According to a recent American Federation of Teachers report on distance learning, faculty must be prepared to meet the special requirements of teaching at a distance. Some of the challenges for instructors of teaching online include:
• Familiarity with the online environment
• Capacity to use the medium to its advantage
• Being available to students on an extended basis electronically
• Providing quick responses and feedback to students
Massy, William. “Distance Education: Guidelines for Good Practice.” AFT, May 2002
Yet, the proponents of online learning argue that these obstacles can be overcome by employing such techniques as the following:
Become familiar with the technology used in your online course
Long before your course starts, become familiar with the technology used in your online course, including hardware and software, and spend some time exploring their options. An online course requires a high level of computing power and reliable telecommunications infrastructure. Make sure you have access to both.
Use the online medium to your advantage
The online environment is essentially a space for written communication. This is both a limitation and a potential of online learning. Written communication can be more time consuming, but “the ability to sit and think as one composes a question or comment also can raise the quality of discussion.” Additionally, shy students who have trouble participating in a classroom discussion often feel more comfortable in an online classroom. Online classrooms can be developed with this fact in mind to take advantage of these considerations.
Massy, William. “Distance Education: Guidelines for Good Practice.” AFT, May 2002, p. 9 and “Teaching at an Internet Distance: the Pedagogy of Online Teaching and Learning.” The Report of a 1998-1999 University of Illinois Faculty Seminar.
Keep connected with students
Use the technology of the online environment to help you keep in touch with students. Communicate frequently with students, both individually and as a group. A main part of this handbook focuses on how to connect with students. While keeping connected with students can be a challenge, the online environment offers a number of interesting pedagogical opportunities.
What is an online course?
An online course is offered in part or wholly via the Internet.
Who can teach an online course?
Faculty members as well as graduate students may teach online courses at UMass.
Will an online course echo a course I have already prepared?
It can, but be aware that many changes will be necessary for the course to "work" online. You may find it professionally stimulating to create an entire course anew.
Why would I want to teach an online course?
Do you want to experiment? Do you want to travel during the semester, have other scheduling complications, or want the convenience of working from home? Are you interested in reaching students whom you might not otherwise have a chance to teach? These are some of the reasons why instructors choose to teach online.
Where are online courses taught?
Anywhere. Most courses are taught entirely online and students and professors never or only rarely meet face-to-face. Other courses are taught with a strong on-campus component.
When are online courses taught?
UMass has many options for teaching online. Interested teachers can contact their own departments or the Division of Continuing Education.
How do I learn to teach an online course?
The best place to start learning how to teach online is in this handbook. Other places to look for information include your department, online teaching tools such as eCollege or Blackboard, the consultants at Continuing Education, or the instructional technologist at your campus. Also, colleagues who have taught online courses can be an invaluable resource. You can also gain experience with the online learning environment by developing a course homepage for your own classroom-based course.
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