Infographic: E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate Program

Best Practices for Online Discussion: 16 Quality, Timing, and Value Added Response Tips

Expertly facilitated online discussion is the driving force for community in e-learning classes. Creating norms for discussion quality and timing improve the dialog. This also helps the facilitator step back as students learn to deepen their online dialog.
The following quality, timing, and response tips were suggested by my network of e-learning professionals and by the participants in E-Learning for Educators, part of the UW-Stout E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate Program.

8 Quality and Timing Tips for Online Discussion:

1. Focus on the prompt; follow the directions in the prompt closely.
2. Respond to those who respond to you! This is essential!
3. Avoid short "Me too" or "I agree" posts. Make your posts substantial
4. Add value to the discussion (see below).
5. Post early in the week. You'll get more response and become more engaged in conversation.
6. Respond throughout the week; you help sustain the dialog.
7. Avoid doing all of your posting at the end of the week. You miss out on interaction.
8. Use direct quotations from your text or online source. (Cite the source so your reader can find it.)

8 Value Added Response Techniques:

1. Ask a specific question (but avoid prompting yes or no answers).
2. Ask an open ended (on topic) question that invites a response.
3. Expand on the a specific element of the post.
4. Provide a teaching story that illustrates the a main idea.
5. Offer a different perspective on an essential idea in the post.
6. Provide an online resource relevant to the topic (include a hyperlink).
7. Describe a method you use in your practice.
8. Provide a summary of the ideas posted so far (good when you come late to the conversation).

Please Share tips and techniques you use to improve online discussion!

E-Learning for Educators Register Now: Fall 2011 UW-Stout Online

ONLINE COURSE EDUC 760 E-Learning for Educators 3 semester hours graduate credit

Adjunct Professors, K-12 Educators, Corporate Trainers, Health Educators, Curriculum specialists: Hone your skills so you can compete in a growing job market!

Explore online and blended applications for e-learning using an open source learning management system, Moodle, and the D2L learning management system. You will have the opportunity to create your course content with Moodle, an inexpensive way for educators to create an effective online course.

The course provides a strong foundation in e-learning and online teaching theory and technology.  Emphasis is on developing a community of practice founded on critical reflection, personal interaction, and rich experiences with web 2.0 tools. E-Learning for Educators is is the recommended first course in the E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate program.

Activities include hands-on experience with Web 2.0 tools such as social bookmarking, blogs, podcasts,  personalized search tools, surveys, quizzes, and discussion systems.

This course prepares learners to lead and manage instructional challenges in a variety of online settings in educational institutions, corporations, the military, health care and government agencies. The emphasis is on what you can use right now in your teaching or training.

This course introduces educators to the hands on realities of teaching online. Using Moodle and D2L teach and learn as both a student and an instructor.  Discover e-learning best practices and create discussion forums, online surveys, quizzes and e-portfolios.

EDUC 760 E-Learning for Educators 3 graduate credits
This is the introductory course in the E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate, is an approved elective in the online Master of Science in Education degree program, and is open as an individual course to students seeking professional development.

Sections are nearly full:

Dates
Choose one section:
EDUC 760 900 September 19- November 11, 2011 Instructor: Jim Erbe
EDUC 760 901 October 3 – November 30, 2011 Instructor: Dennis O'Connor
EDUC 760 902 October 3 – November 30, 2011 Instructor: Sara Turansky

Register Now Course Info

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What students are saying:

"It was a great first experience with online learning!  I would, I have, and I will, recommend the course to colleagues with whom I work, and I would consider another online course without hesitation. I couldn't have asked for a better experience!" 
~ Middle School Librarian, Los Angeles, California

"I enjoyed the instructor(s) and their focus on organization and professionalism."
~ Instructor at Waukesha County Technical College, Pewaukee, Wisconsin

"Prior to beginning the class, one of my most strongly held notions was that the interaction and level of engagement in an online course environment could not come close to the experience one has in a face to face class. While I don't know that I am ready to fully embrace the concept that one should be able to earn a high school diploma or a Bachelor's degree completely online,  I certainly believe there is tremendous value, rigor, and powerful sense of community that can be developed in a thoughtfully constructed course with a skilled teacher shepherding the process. "
~ Middle School Librarian, Los Angeles, California

Summer 2011 Online: E-Learning For Educators

ONLINE COURSE EDUC 760 E-Learning for Educators 3 semester hours graduate credit

Explore online and blended applications for e-learning using an open source learning management system, Moodle, and the D2L learning management system. You will have the opportunity to create your course content with Moodle, an inexpensive way for educators to create an effective online course.

The course provides a strong foundation in e-learning and online teaching theory and technology.  Emphasis is on developing a community of practice founded on critical reflection, personal interaction, and rich experiences with web 2.0 tools. E-Learning for Educators is is the recommended first course in the E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate program.

