Course Title and Number: EDPD: 812 E “Facilitating Learning in an Online Environment“
Graduate Hours: 3 graduate credits
Location: On-line learning environment for the South Carolina Department of Education
Office of eLearning, currently using Moodle course management system located at http://scde.mrooms.org/ with username and password required for course access.
Laura Lea Rand
laura.rand@ed.sc.gov
843-615-2169
Semester: Spring 2015
Course Dates and Times: March 23, 2015 – May 11, 2015
Orientation Session: 2 hours
6 Weekly sessions: 42 hours
Discussion Forum and responses: 14 hours
This is an online course. There will be no face-to-face meetings, however the instructor will communicate with her students in various ways such as email, Blackboard
Collaborate, and other audio and electronic communication. The adjunct will be available online daily from 7PM – 10 PM to communicate with students. Teachers will use the following communication guide to make sure all students have a positive experience with the course. The communication below will serve as a bridge between the teacher and participant.
1. Call each participant at the beginning of the course a. Send out a welcome email with a welcome letter with contact information for the teacher listed in the welcome letter and email. b. All contact information for the teacher will be listed.
2. Send out weekly email reminders about work progress and work due. The teacher will contact a participant if they miss one week ’s worth of work and offer to assist with catching up.
3. Host at least 1 Blackboard Collaborate Online meetings during the course, and two other online class meetings using various technologies (one every other week). The
Blackboard Collaborate meeting(s) will be recorded with a "keyword" at the end and have the participant who can not attend listen to the recording and email the teacher the "keyword." The teacher will document the attendance within the course grade- book and/or attendance spreadsheet.
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Each communication will be documented within a spreadsheet for communication tracking purposes. This spreadsheet can be turned in with the grade-book at the end of the semester.
Text/Materials
To participate in this online course, participants will need a computer with a word processor such as MS Word, Internet access, and a Web browser such as Internet Explorer. The course is hosted online by eLearningSC PD,
. Login and password are required to access the course.
Grading: Pass/Fail **As per the C of C Graduate Catalog a pass/fail course carries (0) zero credits and thus cannot be converted to a letter grade.
Purpose of course
The nature of the 21st-century classroom is rapidly changing. Online education in K-12, also called virtual schooling, is growing at approximately 30 percent annually. With this rise comes an increase in demand for experienced teachers to provide instruction online, which adds another dimension to teacher quality. Skill sets acquired for teaching in a traditional classroom setting are not adequate preparation for online teaching, or online course development. As a result, the intent of the proposed graduate course is designed to prepare currently certified teachers in theoretical, technical and pedagogical foundations of online instruction.
Course Description
Our students are part of a generation born with technology at its fingertips. They are risk-takers, not afraid to venture into new learning experiences. And they are our future …a future that will be expected to communicate globally, think critically, and learn independently. To help our students reap the maximum benefits of their online course, we need to investigate how best to facilitate learning in the online environment. This course relates to the C of C conceptual framework and theme of making the teaching and learning connection because it will help participants to effectively facilitate online learning. Participants will read articles, practice applications, and share ideas in the course discussion forum with other course participants.
Prerequisite
This course is intended for educators who are interested in teaching online courses. Participants are expected to have regular access to computers. In addition, participants should be proficient with using word processing, email, browsing the Internet, using attachments, uploading and downloading content, and navigating to computer files.
Goals and Objectives: Correlated to the College of Charleston Teaching and Learning
Standards and the National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for
Teachers. www.cofc.edu/~pdie www.iste.org
The goal of this course is to produce educators who can effectively facilitate online learning.
