March, 2007

Online Classroom - March, 2007 - Full Issue PDF
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Threaded Discussions: They’re Not Just for Controversial or Ambiguous Issues
Instructors use threaded discussions to engage students, create community, and encourage exploration of open-ended questions that address the important issues of a discipline. But are threaded discussions appropriate for all online courses, even skills-based courses that don’t seem to have controversial or ambiguous issues to explore? Rebecca Arbisi, chair of the business department at State Fair Community College in Missouri, says they are, and she uses threaded discussions in all of her online courses, including skills-based courses on database management and microcomputer applications.

Tips from the Pros: Four Ways to Improve Discussion Forums
Rebecca Arbisi, chair of the business department at State Fair Community College in Missouri, offers the following tips for improving the quality of threaded discussions:

Nine Tips for Creating a Hybrid Course
Most instructors supplement their face-to-face courses with some online materials such as online syllabi, handouts, PowerPoint slides, and course-related Web links. All of these can add to the learning experience, but they are merely a start to making full use of the learning potential of the online environment in either a hybrid or totally online course.

Subdivided Courses Help Students Learn in Small Increments
Many online learners do not have large, uninterrupted blocks of time to dedicate to their coursework, which is why Robin Smith, senior WebCT certified trainer and Web-based learning coordinator in the Office of Educational Development at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, recommends that instructors subdivide their courses into manageable segments so that students can complete small learning activities in their spare moments.

Online Teaching Fundamentals: (Not) Making it Hard(er) to Learn, Part 1
By Patti Shank, PhD, CPT
Learning online can be frustrating. Online tools and technologies have a learning curve. It’s easy to feel lost and disconnected. Answers to questions are typically delayed. Because the online learning experience is, by its nature, somewhat frustrating, we need to take as much unnecessary frustration out of the experience as we can. Why? Because this kind of frustration often leads to reduced satisfaction and learning, and increased attrition. These less-than-optimal outcomes aren’t in anyone’s best interest.

Teaching Online With Errol: Your First Posting to Students: So Important!
By Errol Craig Sull
It is so true: you do only get one chance to make a first impression. That is especially important in teaching online, as you can only get students excited about and involved in your course through bits and bytes—much more of a challenge then when you are live in a classroom! Thus, each item you post—email, discussion message, announcement, team note, etc.—must be created with much thought, and perhaps none of these is more important than the first post to your class.