introduction
Working adults are becoming an increasingly large percentage of the college population; with their busy schedules, they are insisting on “more flexible and convenient learning options” (NBEA, 2002a). Additionally, greater numbers of students are entering college having already acquired extensive computer and Internet experience. As a result of these changes in college populations, an increasing number of post-secondary institutions are offering online instruction to meet students’ educational needs. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education recently reported that nearly 2.9 million students enrolled in college-level distance education courses in 2000-01, more than double the enrollment of 1997-98 (CNN.com, 2003). As distance learning is gaining acceptance and more students are enrolling in online courses, the need for quality online programs is also increasing.
background
In 2001, this author wrote a chapter in The Design & Management of Effective Distance Learning Programs (Discenza, Howard & Schenk, 2002) called “Online Courses: Strategies for Success.” At the time of writing, the author shared a number of practices that she found successful in teaching her online class. Since that time, she has attempted to continually improve the online course, either by eliminating features that students did not find useful or by adding online resources to better assist students with learning.
This article focuses on strategies and practices that the author has found successful in teaching online courses. It reviews some of the techniques written about earlier and presents additional practices incorporated into her course to create a more effective online learning environment. Topics such as the importance of an initial class meeting, providing diverse instructional materials, the value of student course evaluations, and the importance of continuous interaction will be addressed.
strategies for teaching online courses
spend Time planning
The first and most important step for developing an effective online course is careful planning (White & Myers, 2001). Prior to developing the course, it is a good idea for the instructor to look at other online courses and talk to experienced instructors of online courses to determine how to set up and actually teach or facilitate an online course. During the planning stage, it is important that the instructor define course goals and objectives, decide on course content or online learning resources, determine how the course content will be organized, decide on evaluation procedures, and identify interaction procedures to be used in the class.
Be Knowledgeable of online course Technology
By being familiar with the software and hardware used in the class and working through all online class components beforehand, the instructor will be able to answer students’ questions—both content-related and technical—promptly and with expertise. The instructor will also be able to anticipate student needs and questions before the class begins, which can prevent student problems and frustration.
consider using a course management system (cms)
If teachers have access to a server but possess limited time or technical expertise, they might consider using a commercially developed course management system (CMS) to set up and manage the online class. A major advantage of using a CMS is that instructors do not need to be well versed in programming or be computer experts. If they can create in HTML format the various documents that they want to make available to students (objectives, lecture notes, study guides, exams), uploading them into the system is a very simple procedure. Additionally, if the online course is one that the instructor has already taught, much of the materials, tests, quizzes, and other content will have been previously developed (Lewis & Blair, 2003).
In addition, a CMS can make the course more user friendly and more professional looking with little designer expertise on the part of the instructor (Fredrickson, 1999).
With a CMS, instructors can manage the posting of assignments, grades, and exams (Crews, 2003). Course management systems generally provide their own tools for communication such as e-mail (eliminating the need for students and instructor to keep track of numerous e-mail addresses), threaded discussion (student and instructor postings can be read by all students), and teacher announcements (sending a note or reminder to the entire class). Exams can be set up in advance with date and time restrictions and can be graded automatically, providing students with immediate feedback. Additionally, with a CMS, students find the Web sites easy to use and when they log on, they receive pop-up reminders about new e-mails, new discussion postings, or scheduled tests.
A CMS allows the instructor the capability of tracking student activity throughout the term. At any time, the instructor can check to see which modules students have accessed, how many postings the students have made, and the date on which they last logged in. The ability to check on student activity helps determine which students are on task, which ones might need some personal assistance or encouragement, and which modules are giving students difficulty.
Additionally, by using a CMS, the instructor can use the school’s database as a source for inputting students into the online class roster, eliminating the need to input individual student names and passwords.
Hold an Initial class Meeting
One of the most beneficial steps to both instructor and students is the requirement that students attend an initial class meeting or orientation session. This meeting provides an excellent opportunity for students to meet the instructor and each other, ask questions, and become acquainted with course logistics (Cooper, 1999). It also gives students the opportunity to become familiar with the hardware and software that they will need and the level of computing proficiency required for the course (Hanna, Glowacki-Dudka, & Conceicao-Runlee, 2000).