Participants will use our on-line learning environment for teachers to practice (EHHP I, II, III, IV,
V, VI, VII) (ISTE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
• Participants will define an effective online learning environment. (EHHP II) (ISTE 1, 5)
• Participants will understand the similarities and differences between F2F and online learning (EHHP I, II, III) (ISTE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
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• Participants will understand how the roles and responsibilities of instructors shift when going from a face-to-face (f2f) classroom to an online class (EHHP II, III) (ISTE 1, 2, 3, 4,
5)
• Participants will understand the different learning styles of online learners (EHHP I, III)
(ISTE 2, 3, 4)
• Participants will explore strategies to support different learning styles of online learners
(EHHP III) (ISTE 2, 3, 4)
• Participants will explore strategies to communicate effectively at the beginning, middle, and end of the online course. (EHHP III, V) (ISTE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
• Participants will examine theoretical communication models and how they relate to the online environment. (EHHP III, V) (ISTE 2, 3, 4)
• Participants will understand how to create their online ‘voice’ or online ‘persona’ via communication (EHHP II, III) (ISTE 2, 3, 4)
• Participants will discuss and share completed activities using the Discussion Board within
(EHHP II, III, IV, V) (ISTE 2, 3, 4)
Attendance and Late Assignments Policy
Attendance will be determined by completion of weekly online assignments. Assignment due dates are midnight of the last date of each session. Moodle ’s time stamp given within the
Discussion forum will determine if the assignments were completed on time. Late assignments will not be accepted without prior arrangement with instructor. All assignments and rubrics for participant use can be viewed online or downloaded via the course website, after the course instructor has given registered participants login information for the online course.
Assessment and Feedback
Rubrics will be used to assess discussion board participation, weekly assignments and the final project. The Grades feature in Moodle can be accessed from the course homepage and will serve as the participan t’s portfolio and provide assessment feedback. Course participants will be assessed throughout this course by the assignments submitted to the facilitator via the
Discussion Forums and Assignment links. The Grades feature will be used to provide participants with weekly assessment of assignments and discussion.
The following are assessed:
• Discussion forums
• Activities (writing assignments and planning documents)
• Final Project- Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric
A passing grade for the course will be 80% or higher
Course Overview
This six week course is divided into six sessions which may include research on the Internet, assignments or activities, and an online discussion. The time for completing each session is estimated to be approximately 7 hours .
Discussion Forums : Participants are expected to complete weekly discussion assignments and actively participate in the online discussion board. In the discussions, participants will develop and share their ideas to incorporate tools and strategies presented in the course into their own curricula.
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Final project: Participants will build a rubric, Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator.
Sections of the rubric will be completed by the participants ’ throughout the course from the topics studied each session. Participants will determine unsatisfactory, proficient, and exemplary characteristics of an online facilitator in the areas of Supporting Learning Styles,
Communication, Instructional Strategies, and Organization.
Session 1: Overview to Online Learning and the Role of the Online Instructor
Shelton and Saltsman (2004) use a gardening analogy to describe the careful preparation, design, implementation and follow-up needed when teaching in the online environment. This module will help participants understand what the online environment looks and feels like and how it is different from the face-to-face learning environment. Participants will examine how the role and responsibility of instructors shift when teaching online. We will discuss some of the challenges of teaching online and strategies to deal with these challenges.
Goals
The participant will:
• Describe an effective online learning environment
• Understand the similarities and differences between F2F and online learning
• Describe his/her expectations of teaching online
• Understand how the roles and responsibilities of instructors shift when going from a face-to-face (f2f) classroom to an online class
• Understand the skill set a facilitator needs in the online teaching environment
Reading
Participants will read:
• Tips and Tricks for Teaching Online: How to Teach Like a Pro-
• Face-to-face vs. Online learning activities-
•
Effective Online Facilitation
•
, Illinois Online Network
Activities
• As an activity, participants will take the self-evaluation quiz at
• As an activity, participants will complete a survey about their expectations of teaching online.
1. What do you expect your 1st online teaching experience to be like for you the facilitator?
2. What do you expect your student's online experience to be like?
3. What support do you expect from curriculum consultants, IT, other VHS facilitators?
4. In what ways do you anticipate interacting with your online students?
• As an activity, participants will download the document Characteristics of a Strong
Online Facilitator rubric template and save it to your computer. This is a document template that you will work on and fill out during this course.
