Event Details
Event Title COLT102 - Teaching Online Courses
Location moodle.learnnc.org
Sponsor LEARN NC - COLT102_THORSON_0514
Date/Time 05/07/2014 - 06/10/2014 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Event Price
For more information, contact the event administrator: Mike Bamford mbamford@unc.edu
Sorry, This event has expired
 

Course description

Have you ever thought about taking your teaching into a new realm—the online classroom? With more and more schools using online courses to offer advanced or specialized coursework to their students, as well as an integrated professional development solution, online teachers are in demand. This course prepares educators interested in teaching online courses for the virtual classroom. It is also a great overview for administrators interested in implementing online courses into their K-12 or professional development offerings.

This course examines online pedagogy and practical strategies for the online teaching/learning environment. The course includes information about preparing to teach online and managing an online course including teaching techniques for promoting critical thinking, group interaction and collaboration, and good online communication. Participants are expected to actively engage in a variety of activities and readings to facilitate learning how to be a successful online instructor.

Note: While there are many types of online courses including tutorials and independent studies, this course focuses on discussion-based online learning and collaboration. To facilitate interaction between learners and facilitators, we believe that it is essential to create a strong learning community. Students will discover strategies to create an environment that supports communication, cooperation, and collaboration. They will read, discuss, and engage in activities throughout the course that will help to demonstrate strategies to build a learning community.

Overarching course goal

To prepare participants to become effective online instructors by discussing, experiencing, and practicing skills needed to teach and learn in an online environment and by applying effective practices and strategies for teaching in an online environment.

Course objectives

  • Learn the pedagogy of online courses through readings, participant research, and experiences
  • Experience through interaction the importance of developing a community within an online course and specific techniques for successfully building a learning community
  • Research and discuss the pros and cons of learning groups
  • Research and practice the theories of online discussion moderation skills
  • Review online standards
  • Cooperate and collaborate with peers in various types of activities that work successfully in online environments
  • Evaluate the importance of providing and receiving peer feedback and support
  • Learn the realities and complexities of online learning through experience as an online student

Course information

Audience
This course is appropriate for teachers of all subjects and grade levels who wish to teach online.
Time commitment
Each week, students will be expected to spend approximately five-six hours on the actual course work.
Course schedule
Teaching Online Courses runs for five weeks. Our weeks begin midnight on Wednesday and end on midnight Tuesday.
Credits and course fee
The course costs $225.00 and upon successful completion the student will receive 3.0 CEUs.

Teaching Online Courses syllabus

COURSE SET-UP

This course divided into five sections that correspond to five weeks:

  • Week one: Getting started - Focuses on preparing yourself and learners for a constructive learning community.
  • Week two: Online pedagogy and learning community - Focuses on the strategies for facilitating online learning by helping to prepare students for online learning, creating a learning community, and addressing learning style differences.
  • Week three: Online communication - Presents strategies and best practices for online communication.
  • Week four: Online teaching strategies - Explores techniques and methods to create an active, interactive, and motivating learning environment for learners.
  • Week five: Criteria for online courses - Looks at the role of the online instructor, established standards for online courses, and a summary of helpful tips.

CLASS PROCEDURES AND POLICIES

Attendance and participation requirements

Don’t allow yourself to get behind! With each new week, a new set of tasks is assigned, each building on lessons from the previous week. Feedback will not be provided on work posted late.

To be considered in attendance during an online week, you must post to the assigned discussions and meet your group posting commitments. You must be in attendance for all five weeks.

Full participation is very important online and is required for this course. You will be expected to meet the required postings each week.

Quantity and quality are both important considerations when it comes to participation. Quantity is discussed above. Quality means adding something of substance to the discussion — your perspectives and ideas, examples from your work or life experience, questions, etc. A message that says simply, “I agree,” for example, would not constitute participation since it does not add anything of substance to the discussion. You will find it much easier to keep up with an online class and of greater value to you, if you are logging in and participating daily.

Learning groups

You will be working in learning groups and discovering what it takes to function well in a group setting. This first-hand experience will help you understand the positives and negatives of group activities. You will be encouraged to reflect on strategies to create collaborative online group activities. While I will not actively participate in the group activities, I will monitor each group.

Learning group project

You will engage in a small group activity in weeks three and four. I will set up these groups prior to week three and post them on the announcement board and in the assignment. You will be required to complete a learning group agreement to determine how your group will function in week three. The actual assignment will take place and be completed in week four.

Assessment for the group project

Please refer to the rubric(s) provided in the lesson.

Communication among learning team members will take place exclusively in the group discussion forums, wikis, or chats.

Late assignments

In general, no late assignments will be accepted. Exceptions may be made if extenuating circumstances arise, you are current on all assignments, and you request permission via messages. Extenuating circumstances do not include your workload at home or at work, vacations, and lack of access to the Internet. If needed, Internet access is available at your public library.

Academic honesty

Academic honesty is highly valued at LEARN NC. If any words or ideas are used that do not represent the student’s original words or ideas, please indicate the relevant source.

Confidentiality and proprietary information

You are encouraged to share your personal and professional experiences as a means to integrate the knowledge through reflecting on its application. However, it is important to note that we all are bound by confidentiality in this class. In order to assure that we can have a free and open discussion in which you may elect to discuss your work and personal experiences as they apply to the course material, I expect each person to respect the confidentiality of what your classmates are willing to share.

Grading and feedback

Each week, your instructor will provide feedback on participation and assignments within three to five days. You will receive feedback via eMail. Notification of feedback will be placed in Announcements. If you do not receive your feedback, please contact your instructor right away via email.

  • Discussion participation feedback will be based on the discussion rubric located in the “rubrics” folder under “course information.”
  • Rubrics may be not be used for all assignments.
  • Grades: All assignments are incomplete/complete. To help you and and your instructor keep track, he/she will manually post a incomplete/complete grade for each assignment in “grades” within three to five days of the end of the week. An announcement will be posted when grades are posted.

Requirements for earning CEUs

  • Full participation and completion of all small-group assignments
  • Participation in the reading assignment discussions
  • Completion of individual assignments

NORTH CAROLINA PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS (2009)

  • Goal 1: Teachers demonstrate leadership.
  • Goal 2: Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students.
    • Objective 2.04: Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs.
  • Goal 4: Teachers facilitate learning for their students.
    • Objective 4.01: Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students.
    • Objective 4.03: Teachers use a variety of instructional methods.
    • Objective 4.04: Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction.
    • Objective 4.05: Teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • Goal 5: Teachers reflect on their practice.
    • Objective 5.03: Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment.
    •  

 

UNC - Chapel Hill