During the initial class meeting, it is helpful to go over information typically covered the first day of a regular class, such as syllabus, textbook, instructor office hours, testing procedures, and so forth. In addition to the syllabus, one of the most beneficial handouts to both students and the instructor is the semester calendar (also available online), which includes a timeline or schedule of activities, assignments, and test dates for each week of the semester. Not only does the schedule provide students with a weekly “to-do” list, but it also reminds students of their learning objectives and keeps both the students and the instructor on task throughout the term.
The opportunity for students to actually log onto the course Web site and become familiar with it helps answer any questions they might have and alleviates any anxieties that they might be experiencing. An introduction to the online course content can also prevent students, when later working on their own, from wasting time and becoming “frustrated with the system to the point where they abandon it and any subsequent attempts to master its content” (Bayram, 1999).
Require Student Course Agreements
As with regular classes, students oftentimes question grading and testing policies or claim a lack of knowledge concerning course requirements at the end of the term. Requiring students to sign a course agreement form at the conclusion of the orientation session can reduce the number of such comments or complaints. The form asks students to signify their understanding of personal responsibilities as online students and their acceptance of course policies and procedures.
provide a variety of Instructional Materials
Since all students have different learning styles and respond differently to various learning activities, it is important to offer them instructional materials in a variety of formats. Because students often feel that they are faced with a vast amount of information to read and do not have the advantage of hearing class lectures, it is helpful to provide study guides, PowerPoint presentations, practice exams or self assessments, and audio or video lessons.
Audio or video lessons can provide “mini-lectures” for more detailed explanation of course content with which students might be experiencing difficulty. Audio files may be preferred to video files as they are smaller in size, quicker to download to students’ computers, easier to create, and do not require any special equipment to produce. An easy-to-use program such as Microsoft Producer can be used that allows PowerPoint presentations and/or captured screen shots to accompany the narration. (Microsoft Producer can be downloaded from Microsoft’s Web site.) To encourage student use, it is best to keep the lessons between five and 10 minutes long.
Although students may choose not to access all online learning resources available to them, by presenting a variety of resources, the instructor increases the chances of reaching each of them at some level. Therefore, the chances for learning are also increased.
use Different Testing Formats/strategies
The dilemma of whether to schedule tests online or require students to come to campus to take exams can be resolved by incorporating both into the course. Students can take chapter or unit exams online during the semester and then be required to come to campus for selected exams such as the midterm and final. As with regular classroom instruction, a variety of evaluation techniques can be used, and by providing a number of different assessment techniques and measures, the chances for fairer evaluations are increased (Corgan, 2004). The availability of study guides or practice exams helps students become familiar with the testing format and also provides them with test reviews.
post student Grades Regularly
Because students continually inquire about their grades during the term, it is useful to post grades online, a feature often available in a CMS. With a password, students are able access their grades at any time during the term.
communicate
An important and necessary component to successful Web-based instruction is communication. Teachers must find ways to “enhance the student-teacher bond and to facilitate interaction among students” (NBEA, 2002b). The instructor must be able to communicate with the students throughout the semester, and students must be able to communicate with the instructor and receive prompt assistance when they encounter problems or have questions. Students also need to be able to interact with one another.
Instructor/Student Interaction
To maintain regular instructor/student communication, it is beneficial to send students a weekly class announcement that provides an overview of the upcoming week’s activities, explains upcoming assignments, reminds them of test dates, and addresses any student concerns expressed to the instructor during the previous week. The requirement that students submit short weekly assignments can insure that they log on frequently and help both teacher and students “stay focused and connected” (Byrd & Lott, 2003).
Because the students do not see the instructor on a daily basis, it is important that the instructor respond to e-mail and telephone messages frequently and quickly so that students are able to get prompt responses when they do have questions or require assistance. By regularly checking messages and promptly responding to students’ questions and concerns, the instructor lets the students know that he/she is readily available and interested in helping them. In addition, if the instructor acknowledges receipt of assignments via e-mail, students’ need to send additional e-mails inquiring about them is reduced.
