Use a checklist of items that should be present in your online course

• Limit the number of technologies you use in your course to what is essential to achieving the learning outcomes especially if these technologies are not supported by the university. Students will look to you to help them and this can be overwhelming. Also consider that students might be taking other courses that require different technologies. This can add a load on students distracting them from engaging cognitively and emotionally with content.

• Be realistic about expectations - Think of time on task - as opposed to seat time, as an indicator of student participation and engagement. Try this workload calculator and consider not only length but difficulty of readings and time and effort needed to complete your assessments, while taking account of students’ reading skills and speed.

• Carefully consider time for feedback and plan for alternative assessment. Timely, meaningful feedback can be a challenge in an online semester - use self-assessment techniques, peer assessment and well-designed rubrics to lighten the feedback load and get students the feedback they need in a timely fashion. Timely feedback is more important than comprehensive feedback.

• Focus on the learning outcomes and use low stakes assessments where possible that do not give the impression of high workload.

• Remember that grading is not feedback. Advice is not feedback. Feedback is commentary or information that guides a student to improved performance, try to spend precious time providing feedback that will help your students improve their performance, regardless of whether they are struggling, doing average work, or high achievers.