Purpose: To create a tool to help instructors use online content to support their courses.
Image from Flickr Creative Commons
Rationale: Many people are in need of moving their content to an online format.
Assumptions: The instructor is planning lessons for students using an effective process such as Understanding by Design (link).
Steps:
1. Check students’ readiness for accessing online learning. Provide an overview to students about being an effective online learner (link). Ask if they have any questions or concerns related to these tasks related to online learning. You also can survey your students about their readiness. Feel free to make a copy of this sample survey for your work (link)
2. Identify the evaluation activities that are most important for your class (e.g., key assignments).
3. Identify the content, experiences, and skills you would provide if you were teaching them face-to-face. What would you be teaching?
4. Identify resources that match your content. These may not be perfect, and you may need to alter or select components from the content. This link provides specific online content that has been aligned with some of Loyola University’s teacher education Sequences (link). This includes content for general and special education. This is a link to other resources for online other online content related to multi-tiered systems of support (link). In some cases, you may need to create your own online lecture or example. This is an example of a PowerPoint overview (Link– my voice overs were recorded in Panopto, you can also use software like Camtasia to record your content). Also, check out my blog post on where to find content related to MTSS.
5. Choose a learning object/tool. Identify an online resource that provides the content your students need to accomplish their evaluation activity. We developed a shortlist of selection principles that might help your decision. (Link).
6. Develop a task list and/or lesson plan that will guide your students. Provide a guide for your students that includes enough detail that shows them what they need to do and why (link). Providing a screen capture overview can also help students understand the procedures for the online class. See the link to this example (link). You can also provide examples of products or responses for students to review.
7. Decide how you will assess your students’ learning. Assessment can include a short reflection or product. In our experience, this is a good time to ask the students to connect back to progress on key evaluation activities. You can ask questions like, “Based on this information, where are you in your project; how did this learning object support your work?” Students can respond in teams if you choose. Please keep it to the point. Do not make it punishing to be a part of online learning by expecting more length. Length does not automatically equal rigor (See this link to an article on best practices in online teaching (link).
8. Obtain feedback. Ask students about their experience with online content. You can find ways to improve your work in the future. Even a simple email check-in can help. You also can check your fidelity of implementation for online teaching as well using this tool (link).
9. Find training and support for online tools. You can find a list of some key tools for online learning here, along with a link to more training (link).
Do’s for online teaching:
- Let students know they can ask questions.
- Ask for feedback from students.
- Check readiness for online leaning – formally or informally.
- Keep it simple.
Don’ts for online teaching:
- Have multiple sites for students to check.
- Assume all students have access to great wireless Internet.
- Have people watch a 4-hour movie online (unless binge-watching the Masked Singer or anything by Ken Burns 🙂 ).
- Make it overly complicated.
- Assign more assessment activities than you have time to respond.
I would love to hear from you about ways you are moving your content online! Please leave your thoughts about what works for you in the comments section of this website.