Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
The Challenge Continues
March 30-April 1, 2003
Lessons Learned From Taking an Online Course
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By: Lucia Vanderpool, Bob Wallace |
Abstract
When a TBR Administrator and a University of Memphis WebCT Trainer enrolled in an online course, they learned more than expected. They learned what is involved in being an online student. Both have taught online and realize that having this experience as students is helping them be more effective online instructors. This session offers some lessons and tips they learned that may help you with your online class.
Description
Bob Wallace and Lucia Vanderpool became first time online students when they enrolled in Teaching and Learning With Internet Technology in the Regents Online Degree Program. Both expected to learn how to teach online more effectively, but didn’t realize they would also learn other important lessons, as students. They soon learned, for example, that taking an online course is quite time demanding and requires a high level of self-discipline. Learning what they had to do, as students, to overcome these and other problems, has helped them provide the support their own students need.
Wallace and Vanderpool were assigned to be learning partners by their instructor and had never met before taking the class. They will discuss the role of learning partners and how this feature can be used for student support and success in an online class. Other topics to be discussed from a student’s point of view include the following:
- Do students need to know WebCT before taking an online class?
- How can the instructor help students who have never taken an online class?
- What types of assignments require students to engage in critical thinking?
- How important is communication between the instructor and students?
- How often do students need to hear from the instructor?
- What is the best use of the Discussion tool?
- What about chat and how effective is it as a communication tool?
- Is there a need for outside links in an online course?
- What can the instructor do about broken links?
- What about quizzes?
- Are Student Pages important?
- Is there a place for games in an online course?
hese teachers have some "show and tell" of their own and are ready to share their ideas with you.