Teaching and Learning blog

This article was originally posted on June 26,2017

E-babies by the hundreds

This fall, in college classrooms across the country, hundreds of students studying psychology will say goodbye to traditional textbooks and hello to a virtual child.

These new parents won’t raise their children in their dorm rooms, but rather on their laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

This unique “parenting” experience is made possible by a brand-new digital learning product called The Dynamic Child.

Students raise their child from birth to age 18 and see how their parenting choices affect the child over time.

A big idea, and a joint effort

“The Dynamic Child” is the invention of Dr. Frank Manis, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California.

After years of teaching child development courses with traditional textbooks, he began to brainstorm ways to make the material more engaging to students, most of whom had never been parents.

It took dozens of educators and researchers more than five years to develop “The Dynamic Child.”

Amber, an Executive Editor in Psychology, works with higher education professors to create the learning materials used to teach psychology courses nationwide.

“Our shared goal is to create and promote materials that help educators teach child development and other subjects in the most innovative, exciting ways possible.”

Erin is an expert in what’s called “learning design.”

“The course material is important, but the learner’s experience is equally significant. I’m there to make sure it’s always top-of-mind.”

A chicken-and-the-egg predicament

One of the biggest challenges along the way, Amber says, was deciding if students should read the online course material and then raise their virtual child, or vice versa.

“Raise first or read first? It was a true chicken-and-the-egg moment for me,” she says.

“It may sound like a little thing, but the way you sequence learning objectives for a course can have a huge impact on how much and how deeply the students learn.”

Thankfully, Amber says, she knew exactly who could help her answer her question: Erin.

“I introduced Amber to the research concept of ‘anchored instruction,’” Erin says.

“It tells us that there are cognitive benefits of having an experience first and then learning the theories and research that support it afterward.”

“In this case, the research suggests that ‘anchoring’ the course material in the real-world experience of raising a virtual child was the way to go.”

How it happens

For students using “The Dynamic Child,” the parenting process starts with a personality questionnaire.

It has 25 questions and takes about 30 minutes to complete, Amber says.

Students are asked things like, “What were your favorite subjects in elementary school?” and “In high school, did you prefer to socialize in small or large groups?”

All that data is used to create a unique personality profile for the student’s virtual child, Amber says.

Students can pre-select physical characteristics for their child, but the gender is determined randomly by the program.

After the child is “born,” students give him or her a name, Amber says.

“That helps the student develop an emotional bond with their child,” adds Erin.

“Research says that such an emotional investment leads to better learning outcomes.”

Making decisions as a parent

For the duration of the parenting experience, an avatar of the growing child takes up the right half of the student’s screen.

On the left side, students are presented with dozens of realistic parenting scenarios related to their child’s physical, mental, and social growth.

“Topics include sleep training, dealing with shyness, and overcoming adversity in academic, musical, and sporting endeavors.

“Students select from four different courses of action at each decision point, so there are an infinite number of eventual personality outcomes, and no two students will have identical children,” Amber says.

Over the course of the semester, the virtual children grow from birth to age 18.

The effects of a student’s parenting style can be seen in the child’s behavior over time, Amber says.

“The child is responding to the parent and vice versa.”

“It’s bi-directional—a two-way street—just like a parent-child relationship is in real life.”

A full launch this fall

This fall, more than 60 college professors across the country will teach child development courses exclusively via the “The Dynamic Child” product.

Pearson will host the learning experiences through its Revel platform.

Students can access the “Dynamic Child” portal from any device.

“In addition to getting to learn course material in an innovative and engaging way,” Amber says, ‘The Dynamic Child’ costs just $80—significantly less than most traditional psychology textbooks.”

Erin and Amber say they have high hopes for The Dynamic Child.

“We love the product,” Amber says, “and we think students and professors will, too.”

“We spent months and months reviewing the research on anchored learning and incorporating it into the final product design,” Erin says.

“We think it’s the type of homework students will truly be excited to do.”

