Tips for Teachers from Teachers
- “Start your course with an “Information Module” where you can place your syllabus, course schedule, grading rubrics and discussion board or quiz that asks questions about this module. That way you know students read syllabus, rubrics, etc and you have a record of it.” (SW)
- “As the first content page of each following module have a page that describes the “Expectations and Requirements” for this particular module.” (SW)
- “Modularize your course content (have them in chunks) and organize them in modules complete with the unit or module objectives, assignments, and assessments. It will not only make your job easier but also helps your students focus on smaller chunks and not feel overwhelmed.” (AP)
- “Create a master course map that aligns all of the learning activities, materials, tools, and resources with the course learning outcomes. It is a little bit hard in the beginning to create one, but you’ll find it rewarding when you see the big picture of what you are doing and everything that’s going on in the course.” (AP)
- “Take full advantage of what Canvas can do (e.g. modules, timed assessments, conferencing). Contact eLearning, sit with another faculty who is pretty good with Canvas, and finally, play around with Canvas yourself.” (AP)
- “NEVER feel embarrassed to ASK! I survived my rookie years of teaching online by asking and doing.” (AP)
- “Take advantage of any professional development courses such as Quality Matters workshops, how to use OER, and Accessibility 101 courses available for you for free from SBCTC. Taking these courses will only make you a better instructor.” (AP)
- “Need more tips? Read Peer advice for instructors teaching online for first time – Inside Higher Ed” (AP)
- “Staying on top of deadlines can be challenging for students in an online course. Help them keep track by creating a predictable rhythm to due dates that is the same each week (e.g. read/watch lessons by Friday, post to a discussion by Saturday, complete assignment/quiz and/or respond to a discussion by Tuesday).” (AZ)
- “Invest time and effort in the first week or two to building community and rapport with and among your students. Have students post bios to their profiles and/or do introductions in a discussion board, and be sure to make a connection with each student by replying to each students’ post or emailing each student individually.” (AZ)
- “Provide students with samples and examples of what “good work” looks like. Whether it is a discussion post or an assignment, give students not only guidelines but also samples after which to model their own work.” (AZ)
- “Divide course into modules, however if there are lots of components in a module, use the text header feature to organize and subdivide it further.” (CB)
- “Each week, have a page or checklist outlining what the students need to do that week: readings, assignments, quizzes, etc.” (CB)
- “Utilize the ability to embed outside tools and content with HTML. This can be done with a content page by switching to HTML view. Many tools, including YouTube and infographics allow you to copy and paste the embed code without any technical knowledge needed. This opens up options for a variety of content types.”(CB)
- “Give yourself a break! Don’t worry about doing everything perfectly. Listen to your students. Meet their primary needs. Build the rest later.” (MP)
- “There are netiquette rules, but try to humanize your communication to your online students while keeping your professionalism.” (MP)
- “Organize and break your Canvas content into weekly modules based on how many sessions per week, using
