Developing Successful Online Courses for High School

1. Robin Kay UOIT Faculty of Education Developing Successful Online Courses for High School

2. Overview • My Background • Your Background • Ideas & Strategies for Online Learning • Resources

3. My Background • Faculty of Education • UOIT – 5 years • Taught High School 8 years • Community College for 5 years • Most of my courses are hybrid

4. How many years have you taught online courses? • Just started • 1 year • 2 years • 3+ years

5. What subjects do you teach online? • Math • English • Science • Social Sciences • Languages • Technology • Other

6. How confident are you using computers? • Not at all confident • Somewhat confident • Confident • Very Confident

7. How would you compare online to face-to-face courses? • Online is better for student learning • Online & FTF are about the same for student learning • FTF is better for student learning

8. Online Courses Starting Out Communication Organization Learning

9. Idea S1 – Learning Agreement • Have students agree to a set of rules you expect them to follow • Makes expectations clear from the start • Check in at least once per week • Post a message on the discussion board 2-3 times per week • Complete weekly quiz • Respond to emails within 24 hours • You can set this up online (Zoomerang, Survey Monkey, Email)

10. Would you use Learning Agreements with your students? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

11. Idea S2 – Building Community • Build community at the beginning is linked to more successful online courses • Chairs: Describe the perfect chair for you while working online for this course • Animals: If I were any animal, what would I be? • Bucket List: What are the “important” things you have to do before you are 90 years old • Vanity License: Design your own license plate

12. Would you use “Building Community” activities? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

13. Idea O1– Weekly Study Schedule

14. Would you use a Study Schedule? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

15. Idea 02–Graphic Organizers • Helps students focus on concepts • Some examples • Concept Maps • H-Chart or Venn Diagram • Sorting concepts • Frames • Semantic Feature Analysis • Frayer Model • Other examples

16. Would you use Graphic Organizers? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

17. Idea 03–Web Page Scavenger Hunt • Set up key questions students have to answer from your course web page • Have organizer for them to fill in key areas of your site • Have online quiz to test that they know where key information and tools are

18. Would you use a Web Page Scavenger Hunt? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

19. Idea C1 – Anonymous Feedback Forms • Set up weekly or bi-weekly feedback from students • Use http://www.getfast.ca/ - Free, fast, anonymous

20. Would you use Anonymous Feedback forms? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

21. Idea C2– Send Performance Tips • Send tips/reminders via email or better yet text messaging • Keep them short and focused • Tips could be: • Reminders about work to do • Reminders to log on • Helpful links • Clarifications on concepts • Changes in course materials or focus • You tube clip links • Humour • How are you doing in the course

22. Would you use send Performance Tips using text messaging? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

23. Idea C3– Virtual Office Hours • Virtual office hours (Facebook, Instant messaging, Skype) • Give students a chance to ask questions • Online Whiteboard might be helpful for explaining concepts

24. Would you use Virtual Office Hours? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

25. Idea C4 –Rules for Collaboration • Develop module on teamwork (see Working in Teams for ideas) • Create team agreement that outlines how teams should work together • Names of people on team • Goal of the group • How will workload be managed? • Who is the leader? • What other roles will there be? • What will the leader do if there is a team problem?

26. Would you use Collaboration Rules and/or Team Agreements? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

27. Idea C5 –Discussion Boards • Small groups of 4-6 • Establish message protocols • Keep it short • Use emoticons • Check grammar and spelling • Concise descriptive, subject line • Think “value added” • Students can self-evaluate • Did I thoughtfully respond to one question? • Did I post at least 2 meaningful messages? • Did I read other student messages?

28. Would you use some of the Discussion Board Ideas? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

29. Idea L1 – Web-Based Learning Tools • Free, easy to use, focused, interactive tools • Collections • Explore Learning– Math & Science • Learn Alberta– All Subject Areas • NCTM Illuminations– Math • Interactive Websites– All Subject Areas • EDNA– All Subject Areas

30. Would you use Web-Based Learning Tools? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

31. Idea L2 – Mini-Clips • Online explanations of concepts • Create with Jing (free) or Camtasia • Sample Clip: Area of a Rectangle • Samples Collections • Grade 9 - Applied Math (Full Set) ~ 120 clips • Khan Academy - Grade 1 to University • Can use to explain assignments or other administrative tasks – Sample Clip

32. Would you use Mini-Clips? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

33. Idea L3 –Digital Story Telling • Sample story • Alternative method to communicate knowledge • Could be used to have students introduce themselves to an online class • Use Windows Movie Maker or Photo Story • Post on You Tube or Teacher Tube

34. Would you use Digital Story Telling? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

35. Idea L4 –Email the Authour • After reading a chapter or article, learners can formulate questions to ask the authour • May work more for English and Social Sciences

36. Would you “Emailing the Author” as a teaching strategy? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

37. Idea L5 –WebQuests • Samples at WebQuest.Org • Can be done individually or in groups

38. Would you use a WebQuest? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

39. Idea L6 –Wikis • Wikipedia • Wikispaces - Free • Students can use them on group assignments • Work from individuals can be posted and edited in a common area

40. Would you use Wikis? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

41. Idea L7– Learning Games for Review • Developed Using Study Mate by Respondus • Flash Cards • Pick a Letter • Fill in the Blank • Matching • Crosswords

42. Would you use “Learning Games”? • No • Maybe • Yes • I already do • I don’t understand this idea

43. Resources The Online Learning Idea Book – by Patti Shank e-learning – by Ruth Clark & Richard Mayer The New Virtual Classroom – by Ruth Clark & Ann Kwinn

44. Research • I am interested in providing training and guidance for the teaching of online courses in exchange for getting feedback from teachers & students • Dr. Robin Kayrobin.kay@uoit.ca905-721-8668 ext. 2679