“Without Access To Education, You’re Depriving People Of Freedom.”

A NOTE FROM PEARSON CEO JOHN FALLON: President Trump is considering rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in the US. Started in 2012, this program allowed 800,000 young people, who came to the US without documentation as children, the basic opportunity to work and study without the threat of deportation. About 200,000 of these DREAMers, like Ricardo, are currently enrolled in higher education.

A Famous Face

If you’ve ever watched the DIY Network on television, Kayleen McCabe’s is a face you may recognize.

She is the host and star of “Rescue Renovation,” a show that helps homeowners who are in over their heads. Renovation projects turn from disastrous “befores” into jaw-dropping “afters.”

When Kayleen is not in front of the camera, she’s traveling the country telling students the story of how her long-time construction hobby turned into a successful career.

Growing up different

“As a little girl, I was always building stuff with my hands,” Kayleen says.

“My dad was a welder by trade, so I learned a lot of what I know from him.”

“We did repairs around the house, built fences, and worked on cars together.”

“I didn’t realize how unique that was until high school,” Kayleen says.

Kayleen says most of her classmates had no idea what they wanted to do after graduation.

Kayleen was different.

“I knew, even then, that I wanted to work in the construction trades,” she says.

Trusting her instincts

Although knew she wanted a career in construction, Kayleen didn’t enroll in trade school after high school.

“I made good grades,” she says, “and I felt pressure to do what the other ‘good students’ did: go to college.”

One year and two schools (Red Rocks Community College and Colorado State University) later, Kayleen called her parents with some news that ultimately wasn’t a surprise to them: college wasn’t for her.

“I could’ve saved a lot of tuition money by following that instinct earlier,” Kayleen says.

“I am so grateful that when I eventually did, my parents were supportive.”

The first foray into television

Shortly after graduating from high school, Kayleen says, her cousin called her with a proposition.

“She was a producer on the TV show ‘Trading Spaces.’”

“She knew I liked working with my hands, and she said she could help me get a production assistant job.”

From her very first day on the set, Kayleen says she was hooked.

“I would bounce of out of bed at 5 am, vibrating with excitement about whatever we got to build next.”

“It was the first time I fell in love.”

The mentor of all mentors

On the set of “Trading Spaces,” Kayleen met a master craftsman named Frank.

“He was this grumpy-looking older guy with a big bushy mustache that was permanently stained from tobacco,” Kayleen says.

“But he taught me more than I could ever explain.”

“I could ask him anything, and he encouraged me to learn, to try, and most importantly, to fail,” Kayleen says.

“Being in an environment where I felt so safe to do that was the best gift I ever received.”

“Learning the way that I did—on the job—was more of an education than I could ever have gotten from going to college.”

“Rescue Renovation”

“Rescue Renovation” is currently in its fifth season on TV.

Kayleen says she is immensely grateful for her continued success—especially in a field that is traditionally dominated by men.

“When the show first started, I was one of the only female hosts on our channel—or any other one.”

“It’s different now, and I cannot wait for that to keep changing.”

When she travels for her show, Kayleen says, she is often able to help drive that change.

“I like to leverage a plane ticket as much as possible.”

“I’ll find out what schools are close to the airport and call them up. I say, ‘Hi, I’m a woman in the trades, can I come talk to your kids about career opportunities in my field?’”

“To the best of my ability,” Kayleen says, “I will continue to leverage what fame I’ve garnered to help recruit more and more young women into the construction trades.”

Connecting with audiences on smaller screens, too

In her spare time, Kayleen produces short, instructional videos for her followers and fans. She hosts them on her personal web page.

Topics range from cabinet building, to clamps and fasteners, to drill skills.

“I want to get them into the hands of middle and high school teachers so they can show their kids what working in the trades is really like.”

“Growing up, my teachers had nothing like that. In terms of recruitment, I think it could be game-changing.”

Something to strive for

Kayleen says she is constantly thinking about the future—for herself and for construction trades overall.

