It's About Time!
Time Saving Strategies
How much time does
a web course take? Now that the virtual classroom is open 24/7, both students
and their instructors have tremendous flexibility and options as to when, where,
and how often they access their course. However, where does one draw the line?
How much access should online students have to their virtual professors, and
how can the design of a course help instructors manage their workloads once
they start teaching it? Here are some time saving strategies that will help
online instructors and their students to save time online.
Get a Solid
Start
Course Orientation
We've found that students who participate in an online orientation prior to
the beginning of their course have a much more fulfilling and successful online
learning experience. Online instructors in programs without student orientations
have reported that they end up conducting an orientation ANYWAY during the first
3 weeks of the course, taking valuable time away from the course content to
answer repeated questions about the program and software. An orientation gives
your students time to iron out most of their technical problems and get comfortable
with the software. At OnlineLearning.net, orientation for students is mandatory
- they cannot begin your class without it. Instructors go through an even more
intensive orientation when they go through the Online Instructor Training Program.
This time spent upfront saves a lot of time later on.
Proficiency
in the Technologies You Use
It goes without saying that the more comfortable you are with the programs you
need, the quicker you will be at using them. Once you pass the learning curve,
you will be much more efficient with your time. Take TIME to get training and
to practice using the programs you will need for your course (Word, PowerPoint,
Excel, Netscape Composer or others). Look for OLN announcements for training
opportunities in our Instructor Community, and consider it an investment in
your online teaching skills.
Learn the art
of "Cut and Paste"
Compose in a word processor and learn keyboard short cuts. Save your work onto
disk. Reuse, recycle, refine -- if you get bumped off-line, you will not lose
what you've composed.
Acquire strong
Internet Search and Information Evaluation Skills
It will help you navigate the web with more ease and find quality materials
more quickly. This is good for both instructors and students.
Technical Support!
OnlineLearning.net provides technical support for both instructors and students.
This helps you save time on technical issues relating to the course because
you can refer your students directly to your Course Manager or the BlackBoard
technical support service.
Course Design
Can Save Time...
Modular Structure
A predictable weekly course structure that is easy to follow will help your
students stay on track. Break your course into weekly modules each with a similar
format for assignments, due dates and activities so your students know what
to expect each week. Provide time estimates on the workload expected so students
can budget their time accordingly.
Keep a Weekly Schedule
Make a schedule for yourself of when you need to post certain messages and documents
in your course (lectures, weekly feedback about grades, announcements, etc.),
and stick to the schedule. Following a schedule will reduce the chance of forgetting
to post important information to the class. For example, always post your lecture
materials each week on the same day (preferably a day or two before the week
officially begins) and always update your BlackBoard gradebook on the same day
each week. A predictable structure of the course will also help your students
budget their time and stay on track
Communicate Clear Instructions and Expectations
In an online course it is important to articulate your instructions, guidelines,
policies and procedures thoroughly since your written communications are what
student will use as their guide. Give examples of what you expect. Be specific.
This helps to limit time wasted on clarifying instructions later.
Virtual Office Hours
If students need immediate feedback, they should know a day and time where they
can expect to find you online. This also reduces the need for you to be always
on call. Virtual office hours can easily be set up in the BlackBoard Chat program.
Rules and Limits
Ask your students to limit their discussion forum postings to 1-2 paragraphs.
This will encourage them to participate more because they will not be overwhelmed
with the amount they are expected to produce. No one likes to read long postings,
so shorter postings have a better chance of being read and responded to. This
also helps the instructor’s reading load. Discourage postings with just, “yes,
I agree” or “good idea.” It takes time (with a slow modem - lots of time) to
open messages in a conferencing program, so make every posting count. Tell your
students it they want to say, “I agree” or “good idea,” they should clarify
that message with more substantial feedback as to “why” - make it worth reading!
This will also encourage critical thinking.