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• As an activity, participants will log into Blackboard Collaborate to “meet” the course instructor. The instructor will reinforce the directions to downloading the template and clarify expectations for the final project. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and get to know the instructor and other classmates. The instructor will create a
Choice activity in Moodle prior to this session to determine which day and time would be best to meet synchronously for the majority of the class in Blackboard Collaborate.
Discussion Forum
Teaching in an online environment is different from teaching face-to-face in the classroom. What is one challenge that you foresee to teaching online? Do you have a strategy to deal with this challenge? Post an original post in the discussion forum and post a response to two other participants ’ postings.
Session 2: Role of the Online Learner and Learning Styles
The online environment is much different than the traditional face-to-face classroom. Online courses require a unique commitment from the student. Students need to be proficient with technology and self-starters. Teachers need to be aware of how their students learn so they can adjust and adapt their teaching methods and strategies. In this session, we will look at how the roles and responsibilities of students shift when going from a face-to-face (f2f) classroom to an online class and the skill set they need to be successful online learners. We will also look at the different learning styles and explore strategies to support different learning styles of online learners
Goals
The participant will:
• understand how the roles and responsibilities of students shift when going from a face- to-face (f2f) classroom to an online class
• understand the skill set students need to be successful online learners
• Understand the different learning styles of online learners
• Explore strategies to support different learning styles of online learners
Readings
Participants will read:
•
Tips for Being a Successful Online Learner -
•
, from Distance Learning About.com
•
, Illinois Online Network
•
, Three Rivers Community
College
Activities
• You can look at the course as instructor or as a student. Change the views by clicking on the Switch role to … drop down box in the upper right hand corner. Switch back to your
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original role.
• As an activity, participants will complete one or more online readiness assessments: o
o
• In a face to face classroom, teachers share their classroom expectation with their students. As an activity, participants will create an email or document that you can post in your course that addresses the expectations you have for your students (i.e., time spent online, communication, etc.) in your online classroom.
• As an activity, participants will complete one or more of learning styles inventories- o Index of Learning Style Questionalnaire-
o Wha t’s Your Learning Style? -
o Learning Style Inventory- http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/LSI/LSI.htm
• As an activity, participants will write a brief synopsis answering the following questions.
Submit this document to your instructor. o Which learning style inventory(s) did you take? o What is your learning style? o What is a strategy that you can use to support your students who may not learn the same way you do?
• As an activity, participants will complete the Supporting Learning Styles section of the
Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric template
Discussion Forum
You ’ve shared your expectations of teaching online. What are your expectations for your students learning online? In this session ’s discussion forum, share the document (email, list, etc.) that you created in the Activities with your classmates and discuss why these expectations are important to you. Post an original post in the discussion forum and post a response to two other participants ’ postings.
Session 3: Communicating in the Online Classroom
Communication is an essential component in the online classroom. Since the online environment does not provide the opportunity for teachers to read body language or facial expressions, it is important for facilitators to communicate effectively. Effective communication can foster a sense of community in the online classroom and enhance the learning experience for everyone. In this session, we will read some articles that provide tips for communicating effectively in the online environment. Since the tone of electronic communication can sometimes be misunderstood, we will practice writing an introductory email to participants and share them with our classmates for feedback. Lastly, we will explore some strategies for engaging student participation in class and in the discussion forum.
Goals
The participant will:
• Understand the importance of tone in online communication
• Explore strategies to communicate effectively at the beginning, middle, and end of the online course
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• Examine theoretical communication models and how they relate to the online environment
• Explore strategies for engaging student participation in the online environment
• Understand how to create their online ‘voice’ or online ‘persona’ via communication
Reading
Participants will read:
• Creating an Interactive Online Community-
• eMODERATION - Managing a New Language?
•
Strategies for engaging students in discussion
•
, OnlineLearning.net
• Teaching on the Web - Exploring the Meanings of Silence
Activities
• As an activity, participants will write a short 100+ word synopsis of the four articles in the
Reading section. In your synopsis, include which strategies will help you the most in your online teaching. Submit this to your instructor.
• As an activity, participants will write a response to one of the scenarios below.