“I want to double the number of students I talk to every year … until that becomes impossible.”

Already this year, Kayleen has made incredible progress towards her goal. She has trips planned to Indiana, Ontario, Nebraska, Arizona, Kentucky, Nevada, Abu Dhabi, and Mississippi—all in the next few months.

“Someday, I hope I am able to travel full-time, speaking to students and giving them scholarships to study the trades.”

“I want to be the Bill Gates of power tools,” Kayleen says.

“And my passport has a lot of room in it.”

A big deal at the time

In the early 1990s, Bill Clements highlighted students in his college classes at Norwich University on websites he built from scratch.

“I’d post a ‘Student of the Week’ and the students really got a kick out of it,” he says. “They’d call home to their families and say ‘hey, Mom, my picture is on the Internet!’”

It was a big deal at the time, Bill says.

That was more than 20 years ago. Now, Bill is Vice President and Dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies at Norwich, overseeing the learning of the approximately 1,800 students enrolled in online programs.

A history of service

Founded in 1819, Norwich University is the oldest private military college in the United States and is considered the birthplace of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). With a student body of approximately two-thirds in the Corps of Cadets, the school’s online population also serves a high proportion of military students.

“Overall, I’d say the online-only degrees are 40% military students,” Bill says.

Several of Norwich’s online programs are designed to serve military students. The Master of Arts in Diplomacy and Master of Arts in Military History, in particular, have high enrollments of military officers.

“We get a lot of students who are military officers preparing for promotions or additional leadership roles and are looking to our online programs to bolster their professional capabilities,” Bill says.

The university recently conducted a Gallup survey of its alumni and the results confirm what Bill has always known to be true.

“We’ve heard from our students and alumni—military and civilian—that our online programs made it easier to earn a degree,” he says. “They graduate and get good jobs with good salaries.”

“There’s been a positive impact on their lives as a result of their education.”

Higher ed 3.0

Thirty years ago this month, Bill was teaching at Temple University and finishing his doctoral degree.

“It was a big week for me,” he recalls. “I had just signed my contract at Norwich, had a birthday, my second daughter was born, and I was defending my dissertation.”

Bill recalls talking to a colleague also on the verge of completing his doctorate about where they might be in 30 years.

 “We knew we wanted to be in leadership positions that would allow us to be a part of the changes we knew were coming,” he says. “We didn’t know what those changes would look like, exactly, but we were eager to begin our careers.”

That colleague went on to have a successful career in higher education and together, Bill says, they’ve seen the evolution of “higher ed 2.0.”

“When we went through school, higher education was still ‘version 1.0.’ It was lecture halls and slides full of notes,” he explains. “Throughout my career, I’ve seen the evolution of ‘version 2.0,’ where we took that physical classroom and moved it online with little change.”

But now, Bill says, he’s looking forward to the next 30 years and the evolution of higher ed 3.0.

“That next version has to move beyond just replicating lectures,” he says. “We have to ask how can we make learning more effective, how do we make it more engaged, how do we make it more affordable?”

He also believes higher education is a lifelong process.

“You can’t just get a degree and get a job and never go to school again in today’s economy,” he says. “How is higher education going to adapt to that?”

When teaching a science class, we often use experiences in the lab to foster critical thinking skills and reinforce the concepts we introduce in lectures. But with campuses closed, students cannot access the lab.

So what do you do? Is it better to forget about labs at all, or is there value in online or hands-on at home methods? This is what one study published by the Journal of Formative Design in Learning tells us.

Don’t ditch labs

Students who take lecture and laboratory concurrently outperform their lecture-only peers, regardless of whether that lab is face-to-face or non-traditional.