Collaborative Learning Opportunities
Online courses are excellent environments for collaborative learning that is
more student centered and less instructor centered. Design assignments and activities
where students must work together to accomplish the learning goals. This takes
some of the time burden off of the instructor. You can use the Student Group
Pages in BlackBoard for this purpose. If you set up the groups yourself rather
than letting your students self-select, you'll save time as well.
Provide Links to Online Resources
If your course includes assignments where students will need to consult online
resources (for example, for article critiques or other), consider providing
a list of links in the External Links section of your course. Your students
won't waste time surfing (some don't have strong online search skills), and
you will start to acquire a collection of feedback on assignments or projects
done with a finite number of sites. This makes subsequent feedback quicker the
next time you teach the same course. Also, include links to helpful resources
for your students like tutorials on the software programs they need, study guides,
related resources that will help them with their research projects, etc.
Organize Your Discussion Conferences
Organized discussion forums are real time savers for instructors and students
because it helps them to know where to post and where to look for specific information.
Create a conference for introductions and other conferences for each week of
your course. Name the conferences according to the weeks, assignments, topics
or other logical system. Create a conferencing thread about time management
where students can offer suggestions on what works for them. (Please refer to
the related Tip on Making the Most of Online Discussions for more suggestions).
Coping Strategies
Define Your
Time Limits
Let your students know what to expect from you. If you will not respond to email
in the evenings or early in the morning or on Sunday - let them know so they
can plan accordingly. Let your students know when to expect to receive their
graded assignments and feedback from you.
Use Blocks of
Time
Set aside blocks of time to work on your course, so you can concentrate on the
discussions and the course. Make sure your family and colleagues understand
that you are working during these times.
Log in Everyday
... or at least 5 times a week - don't let messages pile up. Messages pile up
very fast in an interactive and discussion oriented course. A little work each
day is much easier than hours and hours a few days a week. Also, by posting
just one or two messages a day to your class discussion forum will help your
students to see that you are visible, and responsive to the course.
Be Highly Organized
Get your course down to a system where it unfolds smoothly. Have everything
prepared ahead of time (lectures, discussion questions, assignments, etc.)
Follow a Schedule
and Timeline
This will reduce the chance of forgetting to post important information in your
course.
Recycle, Refine,
Revise
Reuse materials and discussions from past courses you've taught. Work on clearly
articulating instructions and other communications, revise the course each time
to make it better.
Start the Course
Mid-Week
Why start on a Monday? Don't make your heaviest days on the weekend. Mid-week
start dates will make lighter weekends for you.
Consider Cable
or DSL
Consider the payoffs in time that you will save with faster Internet connections.
Related Resources:
Time Management
and Technology
http://learningcenter.unc.edu/Resources/Handouts/Time%20Management
Time Saving Strategies
and Tips for Instructor Using Online Discussion Forums
http://www.tact.fse.ulaval.ca/ang/html/timesaver.html
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Make
the Most of Online Discussions
The discussion element of
an online course plays a central role in creating a learning environment in
which participants feel part of a community and eager to participate and contribute
to the course. In fact, the synergy of the discussion can be the single most
important learning tool of an online course. Here are some strategies that can
help you streamline your time and maximize the effectiveness of your online
discussions.
Discussion Forum
Organization
Organized discussion
forums
are real time savers for instructors and students. When students know where
to post each assignment and activity, they feel more confidence in the system
and participate more. This saves time because everyone knows where to find certain
information in the course.
- Forum Names
- Name the discussion forums according to the weeks, assignments, topics or
other logical system.
- Introductions
- Include a forum where students can meet each other and introduce themselves.
If all this information is in one area, it will save everyone time - they
can go back and review who is in the class. This is helpful during group project
periods.
- Space for Socializing
- Some instructors call this the Pub, Water Cooler, Student Lounge, Cafe,
or other name. It is a place to post messages of interest, but not directly
related to the course assignments. This will keep order in the conference,
boost the sense of community and help everyone save time by not cluttering
up the other course forums with unnecessary messages. Here, students can ask
questions about the course and get help from the instructor and /or peers
which can save the instructor time in explaining the same tasks again and
again.
