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Online Learning Management
Your 5 Best Tips for No-Fail Production
5/1/2008
"I had to go out of my way to explain to students that the definition in the course was wrong, and then provide them with the correct meaning," she says. "A lot of energy could have been saved if someone had simply proofread or copyedited the course materials from the very beginning."
FOUR: Make It Interesting!
Until they are able to deploy synchronous Web 2.0 technologies, some schools are keeping students interested with asynchronous online course options such as YouTube videos and podcasts accessible 24/7, and next-gen message boards that boast digital audio and video files.
TIP 4: Make It Interesting!
An educator can plan an online course, develop the content, and have it checked for accuracy, but what if the course simply is not interesting? Certainly there are online educators who grab their students' attention by building lessons around outlandish or eccentric anecdotes but, today, the majority of those who create online course content build interest by incorporating interactive features such as podcasts, videos, and social networking capabilities like instant messaging and message boards.
In fact, a small but growing percentage of schools operate on the cutting edge of these technologies, embracing synchronous communication as the wave of the future. Educators at Vassar College (NY), for instance, have incorporated Second Life into their online classes, requiring students to meet "in-world" every now and again.
Other schools may be slower to embrace synchronous Web 2.0 tools but, until they get up to speed, they are trying to keep students interested with other options. In most of these cases, educators opt for varied asynchronous technologies to provide accessible platforms even for students whose computers aren't up-to-the-minute. At the University of California-Berkeley, this means YouTube videos and podcasts are part of the school's online course offerings and webcasts, all of which can be downloaded or accessed on-demand 24/7, by students and other users. And educators and technologists at Seminole Community College (FL) have implemented a next-generation online message board that boasts digital audio and video files. In addition to allowing access for those students who don't own their own computers but who can access public computers, the technology also helps students who might not be able to log on during the day.
Making Better Moodlerooms
Do your online courses rely on Moodle? Are you considering a move to Moodlerooms? Don't miss the CT on-demand webinar, "Building Better Moodlerooms: Online Strategies and Best Practices". For information about other upcoming or achived webinars about online learning, please visit here.
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- Waiting It Out
Have you given up trying to bring faculty into the world of emerging technology for teaching and learning?
