Instructional Strategies for Online Courses

This webpage from University of Illinois describes instructional strategies that can be used in online classes. Like Palloff and Pratt, this webpage reminds instructors to start by setting goals and then choosing instructional strategies that will best help students meet those goals. Then the webpage describes how 10 different instructional strategies can be adapted to an online setting. Although some of the technological references seem a little outdated, the page clearly explains how instructional strategies can and must be adapted in an online setting. The page would be a good introduction for a teacher/professor setting out to teach an online course for the first time.

Microblogging & education

Since we are going to be using microblogging tools in class this week, I decided to look for more information about how microblogging can be used in the education field. I sensed a lot of skepticism from classmates, and I know that I have struggled with Twitter myself.

"The 15-Minute Guide to Microblogging in Education" is a quick introduction to the ways microblogging can be useful to teachers. Teachers can quickly share materials, and the basics are really fast and easy to learn. It's easy to find a new community to connect with and get feedback from. Plus, you can use privacy settings to keep your posts private or allow them to be shared with the world.

This article on elearnr discusses three particular microblogging tools and how teachers can use them. The three tools discussed are Twitter, Edmodo, and Shout 'Em, two of which we will get to use in class this week. As a new twitter user, I am interested in learning more about how I can better use it as a learning and sharing tool. I had never heard of Shout 'em - from what I've read, it sounds similar to Twitter but with more flexibility to personalize it to your own needs. I'll be interested to see if it takes off like Twitter or not.

Key Elements of Building Online Community

This article from the Journal of Online Learning and Teaching discusses faculty and student perspectives on building online communities. Faculty and students, when surveyed, both agreed on the importance of the creation of online community, in alignment with our reading so far in Palloff & Pratt (2007). Interestingly, students ranked instructor presence much higher than faculty members did. This is important to keep in mind as a course instructor - students expect and desire comments, quick responses to questions, and timely posting of grades. As a student, I can definitely relate to that feeling - I want my instructor to be active daily in our online course, just like I am. Throughout the courses, this desire has been met to varying needs, and I have adjusted my expectations as well.
Also, I found it interesting the students and faculty also agreed on three factors, in order, that make building an online community difficult: communication, time, and participation. To a certain degree I agree with this ranking, although I must admit that for me personally, time might be a bigger challenge than communication through text only.

Rest in Peace

Rest in Peace Dre Holloway. It's been a tough week without you. You'll always be a part of our New Tech family.