Introduction to the Problem and Opportunities of Online Projects

2. Introduction to the Problem and Opportunities of Online Projects • The LMS is module-centric, which compartmentalizes each step in a longer project. • We have no shared vocabulary for talking about these kinds of classes.

3. Small Group Discussion • How do you manage long term projects in your online classes?

4. Show and Tell

5. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion

6. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion • Planning • Because students cannot look ahead, it’s hard for them to anticipate and plan for projects. • Solution: Post a schedule of all the projects and deadlines at the start of the semester.

7. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion • Submission Confusion • If the guidelines are not clear, students are confused and post their work all over the place—requiring the instructor to track things down. Additionally, in CQ classes, assignment topics will post automatically for the project-related assignments

8. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion • Solution: • Post clear guidelines at the start of the semester about where to post what. • CQ: Lock these assignment topics, since you don’t want students to post there. • Make an initial post in each topic, steering students to their individual folders.

9. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion • Review Individual Topics Can Require A lot More Clicks! • Solution: Require students to both attach and embed their images. (Allows everyone to review quickly but also lets the instructor use the whiteboard, if needed.)

10. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion • Isolation: • Working primarily in individual topics means that students are not interacting with one another very much, which makes it difficult to establish a sense of connection and community

11. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion • Solution: • Have an active discussion topic every week. • Have several checkpoints where everyone reposts their work for critique. • Hold live critiques through Adobe Connect. Invite students to attend and record the sessions for those who can’t make it.

12. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion • Organization • This approach requires the instructor to organize and manage the process, including

13. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion • Organization • Creating individual topics • Posting clear guidelines as to where students should post work

14. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion • Organization • Responding in a timely manner to question. • If students are posting their questions in individual topics, check the “new posts” alert every day and respond to those students. • Create a “module questions” topic for each module, so you only have to look one place for questions.

15. Personal Topics in the Class Discussion • Organization • Managing deadlines (since the individual topics don’t automatically close at the end of the module) • Close these topics at the end of the module and re-open them manually • Create the topics in Global Topics to facilitate this process. (Topics can be edited next semester with the new students’ names.)

16. Caveats • Using individual topics means it will take more time to manage your class. • This approach is not appropriate for all classes—only for those with projects that span multiple modules.