Robin Kay
UOIT
Faculty of Education
Overview
My Background
 Your Background
 Ideas & Strategies for Online Learning
 Resources

My Background
 Faculty
of Education
 UOIT – 5 years
 Taught High School 8 years
 Community College for 5 years
 Most of my courses are hybrid
How many years have you taught
online courses?
Just started
B. 1 year
C. 2 years
D. 3+ years
A.
What subjects do you teach
online?
Math
B. English
C. Science
D. Social Sciences
E. Languages
F. Technology
G. Other
A.
How confident are you using
computers?
Not at all confident
B. Somewhat confident
C. Confident
D. Very Confident
A.
How would you compare online to
face-to-face courses?
Online is better for student learning
B. Online & FTF are about the same for
student learning
C. FTF is better for student learning
A.
Online Courses
Starting Out
Communication
Organization
Learning
Idea S1 – Learning Agreement
Have students agree to a set of rules
you expect them to follow
 Makes expectations clear from the start

 Check in at least once per week
 Post a message on the discussion board 2-3
times per week
 Complete weekly quiz
 Respond to emails within 24 hours

You can set this up online
(Zoomerang, Survey Monkey, Email)
Would you use Learning
Agreements with your students?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea S2 – Building Community

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
Build community at the beginning is linked
to more successful online courses
Chairs: Describe the perfect chair for you
while working online for this course
Animals: If I were any animal, what would I
be?
Bucket List: What are the “important”
things you have to do before you are 90
years old
Vanity License: Design your own license
plate
Would you use “Building
Community” activities?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea O1– Weekly Study Schedule
Week
Reading
Materials
Tasks
Content
1
Chapters 1-2
• Read course profile
• Join your discussion group
• Get to know course web site
Introduction to
course + Operating
Systems
2
Chapters 3-4
• Complete review quiz 1
• Check helpful links
• Make 2 discussion group entries
Process concepts +
IPC threads
3
Chapter 5
• Complete review quiz 2
• Submit one page summary
• Make 2 discussion group entries
Would you use a Study
Schedule?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea 02–Graphic Organizers
Helps students focus on concepts
 Some examples

 Concept Maps
 H-Chart or Venn Diagram
 Sorting concepts
 Frames
 Semantic Feature Analysis
 Frayer Model
 Other examples
Would you use Graphic
Organizers?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea 03–Web Page Scavenger Hunt
Set up key questions students have to
answer from your course web page
 Have organizer for them to fill in key
areas of your site
 Have online quiz to test that they know
where key information and tools are

Would you use a Web Page
Scavenger Hunt?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea C1 – Anonymous Feedback Forms


Set up weekly or bi-weekly feedback from students
Use http://www.getfast.ca/ - Free, fast, anonymous
Question
What questions came up this
week that require further help?
Is the pace of the course too slow,
just right, or too fast? Please
explain.
What was the main them of this
week?
What activity was most useful this
week?
Response
Would you use Anonymous
Feedback forms?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea C2– Send Performance Tips



Send tips/reminders via email or better yet text
messaging
Keep them short and focused
Tips could be:

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





Reminders about work to do
Reminders to log on
Helpful links
Clarifications on concepts
Changes in course materials or focus
You tube clip links
Humour
How are you doing in the course
Would you use send Performance
Tips using text messaging?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea C3– Virtual Office Hours
Virtual office hours (Facebook, Instant
messaging, Skype)
 Give students a chance to ask questions
 Online Whiteboard might be helpful for
explaining concepts

Would you use Virtual Office
Hours?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea C4 –Rules for Collaboration
Develop module on teamwork
(see Working in Teams for ideas)
 Create team agreement that outlines how
teams should work together





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Names of people on team
Goal of the group
How will workload be managed?
Who is the leader?
What other roles will there be?
What will the leader do if there is a team
problem?
Would you use Collaboration
Rules and/or Team Agreements?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea C5 –Discussion Boards
Small groups of 4-6
 Establish message protocols

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Keep it short
Use emoticons
Check grammar and spelling
Concise descriptive, subject line
Think “value added”
Students can self-evaluate
 Did I thoughtfully respond to one question?
 Did I post at least 2 meaningful messages?
 Did I read other student messages?
Would you use some of the
Discussion Board Ideas?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea L1 – Web-Based Learning
Tools
Free, easy to use, focused, interactive
tools
 Collections

 Explore Learning – Math & Science
 Learn Alberta – All Subject Areas
 NCTM Illuminations – Math
• Interactive Websites – All Subject Areas
• EDNA – All Subject Areas
Would you use Web-Based
Learning Tools?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea L2 – Mini-Clips
Online explanations of concepts
 Create with Jing (free) or Camtasia
 Sample Clip: Area of a Rectangle
 Samples Collections

 Grade 9 - Applied Math (Full Set) ~ 120 clips
 Khan Academy - Grade 1 to University

Can use to explain assignments or other
administrative tasks – Sample Clip
Would you use Mini-Clips?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea L3 –Digital Story Telling
Sample story
 Alternative method to communicate
knowledge
 Could be used to have students
introduce themselves to an online class
 Use Windows Movie Maker or Photo
Story
 Post on You Tube or Teacher Tube

Would you use Digital Story
Telling?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea L4 –Email the Authour
After reading a chapter or article,
learners can formulate questions to ask
the authour
 May work more for English and Social
Sciences

Would you “Emailing the Author”
as a teaching strategy?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea L5 –WebQuests
Samples at WebQuest.Org
 Can be done individually or in groups

Would you use a WebQuest?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea L6 –Wikis
Wikipedia
 Wikispaces - Free
 Students can use them on group
assignments
 Work from individuals can be posted
and edited in a common area

Would you use Wikis?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Idea L7– Learning Games for
Review

Developed Using Study Mate by
Respondus
 Flash Cards
 Pick a Letter
 Fill in the Blank
 Matching
 Crosswords
Would you use “Learning
Games”?
No
B. Maybe
C. Yes
D. I already do
E. I don’t understand this idea
A.
Resources
The Online Learning Idea Book – by Patti Shank
e-learning – by Ruth Clark & Richard Mayer
The New Virtual Classroom – by Ruth Clark & Ann Kwinn
Research
I am interested in providing training and
guidance for the teaching of online
courses in exchange for getting
feedback from teachers & students
 Dr. Robin Kay
robin.kay@uoit.ca
905-721-8668 ext. 2679
