Requires a new voice-over

Taking a course online: what to expect, and what’s wrong with these pictures (Lecturette 1-1)

There, that’s more like it!

What’s great about taking an online course: Compressed lectures and “scripts” You can be “in class” when it fits your schedule (partly). You can participate without feeling so vulnerable. The course and course materials are highly structured. You can replay the professor’s lecture as many times as you want. You can take and retake quizzes to test your learning without risking your grade. If you are not great at taking tests, here they count for less of your grade. You actually get more individual attention than in a face-2-face class.

What’s challenging about taking an online course: Although there are no classes to be prepared for, there are learning activities and assignments that must be completed by certain days throughout the week--the course is not self-paced. Active Learning: In place of the passive experience of the classroom, you’ll be asked to do things--respond to discussion questions, write brief essays--in addition to activities you’re already familiar with, such as preparing readings, studying for tests, write papers. You are working alone a good deal of the time, so you have to be a good self-starter. You have to watch a lot of narrated slide lectures (but I’ll try to make them concise and interesting). In general you have to spend a lot of time in front of a screen. In place of the human community of the classroom you have the virtual online community, which may feel isolated to some people. You have to be pro-active in contacting the professor if you have issues or questions.

A typical week in an online course The week has a typical rhythm. But each week varies slightly, so consult the Syllabus and the Module Overview. Monday-Tuesday: View online video intros and narrated PowerPoint Lecturettes (and take notes!) Wednesday: Complete the reading assignment. Thursday: Post responses to discussion questions. Friday: You may have additional readings if you’re working with a small group that week. Saturday: Take the self-administered quiz to test your knowledge; some weeks write a brief essay. Some weeks you’ll be working with a small group online. Module Overview Chart also contains “alerts” about starting or progressing on special projects, such as papers.

How grading works in an online course: A different balance: although there are major writing assignments and tests, you’re also graded on your posts on the discussion board and other activities and assignments you do throughout the week. Grades are visible throughout the term. Drip, drip, drip as well as gush? Eaten by ants rather than gulped by sharks.

Here's how those quizzes are crucial! Quizzes are a learning tool for you as well as an an assessment tool for me. Actual quiz scores are not calculated in your grade, BUT . . . You need to take them and get at least 60% correct, because: If you don’t, your grade drops. At least HALF the questions on the "real" test will be taken from the quizzes. Use the Quiz Results Topic in the Discussion area. You need to retake the entire quiz for each repeated attempt. Record your correct quiz attempts Check your grade to make sure there's a score and not "in progress" or zero.

What research shows about learning online: Courses are just as challenging and stimulating as face-2-face courses. Students love the structure and order of an online course. Students involved in online learning outperform their peers. How do we know this? Because: According to a 2009 meta-study from the Department of Education: “Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.” Students who mix online learning with traditional coursework (i.e. blended learning) do even better. Source: Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, United States Department of Education.

Don’t neglect the f2f (face-to-face): This course has at least one required face-to-face element. Come to the Meet-and-Greets if you possibly can. Or meet with me in person These are opportunities for additional learning. Let’s look at that research finding again and interpret another way: Students involved in online learning outperform their peers. How do we know this? Because: According to a 2009 meta-study from the Department of Education: “Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.” Students who mix online learning with traditional coursework (i.e. blended learning) do even better. Source: Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, United States Department of Education.

Whether online or f2f. . . THE GOAL IS . . . Interactivity! The Bihar “Skype School” Find out more at http://tomparrot.wordpress.com/category/saluting-heroes/