Teaching in a fully online environment can be daunting even for seasoned online instructors when they have to prep a new course. However, with a few simple strategies, the process can be smooth and enjoyable. Here are four strategies that any instructor can use to successfully build an online course.
Steps for success include involving the learner, making collaboration work, devising a consistent structure and revising based on evaluation.
By Amy Rottmann and Salena Rabidoux
A common perception is that online courses require students to just read or view videos, and then regurgitate the information in an essay or simple discussion post. However, this is false because there are numerous activities that fully engage online students.
Students should demonstrate their understanding of the content as well as heighten their engagement with the content throughout any course. Instructors can incorporate authentic activities that connect real-world relevance and content knowledge. Authentic activities can range from examining case studies to creating problem-based scenarios in which the students research the problem and create solutions or address gaps within the problem.
Instructors also can use inquiry-based learning (IBL), which requires students to investigate questions they have concerning the content. One strategy that online instructors can implement to establish IBL is through the implementation of Know, Want to Know, and Learned (KWL) charts. Utilizing KWL charts can initiate exploration of the content as students identify what they know and what they want to know about the topic.