DYNAMIC TEACHING

Where I Was

I have only taught in traditional classrooms and I have yet to teach an online class. I very much value the face-to-face interaction with my students because I believe the most engaged learning takes place when students interact with instructors and with other students.

As a student, my experience with taking online classes has repeatedly been very disappointing. The classes were not welcoming; I didn't see any of my instructors' faces; I didn't engage in any meaningful collaborative work with my peers; and the lectures were robotic and mundane. The word "alone" sums up my experience in taking online classes - I felt alone throughout all my online classes.

Naturally, the idea of teaching an online class brought some anxiety. In the past, I've taught Personal Finance and Business Law classes and in my experience, students have a harder time passing the Personal Finance class. Teaching a Personal Finance class online gave me the greatest anxiety because the class involves a lot of calculations which I normally illustrate by using a whiteboard in a traditional classroom setting. So, in teaching an online course, my main concern was losing the face-to-face interaction with students. I was concerned that my messages won't come through as clearly and as humanly possible in text than it would be in a traditional classroom setting. I was also concerned about losing the ability to gather direct feedback from my students. Most importantly, I was concerned that my students might have the same experience I had with online classes.

Where I Am

Taking @ONE's Dynamic Online Teaching (DOT) course relieved the anxiety I had about teaching an online class. DOT course introduced me to a variety of strategies and technological tools that help in creating dynamic and engaging online classes. I learned that one of the most successful ways to engage students and create dynamic content is to include students in the development of that content. Therefore, I now incorporate student-generated contents in my course.

DOT also taught me how to assess my course design using Online Education Initiative's (OEI) course design rubric. I'm learning how to use programs like Screencast-o-matic which takes the place of a white board in an online class and helps illustrate equations. As for gathering direct feedback from students, I learned that I can use Google Forms, Survey Monkey, Piazza, and even Canvas to create surveys for my courses.

Where I'm Headed

I'm excited to learn more ways to create dynamic online classes. I'm resolute in ensuring that my students do not have the same experience I had in taking online classes. I will strive to break the static mold by ensuring that that my course design stays current, relevant, and dynamic. I'm confident that with my continued research and professional development, I will continue to provide my students with dynamic online classes that is flexible and cater to students' individual needs. I will continue to follow the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framework and improve on my social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence.