Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses Note: This article was originally published in The Technology Source ( as: Charles Graham, Kursat Cagiltay, Byung-Ro Lim, Joni Craner, and Thomas M. Duffy "Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses" The Technology Source, March/April 2001. Available online at The article is reprinted here with permission of the publisher. The "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education," originally published in the AAHE Bulletin (Chickering & Gamson, 1987), are a popular framework for evaluating teaching in traditional, face-to-face courses. We, a team of five evaluators from Indiana University's Center for Research on Learning and Technology (CRLT), recently used these principles to evaluate four online courses in a professional school at a large Midwestern university. Principle 1: Good Practice Encourages Student-Faculty Contact Conclusion References
Examples of Blended Classes and Class Flow The following are examples of blended courses taught at institutions in the United States. More examples will be added in the future. University of Central Florida MAN4350 – Training and Development Dr. Dr. Students learn through self-directed study of the text, online learning modules and assignments, classroom lecture, and extensive use of in-class and online participative activities such as teamwork, case studies, skill practice, etc. Additional Information: PHH 3700 – American Philosophy Dr. American philosophy is a thematic and chronological survey of philosophical, religious, and scientific developments in American thought, with primary focus on the American spirit of individualism and reform. Additional information: Illustration of Dr. MAN3025 – Management of Organizations Dr. Dr. Illustration of Dr. Simmons College Case Studies of Blended Courses Simmons College provides case studies with some of their experienced blended faculty. University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee Hybrid Courses
Pedagogy and Moodle Let's sit back and really reflect on the pedagogy that is at the core of what we, as online educators, are trying to do. Definition of Pedagogy One definition of pedagogy in Wiktionary says The profession of teaching The activities of educating, teaching or instructing Wikipedia has a much longer page on Pedagogy. Moodle in three short paragraphs The heart of Moodle is courses that contain activities and resources. There are a number of other tools that make it easier to build communities of learners, including blogs, messaging, participant lists etc, as well useful tools like grading, reports, integration with other systems and so on. For more about Moodle, see and particularly the main community “course” called Using Moodle. Social Constructionism as a Referent I have these five points on a slide which I use in every presentation I do. Jason Cole from Open University recently referred to these as “Martin's five laws” (ha!) Finding a balance Progression Community Hubs
Effective Online Teaching As I venture through my online teaching and course development I have been drawn to the question, what does an effective online teacher look like? If I am to develop a good online course then I will need to know what aspect I need to include in the course that would facilitate good online teaching practices. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 1. 2. 3. 4. Cole and Kritzer (2006) expressed the need to create each unit as a module where all of their objectives, readings, presentations, questions, and activity were presented in one complete block. As I reflect on these practices and suggestions I am encouraged that I do implement a lot of these strategies but I also struggle with the schools that just want the old correspondence courses where there is no interaction and community and the student learns in isolation.
Elements/Content of Your Moodle Course The following links to effective practices for blended learning courses are provided by UCF’s Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository (TOPR). Each entry describes a strategy drawn from the pedagogical practice of online teaching faculty, depicts this strategy with artifacts from actual courses, and is aligned with findings from research or professional practice literature. If you are interested in contributing an entry to TOPR, you may use submit your entry using the TOPR Contribution Form. If you are interested in becoming a regular contributor, please send an email message contact to topr@ucf.edu for more information. Course Content Interaction Blogs Use Blogs to communicate with studentsStudent Generated Blogs for journals and reflection Discussions Social Networking Wikis Use wikis to facilitate group projectsand to scaffold learning Assessment
Beyond blended learning: Reaching every student At the 2010 NCTIES conference in Raleigh, LEARN NC’s Bobby Hobgood delivered a presentation about blended learning. The archived session is available at the following link: Access to the archived session requires Microsoft Silverlight software. About this presentation Presentation title Beyond blended learning: Reaching every student Presenter Bobby Hobgood, LEARN NC — UNC School of Education Target audience Elementary, middle, high, K-12, administration Presentation goals Viewers of this hour-long presentation will learn what blended learning is, why blended learning is important, current research findings about blended learning, a theoretical framework underpinning the value of blended learning, what blended learning “looks like” in a classroom, and ten ways to improve teaching using a blended approach. Presentation abstract Dr. Dr.
