Challenges for TAs

Teaching and learning online poses a set of unique challenges quite different from the traditional teaching. Due to unfamiliar learning environment and the particular obstacles that instructors face while developing virtual classes, some pedagogical challenges are made particularly difficult.

There are three main challenges associated with online learning:

Effectively structuring online courses
Creating community in virtual classrooms
Facilitating and encouraging online discussions

1. Effectively Structuring Online Courses

Experienced online instructors and students alike highlight the need to have a clearly structured and well-planned course when teaching and learning online. Structuring the course effectively means planning the course well in advance of when it is being taught, thinking through the organizational structures and qualities that will help students learn, and understanding that the online environment presents a number of communication challenges. Main challenges under this head include:

Course Planning
Course Organization
Communication

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Course Planning

The online environment offers particular obstacles and opportunities for TAs in designing a course as it takes a lot of time and thinking process. As one thinks through the course elements, particular attention needs to be paid to the course components that may serve as stumbling blocks to student learning online. One particular tension that emerges is the need to have a clear and organized structure, while allowing flexibility for making adaptations mid-stream.

Develop your course before the semester begins

Often new faculty discover that developing online courses is time-consuming and that transitioning a successful traditional course to an online setting can be difficult. Experienced online instructors suggest developing your course well in advance and with a clear, concise objectives statement. The better prepared you are, the better your online teaching experience will be.

Allow flexibility in your course design

Although it is important to make course expectations and due dates clear, it is also important to build in flexibility to your schedule. Building flexibility into your course structure will allow you to compensate for unexpected technological problems as well as give you opportunities to respond to student feedback.

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Course Organization

Students in online courses need a clear organized structure of the course. TA need to make sure that each student is experiencing the course on his or her own and is not unclear about anything. Further, students in online courses do not have to attend the classes at a fixed time and place and come to classrooms for taking exams. Due to these and many other reasons, it is highly important for a TA to appropriately organize the course to encourage student participation and facilitate student learning.

Chunk the syllabus into sections

The course syllabus needs to be divided into different segments, organized by topic. Self contained segments can be used to assess student mastery of that unit before moving forward in the course.

Break assignments into chunks with “touch points”

As students work at their own pace and usually procrastinate in an online course, it would be too good to develop proper guidelines that require students to visit the course website often. Chunking assignments helps students keep up with the work. Encourage using “touch points” at which point students do something so as to help chunk course content and give it a better structure

Provide due dates for assignments

Each assignment should have a clear due date and time. It keeps students on track with course requirements.

Provide multiple opportunities for graded activities

Students should be assessed on writing assignments and class participation. In online course format, there are a number of ways for graded written assignments, including threaded discussions, quizzes, papers, web research, and online exercises. Multiple evaluation modes will stimulate students to become involved in most of the activities and keep them participating in class.

Give credit for participating in online discussions

Discussions are very essential for ,any online courses to improve and advance the outcomes and goals of course. Students should be given credit for the substantive learning that they provide for each other through online discussions. This way students will be highly involved and engaged in class participation.

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Communication

In online classes, effective communication with students should be a priority for TAs because it not only contributes to retention but also provides a sense of community that is important to the student. The goal of online communication is the same as that of face-to-face communication: building links; share information; be heard and be understood. When and how you communicate with your students helps foster a sense of community in your online classes, which helps them feel connected to you and their colleagues. As an instructor or a TA, finding the best methods to communicate with students should be number one priority.

Give students a clear picture of the course structure

Students need a clear understanding of the “vision” of course, so provide them a sense of the overall landscape of the course. Using a Table of Contents layout design is one of the means to make them understand the structure of the course.

Post course syllabus and all policies on the course website

TA may not be available to respond immediately when students have queries and email questions regarding assignments or due dates, so posting syllabus on the course homepage will eliminate confusion and it will be always accessible to students

Structure online discussions

Structure the course to capitalize on the threaded discussion format. Guide students through activities and threaded postings for active learning.

Remind students frequently of due dates

Keep reminding the students for any due dates and other requirements

2. Creating Community in Virtual Classrooms

In online classes where instructors do not necessarily meet students face-to-face and students cannot get to meet their peers in a physical classroom, developing a sense of community can be particularly challenging. There are many solutions for creating community in the online classroom. Classroom dynamics needs to be monitored continuously to ensure that students continue to engage thoughtfully in course content and continue to work together productively.

Student-to-Student Interaction

Facilitating student-to-student interaction in online learning is particularly challenging because students do not naturally have a chance to know each other before class or in face-to-face conversations. Therefore, it is important to structure opportunities where students “have” to interact with each other and instructors should develop methods for monitoring the success of these interactions. Some of the recommendations to be followed are listed below:

• Limit the size of discussion groups

• Allow students to post student-to-student communication (as well as

• Pair each student with a “buddy” in the course

• Encourage peer response

• Structure opportunities for personal interaction

Teacher-to-Student Interaction

In online environment neither the instructor nor the student can rely on regular face-to-face interactions to reinforce one’s willingness to be helpful and approachable. So the following ways can be of great help in enhancing faculty-to-student interactions:

In your written communication, present yourself as accessible to students
Schedule an in-person meeting of the entire class
Generate frequent communication
Assign discussion group leaders or project team leaders to facilitate group work

Tone

In online classes, how the instructor shapes the course climate through written comments and the tone of communications to students is particularly important. An instructor or TA should take care of following points:

"Humanize" the course
Avoid general broadcast questions
Consider the tone of your own responses to students
Use private email for sensitive communications

3. Facilitating and encouraging online discussions

One of the ways many instructors work to engage students in their learning and develop a sense of community is to encourage student discussion online. While discussions can be a useful tool, they need careful thought and organization. Among the things that an instructor needs to consider when facilitating online discussions is how to do the following:

• Motivate students to participate

• Encourage substantive and relevant responses

• Determine the role of the instructor in guiding, moderating, and evaluating the quality of student participation.

Structure discussions so that they are meaningful to students

Discussions in which students are simply asked to repeat course material do not engage student response. Consequently, students come to see repetitive discussions as unimportant to the learning experience. Engaging topics for online discussions include:

• Reacting to a controversial reading

• Feedback from an exercise performed at home

• A debate

• A case study

Make discussion participation “count” in grading policies

Use controversial topics to facilitate discussion

Divide students into discussion groups and change the discussion groups during the semester

Make opportunities for interaction exciting

Ask students to facilitate online discussions

References:

Al- Hossami, Erfan(2020). Chapter 9: Facilitating Online Learning. Teaching Seminar, Fall 2020. In CCI Collected Wisdom: Handbook for TAs. Charlotte, NC: University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
https://blog.coursify.me/en/online-classes-communication/
M. Poe and M. L. A.Stassen, Eds., Teaching and Learning Online - Communication, Community and Assessment: A Handbook for Umass Faculty.

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