Encouraging reluctant or quiet students to participate in an online course can sometimes be challenging. Whether it is in the discussion forum or submitting work on time, facilitators need to practice encouraging student participation. Choose one of the scenarios below and write a response describing how you would handle it and a sample of the communication you would send. Upload this to the instructor.
1. Quentin has logged in and participated minimally in the first four sessions of your online course. He has posted an initial post in the discussion forum for session 3 but has not posted any responses. He has not submitted any assignments for the last two sessions. How would you communicate to Quentin about his lack of participation and what would you say?
2. Throughout your course, only two students post to the discussion forum early in the week. Everyone else in the class waits until the last two days of the session to participate in the discussion forum so the discussions are not very robust. How do you communicate to the majority of the class to encourage them to participate in the discussion forum?
3. Pat is a student in your course but has only participated minimally in course online discussions. Pat seems to struggle in your course and has submitted some poor quality assignments. Suddenly, Pat is submitting assignments that are exceptional quality. The transformation has been quick so you are a bit suspicious if this is Pa t’s own work. How would you communicate with Pat and handle this situation?
• Fill in the Communication section of the Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric template.
• As an activity, participants will log into Blackboard Collaborate to talk to the course instructor. The instructor will discuss communication strategies and ask participants how they answered
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responding to any of the scenarios above. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about the course. The instructor will create a Choice activity in Moodle prior to this session to determine which day and time would be best to meet synchronously for the majority of the class in Blackboard Collaborate.
Discussion Forum
Establishing a great rapport with online students from the beginning of the course is important.
One way to motivate students and calm some of their fears is to send an opening email and post announcements. As we all know, communicating through email doesn't allow for facial cues that often indicate our tone.
Practice writing an opening email that you might send your students for your online course. Be sure to keep the tone welcoming and encouraging. Post your email in the class Discussion
Forum this week and read and respond to two of your peers, letting them know how the tone of the opening message was received.
Session 4: Supporting Online Learning: Instructional Strategies and Interactive Learning
Instructional strategies and methods are used by teachers to create learning environments for their students. In session 4, we learned how learners have different learning styles. Because learners have different learning styles, online educators need to use a variety of instructional strategies so that each student can be successful in the classroom. Instructional models which exist in traditional face-to-face learning environments can be adapted to the online environment.
One of the best benefits of online learning is that it can be interactive to engage student learning. In this session, we will look at some of these instructional strategies and how the online environment may determine which instructional strategies will be most effective. We will explore some interactive web sites as possible resources to help make the online classroom more interactive.
Goals
The participant will:
• Explore various instructional strategies
• Determine instructional strategies that are appropriate for a specific educational objectives in online learning
• Explore alternative instructional strategies for the online environment
• Explore strategies for making learning activities interactive
Readings
Participants will read:
• Instructional Strategies for Online Courses-
• Alternatives to The Online Lecture-
• Interactive learning
• Online Teaching Activity Index-
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Activities
• As an activity, participants will write a short 100+ word synopsis of the four articles in the
Reading section. In your synopsis, include some ideas of different instructional strategies you might use in your online classroom.
• As an activity, participants will explore two or three of the different interactive resources listed below to find interactive content that you may want to integrate into your curriculum:
StreamlineSC-
•
•
•
•
SlideShare- http://www.slideshare.net/category/education
Merlot- http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm
Teachertube- http://www.teachertube.com/
•
• Super Teacher Tools-
As an activity, participants will fill in the Instructional Strategies section of the
Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric template.
Discussion Forum
Instructional strategies will be different in the online environment than in the traditional face-to- face environment. From your readings this session, what are some instructional strategies that you could adapt to be successful in your online teaching? Share one or two interactive resources from the Activities that you think you could use in your online classroom. Respond to at least two of your classmates ’ postings in the discussion forum.
Session 5: Management and Organization
Online courses provide anywhere, anytime learning. That means that the online classroom is open 24/7 for both the student and the facilitator. Online facilitators need to develop new time management skills when dealing with students who now have 24/7 access. In this session, we will explore some time-saving strategies to help instructors manage their time teaching online.