Non-traditional labs can be as effective as face-to-face labs

• A good non-traditional lab tool can increase test scores, improve students’ attitudes and preparedness for the hands-on lab, and strengthen conceptual knowledge.
• In one particular study, the students said the online laboratory experience was the same as or better than their prior experiences in the traditional setting.
• Students can access the lab whenever and wherever suits them. Flexibility will be important at the moment, particularly for those suddenly having to care for children.
• In an online lab, students can reflect on what went right and what did not go as planned, and then can repeat the experiment as many times as they need.
• Virtual chemistry labs can help students visualize structures and processes at the molecular level and allow types of experiments not possible in a standard undergraduate laboratory—e.g., quantum chemistry.

Examples of online labs

Online labs can range from simple videos and games, to graphing and 2D simulations, to interactive 3D virtual reality experiences. Simulations, as mathematical models of processes in the physical world, allow users to manipulate parameters and can be used by faculty to customize laboratories in various disciplines. Some examples include:

• Virtual dissections (see Practice Anatomy Lab in Mastering A&P)
• Chemical reactions (see Chemistry simulations in Mastering Chemistry)
• Laws of motion experiments (see PhET simulations in Mastering Physics)

Examples of hands-on at home tools

Hands-on kits available from various vendors can provide students with practice of experiments, and manufacturers usually assume liability. One example is Chemistry LabPaqs from Hands on Labs (http://holscience.com/)

A good tool should have

• Software that is easy to install, user-friendly, and intuitive, yet challenging.
• Experiences similar to the traditional laboratory.
• Useful sequences for learners that scaffold their use of the system.
• Some form of feedback (even if it is just immediate results of labs and simulations).
• Help for visualizing and demonstrating concepts and constructs that might otherwise be difficult to observe (depending on exactly what domain it is).
• Alignment with the learning objectives across all learning activities.
• Clear instructions (even if the task is more open-ended in the lab) and criteria so students know what to focus on.
• The ability for students to “experiment” in the environment without penalty.
• Digital laboratory manuals that accompany hands-on lab kits must also be user-friendly and intuitive.

Source:
Rowe et al., Efficacy of Online Laboratory Science Courses (2017) Journal of Formative Design in Learning

From on-screen to first-hand

Jason Agins says he was “an armchair traveler” as a kid.

“I watched a lot of Lonely Planet, and anything else on the Travel Channel.”

Years later, he says he still loves to explore, although now he sees the world first-hand.

Proof: he’s visited 55 countries in the last 6 years.

(He says he doesn’t have a favorite. It’s a four-way tie between Turkey, Japan, Russia, and Mexico).

Today, with South Florida as a home base, Jason has forged a career in non-traditional education that lets him connect with students in other parts of the world every day—through his computer screen.

A global teacher

Jason is the Master Teacher of International Communities for International Connections Academy (iNaCA), a K-12 global online private school.

“I work with our 230 or so international students,” Jason says.

“They have to learn not only how to be virtual students, but also how to learn from American teachers and, in effect, get an American education.”

“The complexity and nuance that’s involved in that is constantly challenging—for them and for me,” Jason says.

“But helping my students grow, and learn, and go on to do awesome things is so worth it.”

Meeting face-to-face

You’d think Jason’s global adventures might have taken him to see some of his students in their home countries.

Not so, until last year when for the first time, Jason met one of his former students face-to-face.

“At the same time she was a student at iNaCA, she was helping take care of her sick grandmother, and had other family obligations at home in Latvia as well,” Jason says.

To get her to graduate, Jason says he spent a lot of time on the phone and on Skype talking through her different priorities.

“Considering the circumstances, she wasn’t the strongest student,” he says. “But she had grit—and she graduated.”

Eight months later, while traveling through Eastern Europe, Jason met up with her and her family.

“All my kids are superstars,” Jason says, “but she’s a really special success story.”

A new venture

Jason’s passion for people around the world had another effect on him as a young man: he spent a lot of time listening to talk radio.

“You certainly don’t see a lot of kids tuning in to AM radio.”

“But I thought it was so cool that from my living room, I could hear stories from people all over the world.”

That interest in storytelling is something Jason recently circled back to.

As he did with travel, Jason found a way to work it into his job.

A podcast is born

“After AM radio fell off the map, so to speak, I took up listening to podcasts,” Jason says.

