May, 2006

Online Classroom - May, 2006 - Full Issue PDF
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7 Ways to Improve Student Satisfaction in Online Courses
Preparing students for the online learning experience and managing expectations are critical to student satisfaction, says Marie Gould, assistant professor and program manager of Business Administration, and Denise Padavano, associate professor and program manager, Information Technology, both of Peirce College.

Tips from the Pros: Engaging Students in Discussion
Getting students to participate in an online course is perhaps the biggest challenge of teaching online, says Deborah Raines, professor and director of the Accelerated Second-Degree BSN Program at Florida Atlantic University. Part of the problem is that students often have misconceptions about what participation means. This is why Raines makes it a point, particularly during the first two weeks of a course, to model and encourage appropriate participation.

The ABCs of Online Course Syllabi: Anticipate, Build on Objectives, and Collaborate
By Kam Jugdev, Maureen Hutchison, and Shelley Lynes
The course syllabus is a valuable communication tool. Because the syllabus requires accountability on the parts of several key stakeholder groups—students, prospective students, other institutions, the general public, and academics—it is critical that syllabi be developed so that they are easily understood, are accessible, and reflect current course content. In this article, we discuss the experiences of Athabasca University’s Centre for Innovative Management in developing online course syllabi using an “ABC” approach for an online MBA program.

The Assessment Quiz (and a Prize)
By Patti Shank, PhD, CPT
It’s only appropriate to wrap up the four-part assessment series with a quiz! You can use this quiz, individually or in a group, to test yourself and determine if you should read (or reread) my articles on objectives and assessments. For each multiple-choice question, select the best answer(s) (more than one answer if the question says “select all that apply”). Questions 8 and 10 are short-answer.

Writing the Online Research Paper: 13 Guidelines to Getting It Right
By Errol Sull, M.A.
There are many facets of teaching students in a “landline” setting that cross over to an online one. Certainly, nearly all of these must be tweaked and honed somewhat to work effectively in the online learning environment. Some assignments need no adjustment and work extremely well whether the students are in a traditional or an online classroom. Among these is the research paper: the topic of this month’s column.