1. Presented by: Julie Hutchin & Kathy Chatfield Clark College, Vancouver
How to design, organize, and teach online effectively
Presented by: Julie Hutchin & Kathy Chatfield Clark College, Vancouver

2. Audience Survey How many have never taught online?
How many consider yourselves beginning online instructors, looking for ways to be more effective?
How many are already teaching online and feel like you have effective ideas that you can contribute here today?

3. Getting Your Class Started Creating a Clear Course Structure
Sink or Swim?
AGENDA
Getting Your Class Started
Creating a Clear Course Structure
Creating a Strong Learning Environment
Designing Online Curriculum from F2F
Finding Your Virtual Voice
Your handout is an outline of these slides and reference to the WIKI content.

4. Getting Your Class Started Creating a Clear Course Structure
Sink or Swim?
AGENDA
Getting Your Class Started
Creating a Clear Course Structure
Creating a Strong Learning Environment
Designing Online Curriculum from F2F
Finding Your Virtual Voice

5. Getting Your Class Started
Research shows:
Your navigational instructions must make the organization of the course easy to understand
You must have a welcoming announcement or statement at the beginning of the class that introduces the student to the course and to how student learning is structured
Have students introduce themselves to the other participants in the course
~QualityMatters.org, Rubric
(An organization under Maryland Online)

6. Sample Welcomes

7. Possible Orientation Items
Welcome announcement
What to do first
Course orientation—how online or hybrid works
Describe a typical week
Require reading of syllabus and calendar/schedule
Self-assessment for suitability of online learning
Introductory discussion board posting
Quiz, checklist, commitment or letter
Explore the course

8. Orientation Examples

9. Example

10. Tips for a Great Start
Students love it when the instructor replies to every single introduction message with an individual welcome to that student
Be enthusiastic; let your personality come through
Be assertive in following up with students—especially in the first two weeks

11. Getting Your Class Started Creating a Clear Course Structure
Sink or Swim?
AGENDA
Getting Your Class Started
Creating a Clear Course Structure
Creating A Strong Learning Environment
Designing Online Curriculum from F2F
Finding Your Virtual Voice

12. Creating a Clear Course Structure
Research shows:
Instructions should be clear, consistent, intuitive
Take technical limitations into account
Keep it simple (KISS)
Face-to-face materials may need to be reorganized
Group together everything for one "module" (probably one week) into manageable chunks
Scaffold learning within the course development to "lead" the learner from one concept to the next logical concept
Students easily become frustrated with confusion within a course, inconsistent instructions, overkill of do's and don'ts

13. Sample Announcement

14. Sample Module Design

16. Sample Instructions

17. Tips for Course Structure
Students don’t like to click around. They want everything right in front of them. So, your design goal should be to have as few “clicks” as possible.
Use color and motion sparingly for visual learners
Be as consistent as you can:
Keep your terminology consistent
Keep your directions consistent
Keep the look and feel and flow of the course consistent

18. Getting Your Class Started Creating a Clear Course Structure
Sink or Swim?
AGENDA
Getting Your Class Started
Creating a Clear Course Structure
Creating A Strong Learning Environment
Designing Online Curriculum from F2F
Finding Your Virtual Voice

19. Creating a Strong Learning Environment
Research tells us:
The term “Learning Environment” has been used to indicate a type of learning task to denote virtual spaces found in computer applications and on the Internet, and to refer to the classroom psychosocial environment
Interactivity is probably the single most effective component in a learning community
Discussion Boards are widely used for creating interactivity in online courses

20. Examples
“The point of our weekly discussions is to provide a forum where student communication can take place similar to what you would experience if you were attending an onsite class. It is often noted that students learn as much (if not more) before and after class in discussions and working with each other than they do during the class itself. Please put every effort into making this discussion requirement beneficial to everyone. But, also note, there are points associated with this part of the assignment. Refer to the Discussion Grading Rubric (Course Documents area) to see how your weekly discussion postings and replies will be evaluated.”

