On the DL

DL RESEARCH
As part of my work in creating a DL course for MCNY’s BAUS program, I have begun researching the (many) resources available on the World Wide Web about creating DL courses. It only seems fitting to use the internet to help create a DL course! Luckily for us, we do not have to reinvent the wheel. I found the following useful and perhaps you will, too.

NETnet Distance Learning Tutorial (http://www.netnet.org/instructors/design/)
Includes “slideshow” with clear definitions, step by step tutorials, quizzes, and hands-on exercises to create a DL course. There are tons of examples and online free tools provided. This took me about an hour to go through. Here are some highlights with notes about main points. (Apologies if this is basic but it’s useful for me to keep track of these ideas as I delve into something I have not done before!)

“To capture interest and stimulate an attitude of inquiry: ask questions, use emotional or personal information, create mental challenges, and use human interest examples. When possible, use local examples.” (from http://www.netnet.org/instructors/design/goalsobjectives/motivation.htm)

ADVANCE ORGANIZERS:
http://www.netnet.org/instructors/design/goalsobjectives/advance.htm

INTERACTION STRATEGIES:
Student – student* (apparently this is VERY important; students often feel like they are doing “independent study” which 1) puts burden on professor and 2) doesn’t fully utilize student interaction as useful pedagogical tool)
Student – teacher
Student –technology
Strategies to increase interaction: http://www.netnet.org/instructors/design/interaction/strategies/
· IMMEDIATE contact requiring student action and communication
· Create online poll to begin conversation (www.pollhost.com)
· Internet ICEBREAKERS
· WebQuest

ONLINE DISCUSSIONS (http://www.netnet.org/instructors/design/interaction/strategies/classdiscussion.htm)
Establish ground rules: no one dominate, use subject lines, discourage too short and too long posts
ONLINE INSTRUCTOR ASSESSMENT

I took an interactive quiz (http://www.onlinelearning.net/InstructorCommunity/selfevaluation.html?s=728.k060q321u.045l326010) and apparently I’m not a good candidate for teaching online. I think they are being a little rash as I knew the answers they wanted me to type, but I was just being honest that I did not want to spend 5 to 6 hours a week online for each class. That seems simply impossible if you multiply that times 5 which is how many courses we teach.

SUCCESSFUL ONLINE INSTRUCTORS (from http://www.netnet.org/instructors/design/assessment.htm)

"* facilitate quality interaction and communication among students
* are well organized, available, patient, and accessible
* provide clear assignments and deadlines
* give a variety of smaller assignments rather than one big one
* keep (web) classes flexible and all online
* use threaded discussions
* are present in class discussion but don’t dominate or intimidate
* give good test reviews
* give frequent and constructive feedback"

STRATEGIES FOR PREPARING CLASS:
Chunking or breaking down course into “units”
56 page workbook for Chunking courses, units, classes, and chunking chunking: (http://www.netnet.org/instructors/PDF%20files/ChunkingWorkbook.pdf)

OVERVIEW from Net.Net:
“Developing a course for online delivery involves more than simply applying an interactive technology to traditional course offerings. Instead, an online course should capture what teachers do in the traditional classroom and present it in a way that can be understood by online students. Instructors must have an understanding of how students learn, and also how the content should be reorganized so students can effectively meet the course objectives. The online environment relies heavily on interaction – perhaps the most important element in a web-based course. To explain and clarify difficult concepts in a distance delivery course, the instructor must utilize different approaches.
Online teaching may require research, re-training, and professional development on the part of the instructors, but remember: effective teaching practices are fundamentally the same regardless of the delivery method. While the traditional oral lecture may be taken from written notes in an abbreviated form, the online version of the same material must be written clearly and succinctly to achieve maximum benefit for the student (and instructor)." http://www.netnet.org/instructors/coursedev/webcourse/index.htm

LINKS TO Web Page Development, Training Guides, Interaction Aids, Virtual Courseware:http://www.netnet.org/instructors/resources/techlinks.htm#webpage

OTHER INFORMATION FROM TODAY’S RESEARCH:
UCLA Extension has online classes on how to teach online. And you can take those online classes to learn how to teach online so that you can, in turn, teach online. (Used to be offered through www.onlinelearning.net as a “six-week Instructor Development Training Program.” Ironically, the program is currently not “online” or rather it is currently “not available” which I suppose is not ironic at all.)