7 Strategies to Make Your Online Teaching Better This GradHacker post is by Andrea Zellner, PhD candidate in Ed Tech/Ed Pysch at Michigan State University, @andreazellner There is no doubt that online education has arrived in Higher Education. Each year, the numbers of colleges and universities offering online courses increases. There is certainly appeal for these types of courses: students can better fit them into busy schedules and traveling to campus is no longer required. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.Provide support for self-regulation. 7. In the end, there is a lot to consider when teaching online. P.S. What are your tips for teaching online?
Best Practices in Designing Online Courses Best Practices in Designing Online Courses Las Positas College This document, along with the accompanying examples, was created to help LPC faculty design online courses that are instructionally and pedagogically sound. The best practices are a synthesis of strategies, activities, design techniques, organizational tips, etc., that have been successful in higher education. They have been approved by the LPC Distance Education Committee and have been made available to all current and future LPC online instructors. To discuss any of the best practices, log into Blackboard, go to the BOLT course, and post to the Discussion Board forum called Best Practices (LPC). Important: In addition to the best practices below, instructors are highly encouraged to create an information page for their course. I. I. II. III. Sources for information on best practices: Guidelines for Good Practice: Technology Mediated Instruction, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges
EdTech Cheat Sheet Infographic Understanding New Trends in Educational Technology Trying to keep up with all of the new buzzwords in the booming Educational Technology sector can leave you feeling like a kindergartner in a calculus class. Don't tell your teach, but we put together a little cheat sheet to keep you informed on what's happening inside and outside of today's most innovative schools. Think we're missing any major terms or trends? @GoBoundless Gamification? Virtual Classroom? Digital Storytelling? 1:1 Technology Providing every student with a laptop or tablet to make learning more individualized, increase independence and extend academics beyond the classroom. Also: much cooler than just giving out stickers. Adaptive Learning Software that adapts it's content and pacing to the current knowledge level of the user, so it's almost like having a personal tailor for your education. Asynchronous Learning Blended Learning A sure recipe for success: Optional--Adjust when, where and how students use the online content. E-Books
Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online J. V. Boettcher, Ph.D. Designing for Learning 2006 - 2013 Minor revisions May 2011 Our knowledge about what works well in online teaching and learning is growing rapidly and that is very good news. Here are ten best practices for anyone just getting started in the online environment. Best Practice 1: Be Present at the Course Site Liberal use of a faculty's use of communication tools such as announcements, discussion board postings, and forums communicate to the students that the faculty member cares about who they are, cares about their questions and concerns, and is generally "present" to do the mentoring and challenging that teaching is all about. When faculty actively interact and engage students in a face-to-face classroom, the class develops as a learning community, developing intellectual and personal bonds. We have learned to quantify what it means to "be present." Note: Students who feel abandoned or who feel alone may even post questions, such as "Is anybody there?" References
Understanding Digital Children - Ian Jukes One element of my professional reading at the moment is reading through Ian Jukes “Understanding digital children (DK's) Teaching & Learning in the New Digital Landscape”. Ian looks at the difference between digital kids and teachers and the impact that this has on teaching and learning. At one point Ian summarises the differences between Native Learners (screenagers) and Teachers. Media Exposure Mark Prensky - in his papers digital natives and Digital immigrants, highlighted the exposure our students have to different forms of media. Increasingly, the readings and research are converging towards the same point. Digital Students@analog Schools - video Digital students@analog schools
Five Expectations Students Should Have of an Online Instructor In recent years, online degree programs have become a widely accepted modality for many learners who seek a college degree. Most often, students who choose the flexibility of online college courses have family or work obligations that inhibit their ability to be placed in a traditional classroom. Online learning is a great choice for a student who is a self-motivated, and who is an independent learner. As a higher education instructor, you should recognize the temperament of the learning environment in which you teach as well as what students expect from you. It is important to take the time to set realistic expectations for your online learning environment. Availability As an online instructor, you should be responsive to your students' inquires. Further, students' grades should be returned in a timely matter to ensure that your feedback helps with their future coursework. Professionalism Communication in the online environment requires a degree of "netiquette." Guidance Experience