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Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online. Slides from 2011 Distance Learning conference in Madison WI August 3 2011. Orientation session Panel with Judith Boettcher
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Ten Best Practices — A Quick Guide for Teaching Great
Courses Online
27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning
August 3 - 5 2011
Judith V. Boettcher Designing for Learning
University of [email protected]
12011
As in Vygotsky’s ZPD
2011 2
PRESENCE
COMMUNITY
PERSONALIZATION
But wait, I didn’t really mean that I would teach online
But, how will I “talk” to them?
How do I know if they understand?
Do I really need to be on my
course site every day?
“Help!” said with quiet desperation…
42011
Where did the Best Practices Come From?
Community of Inquiry model Social, Teaching and Cognitive Presence
Garrison, Anderson, Archer, Swan, others
Community of learners Idea of a University
John Henry Newman
Research on dialogue and communication Discussion as a way of teaching
Brookfield and Preskill
Instructional design and learning theory How People Learn reports
Bransford, Brown and Cocking
Maryellen Weimer
Learner-centered Teaching…
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Inspirations of Ten Learning Principles
2011
Zone of Proximal Development
Lev Vygotsky
Experiential personalized learning
John Dewey
Jerome Bruner Daniel Schacter
Memory
John Seely Brown
Cognitive apprenticeship
Constructivism and active learning
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TEN BEST PRACTICES
2011
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Be Present at the Course Site
Best Practice 1
2011
Yes, every day!
But you can “fence” that time…
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“Is anyone out there?”
THE “THREE PRESENCES”
The Three Presences based on Online Collaboration Principles by D. R. Garrison (2006) and article by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000)
2011 9
Social Presence Teaching Presence Cognitive Presence
102011
How do you “make yourself known” to your students? As an expert, as a mentor, as a 3D person?
• Being a person, being "real" to your learners• Social presence - the ability to project
oneself socially and affectively in a virtual environment
• Some Ideas• Picture — in context • Short bio • Favorite food• Interesting stories
Social Presence - Faculty
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First Week Forum: Social Presence and Trust among Learners
• Getting acquainted postings • “My favorite movie, or book, or meditation
or relaxation is….” • Post one/more of their favorite pictures• Pix of where they study/work/learn• Describe their morning commute.. :-) • Significant/favorite life experience related to
the course
Useful in launching a “quick trust” among learnersElevator, cocktail openings, but deeper
Chihuly Glass room at MFA last week
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Teaching Presence 1– What you do before the course…
• Syllabus• Assessment plan with assignments
and rubrics• Course framework and
communication plan• Mini-lectures, concept intros with text,
YouTube videos, podcasts • Forum questions • Project descriptions • Core, recommended and personal
choice resources• Week-by-week schedule2011
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Teaching Presence 2– Suggesting, Guiding, Challenging Showing the Way
• Group presences • Announcements, reminders, guideposts • Supportive, monitoring, questioning,
affirming comments in the discussions and forums and blogs etc.
• Q&A sessions
• Individual presence • Encouraging and shaping of individual and
small team projects • Individual feedback, support as may be
appropriate
2011 Note: "Teaching Presence" refers to the design, direction, facilitation and feedback, from a faculty in a course.
Three presences “ebb and flow” over a course (Akyol and Garrison, 2008)
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COGNITIVE PRESENCE
Cognitive Presence - “Construction of meaning through sustained communication in a climate of trust.”
2011
What are the zones, readiness points of your students?
Not just “turn-taking” in the forums, but a give and take conversation
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First Week Forum: Cognitive Presence
• Customize learning goals • Do I understand the learning outcomes of
the course? • What do the learning outcomes mean to me? • How do I think that I will use the knowledge,
skills, perspectives now and in the future?• Arthur was preparing to become King.
• How will I personalize the learning outcomes? • When I talk with my friends, family and other
folks, how can I share what I am doing?
Who am I as a learner and why am
I here?
