As classroom instructors, you are familiar with the concept of teaching in a building in front of a group of students. But what does it mean when someone says "teaching online"? Generally, teaching online refers to any formal, planned instruction that occurs at a distance, typically using a course management system over the Internet. Teaching online can be for an entire class taught over the Internet (online course), or it can be to supplement a class that meets occasionally in the traditional way and uses the Internet for instruction between face-to-face meetings (hybrid course).
Online teaching can use many different tools for students and instructors to interact with each other and with the subject content. Some common tools include audio lectures and presentations, discussion boards, downloadable files, email and online readings, resources, practice problems, quizzes and tests, etc. Although there are plenty of tools available to assist you in teaching online, the most important thing to remember about online teaching is that it is not about the fancy technology but rather that learning needs to occur. Various tools are used to assist your students to learn the material to succeed in your subject area.
To discover if online teaching is for you, check out this brief self-assessment. Then, discover why students like online learning and the benefits of teaching online.
Interested in learning more about teaching online? The next step is enrolling in DE101. NOTE: Successful completion of DE101 is required in order to be eligible to teach an online or hybrid course.