Some faculty report that they work harder to develop and teach online classes. Others comment that course preparation takes longer, but teaching the course semester-after-semester, even with judicious updates and modifications, is less effort than face-to-face teaching. Here's a few possible things to consider that can keep the workload manageable, and comparable to face-to-face teaching:
- Take Care of Yourself. avoid slipping into a 24/7 work expectation. For example, schedule times when you read and answer discussion posts.
- Time Off of Campus. If you are teaching online, consider if you can have (more) days when you stay off campus. Why fight traffic, stoplights and parking when you have real work to do on the web?
- Realistic Expectations. Like face-to-face coursework, online coursework is interative and gradual: the biggest improvements will occur over time, as you figure out what works and what doesn't by trying it in courses.
- Organize Your Efforts. If you begin to feel overwhelmed while building or teaching an online class, use to-do lists and set aside time each week to help you feel more in control of the process, and pace yourself.
- Keep a Work Log. Keep track of how you spend your time, so you can identify areas which are consuming much more effort than others. This can help you judge whether certain activities or procedures are worthwhile or should be changed.
- Minimize 1-on-1 Question Answering. Consistent course format, signposting, use of the news feed and a course FAQ cut down on student emails.
- Develop Boilerplate Language. Use standardized text, images, and video for course content and messaging. This can include tutorials, rubrics, and even gradebook structure that doesn't refer to a specific course.
- Get Away From It. If you don't already, schedule time for yourself away from computers, emails, or other course-releated messaging.