we’re a Research I land-grant university, and our mission at its core is to extend education to populations that wouldn’t normally have such access, so it really fits in with our model with how we were conceived as an institution to offer something free or low cost to students either in Colorado or beyond.
the online world is a medium unto itself; sense of community and social presence are essential to online excellence; in the online world, content is a verb; great online courses are defined by teaching, not technology.
distinct pathways through the material, providing a clear route to those students
material that works well in a traditional environment does not necessarily work in the online environment
PowerPoint™ slides, course notes and handouts usually need to be adapted
entire onsite version videotaped
Even if they have been successful in class, lengthy lectures don’t tend to work online.
much shorter clips were created, using brief excerpts of important points along with the addition of visual material
faculty members who tend to think that their preparation for an online course will primarily consist of uploading lectures and creating quizzes are in for a few surprises
unique strengths and dynamics of the web in mind
content alone is not sufficient to result in or to guarantee excellence
Online instruction involves much more than posting a series of readings or a standard curriculum to a website
online instruction needs to purposefully and strategically engage learners in activities and interaction
content was not simply deposited for review. Rather, students were actively involved in it and thereby mastered it.
providing content with creating a learning environment or delivering a course?”
Quality learning experiences occur in online education when strategies are designed specifically to engage the learner
less dependent on information acquisition and is more centered on a set of student tasks and assignments that make up the learning experiences that students will engage in
increase in technology does not necessarily mean an increase in learning, and can in fact, lead to an increase in problem
chosen according to how they help meet the learning objectives
quick turnaround time
frequent and engaged
goals and objectives that are clearly stated
all aspects of a course (including assignments, activities and approaches to assessment) should align with and stem from course objectives
The learning outcomes are developed first, and then the course is designed and delivered by determining what pedagogical tools will best facilitate student attainment of each goal
This is a key point. Learning outcomes need to be developed first.
a good rule of thumb is to “keep the course objectives in mind, and omit any material that does not support them”
Creating a sense of community is one of the main objectives in any class
It is through sustained communication that participants construct meaning
a deeper rather than a surface approach to learning is encouraged
Without this connection to the instructor and the other students, the course is little more than a series of exercises to be completed.
hey need connection, contact and a sense of realness and immediacy
Teachers need to work to develop community
collaborative learning activities
enhanced communication
small group activities
Because students often feel somewhat disoriented at the beginning of classes, they tend to search for and depend on a central document, or syllabus, to explain the entire geography of the course; how to proceed and where everything is