- Time Management
- Create a conferencing thread in your Water Cooler forum about time management
where students can offer suggestions on what works for them.
- Instructor Forum
- A separate forum for students’questions about the course or assignments
that can be answered publicly, again saving the instructor time in explaining
the same tasks again and again. This can also be a function of the Water Cooler
forum for smaller classes.
- Private Group
Space - BlackBoard provides use of Student Group pages so students can collaborate
on group projects online.
Managing Discussions
Managing Discussions
- having a plan and sticking to it will help you save time and maximize your
effectiveness in online discussions:
- Be Visible -
Log in every day (or at least 4-5 times a week) and post 1 or 2 messages in
public forums per day. That way students will know you are logging in and
reading. Make your presence felt.
- Let your students
know your feedback schedule - and stick to it. It's OK not to have immediate
response times as long as your students know what to expect.
- Give timely
feedback, but not too fast - allow time for students to give feedback to their
peers. If you respond too fast, you will stifle the discussions and students
will think, "why should I respond? If I just wait a bit, the teacher will
answer for me." Also, students' feedback my reduce the amount you have to
give.
- Answer Technical
help questions immediately - usually by referring your students to their Course
Manager or BlackBoard Technical Support.
- Save a feedback
file and recycle your responses - Reuse the same discussion questions each
time you teach your course, but customize the responses so they don't seem
canned.
- Give group comprehensive
feedback - "Mary, Mark and Patricia made interesting points..." One posting
will suffice for 2-3 people and you can tie threads together and relate topic
to one another.
Policies and
Procedures
Message Length
Ask your students to limit their messages in the discussion forum to 1-2 paragraphs.
This will encourage them to participate more because they will not be overwhelmed
with the amount they are expected to produce. No one likes to read long postings
and shorter postings have a better chance of being read and responded to. This
also helps the instructor’s reading load.
Make Each Message
Count
Discourage postings saying just, “yes, I agree” or “good idea.” It takes time
(with a slow modem - lots of time) to open messages in a conferencing program.
Make every posting count - tell your students if they want to say, “I agree”
or “good idea,” to clarify that message with more substantial feedback as to
“why” - make it worth reading! This will also encourage critical thinking.
Log in everyday,
or as often as possible
This advice is both for instructors and students. Messages pile up very fast
in an interactive and discussion oriented course. A little work each day is
much easier than hours and hours a few days a week.
Related Resources
Time Saving Strategies
and Tips for Instructor Using Online Discussion Forums
http://www.tact.fse.ulaval.ca/ang/html/timesaver.html
Back
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Instructor Feedback
There's a Time
and a Place for Everything
Now that the virtual
classroom is open 24/7, how much access should online students have to their
virtual professors? While students need much more support and feedback in the
online environment than in a traditional course because the potential threat
that they feel alienated is quite high, online instructors certainly don't need
to be on call all day long! However, important consideration should be placed
on communication and feedback response times so your students aren't left hanging.
Some types of correspondence may require quicker feedback than others. Here
are some strategies for establishing a clear time frame for responding to students
within the different areas of your course.
E-mail
Students and instructors
generally consider e-mail to be the fastest way to contact someone, and it is
often used to deal with more urgent problems such as technical difficulties
or personal emergencies. Students often email their instructors with questions
regarding specific aspects of the course, such as a grade received on an assignment
or quiz.
Whatever the topic
of the e-mail inquiry may be, an instructor should understand that an e-mail
indicates that the student is trying to get in touch with him/her as soon as
possible. A response given within 24 hours is ideal in this case. Emails regarding
technical issues should be dealt with immediately, preferably by referring the
student to the Course Manager or to the BlackBoard technical support service
so that the student can quickly get the issue solved and start to concentrate
again on the course.
Sometimes, an instructor
may need time to think about the student's inquiry before responding. In this
case, it is best for the instructor to send the student an e-mail acknowledging
the question and letting the student know when to expect a response.
