Unit 1 - Online Learning
Unit Standards - iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Teaching (v2)
- Standard A: The online teacher knows the primary concepts and structures of effective online instruction and is able to create learning experiences to enable student success.
- Standard B: The online teacher understands and is able to use a range of technologies, both existing and emerging, that effectively support student learning and engagement in the online environment.
- Standard C: The online teacher plans, designs, and incorporates strategies to encourage active learning, application, interaction, participation, and collaboration in the online environment.
- Standard D: The online teacher promotes student success through clear expectations, prompt responses, and regular feedback.
- Standard E: The online teacher models, guides, and encourages legal, ethical, and safe behavior related to technology use.
- Standard J: The online teacher interacts in a professional, effective manner with colleagues, parents, and other members of the community to support student success.
- Standard K: The online teacher arranges media and content to help students and teachers transfer knowledge most effectively in the online environment.
Unit Outcomes
- Understand the difference between synchronous and asynchronous online learning.
- Evaluate different online learning platforms.
- Start thinking about the elements that go into effective online instruction.
- Understand what makes an activity or assignment and active learning piece and how to engage students in the learning.
- Understand copyright implications for both students and teacher.
- Examine course for interaction and communication.
Read & View
Read "Online Learning: What's Next?"
Read "Seven Free Platforms for Teaching Online Courses"
Read "Designing an Effective Online Learning Environment"
Read "6 Important Components of a Successful Online Learning Environment"
View "Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Learning Environments"
Read "Learning Online is not A Spectator Sport: How to Make it Active"
Read "Active Learning in an Online Environment"
Read "Copyright Crash Course"
Read "Building Community and Interaction Online"
Since there is no book for this section, there is a bit of online reading and viewing. I have also found this useful guide, "Planning Guide for Online and Blended Learning." It is a pdf. Please download it and browse through it. We will refer back to it during this unit.
Assignments
1. Interview at least three people who you know that have taken online classes. Ask them the following questions: 1) What was the best part of your online learning experience? 2) What was the worst part? 3) What would have made the experience better for you? Add any other questions you wish, to get a good idea about their experience. Write a 3 - 4 paragraph reflection about what you heard and what you want to keep in mind when you create a class. Email Sherry.Crofut@USiouxFalls.edu your reflection.
2. Read "Online Learning: What's Next?"
Read "Seven Free Platforms for Teaching Online Courses"
Read "Designing an Effective Online Learning Environment"
Read "6 Important Components of a Successful Online Learning Environment"
View "Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Learning Environments"
3. Set up a place for your online class. Email Sherry.Crofut@USiouxFalls.edu a link or invitation to it and an explanation of why you chose what you did. If it is behind a firewall and I am not able to access it, you may need to send screenshots during this unit.
4. Read "Learning Online is not A Spectator Sport: How to Make it Active"
Read "Active Learning in an Online Environment"
Read "Copyright Crash Course"
Read "Building Community and Interaction Online"
5. Having read a bit about active learning in an online environment, it is time to really explore what is involved with that. We discussed in the last unit that some online courses take a more traditional approach, while others - like these - are self-paced. Self-paced courses present their own, unique challenges to active learning. There is no live discussion or collaboration between class members. Therefore, active learning must take place by having you do things that should directly correlate with how you will use the knowledge in your life. We try not to have you do activities just for the sake of activities.
We all know there are some courses that are better designed than others. You will find that the more courses you develop, the better you get at it. It is also helpful to look at other people's course design.
Check out some of the courses designed by MIT. They were one of the first to put their courses out there for anyone to look at and take. Search for courses of interest to you. You will find that some that are even well designed, may not fit your style, but there is still much to be learned by looking through them.
6. Now that you have looked at active learning, please write a unit for your online class, using what you have learned. Email Sherry.Crofut@USiouxFalls.edu the unit and if you have already used it, please include a paragraph or two on how it went and what you might want to change for next time.
Please use the following rubric for the above assignments:
