What Are Practical Solutions for Managing My Online Teaching Workload?

Instructor workload is a definite concern for instructors teaching online courses. Both the development and facilitation of online courses can be work-intensive; however, the workload related to developing and teaching online courses doesn’t need to be overwhelming.

This 20-Minute Mentor will explore a variety of practical solutions instructors can use to manage the workload of online teaching.

Learning Goals

After viewing this Magna 20-Minute Mentor, participants will be able to:

• Identify ways they can take into account workload considerations while they are planning and developing online courses
• Explain how the strategy of assigning less work could have a significant impact on instructor workload
• Describe how using certain feedback strategies to assess student work can positively influence instructor workload
• Pinpoint course development and facilitation practices that may be consistent “time stealers” and explore how to rectify those
• Understand the benefit of not “recreating the wheel” when developing and teaching online courses

Topics Covered

• Workload: number of courses, students, and assessments, how assessments are administered, and other job duties
• Assigned Work: avoiding busy work, focusing on what is important for students to know
• Adjusting Feedback: number of items to be graded, auto grade, audio/video feedback, LMS rubric function, peer review
• Minor Time Stealers: course organization and set-up, clarity for students (where to go and what they should be doing), detailed directions for assignments, encouraging students to find answers for themselves
• Avoiding Reinventing the Wheel: content from other sources, publisher resources (PPT’s, exams), asking colleagues for ideas (e.g., discussions), evergreen content (intros, videos)

Audience

This program will benefit:

• Instructors
• Professors
• Instructional Designers

Product Code: QM21EA