Unit 3 Being an Online Instructor
B. Before the Course Starts: Designing the Course
Examples of instructor activities:
Add a Course Overview/Course Introduction/How to Do this Course section.
When we delivering part or the entire course online, the dispersal of learners and instructors across space and time can lead to a sense of isolation and sometimes students find themselves trying to figure out and guessing what they are expected to do on their own, because the friendly, helpful, guiding voice of their instructor is somehow absent.
Ensure that the following elements are included in that section:
- Explain relevance of course
- How course fits into overall program
- Topics that will be studied
- What is unique and relevant
- How delivered
- What to expect
- Support available
- Teaching details
- Learning outcomes
- Timelines /schedules/ Course Syllabus
- Assessments and deadlines
- What is online and what is face-to-face, and the rationale if feasible
- Technologies used in this course and where to get help
In particular, the benefits of taking the time to create number 10: Timelines/schedules/course syllabus, are:
- It maps the student’s learning journey through your course; with enough detail to ensure that students can understand how one week’s worth of learning experiences and activities feed into the next.
- Students can use it to manage their time, as well as clarify the course sequence, assessment timing and deadlines, and participation expectations.
- It sets upfront information and schedules around synchronous, asynchronous and collaboration
