Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to:
- Define their expectations of themselves and their students in the areas of communication, integrity, and boundaries.
- Describe ways to encourage integrity and prevent violation of academic integrity policies in the online environment.
- Outline the amount of time required for teaching online as well as learning online.
- Identify a variety of technology tools that could be used to enhance online teaching.
A comedy routine from the early part of the last century showed a comedian leading a live elephant by a leash. When asked by a police officer what he was doing with the elephant, the comedian asked, "what elephant?" Mentioning "the elephant in the room" has become synonymous with everyone knowing there is an issue but no one discusses it. This module will discuss the largest elephants in your online future.
- What Expectations?Variations in word use can mean the difference between student success or failure, especially in online courses where the instructor is not able to interpret subtle signs of confusion or to provide immediate feedback when questions arise.
- Who is Taking My Course?Instructors in face-to-face classrooms learn their students' faces and see how they interact. Instructors in online courses often fear that the individual who submits assignments and tests is not the learner who actually enrolled in the course. Let's explore your options.
- How Long Does it Take?There’s no question about it. Online learning takes time. Time to develop, time to teach, time to learn. Online learning has never been about saving time, only about providing flexibility, but somewhere along the line, the myth was started that it’s quicker. And the myth persists so let's see if we can debunk the myth.
- What About That Technology?The good news is that online courses don’t have to be highly technical. Some of the best courses, from both a faculty and a learner perspective are decidedly low-tech. However, even if you do not teach a course with “all the bells and whistles,” just the fact of the course being taught at a distance requires a level of technology knowledge and use. This section will talk about the basics that all faculty who teach at a distance should know and introduce other technologies as well.