engage learners (with instructor, with material and with each other) Instructional role as differentiated from face- to-face (instructor as facilitator) Active learning strategies (constructivist theory) Development of effective online content Creation of effective online activities Learner Assessment

1. Good practice encourages student-faculty contact 2. Good practice encourages cooperation among students 3. Good practice encourages active learning 4. Good practice gives prompt feedback 5. Good practice emphasizes time on task 6. Good practice communicates high expectations 7. Good practice respects diverse talents and ways of learning “ Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education” Chickering and Gamson, 1987 What is the lesson for online instruction in each of these?

Three Primary Means for Engaging Students Learner-to-Instructor Interactions Learner-to-Learner Interactions Learner-to-Content Interactions Michael G. Moore (1990). Recent Contributions to the Theory of Distance Education. Open Learning 5 (3), What are some strategies of each that can be implemented in the online environment?

Key Terms Used in Conjunction with Online Learning Student-Centered Environment: an environment in which the instructor incorporates to a great extent, the use of active learning strategies and student experiences. Active Learning: engaging one’s self (the learner) with the material being learned; helping students take charge of their learning. It espouses that students are not passive recipients of knowledge. Constructivist Theory: the learner interacts with objects and events thereby gaining an understanding of the features held of such objects or events.

Learning Styles Teach me my most difficult concepts in my preferred style. Let me explore my easiest concepts in a different style. Just don't teach me all the time in your preferred style and think I'm not capable of learning. A story and a comment from Virleen M. Carlson, Center for Learning and Teaching, Cornell University

Learning Styles

Mechanics of Putting Your Materials Online Knowledge of the IMS system (features you want to use such as quizzes, assignment drop box, etc.) Converting files to web-ready documents Creating multi-media files or other new files File management

Course Management Preparing students for online learning Pacing yourself Tracking students Rhythm of the semester or course Prompt and rich feedback to students Course evaluation and feedback from students

A Step-Wise Approach to Putting Your Courses Online

A Simple Course Design Best for a blended model Syllabus and course schedule are uploaded function is utilized Grade book is used Power points or other class materials are uploaded (maybe go paperless)

An Intermediate Course Design (Goal for teaching a fully online course) Deeper use of the tools in the Simple Design – now includes discussion board File management – most materials have been created and uploaded Presence of Content Modules Student group feature is utilized Site design more fully developed Addition of self-test, assignment drop box, and online quizzes Evidence of learner interaction

An Advanced Course Design Advanced use of Content Module Advanced use of the Quiz and Survey Module or uploading question sets from Respondus Implementing different uses of the Discussions Tool Student Presentations taken up a notch (link to Content Module and Glossary) Adding video and audio to your course

Use of advanced or additional tools inside course management system (whiteboard, image database) Use of third party tools for maximum student- to-content interaction (learning objects, games and simulations, virtual tours) Adding of video or audio (Power Point, Microsoft Producer, Camtasia, Java-script, Flash) Adding Technology

Experience the possibilities!

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What’s different for the student? Lesley Blicker D2L Implementation Team Leader. Office of the Chancellor Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and Community Faculty, Metropolitan State University