Student/Student Interaction
To encourage discussion of course content and interaction of ideas, content-related topics should be posted regularly and should be a part of the students’ final grades. Discussion topics should require thought, problem solving, and/or research but should be brief, as students are more likely to participate if the topic is concise and does not require lengthy responses.
Having students share some biographical information about themselves as the first discussion topic helps them to get to know each other and to better “understand each other’s perspectives” (Hanna et al., 2000). To encourage team building and help students establish a sense of belonging, the instructor can divide students into small groups to discuss assigned activities (Gehris, 2001).
post an online class picture
During the course term, students get to know each other through class discussions. So that students can see what other students look like, an electronic class page can be fun. Pictures of each student can be taken at the initial class meeting and then included in a Web page with their names. The pictures also serve to identify students when they take on-campus exams.
Have students Evaluate the course
Short, “one-minute” assessments early in the course and again midway through the course give students an opportunity to provide concrete feedback during the term and assist the instructor “in improving the course in its early stages” (James & Voigt, 2003).
At the conclusion of the course, students should be asked to more fully evaluate the course: its contents, availability of the instructor, learning resources, testing methods, and interaction procedures, as well as their understanding of the class organization and grading process. Students can also be asked what features they like best and least about the course and be encouraged to make practical suggestions to improve the course.
Student evaluations can help determine the effectiveness of the various components of an online course and address areas that may need revision; they also communicate to students that their input is valuable.
include Fun Activities
Including games or fun activities into the course can add variety to the course as well as make learning more fun for the students. “The World Wide Web provides a wonderful playground to explore and gain new ideas and insights into almost every conceivable topic” (Hanna et al., 2000).
conclusion
Online instruction continues to offer exciting challenges and opportunities to both students and teachers. For online instruction to be more than just a transfer of information, however, instructors must provide a learning environment that is interesting, easy to use, and encourages student learning and interaction.
An orientation session at the beginning of the term helps students become familiar with the online class format, features, and requirements. It also helps them develop an understanding of how the class functions and what is expected of them as online students. Varied learning resources and different testing formats can meet students’ diverse learning needs. Completion of course evaluation instruments gives students the opportunity to share their experiences and provide concrete input and also provides instructors with the necessary feedback for revising and improving future online classes.
If the online course is carefully planned, organized, and implemented and the instructor is open to student feedback and continuous improvement, online instruction can provide an effective educational environment and offer a viable alternative to traditional classroom instruction.
KEY TERMs
Audio File: A computer file that contains audio instruction or explanation. It might also contain graphic images that correlate with the audio.
Course Management System (CMS): A server-based program that provides an easy-to-use tool for online course development, course delivery, and course management. Well-known providers such as WebCT and Blackboard offer these bundled, off-the-shelf online learning environment systems.
HTML Document: A document embedded with HTML codes or tags that specify how the document will be displayed when viewed on the Internet.
Microsoft Producer: A program available to Microsoft PowerPoint users that allows the production of audio files. It also allows the use of PowerPoint presentations or captured screen shots to accompany audio explanations. (Microsoft Producer can be downloaded from www.Microsoft.com.)
Online Course: A class taught to students via Internet or in an online learning environment. Students access class objectives, lecture notes, instructional materials, and exams via Internet. Students and instructor interact online via e-mail, chat rooms, and threaded discussions. Also known as Web-based classroom, cyber-classrooms, e-learning, virtual education, and distance learning. Once considered a fad, online learning has developed into a “‘just-in-time’ hybrid of teaching any time, any place” (Crews, 2003).
Online Learning Resources: Any resource available on the Internet in an online educational environment. It might be HTML documents such as course or chapter objectives, lecture notes, assignments, or answers to chapter questions. It might be audio or video lessons, interactive exercises or exams, or documents providing links to other Web sites.
Orientation Session: A first meeting between instructor and students during which students meet the instructor and become familiar with the hardware and software that they will need and the level of computing proficiency required for an online course. This meeting also provides an excellent opportunity for students to meet the instructor and each other, ask questions, and become acquainted with course logistics.
Threaded Discussion: Asynchronous communication via the Internet whereby data can be transmitted intermittently or at any time and at irregular intervals. An example would be e-mail, whereby a message can be sent at any time by the user and read at any time by the recipient.