Asynchronous
Conferencing
Unlike e-mail,
asynchronous conferencing is usually conducted in a public forum involving three
or more people and is organized around specific course topics. Instructors usually
divide the class asynchronous conferencing area into several smaller discussion
forums relevant to the weeks, modules, topics, and assignments for the course.
For example, an instructor could create four different sub-forums within a weekly
forum. Within each sub-forum, students are expected to respond within the discussion
threads.
Here is an example
of a threaded discussion in BlackBoard's discussion forum from Week Three of
the Online Instructor Training course:
Since students
are expected to post messages in the weekly forums and reply to messages posted
by their classmates, an asynchronous conferencing board is an interactive and
dynamic area of the course. In this case, the instructor should not comment
on every student posting in the discussion forum. Much like in face-to-face
class discussions, the instructor should let the conversation develop and give
students a chance to participate before jumping in with comments/feedback or
analysis. If the instructor responds to student postings too soon or too often,
it will discourage other students from joining the discussions, since they will
think, "why bother, if I just wait a bit, the instructor will provide the answer."
An important tip is to let your students know your reason for not responding
immediately to their discussion forum postings. If they know you are waiting
to hear from them, they will be encouraged to contribute to the discussions
and interact with each other.
However, instructors
should be highly visible in the asynchronous discussion forum in their course
and make their presence felt. This can be done by logging in every day (or at
least 4-5 times a week) and posting 1 or 2 messages in public forums per day
either as replies to individual messages or a synthesis of several messages
providing comprehensive to the class as a group.
As with email,
it is essential to answer technical help questions immediately - usually by
referring your students to their Course Manager or BlackBoard Technical Support.
Assignments/Exams
Students often
say that if they are expected to submit their assignments in a timely fashion
and respect the due dates, the instructor should make at least the same effort
to return graded assignments within a reasonable time frame as well. However,
the appropriate response times for feedback and grades on assignments and exams
may vary among instructors and assignment types. In general, it is best to return
graded work within a week after it is submitted. When your students submit their
work, you should let them know it has been received and when they can expect
to have it returned to them with a grade.
The turnaround
time for grading assignments could be built into the course design as a general
policy. For example, an instructor could state on the syllabus that grades for
all assignments and exams will be available one week after the due date or the
exam date. Consistent response times for all submissions avoids confusion and
sets up clear expectations. Also, when an instructor waits until the due date
to grade all assignments, rather than grading them as they come in, he/she is
likely to be more consistent with grading criteria. If you wish to set up a
different system, for example a two-day turnaround time for assignments and
a four-day turnaround time for quizzes and exams, this can also be spelled out
in the course policies.
For some types
of assignments, feedback that is too quick or immediate can be detrimental to
the activity. For example, when students are asked to submit their work publicly
to a class level discussion forum in order to get feedback and comments from
peers, it is best for the instructor to let several days pass before giving
his/her final feedback or a grade for the assignment. If the instructor is too
quick to grade the assignments, there will be little or no chance for class
discussions to develop. In some cases, it may be appropriate to allow students
to resubmit their revised assignment after they have received feedback from
their classmates. If this approach is taken, again it is critical that the instructor
explain his/her intentions and rationale for holding off on commenting so students
know what is expected of them and what to expect from you.
Grades
A student should
never be more than seven days away from their current grade status. Some instructors
provide private, weekly updates to EACH participant on their grade status in
the form of a short message praising a student on his/her contributions to the
class discussions (or encouraging him/her to contribute more), a list of assignments
received to date as well as those still outstanding, and a general overall course
evaluation up to that point. This serves to keep the student on track, lets
him/her know that their efforts have not gone unnoticed, and offers an opportunity
to resubmit any misdirected assignments. Finally, BlackBoard's electronic grade
book is a very convenient tool to keep track of your students assignments and
allows students to check their grades automatically through their course site.
If you use the BlackBoard gradebook, you should try to update your students
grades on a weekly basis.
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