April, 2008

Online Classroom - April, 2008 - Full Issue PDF
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Toward Creating Dynamic Discussion Forums Online: 10 Guidelines
By Yanyan Yong, PhD, and Anne Parrella, PhD
Education entails not only learning a subject, but also developing one’s perspective on the world and improving one’s intellectual capacities. In certain areas, such as the humanities and social sciences, the subject matter is intrinsically charged with human concerns and ethical issues.

Tips From the Pros: Managing a Large Online Class
The following tips from Susan Ko, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Maryland University College, can help you maintain course quality and interaction in high-enrollment online courses.

Active Case Studies to Assess Student Learning
By Francis C. Pengitore, EdD
Students learn best when they are actively involved. Adult students learn best when activities are problem-centered and related to actual occurrences and personal experiences. For teachers working in an online environment, one method that can be used to capture and sustain student involvement is the case study. Actual cases have an intrinsic appeal because they help to connect theory with practice.

Online Teaching Fundamentals: What to Evaluate, Part 3
By Patti Shank, PhD, CPT
In last month’s article, I discussed how to operationalize (that is, be very specific about) what you want to evaluate so you can select measures that provide you with the information you need. I began discussing qualitative and quantitative measures last month, and this month I’ll take that discussion a step further by considering different levels of precision.

Teaching Online With Errol: Creating a Comprehensive Online Resource Center
By Errol Craig Sull
Being “well stocked” and “well prepared” is always touted: in the kitchen, on a camping trip, in a basement woodworking shop, in a car for emergencies—the list goes on. And not to be forgotten is the online classroom, where the more prepared one is for both the expected and unexpected, the better the online classroom experience for both instructor and student.