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Create a Supportive Online Course Community
Best Practice 2
2011
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Balanced Dialogue Helps to Build Community
2011
Too much faculty talk and direction
Balanced communication of dialogue of mentor to
learner, peer to peer and learner to resource
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Members of a Community…
• “Share common joys and trials” (C. Dede, 1996)
• Share a sense of belonging, of continuity, of being connected to others and to ideas and values (T. J. Sergiovanni, 1994)
• Act within a climate of justice, discipline, caring, and occasions for celebration" (E. Boyer,1995)
2011
Members of a learning community care about each other and their learning successes
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Develop a set of clear expectations
Best Practice 3
2011
Where do I start? What do I
do now? What do I do
next?
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Best Practice 3: Develop a Set of Clear Expectations
• How you will communicate, how often and response times and methods
• How learners should be communicating and participating
• How much time do you design for learners to be “engaged” in content every week?
• Weekly guide and overview• What is your "weekly rhythm?"
2011
Are rubrics clear and purposeful? Is 6 hours a week
enough?
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Design in a variety of learning experiences
Best Practice 4
2011
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Include Individual, Small and Large Group Learning Activities
• Online courses can be isolating and overwhelming • Design opportunities for students to
brainstorm and work through concepts and assignments with one or two or more fellow students.
• Small teams for complex case studies or scenarios
• Expert events make for great large group activities
2011
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Design for synchronous and asynchronous experiences
Best Practice 5
2011
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Ask for Informal Feedback Early
Best Practice 6
2011
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Such as…
• How is course going? • What would help you if it were different? • Invite suggestions, observations• How early is early?
• 15% of the way in to the course, second week of 15 week course
• Avoids problems of "postmortem" evaluations and "If I had only known!"
2011
“I didn’t know that
anyone cared.”
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Prepare Inviting, Challenging Discussion Posts
Best Practice 7
2011
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Characteristics of Great Posting Questions • Encourage exploration and research • Encourage links to local, regional, personal
life experiences• Socratic-type probing and follow-up
questions• Why do you think that? • What is your reasoning? • Is there an alternative strategy? • Ask clarifying questions that encourage
students to think about what they know and don't know
2011
A high priority
“online skill”
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End of Week Discussion “Wraps” • Discussion wraps aid reflecting and pruning
processes of learning • Students might otherwise drift with questions
such as …• What was that all about?• Where has this conversation taken me? Taken our
group?• What have I learned? What do I know now that I
did not know before?• Have I changed how I think about these ideas or
problem? • What does our faculty leader think? Students
want to know.
2011
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Design for Digital Resources and Tools for Core Concepts
and Experiences
Best Practice 8
2011
"If content and tools are not digital, it is as if it does not exist for today’s learners"
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Why Digital Resources, Tools Are Essential…
• Visualize where learners are going to be…they can be anywhere, anytime and often while they are doing other things
• Learners want to be creative, such as making movies, podcasts, research, collect data
• Design for learners to research and identify resources that support learning of core concepts — for themselves and others
2011
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Combine Core Concepts with Customized Learning
Best Practice 9
2011
“I think I can…I think I can…
Core Concepts and PrinciplesCore Concepts and Principles
Applying Core Concepts
Problem Analysis and Solving
Four Layers of Content
Customized and Personalized322011
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Plan a Good Closing and Wrap for Your Course
Best Practice 10
2011
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Wrapping Up
• Reflection activities• Project sharing “beyond the course” • Summarize/Debrief
• Concept mapping captures course content• Look to the future – what might work better?
• Agree on “Big Ideas, Big Connections”• Celebrate!
2011
352011
Conclusion Very Important GuidelineIn course design, we design for the probable, expected learner; in course delivery, we flex the design to the specific, particular learners within a course.
“I really enjoyed the project and how my teacher supported me in doing what was important for me personally.”
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Presence, Community and Personalization
Class of 2027
More resources …www.designingforlearning.info/services/writing
/ecoach/[email protected]
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