Goals
The participant will:
• Understand the differences of the time-related issues for instructors between face-to- face and online courses
• Explore time-saving strategies for teaching online
Reading
Participants will read:
• Time Management Strategies for Online Teaching , International Journal of Instructional
Technology and Distance Learning-
• It's About Time: Time Saving Strategies, from OnlineLearning.net
• Scaling Up Class Size in Web Courses-
• Time Saving Tips for Distance Learning Instructors-
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Activities
• As an activity, participants will write a short 100+ word synopsis of the three time management articles that you read. Include which tips or management strategies you think will be most helpful to you. Submit this document to your instructor.
• As an activity, participants will create a personal document which outlines a schedule for you that allows for grading, reading discussion forums, sending out email messages, etc.
• In the same document, add a section (that you can share with students) that outlines your office hours, the turnaround time for responding to emails or grading assignments, any synchronous meetings such as in Blackboard Collaborate, etc.
• As an activity, participants will fill in the Organization section of the Characteristics of a
Strong Online Facilitator rubric template.
• As an activity, participants will log into Blackboard Collaborate to talk to the course instructor. The instructor will discuss communication strategies and ask participants how they answered responding to any of the scenarios above. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about the course. The instructor will create a Choice activity in Moodle prior to this session to determine which day and time would be best to meet synchronously for the majority of the class in Blackboard Collaborate
• As an activity, participants will log into Blackboard Collaborate to talk to the course instructor. The instructor will discuss management and organization strategies.
Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about the course. The instructor will create a Choice activity in Moodle prior to this session to determine which day and time would be best to meet synchronously for the majority of the class in Blackboard
Collaborate
Discussion Forum
After reading the time management articles and creating the two planning documents in the
Activities sections, post both of these documents in the Discussion Forum so you and your colleagues can share schedule hints. Please include how you plan to communicate your schedule with your students.
Session 6: Assessment
Assessment is an important part of any learning environment, but feedback is especially important in an online learning environment. Online students may potentially feel alienated since they do not have face-to-face contact with their instructor and classmates. Therefore, instructors need to work at communicating and providing feedback to student learning. Instructors must provide clear expectations and grading policies at the beginning of the class. In this session, we will look at effect feedback strategies to meet student learning needs. Lastly, we will pull all our learning together to complete the Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric template.
Goals
The participant will:
• Explore effective feedback strategies to identify and meet individual student needs
• Create expectations for student contributions to discussion forums
• Explore rubrics as assessment tools
Readings
Participants will read:
• Strategies for Providing Feedback in Online Courses-
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• Assessment in Online Learning
• Providing Feedback in Your Distance Learning Course-
• Creating Rubrics: Tools You Can Use-
Activities
• As an activity, participants will create expectations for student contributions to discussion forums from ideas gained in the readings this week. You will click on the Writing
Assignment Expectations link on the home page under Session 6 to complete this activity and submit it to your instructor
• As an activity, participants will complete the Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric template and attach it to this session ’s discussion forum.
Discussion Forum
Attach your Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric to your original discussion post.
In the body of your message, post the biggest challenge you think you will face in teaching online and how do you plan to meet this challenge. Respond to at least two other participants postings.
Course Rubric
Pts Possible
5
10
15
Pts Possible
4
2
5
10
Pts Possible
5
5
10
Pts Possible
5
5
Orientation
Familiarize yourself with the online learning environment
Post an introductory thread to the Orientation Session discussion forum
Respond to two other introductions (5 pts each)
Upload Orientation Certificate – this is an all or none activity
Session 1
Complete the Survey – 4 questions = 1 point each -
Download and save the Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric template
Participate in the synchronous discussion in Blackboard Collaborate
Post an original thread to Session 1 discussion forum
Respond to two other classmates ’ postings (5 pts each)
Session 2
Complete one or more online readiness assessments
Create a document that addresses the expectations you have for your students.
(You will attach this to your original post in the discussion forum.)