“Having worked at iNaCA for several years now, I’ve taught and met so many incredible
students.”

“One is in Cirque du Soleil. Another is a child movie star in France. One student enrolled because her family is doing mission work in Brazil to fight human trafficking.”

“These kids are amazing,” Jason says, “and I realized nobody was documenting that.”

A few months later, Jason released the first episode of his own podcast, which showcases the stories of international iNaCA students.

7 episodes in

Jason hosts the podcast himself.

“I try not to talk much,” he says.

“I’m just there to ask the probing questions and get the students comfortable. The stories, the good stuff, comes from them.”

So far, Jason’s released 7 hour-long episodes. Four more are on the way.

Jason says he’s gotten enthusiastic feedback from early listeners.

“It’s so cool to have a student say to me, ‘I downloaded all the episodes on my phone!’”

Jason says he plans to continue producing the podcast indefinitely.

“My love for travel and radio and conversation just converged. It was the perfect storm.”

The next generation

Jason’s wife, Stephanie, also works for iNaCA.

“She likes to travel as much as I do,” he says. “Maybe more.”

The couple is expecting a baby girl this spring.

Jason says they have no plans to stay grounded after she arrives.

“Of course she will be well traveled,” he says.

“We went to Mexico City over winter break, so technically, she’s already been on her first international trip, he says, “with many, many more to come.”

Jason blogs about his world travels here.

Instructors are an integral part of teaching and learning, regardless of whether it takes place face-to-face or online. During the current crisis, many are discovering that delivering high quality teaching online requires some changes. If you are supporting instructors who are transitioning from the classroom to online, once you have a chance to come up for air we have eight strategies for effective training.

1. Work from the ground up to obtain educator buy-in

The success of any type of professional development program depends partially on the buy-in from participants. They need to believe this is being done ‘for them’ not ‘to them’.

Due to the relatively new nature of online learning, instructors might have misconceptions (e.g. about the level of rigor of online learning). To avoid this, clearly communicate important points about the transition. Using technology isn’t just an emergency response, it will be a method used in the future.

As well as referring to research when developing an online training program, ask for feedback from instructors, and make sure it’s taken into account. You could send a survey, or conduct focus groups.

2. Offer high quality professional development opportunities

Whether you are training instructors that will be teaching online or face-to-face, the same rules apply. High quality professional development is training that is:

• Ongoing
• Reflective
• Supports the construction of a professional learning community
• Based in classroom practice
• Grounded in current research
• Tailored to instructors’ specific needs and embedded in their daily lives
• Diverse, offering a wide range of learning activities

3. Give instructors authentic learning experiences

Run the training on the same platforms that instructors will be using in their class so they can experience roadblocks (e.g. signing onto the platform) or challenges (e.g. navigating content) that students might experience.

Use content that instructors will use in real life. For example, if an instructor will be teaching Science, learning that content during training will help the instructor become familiar with the types of resources or labs available online and how to navigate them.

4. Differentiate instruction and use a wide array of resources unique to online learning

When instructors transition to an online environment they will likely introduce new and different types of instruction, and these strategies should be modeled during the training.

For example, training should include both synchronous and asynchronous discussion, as well as the use of various resources including web-cameras, videos, instant messaging, and online whiteboards.

5. Online teaching pedagogy and content are important, but an online teacher training program should also focus on soft skills

In addition to online pedagogy and subject matter, instructors need to be competent in organization, time management, and self-direction.

A great deal of an online learning course is asynchronous and is therefore occurring at a student’s pace. Teachers need to know how to best organize this mode of learning, when to be available for student inquiry, and when they are “out of class time”. Conversely, instructors should also be self-directed so that they know when they are “in class time” and monitor discussion, or grade assignments. (Read more about developing these skills here)

6. Develop a community of online instructors

Developing a community gives instructors a support system as they are delivering their courses so they can share experiences and best practices. You can:

• Pair new instructors with mentor veteran instructors.
• Create the space for instructors to collaborate.
• Use online environment tools, such as discussion boards with questions posed by a veteran instructor, chat rooms that are monitored by faculty who trained the instructors, and/or asynchronous discussion.

