Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online J. V. Boettcher, Ph.D. Designing for Learning 2006 - 2013 Minor revisions May 2011 Our knowledge about what works well in online teaching and learning is growing rapidly and that is very good news. Here are ten best practices for anyone just getting started in the online environment. Best Practice 1: Be Present at the Course Site Liberal use of a faculty's use of communication tools such as announcements, discussion board postings, and forums communicate to the students that the faculty member cares about who they are, cares about their questions and concerns, and is generally "present" to do the mentoring and challenging that teaching is all about. When faculty actively interact and engage students in a face-to-face classroom, the class develops as a learning community, developing intellectual and personal bonds. We have learned to quantify what it means to "be present." Note: Students who feel abandoned or who feel alone may even post questions, such as "Is anybody there?" References
Student engagement in distance learning environments: A comparison of threaded discussion forums and text-focused Wikis | Gao The purpose of this study was to improve the quality of students’ online discussion of assigned readings in an online course. To improve the focus, depth, and connectedness of online discussion, the first author designed a text–focused Wiki that simultaneously displayed the assigned reading and students’ comments side by side in adjacent columns. In the text–focused Wiki, students were able to read the assigned text in the left column and type their comments or questions in the right column adjacent to the sentence or passage that sparked their interest. Figure 2: The flow of the discussion.
EdTechLeaders: Online Workshop Facilitation Guide Online Workshop Facilitation GuideDeveloped by EDC's Center for Online Professional Education Facilitator Roles and Strategies | Expectations for Participants Facilitator Roles and Strategies Online course facilitators, like classroom teachers, play a variety of roles. In the online medium, it is possible to divide the roles among several people. Whether or not there will be one or more people responsible for the online course, it is helpful to consider all of the various roles and strategies that go into successful online facilitation. Expectations for Participants Depending on the course content and goals, participants may be expected to play a variety of roles. Basic Requirements Online courses require access to a computer that can log onto the Internet, and a base level of technical knowledge and comfort. Most computer experiences include elements of both excitement and frustration. Time Commitment Individuals or Teams © Copyright 2000 Education Development Center, Inc.
Teaching with Technology Collaboratory - Improving the Use of Discussion Boards Considerable research indicates that the effective use of discussion boards results in... Collison, G., Elbaum, B., Haavind, S., & Tinker, R. (2000). Facilitating online learning: Effective strategies for moderators. Eklund, J., & Eklund, P. Haggerty, N., Schneberger, S., & Carr, P. (2001). Hiltz, S.R. & Wellman, B. (1997). Kassop, M. (2003, May/June). Kubala, T. (1998). Markel, S. (2001). Mazzolini, M. & Maddison, S. (2003, April). Meyer, K.A. (2003). Newman, D.R., Webb, B., & Cochrane, C. (1999). Outing, S. & Rual, L. (2004). Rovai, A.P. (2004). Shapley, P. (2000). Sullivan, P. (2002, Winter). History of Search Engines - Chronological List of Internet Search Engines (INFOGRAPHIC) Below is a visual history of "search" and search engines; hopefully it's both a trip down memory lane and a useful resource for anyone looking to learn a bit more about the history of Internet search engines. If you like the graphic or find it useful you're welcome to embed the image on your own site, link to it, or give it a Digg/Stumble/Etc. Without further fanfare, we present to you WordStream's search engine history timeline. The History of Search Engines Modern search engines are pretty incredible – complex algorithms enable search engines to take your search query and return results that are usually quite accurate, presenting you with valuable information nuggets amidst a vast information data mine. Search engines have come a long way since their early prototypes, as our Internet Search Engines History infographic illustrates. How Do Search Engines Work? First of all, let's ask what is a search engine? Web search engines catalog the world wide web by using a spider, or web crawler.
Search Engines Tips for Using Search Engines When you are unable to find the information you need on any of the recommended web sites, it is always possible to do your own search using one of the popular search engines. No two search engines index the web in exactly the same way, so it is important to try several before abandoning your search. Google. Using Meta-Search Engines With meta-search engines you enter your search terms and the meta-engine processes the search through a number of different search engines simultaneously. MetaCrawler. Internet Archive One of the frustrating problems of online content is that it often disappears within a few months or years. Internet Archive. Subject Directories If you do not know exactly what you are looking for, but want to get information on a general topic, consider using a subject directory. Copyright © 2012 by Val Burris
Taking Technology to the Classroom: Pedagogy-Based Training for Educators Note: This article was originally published in The Technology Source ( as: David P. Diaz "Taking Technology to the Classroom: Pedagogy-Based Training for Educators" The Technology Source, November/December 2001. Available online at Instructors at a small community college were excited after hearing my presentation on the instructional uses of technology. William Knoke, in his book Bold New World (1996), warned that technology that is not used and implemented quickly is worthless: "Cutting-edge technology is as perishable as a truckload of ripe bananas: it's worth a fortune today, but if not used quickly, it becomes worthless" (p.166). In the midst of a major competitive upheaval in higher education, college administrators are asking faculty to help position colleges as "learning organizations" that will attract a broad cross-section of potential new "clients." First: Emphasize good teaching, not good technology.
IMPLEMENTING THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES - Chickering and Ehrmann For more teaching ideas, workshop materials and evaluation ideas, go to IMPLEMENTING THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES: Technology as Lever by Arthur W. Chickering and Stephen C. This article originally appeared in print as: Chickering, Arthur and Stephen C. See the bottom of this Web page for updates, a link to a huge collection of ideas for using technology to implement the seven principles, a recorded interview with Chickering and Ehrmann about this history of the seven principles and their relevance to technology use, and our request that you share more such examples of technology use. In March 1987, the AAHE Bulletin first published “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.” Several hundred thousand copies of the Principles and Inventories have been distributed on two- and four-year campuses in the United States and Canada. 1. The biggest success story in this realm has been that of time-delayed (asynchronous) communication. 2. 3.