Complete one or more of learning styles inventories
Write a brief synopsis about your learning style
Complete the Supporting Learning Styles section of the Characteristics of a
Strong Online Facilitator rubric template
Post an original thread to Session 2 discussion forum
Respond to two other classmates ’ postings (5 pts each)
Session 3
Write a short 100+ word synopsis of the four articles
Write a response to one of the three scenarios
Complete the Communication section of the Characteristics of a Strong Online
Facilitator rubric template
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2
5
10
Pts Possible
5
5
10
Pts Possible
5
2
2
2
5
10
Pts Possible
5
14
5
10
Participate in the synchronous discussion in Blackboard Collaborate
Post an original thread to Session 3 discussion forum
Respond to two other classmates ’ postings (5 pts each)
Session 4
Write a short 100+ word synopsis of the four articles
Explore two or three interactive resources
Complete the Instructional Strategies section of the Characteristics of a Strong
Online Facilitator rubric template
Post an original thread to Session 4 discussion forum
Respond to two other classmates ’ postings (5 pts each)
Session 5
Write a short 100+ word synopsis of the three time management articles
Create a personal document which outlines a schedule for you
Create a document (for students) that outlines your assessment
Complete the Organization section of the Characteristics of a Strong Online
Facilitator rubric template
Participate in the synchronous discussion in Blackboard Collaborate
Post an original thread to Session 5 discussion forum
Respond to two other classmates ’ postings (5 pts each)
Session 6
Create expectations for student contributions to discussion forums
Complete the Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric template
Post an original thread to Session 6 discussion forum
Respond to two other classmates ’ postings (5 pts each)
178 Total Points Possible
Grading
Scale
142 and above
PASS
(80% of raw points)
141 and below
FAIL
Professionalism and Ethics: As a member of the professional development community, participants are expected to evidence a high standard of personal conduct, respect and honorable professional characteristics in the presentation of their course assignments and interaction with class peers.
Disability Statement: If there are participants in this class who have a documented disability that allows him/her to receive accommodations they are asked to please speak privately with the course instructor.
Auditing Statement: Some students may have elected to audit this course. If you have selected to audit, no official record will appear that you have audited the course at the College of Charleston. Additionally you may not be added to the class roll after the class has been in session for more than two (2) weeks.
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Course Calendar:
Date Session/Topic
10/6-10/13 Session One: Overview to Online Learning and the Role of the Online
Instructor
10/13-10/20 Session Two: Role of the Online Learner and Learning Styles
10/20-10/27 Session Three: Communicating in the Online Environment
10/27-11/3 Session Four: Classroom Instructional Strategies and Making Learning
Interactive
11/3-11/10 Session Five: Management
11/10-11/17 Session Six: Assessment
Online Discussion Forums
Purpose:
To encourage participants to document and share various ideas and resources throughout the course using the Moodle Discussion Forum.
Procedures:
Participants will make postings to discussion forum related to course content. All posts for a session must be submitted with the dates of each weekly session (all sessions begin and end on Mondays). Early or late postings will not be awarded points. Online resources are provided in the Orientation session as guidelines for successful Discussion Forum participation. During each weekly session each participant should make an initial post related to the discussion topic given and reply to the postings of at least two other participants. Participants are expected to review and reply to the discussion forum on several different days during the weekly session.
Discussion Forum Grading:
Each session participants are required to post an original thread and two responses to classmates ’ postings in the discussion forum. Each post is worth 2 points. Points will be awarded for successful completion of each session ’s discussion forum.
Orientation Post of Original and Response Threads
Expectation
INITIAL POST
Postings are completed on time, in proper location and contain content related to discussion topic and course goals.
REPLIES
User reviews and replies positively to the postings of at least two others.
0
Postings are not completed within the session dates.
No replies are made.
3
Postings are completed on time but are not in proper location or are off topic.
Reply is not positive and supportive.
5
Postings are completed on time, are in proper location and include content relevant to the discussion topic.
Positive replies are made to the posts of other users. (2 pts per reply)
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Session 1 Assignment #1
Survey of Participants ’ Expectations
4 total points
Purpose:
To help participants articulate their expectations of what they think teaching online will be like.
