10 Tips for Online Learning
I often receive opportunities to listen to podcast and or participate in webcasts.
Recently I was sent a webcast by Lou Russell of Russell Martin (RM) Associates
concerning ways to improve online learning. Ms. Russell provided 10 tips that I
have listed below. Most of these tips are “best practices” for teaching in general
but I do believe if you consider trying a few of these tips the next time you teach
an online/blended course you may find a difference in student learning.
1. Start all lessons with learning outcomes or objectives. Tell students what
they are expected to learn after they complete the lesson. These outcomes
should follow an agenda page.
2. Utilize visuals throughout your lesson. 60% of all adult learners prefer
receiving information via visualization. However, ensure visuals are linked
to course content.
3. Integrate sound bits. Sound has been found to increase focus and decrease
stress. Instrumental music to start and summarize the lesson is often used
by online instructors.
4. Develop exercises throughout the lesson where students must stop, reflect
and perform a task. This task may be in the form of questions, watching
embedded videos, read articles, working through a case, etc. Students tend
to remember more information if they are asked to perform movement
during the lesson.
5. Brain based learning indicates that if instructors can engage emotions of
the learner, learning can become optimal. Using appropriate good stories
or side bar stories during online learning can capture the emotions of the
learner.
6. Sell the value of the lesson/course by telling students what they need to
know vs what they should know. Share the context of the lesson.
7. Appropriate humor is always welcomed during human engagement.
Humor can be captured by comics, YouTube videos and illustrations.
However, the instructor must be comfortable with using humor and the
humor should be related to the content of the course.
8. Developing a sense of community can easily be accomplished in the face to
face classroom setting but developing this same community online can be
challenging. It is imperative that students feel a sense of instructor
presence and are connected to peers. Instructors cannot take an assign and
run type attitude to teaching online. To provide this presence and
connection instructors can:
-assign peers to check in with each other
-design a schedule where instructor checks in with individuals/groups
of students.
-post online office hours, 1-2 hours per week where instructors are
available for students if needed
-participate/check into forum discussions
-provide prompt feedback on assignments
9. Engaging students during online courses is another challenge for most
instructors. Student engagement can be accomplished through the
careful development of assignments and forums. Assigning readings,
summative analysis, peer critiques, case writings, guided threaded
discussions, are just a few ways instructors can engage students in the
learning process. Students learn best when they can SEE it, HEAR it, and
FEEL it. Therefore assignments should be designed where students are
Interacting with content, other students and or the instructor.
10. Finally all lessons should have a summary or review of the most salient
points of the lesson. This summary should not be a lecture review, rather it
should be driven by the students requiring students to engage in a review
of what they learned during the lesson. This engagement can be
accomplished by a Q/A session, asking students to list the most important
points of the lesson (Pearls), or perhaps a pair share activity where
students must connect with another student to discuss the lesson and
provide a summary of their own.