Best Practices:A Guide for

Online Facilitators

Team CyberProf:

Neal Cross, Greg Downing, Thomas Flanagan

January 2008

7 Principles (Chickering & Gamson)

• Encourage contact between faculty & students

• Develop student reciprocity & cooperation• Encourage active learning

• Give prompt feedback

• Emphasize time on task

• Communicate high expectations• Respect diverse talents & ways of learning

Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, 39(7), 3-7.

EDMC Mission Statement

• Our mission is to provide– excellence in postsecondary education

– in a learning-centered environment

– where students can acquire the requisite skills and knowledge

– to pursue a career in their chosen field of study

Hardware And Software Requirements

For Windows

• Internet Explorer 6.0 (recommended)

• Internet Explorer 5.5 (supported)

• Netscape Communicator 7.1 (recommended)

• Netscape Communicator 6.2 (supported)

• Firefox 1.x (supported)

For Macintosh

• Internet Explorer 5.1x, 5.2x (recommended)

• Netscape Communicator 7.1 (recommended)

• Safari 1.2 (supported) • Firefox 1.x (supported)

The Asynchronous Classroom

• Asynchronous: Not synchronized!

• You and students can find your best times to do a good job

• You and students are not necessarily on the course site at the same times

• Freedom to self-schedule, as long as you and students meet weekly requirements

Roles of the Online Facilitator • Guide: you will guide students through the material by…

– setting expectations – helping first-time-online students navigate the course – making it clear what attendance, participation, etc. will be

• Coach: encourage discussion and interaction by…– using good questioning techniques– re-focusing conversations on the learning objectives – providing feedback which encourages continued learning &

application

• Supporter: – Provide friendly assistance as students work & learn to think– Students gain self-confidence by encouragement & recognition

of abilities

• Reviewer: – grading and final projects – providing feedback on accomplishments

• Particularly accomplishments students completed independently

Time Commitment

For a Student

• 4 days of 7 in a week• 8-15 hours needed per

week per course

For a Facilitator

• 5 days of 7 in a week– Can’t skip two days straight

• 15-20 hours needed per week (per course?)

Modeling Behaviors

• “Human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action." – Learning theorist Albert Bandura

• Students observe & take cues from facilitators

• Model, demonstrate, & embody in courses via:– substantive posting– understanding content better

– positive interpersonal interactions

Being present as a Facilitator

During your 5 of 7 days (without 2 days off in a row)

• Being online and posting grades, discussion topics, comments etc.

• Respond to student postings daily during your 5 days – respond to student questions no later than 48 hours

• even if they post during your days off

– respond to assignments within 48 hours of the due date

• Daily postings even if there are no student comments

• Provide detailed feedback in the online gradebook – no more than three days after the week ends.

• commentary on what the student did well & needs to improve• Grading criteria included

– based on rubric which shows where points are awarded/deducted

Being effective as a Facilitator Set clear communication expectations:

• Communicate your “days off” – to your program director – to your students

• Allows them to “expect” a longer reply time on those days

• If you will be changing your day off– Notify your program director and students

• Check & respond to postings at consistent times– Students helped by knowing when to expect a response

• Check postings more often – just before a major graded project is due – immediately after you returned grades

• Students more likely to have questions or concerns at those times

Use of questions as a Facilitator

Questions to Use

• Clarifying– Verify understanding– Closed-end & Open-ended

• Refocusing– Encourage reflection– Ties to class topics

• Exploration– Encourage critical thinking– Other alternatives– Information valued

Questions to Avoid

• Two Types– Disempowering

• Focus on negative without giving positive direction

– Leading & not Engaging• Impressing your ideas or

opinions upon them

Identifying At-Risk StudentsEarly intervention ensures learning success

Factors for considering at-risk status• Late/failed assignments• Certain skill deficiencies• Technology problems• Overwhelming pace• Required materials

missing

• Interfering personal issues

• Poor attendance• Exhibits problem

behaviors• Questions or comments

made suggest need for counseling

School Policies, Procedures, & Culture

Please use the faculty resource link for your school

to explore policies and procedures for yourself

http://www.aionline.edu/facultyform/index.asp

http://online.southuniversity.edu/facultyform/index.asp

http://online.argosyu.edu/facultyforms

http://miu-online.com/facultyform

Credits and Thanks

• EDMC and their family of schools

• Heidi and our fellow students– Professor Cohort 183

• Slideshare.net– Free sharing of slides, and slidecasts

• Archive.org– Free location for mp3 file to use in slidecast