Procedures:
Participants will answer the four following survey questions (worth one point each):
1. What do you expect your 1st online teaching experience to be like for you the facilitator?
2.
3.
What do you expect your student's online experience to be like?
What support do you expect from curriculum consultants, IT, other VHS facilitators?
4. In what ways do you anticipate interacting with your online students?
Grading:
The assignment has 4 questions and will be worth 1 point each for a total of 4 points possible.
Session 1 Assignment # 2 2 points
Blackboard Collaborate Meeting
Purpose:
To create a collaborative environment, help ensure students have a positive online experience, and answer any questions participants may have.
Procedures:
The instructor will provide the day/time for the Blackboard Collaborate meeting (determined by feedback from participants) and the login instructions via email. Participants will log in to
Blackboard Collaborate
Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 2 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts 2 pts
Participants did participate in the
Blackboard Collaborate meeting
Participants did participate in the
Blackboard Collaborate meeting or listened to a recording of the meeting and emailed the keyword to the instructor.
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Session 2 Assignment #1 5 total points
Writing Assignment on Learning Styles
Purpose:
To understand their learning style and explore strategies for teaching students who may not have the same learning style as the instructor.
Procedures:
• As an activity, participants will write a brief synopsis answering the following questions.
Submit this document to your instructor via the course assignment link in Moodle. o Which learning style inventory(s) did you take? o What is your learning style? o What is a strategy that you can use to support your students who may not learn the same way you do?
Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 5 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts 3 pts 5 pts
Participants do not submit the writing assignment
Participants submit the assignment but not all three questions are addressed.
Participants submit the assignment and all three questions are addressed.
Session 3 Assignment #1 5 total points
Writing Assignment- Communication Strategies
Purpose:
To explore various communication strategies in an online environment and determine which strategies will work best for their teaching style.
Procedures:
• As an activity, participants will write a short 100+ word synopsis of the four articles in the
Reading section. In your synopsis, include which strategies will help you the most in your online teaching. Submit this to your instructor.
Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 5 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts 3 pts 5 pts
Participants do not submit the writing assignment
Participants submit the assignment but do not address both the information from the articles and the personal strategies which will help them the most.
Participants submit the assignment and address both the information from the articles and the personal strategies which will help them the most.
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Session 3 Assignment #2
Writing Assignment- Communication Scenarios
Purpose:
To practice writing communications to handle difficult situations
5 total points
Procedures:
• Encouraging reluctant or quiet students to participate in an online course can sometimes be challenging. Whether it is in the discussion forum or submitting work on time, facilitators need to practice encouraging student participation. Participants will write a response to one of the three scenarios below. Choose one scenario and write a response describing how you would handle it and a sample of the communication you would send. Upload this to the instructor.
Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 5 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts 3 pts
Participants submit the
5 pts
Participants submit the Participants do not submit the writing assignment assignment describing how they would handle the situation but do assignment describing how they would handle the situation and not include a sample of the communication they would send. include a sample of the communication they would send.
Session 3 Assignment # 3 2 points
Blackboard Collaborate Meeting
Purpose:
To create a collaborative environment, help ensure students have a positive online experience, and answer any questions participants may have.
Procedures:
The instructor will provide the day/time for the Blackboard Collaborate meeting (determined by feedback from participants) and the login instructions via email. Participants will log in to
Blackboard Collaborate
Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 2 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts 2 pts
Participants did participate in the
Blackboard Collaborate meeting
Participants did participate in the
Blackboard Collaborate meeting or listened to a recording of the meeting and emailed the keyword to the instructor.
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Session 4 Assignment #1 5 total points
Writing Assignment- Instructional Strategies
Purpose:
To explore different instructional strategies for the online environment and determine which strategies will work best for the participant.
Procedures:
Write a short 100+ word synopsis of the four articles in the Reading section. In your synopsis, include some ideas of different instructional strategies you might use in your online classroom.
Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 5 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts 3 pts 5 pts
Participants do not submit the writing assignment
Participants submit the assignment but do not address both the information from the articles and the personal strategies which will help them the most.
Participants submit the assignment and address both the information from the articles and the personal strategies which will help them the most.
Session 5 Assignment #1
Writing Assignment- Time Management
5 total points
Purpose:
To explore various time management strategies for teaching online and determine which strategies will work best for the participant.
Procedures:
Write a short 100+ word synopsis of the three time management articles that you read. Include which tips or management strategies you think will be most helpful to you. Submit this document to your instructor.
Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 5 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts 3 pts 5 pts
Participants do not submit the writing assignment
Participants submit the assignment but do not address both the information from the articles and the personal strategies which will help them the most.
Participants submit the assignment and address both the information from the articles and the personal strategies which will help them the most.
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Session 5 Assignment # 2
Planning Document- Personal Time Management
2 points
Purpose:
To determine the time needed in order to grade papers, read discussion postings, send out email communication, and any other administrative duties.
Procedures:
Create a personal document which outlines a schedule that allows time for grading, reading discussion forums, sending out email messages, etc.
Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 2 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts 2 pts
Participants did not create their personal time management planning document.
Participants did create their personal time management planning document.
Session 5 Assignment # 3 2 points
Planning Document- Schedule
Purpose: To provide information to students on the participants ’ office hours, turnaround time for grading assignments or responding to email messages, or any other administrative duty.
Procedures:
Add to the above document a schedule that you can share with students which outlines your office hours, the turnaround time for responding to emails or grading assignments, any synchronous meetings such as in Blackboard Collaborate, etc.
Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 2 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts 2 pts
Participants did not create their schedule to share with students.
Participants did create their schedule to share with students.
Session 3 Assignment # 4
Blackboard Collaborate Meeting
2 points
Purpose:
To create a collaborative environment, help ensure students have a positive online experience, and answer any questions participants may have.
Procedures:
The instructor will provide the day/time for the Blackboard Collaborate meeting (determined by feedback from participants) and the login instructions via email. Participants will log in to
Blackboard Collaborate
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Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 2 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts 2 pts
Participants did participate in the
Blackboard Collaborate meeting
Participants did participate in the
Blackboard Collaborate meeting or listened to a recording of the meeting and emailed the keyword to the instructor.
Session 6 Assignment # 1
Planning Document- Student Participation in Discussion Forums
5 points
Purpose:
To provide information to students on expectations for participating in discussion forums
Procedures:
Create a document with your expectations for student contributions to discussion forums from ideas gained in the readings this week. You will click on the Writing Assignment Expectations link on the home page under Session 6 to complete this activity and submit it to your instructor.
Grading:
The assignment will be scored on a 5 point scale using the rubric below:
0 pts
Participants did not create a document outlining expectations for student contributions to discussion forums
5 pts
Participants did create a document outlining expectations for student contributions to discussion forums
Session 6 Assignment # 2
Planning Document- Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric
20 points
Purpose:
To pull all the information participants have learned in the course into a culminating activity
Procedures:
Participants will download the Characteristics of a Strong Online Facilitator rubric template at the beginning of the course (see below). Each session, participants will fill in a section related to what they are studying that session. In the last session, participants will share their completed rubric with the rest of their classmates in the discussion forum for feedback and review.
Characteristics Unsatisfactory
Support
Learning Styles
•
Communication •
•
•
Satisfactory
•
•
Exemplary
Instructional
Strategies
Organization
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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• • •
Grading:
The assignment will be worth 14 points total and will be assessed using the rubric below. All projects will be posted to a discussion forum for sharing and peer review.
2 5 7
Content is subjective and does not provide specific details
Content is clear and objective but does not provide specific details
Content is clear and objective providing specific details
Content of each characteristic (row) is not relevant to the topic.
Content of each characteristic (row) is relevant to the topic but not
Content of each characteristic (row) is relevant to the topic and clear.
***Beginning Nov. 1, 2013, all Transcript Requests received in the mail will be returned. Detailed instructions and information regarding Transcripts are available in the
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