7. Expect instructors to demonstrate mastery before they teach their own course

Given that online instruction requires active, hands on learning techniques, these should be the types of activities instructors should demonstrate as an end of training assessment.

8. Train instructors to be aware of data security

When all information in the course is being transmitted online it becomes easy to leave data vulnerable for security breaches.

• Teachers should ask students to reduce their transmission of personally identifiable information to times when it is necessary. When transmitting files, they should be locked and/or transmitted through a secure file transfer site.
• Instructors should house student background, demographic, and identifying data in a secure file, and performance data should be transmitted privately and securely.

Shadowing dad from the start

“As a little girl, I followed in my dad’s footsteps—literally,” says Holley Thomas.

“Carpentry has always been his hobby, and he had a workshop in every house we lived in.”

“I followed him around, watched him build things out of wood, and asked a lot of questions along the way.”

It’s an approach that has served Holley very well later in life.

Going to college like dad, too

When it came time to apply to college, Holley says she again followed in her father’s footsteps.

“I enrolled at Mississippi State—just like he had decades earlier.”

“But I learned very quickly that college wasn’t for me.”

After her freshman year, Holley left Mississippi State and moved back home to live with her parents.

“At that point, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in terms of a career,” Holley says, “but I was sure that a traditional four-year degree wasn’t the right path.”

Finding her own way

After a few months of soul-searching back home, Holley says she had a conversation with her dad about her future.

“He told me about a robotics program he’d heard of at the local community college,” Holley says.

“I’d always liked working with my hands, and always trusted my dad, so I made an appointment to talk to the Program Director.”

Holley says her instincts proved right.

“After our conversation, I signed up for classes.”

Degree requirements

A year and a half into her two-year robotics program, Holley says she had a surprising realization.

“As I was reviewing the course requirements for graduation, I saw a welding course on the list.”

“I thought to myself, ‘I don’t want to do this. I’ll probably be in a hot shop with a bunch of smelly guys.’”

“But I was truly enjoying school for the first time in my life, and I was so close to finally earning my degree, so I bit the bullet and signed up.”

An unexpected love

The first day of welding class, Holley says she showed up in shorts and flip flops.

“I learned very quickly that it wasn’t the proper attire,” she says.

After that initial hiccup, Holley says, everything changed.

“The second week of class, we went to the shop to weld for the first time.”

“I fell in love that first time I struck an arc.”

“After I earned my two-year degree,” Holley says, “I stayed on an extra year to get my full welding certificate.”

More than a model employee

Today, Holley is Lead Quality Inspector at KBR, a global engineering and construction company.

During the day, she manages the welding operations on complex construction sites in Oklahoma.

Four evenings per week, she is a welding instructor, teaching courses to her KBR colleagues.

Throughout the year, Holley says she travels the country to talk to high school students about her experiences in the construction industry.

In 2015, Holley’s hard work was formally recognized when she was named Craft Professional of the Year by Associated Builders and Contractors.

She was nominated by her colleagues at KBR, who submitted an essay celebrating Holley as a top welder, a generous teacher, and a leader in her field, helping to recruit women to a traditionally male-dominated industry.

“It feels so good to know that I am viewed as a positive light for my company and for the industry overall,” Holley says.

An open mind, and an attitude to live by

Holley says she owes her professional success to two things: parents who encouraged her to pursue her own path—and a positive attitude.

“The coolest thing about my parents—and especially my dad—is that they’ve always been supportive of my siblings and me, no matter what,” Holley says.

“They encourage us to follow our dreams, and are there to help pick us up if we fall or fail.”

Holley says the personal mantra she’s developed as a welder is rooted in their positivity and open-mindedness.

“I come to work every day with a great attitude, wanting to learn something new.”

