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“Effective online teachers respond to student needs and use data for continuous course improvement.”
“Effective online teachers respond to student needs and use data for continuous course improvement.”
This Principle is another area I believe my courses have improved greatly, thanks to @One. The course, “Dynamic Online Teaching” was probably the course I was most excited to take when I started on this specific journey.
I was inspired to sign up for @One thinking,
“Wow, my in person classes are super interactive! How can I translate more of that online?”
I knew I could improve my online classes so they were more dynamic, and was excited to learn new tools. I wanted easy-to-implement best practices to get my students more engaged while on Canvas.
I got exactly that, and a whole lot more! Instead of just making my course more dynamic, I got to really unpack the “why” behind making courses dynamic. The @One course was more theoretical than I expected, and having all of that info will keep me present and avoid going into auto-pilot (as described in Be Present). Now, when I am designing a new activity for my online course I am first considering “who, why, how, and when” not just “what.”
As result of being more dynamic in my class, I now:
As result of being more dynamic in my class, I now:
- Offer more “Introduce Yourself” assignments. My students now get credit for a Discussion post intro assignment, and a Syllabus Survey with personalized questions. This way, they get to share a little bit about themselves with their peers as it relates to the course, and they get to communicate to me if they have never taken an online course, etc.
- For example, the very fist Reflection in my Health Communication course is for students to write a "Health Narrative" in which they share "the story" about how they understand "health." This gives students a way to share something personal, while learning about a powerful tool in medicine, narratives.
- Check out the open paragraph of one students approach to this assignment where they reflect on their personal experiences with health.
- For example, the very fist Reflection in my Health Communication course is for students to write a "Health Narrative" in which they share "the story" about how they understand "health." This gives students a way to share something personal, while learning about a powerful tool in medicine, narratives.
- Offer more “Surveys” without right answers. My students have more low-stakes assignments where they can share opinions free of the pressure to be right. I use the data to curate future assignments or take a pulse on how well concepts are landing.
- For example: Below are some survey results from a recent poll I did asking my students about their wellness practices during the school year.
- Offer more tools and integrate more resources. I used to think that since my courses are offered on Canvas, everything has to be run through Canvas. Now I use social media platforms, podcasts, Netflix, etc. to keep learning both relevant and entertaining!
- For example, in my Intercultural Communication class students watch Master of None on Netflix and learn a bit about stereotyping in media. Check it out below.
- Offer more feedback loops. I am asking more questions, checking in more, and creating channels for students to offer their ideas. I want to crowd source and use data to keep improving my courses; and my students have just as much to teach me about what works as do my peers and @One.
- For example: I develop plans for improving my courses each time they are taught by asking students for feedback at the midterm and the final. See some sample questions below.
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