Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/55943
Technology Ten Things to Know About Teaching Online As many universities expand their virtual offerings, they're assuming their faculty will know instinctively how to teach online, just because they do well in the classroom. But that's a dangerous assumption, say Jamie Kretsch, an online instructor in Monmouth University's department of computer science and engineer- ing in West Long Branch, New Jer- sey; and Sue LeBeau, a New Jersey- based online education specialist and consultant. The two partnered to present "Training the Trainers," a seminar that explored the skills teachers need to teach online. The seminar was part of an annual teaching conference held by Cengage Learning, a provid- er of course technologies. The com- pany's offerings include Course360, a platform that allows instructors to create and customize online courses. Most schools offer their faculty only rudimentary training in teaching online courses, says Kretsch. "They say, 'Here is the learning manage- ment system, here's how to put up a discussion, here's how to post a quiz.' But they don't talk to faculty about what makes a great online learning experience. They don't teach them how to design and pres- ent their content." To ensure faculty are ready to teach online courses, Kretsch and LeBeau recommend that program administrators prepare them in ten key areas: 1. Knowing the tools. First-time online instructors need to know how 56 BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 to use the features of their course management systems (CMS), for everything from making announce- ments to uploading content to creat- ing wikis. Instructors may also need guidance on what tools not to use, says LeBeau. "I recommend that faculty work within a CMS rather than an external site where every- body can read what students post," she says. "If faculty are teaching about advertising on Twitter, that's different. But otherwise, if they want to use social media, it should be in a password-protected environment." 2. Having proper equipment. Professors must have computers and connections that are up to the task, says LeBeau. "I once posted a 10-megabyte PDF file for a course I was teaching to instructors, and one of my students couldn't download it because she still was using dial-up!" Without up-to-date equipment, she says, professors should not teach online. That includes having wire- less-capable devices they can use to stay connected while traveling. 3. Preparing for the course. In face-to-face courses, professors can change the syllabus, improvise a lecture, or modify content along the way. But in online classes, on-the-fly changes can create chaos. "Online students often work ahead," says Krestch. "You need to have the guidelines set, and all materials pre- pared and posted, before the first learners enter." 4. Using multimedia. Not every student can grasp a concept by read- ing about it, and not every instruc- tor can convey a concept through text alone, say Kretsch and LeBeau. Using video, audio, and interactive media can enhance the online learn- ing experience. "It's much easier for me to record myself explaining a concept than it is to struggle with text," says Kretsch. "After posting a video, I've often gotten e-mails from students saying, 'Oh, that's what you meant!'" 5. Knowing students' technology. Professors should find out if any stu- dents are using older computers or dial-up connections. If so, professors may need to make adjustments—such as offering a text version of a video lecture—to allow these students to access the content more easily. 6. Designing online assignments. Professors should design homework that is well-suited to online environ- ments. Writing an essay might be effective in the classroom but prove to be comparatively lifeless online, says LeBeau. Online students often learn more through interactive assignments, such as creating pod- casts, starting wikis, or contributing to online discussions. 7. Being available 24/7. Kretsch and LeBeau emphasize that there are no set office hours in online teaching. Students expect professors to respond to e-mails and posted questions in a timely manner. That means that instructors should answer e-mails and check course activity several times every day, including weekends and holidays. 8. Repeating, repeating. Students often are surprised that online cours- es can take more discipline—and be more difficult—than face-to-face courses, say LeBeau and Kretsch.