“Taking the initiative to expand my skillset makes me a better employee,” Holley says.

“And it makes me a better instructor and mentor, too.”

Looking forward to the future

Holley says that in the future, she plans to become more involved in recruiting new members to her industry.

In particular, she says, she wants to offer support, advice, and encouragement to young women considering a career in construction.

“I was once in their shoes, unsure of my future,” Holley says.

“Without that encouragement, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

“Now it’s my turn to pay it forward.”

Many of us are having to move teaching quickly online (tips here if you are still setting up your course). Once you have your technology in place, take a deep breath. Teaching online requires different types of interactions with students. We’ve simplified what works into nine strategies based on research that will help set you and your students up for success in your newly online course.

1. Know the technology

• This is new to everyone, so be prepared to troubleshoot and let your students know you are working on it. Take an hour to familiarize yourself with the technology. Most companies are offering additional training right now.
• Be very clear to students about where they should go for technical support (good digital technologies will have support services). Make the contact information readily available, and be prepared to direct students there if they come to you.

2. Expect the unexpected and remain flexible

• At some point technology will fail, whether it is a video chat not connecting or assignment and/or resource links not working properly.
• Have a backup plan for all assignments and assessments that rely on technology.
• Be transparent in your communication to students about technology failure. For example, put a policy in place that outlines the actions students should take if they are unable to submit assignments due to technical issues.
• Don’t be afraid to solve technical challenges in real time, such as during synchronous discussions or collaborative real-time activities, to save time.

3. Create and maintain a strong presence

• Send a message to all students, by video if possible, to welcome them to online learning and reassure them.
• Use video chat rather than basic instant message when interacting with students.
• Get the students talking by beginning discussions in the discussion board, and then contributing rapid, regular, and open responses to questions.
• Use non-verbal communication such as emojis.
• Complete your profile with professional and personal traits.

4. Set clear expectations for the course

• Online learning is new to the students as well. Make it clear to students how their grade in the course will be determined now (participation often makes up a much larger portion of the grade than in face to face classes).
• Set expectations for response time. For example, make it clear that you will respond to emails within one business day, otherwise students may expect you to answer an email within a few hours, and disengage if you don’t.
• Share resources for students on how to be an online learner. We have one from college students and from professors.

5. Establish a sense of comfort and develop a community of learners

• Students are looking to you to set the tone. Demonstrate enthusiasm and excitement about teaching the course to alleviate fear, anxiety, and isolation.
• Humanize yourself by posting a welcome video, a biography, photos that tell stories about what you are doing to keep busy during social isolation, links to news articles or video clips.
• Encourage each student to personalize their homepage and spend time going around the class asking students to share information about what they have posted.
• Incorporate instant messaging, web cameras, blogs and vlogs.
• Ask questions that empower participants to question each other, and elicit rich discussion.
• Respond to the community as a whole rather than directing all responses to individual participants outside of the community.

6. Promote reflection and communication through quality asynchronous discussion

• Return to posted topics that have not been fully discussed and promote contribution and reflection.
• Monitor participation and contact students individually if they are either not participating, or are taking over conversations and not permitting contributions from other individuals.

7. Have a good balance of active leader and active observer

You will begin the course as the manager of the learning community. As the course progresses, slowly transfer the responsibility to the community of learners. The online community building steps in point 4 will help with this. You should also gradually retract further out of communal discussions.

8. Request regular feedback and be mindful of misinterpretation

• Check in with your students to see how things are going. You can do formal or informal surveys to assess attitudes, workload and challenges. Make course correction as necessary — we’re all learning.
• Use ad hoc quizzes to assess learner comprehension of material.

9. Regularly check content resources and applications

• Regularly check all links, resources, modules, and activities. Online content can move or change, which can lead to disengagement.
• Assist students who are having difficulty navigating course links or managing the material spanning across various web pages.
• Model the process of navigating to websites that are not embedded in the course, and demonstrate how to appropriately manage keeping track of navigation when jumping from site to site.