Transcript FSI 2005 Keynote - Home - Louisiana Tech University

Student-Centered Online Teaching:
Ten Best Practices
Dr. Susan Ko,
Executive Director,
Center for Teaching and Learning,
University of Maryland, University
College
FSI 2005 Keynote, May 17, 2005
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Where are we now?
Online learning no
longer a novelty. There
is a body of experience
and standards we can
build on
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Consensus on Basic Standards
Commission on Institutions of Higher Education-Best Practices for Electronically Offered Degree
and Certificate Programs (1999)
The Sloan Consortium Report—Five Pillars of
Quality Online Education (2002)
Institute for Higher Education Policy—Quality on
the Line—Benchmarks for Success in Internet
Based Distance Education (2002)
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We have come far…
But misconceptions
and fears about online
education still abound
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Common Misconceptions and Fears
It’s an either-or world—online in
competition with face-to-face
Faculty are helpless
technophobes and technoboobs
The quality of learning online is
superficial
Nuance of expression and
personality are lost online
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… more misconceptions and fears
Online instructors have to be online
24 hours a day
You need to be a computer-nerd.
People-oriented people don’t do well
online
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…and even more…fears
Online students are big cheaters!
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The Specter of Alienation
This is the
teacher
Unlike face-toface classes,
online classes
are cold and
alienating.
8
Instructor as Social Director?
Online
teaching
reduces my
role to “mere
facilitator”
Shuffleboard,
anyone?
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Student-centered teaching—what is it?
Focused on outcomes, assignments
aligned with learning objectives
Attuned to student audience needs
Promotes active learning and engagement
Offers multiple modes of feedback and
interaction
Provides paths for practice, reinforcement,
and growth
Enthusiasm for subject and concern for
students are evident
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But it’s not…
Too much or not enough content from
instructor
Assignments and readings without any
guidelines or connection to objectives
Posting a question on Monday and coming
back to see what happened on Friday
The “surprise” class—keeping students
guessing about what, when, and how
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Some Challenges for Online Instructors
Communication, communication, etc.
Coherent and logical organization of
classroom, materials, etc.
Planning and time-management
Establishing presence and conveying
personality, transforming “virtual” students
into real ones
Focus on teaching, but learn the
technology
Building classroom community
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Research on Best Practices
University of Maryland, University College
Office of Evaluation, Research and Grants—
Best Online Instructional Practices Study
Three-phase research study (2002-2005) on
online classrooms, based on student
evaluations,instructor survey instrument on
teaching practices, retention data, and outcomes.
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Methodology
The study uses a mixed-methods approach:
1) A survey of participating instructors’
experience as teachers using Instructional
Practices Inventory
2) Peer-review of archived courses
3) Interviews with selected instructors and use
of focus groups among them
4) Student class evaluations and institutional
data and their association with teaching practices
5) Detailed assessment of learning outcomes
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Sample Used in Study
Piloted with small sample of highly
achieving faculty (8 faculty)
Extended study to a representative
sample (114 faculty members)
Identified best practitioners and learned
how practices are implemented via
interviews (38 exemplary faculty)
Implemented a detailed assessment plan
measuring learning outcomes (15 selected
courses)
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Expectations for Online Teaching
Expectations for Classroom Setup and
Online Teaching
Consensus document on base-line set of
expectations for faculty teaching online
Posted on our Website
www.umuc.edu/facdev/expectations
Widely distributed through training, faculty
handbooks, orientations, etc.
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Best Practice #1—Design your Course
Put some thought into your course design
Strategies:
Identify and reinforce course goals and
objectives throughout the course
Make sure your assignments are aligned
with your learning objectives
Build in safeguards against cheating and
plagiarism through assignment design
Pay attention to the pace and sequence
Be consistent in organization, nomenclature
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Best Practice #2—Use Variety of Learning
Approaches
Different approaches stimulate interest, appeal
and provide challenges to different learners
Strategies:
Use case studies, peer-to-peer activities,
project-based assignments, debates, guest
speakers
Integrate multimedia, library and Webresources so that they are intrinsically
valuable
Provide guidelines for all group activities
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Best Practice #3—Be Prepared
Online courses require an initial large
investment of time and preparation, and
updating thereafter
Strategies:
Build out as much of your course as possible
before it launches
Update each time before it runs, and refresh
from time to time
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Best Practice #4—Start Out Strong
Start out on a good footing from 1st day:
Strategies:
“Be there” to welcome the class—warm
greeting with instructions on getting started
Introductions forum—icebreakers (you, too)
A detailed syllabus and schedule with
contact info, dates for each unit of course,
directions, criteria, due dates for
assignments, participation, grading
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Best Practice #5—Provide for Interaction
Provide opportunities for interaction between
instructor and students, students with
students, and student with content
Strategies:
Interact with students in classroom on a
regular and frequent basis—through
announcements, discussion board, emails to
whole class
Encourage students to talk with one other,
not only to you
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More on Interaction
Design assignments that involve sharing of
ideas, or team-work
Build an assignment around a primary
source, multimedia, or Web resource
Facilitate but don’t dominate discussion
Start initial discussion threads to get things
moving
Define participation and give credit for it
Send a personal email as friendly reminder
to students who are not participating
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Best Practice #6—Promote Active Learning
and Critical Thinking
Build in critical thinking and active learning
strategies
Ask students to research and defend a
position
Routinely ask follow-up questions while
facilitating discussion, encourage students to
do the same
Design assignments that require students to
substantiate their ideas, verify and document
their information
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Best Practice #7—Connect to Real-life
Experience
Encourage students to apply real-world
experience to course content
Encourage students to draw on personal
examples and observations that are relevant
to the course
Tie contemporary events or issues to course
content
Whenever possible, encourage students to
incorporate their own goals into study
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Best Practice #8—Give Feedback
Give regular, timely, and varied forms of
feedback
Strategies:
Clearly describe grading and assignment
criteria
Use rubrics to help guide students as well as
to simplify feedback and grading process
Respond to students as promptly as
possible
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More on Feedback
Strategies:
Provide individualized feedback on key
assignments, and special attention to first
major assignment
Let students know how they can improve
Refer students to resources for assistance
whenever appropriate and available
Carefully structured peer review can provide
a valuable element
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Best Practice #9—Clearly Define Grading
Criteria and Processes
Clearly defined, systematic grading criteria to
guide student work, manage expectations
Provide rubrics or clearly defined criteria up
front
Let students know your “turn-around” time
Let students check progress through online
gradebook
Provide individual incentive on group
projects
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Best Practice #10—Maintain Enthusiasm
Maintain your own
enthusiasm about the
subject matter and
communicate that
enthusiasm to students
Strategies:
Stay organized
Be an active presence in
the class
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and more enthusiasm
Strategies:
Make sure assignment load is reasonable
No fois gras,
please!!!
For the sake of your students, but for you, too!
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and even more enthusiasm
Strategies:
Review and assess your own skills, teaching
methods and style on a regular basis
Analyze student evaluations to learn areas
of strength and areas for improvement
Keep current in your field
Set an example for your students of life-long
learning—participate in faculty development
activities like those offered by ION
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Thank you!
Bring your questions to the “Online Teaching
Clinic”
Feel free to contact me in the future at
[email protected]
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