21. Discussion Grading Rubric
Criteria
Advanced (3-4)
Proficient (2-3)
Not Yet There (1-2)
Not There at All (0)
Development of Ideas
Well-developed ideas; introduces new ideas, and stimulates discussion.
Developing ideas; sometimes stimulates discussion.
Poorly developed ideas which do not add to the discussion.
Does not enter the discussion.
Evidence of Critical Thinking
Clear evidence of critical thinking-application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation….
Beginning of critical thinking; postings tend to address peripheral issues…
Poorly developed critical thinking.
Clarity and Writing
Posts are well articulated and understandable, free of spelling and grammatical errors.
Posts are understandable, but some effort is required; one or two spelling or grammatical errors
Posts are difficult to clarify; several spelling or grammatical errors.
Posts are unintelligible or not present.
Responses / Replies
Interacts at least 3 times in response to other original postings.
Interacts 2 times in response to other original postings.
Interacts 1 time in response to other original postings.
Does not reply to other postings.
Timeliness
Individual messages and at least three responses posted before deadlines.
Individual message posted before deadline but at least one response is late.
Posting is made after deadline or all responses are late.
Everything is late or not completed.
~adapted from

22. Tips for Learning Environment
Award points for and grade discussion participation
You cannot assume that students will read each discussion post; require replies to enforce this
Make discussion topics relevant to the students, relating what they are learning to the real world
Don’t do the students’ work for them, but BE PRESENT! (You must be a role model.)

23. Getting Your Class Started Creating a Clear Course Structure
Sink or Swim?
AGENDA
Getting Your Class Started
Creating a Clear Course Structure
Creating A Strong Learning Environment
Designing Online Curriculum from F2F
Finding Your Virtual Voice

24. Designing Online Curriculum from F2F
Research shows:
Learners usually have a combination of learning styles
Online activities should provide significant experiences for each class participant
Many instructional strategies used in traditional classrooms can be successfully adapted to the online environment
Use a combination of instructional strategies, so different learning styles can be accommodated ~

25. Resource from Illinois Online:

26. Multiple Strategy Assignment
Get to class and talk! Discuss the following items:
What problems have you had in taking tests?
Any helpful tips for us?
Textbook Assignments
Chapter 15 Objective Tests
Field Trips
What are tests like at other colleges? Are there practice SAT tests online?
Practice objective tests from other colleges.  
What did you learn?
Note: Study Reading Project Due on Saturday. Field trip surveys.
~Lucy McDonald, Chemeketa Community College

27. Tips for F2F  Online Consider electronic submission of work/projects
Consider “web quests” or online scavenger hunts
Consider projects vs. tests to demonstrate knowledge and understanding

28. Getting Your Class Started Creating a Clear Course Structure
Sink or Swim?
AGENDA
Getting Your Class Started
Creating a Clear Course Structure
Creating A Strong Learning Environment
Designing Online Curriculum from F2F
Finding Your Virtual Voice

29. Finding Your Virtual Voice
Research shows:
The overall idea of a Virtual Voice is to create a safe, interactive, and learner-centered environment for the student and instructor
This will not only help to retain students, but it also makes the job of an online facilitator a much more enjoyable experience
Change of focus from “expert teacher” to “effective facilitator”

30. Another Welcome

31. Examples of the Tone You Set— who are you?
Introduce yourself; let your students know what to call you (first name, Dr., Prof., etc.)
Your contact information; what you like to do when you aren’t teaching
A picture of yourself; the type of picture can set the tone (professional, relaxed, stern, friendly)

32. Examples of the Tone You Set— what can students expect from you?
Regular announcements so students are alerted to important matter and “see” that class is taking place
Reply to within a 24-hour period
Be “present” in discussions several times each week
Virtual office hours (via chat or phone)
Return homework in timely manner
Use formative feedback; what they did well, what they need to work on, positive reinforcement
Create a Q&A forum (Water Cooler, Chat Café, etc.)

33. Tips for a Positive Tone
Call students by their first names in discussions
Schedule homework due dates when you will be most active for preceding two days
Be as flexible as possible with students—making it more of a “learner” experience than a “teacher” experience
Reach out to those who are not participating at beginning or in danger of failing near mid to end
Schedule (and announce) a day off for yourself

34. Any Questions? Getting Your Class Started
Sink or Swim?
AGENDA
Getting Your Class Started
Creating a Clear Course Structure
Creating A Strong Learning Environment
Designing Online Curriculum from F2F
Finding Your Virtual Voice
Any Questions?