As online learning and teaching becomes more ubiquitous, instructors for online classes need to respond to the changing nature of our students’ needs. By using evidence-based best practices, I hope to create the best learning environment that I can for my students, and thereby facilitate the scientists of tomorrow.
A PDF version of my online teaching philosophy is available here.
Advances in technology are necessitating and facilitating the expansion of online teaching. As the world gets more connected, the need for effective online teaching becomes more important. While online teaching has its challenges, I embrace the opportunity that teaching online presents. With effective use of technology, active student learning, and thoughtful design, the online classroom can be as, or more, effective as an on-site classroom. This is particularly the case for helping students learn more about mathematical modeling in the context of biological systems. Since much of mathematical biology is done in the "dry lab", the online classroom is an excellent space to help students develop these skills and create meaningful learning experiences and opportunities.
One of the biggest challenges for active learning in the online classroom is the lack of space and time where students are together working in collaboration. In my online classroom, I utilize collaborative tools like discussion boards and group wikis so that my students can interact and work together. Because my planned classroom involves statistical analysis software and computer programming, students collaborating through problem-based learning and sharing their own experiences is key. Letting the students discuss and help each other through learning activities can help those students doing the teaching develop their own skills more fully. For programming-based assignments, discussion boards can be more effective than an on-site classroom since one student solving a problem has the proof recorded for posterity.
Anticipating friction points in the classroom is one reason that online classes need to be developed using backwards design on their own, and not solely adapted from a corresponding on-site class. Something like a communication policy that meets the needs of the asynchronous online environment can help create a more productive environment for students. For instance, if every email between instructor and student is answered once a day, a simple three-minute classroom conversation could become a multi-day email. By designing an online course for the online environment, these possible pitfalls can be avoided and better alternatives can be formulated.
Student engagement through active learning looks different online than it does in the on-site classroom. Since the student may be engaging with the material in multiple environments, it is essential to have resources that are tailored for online learning. An hour-long lecture might be appropriate in an on-site class, but an hour-long lecture video can be less engaging. I strive to make my instructor created content pithy and concise. Since students have web-based resources available to them whenever they are interacting with my class, I can make short videos that hit the most salient points of the material and empower my students to find their own answers.