Activities include hands-on experience with Web 2.0 tools such as social bookmarking, blogs, podcasts,  personalized search tools, surveys, quizzes, and discussion systems.

This course prepares learners to lead and manage instructional challenges in a variety of online settings in educational institutions, corporations, the military, health care and government agencies. The emphasis is on what you can use right now in your teaching or training.

This course introduces educators to the hands on realities of teaching online. Using Moodle and D2L teach and learn as both a student and an instructor.  Discover e-learning best practices and create discussion forums, online surveys, quizzes and e-portfolios.

EDUC 760 E-Learning for Educators 3 graduate credits
This is the introductory course in the E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate, is an approved elective in the online Master of Science in Education degree program, and is open as an individual course to students seeking professional development.

Sections are nearly full: 

Dates
Choose one section:
EDUC 760 960 June 13 - August 5, 2011 Instructor: Becky Mather
EDUC 760 961 June 13 - August 5, 2011 Instructor: Sara Turansky
EDUC 760 962 June 13 - August 5, 2011 Instructor: Dennis O'Connor

Register Now Course Info

 ------------------------------
 
What students are saying:

"It was a great first experience with online learning!  I would, I have, and I will, recommend the course to colleagues with whom I work, and I would consider another online course without hesitation. I couldn't have asked for a better experience!" 
~ Middle School Librarian, Los Angeles, California

"I enjoyed the instructor(s) and their focus on organization and professionalism."
~ Instructor at Waukesha County Technical College, Pewaukee, Wisconsin

"Prior to beginning the class, one of my most strongly held notions was that the interaction and level of engagement in an online course environment could not come close to the experience one has in a face to face class. While I don't know that I am ready to fully embrace the concept that one should be able to earn a high school diploma or a Bachelor's degree completely online,  I certainly believe there is tremendous value, rigor, and powerful sense of community that can be developed in a thoughtfully constructed course with a skilled teacher shepherding the process. "
~ Middle School Librarian, Los Angeles, California

Notes from the front lines: The first week of class.

Getting Started: Week 1

The first week of an online class is so intense. Here are notes from the front lines that capture some of the realities of teaching online.

Teaching two intense online classes, E-Learning for Educators and Teaching and Assessing Writing with the 6-Traits means I'm reading a lot of posts. (I've got the classes grouped so the volume of posts isn't burying the students.)

Social Icebreakers

It's the critical first week and the icebreakers have worked well. This is a discussion where every one in the class is talking together. With about 150+ posts in the icebreaker discussions of each class folks are staggering a bit trying to cope with the multiple threads of ideas and introductions. It's like walking through a crowded room where everyone is talking and sharing. I always like to start a class with a big social exchange. It give folks a chance to learn the software while they get to know each other without the pressure of an academic assignment. This is great!

An International Group

I think everyone gets a kick out of learning online with people from around the world. In addition to a large group from Wisconsin, we've got folks from New York, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, California, and Vermont. From overseas there are teachers connecting from Korea, Okinawa, Taiwan, Dubai, Germany, and England. I get a kick out of the geographical diversity of each class. (If I had the time I'd create a Google Earth tour of everyone's home...hmm with time enough...)

Ways to read a discussion thread in D2L

Over time I've learned to read these threads using some of the D2L message reading options. I like to check every box in a thread and then view it in printing format. This puts the entire thread up, one on top of the other, in message format. It's easy to read the entire exchange and scroll past the re quoted text. (Sometimes I wish folks would delete the quoted text, but I always leave it up to them to follow my model. I don't want it to be too complicated.)

Changing Subject Lines

When I respond I usually change the subject line. I'm trying to model this method early on so folks learn to capture the essence of the post in the subject area. Some do, some don't.

Mark as read

When I finish reading the posts in message view I scroll to the bottom of the group and click "Mark as read". I then close the window and return to the main discussion. A quirk of D2l is that you have to hit the refresh button on the navigation bar of the message system to get the posts to go from bold to plain (for read).

This helps me see my progress as I work through the posts.

Notes Become Grade Book Comments

I'll often write my responses into the grade comments area as I read the posts. I can put the notes in a field visible to participants, or in a private comment box. This way I capture my thinking about each post as I read and work a bit on my comments for the week. I can then paste them into the public discussion or save them for the private feedback for each learner.

Obsessed with feedback

I want to offer evaluation comments to all students at least once a week. Sometimes this becomes overwhelming and I have to lighten up. A really efficient voice conversion system would help. My right hand has carpal tunnel and a degraded thumb joint making typing a bit painful... but not enough to keep me from it. Still folks deserve timely and regular feedback, from their instructor and from their colleagues.

Good start

Both classes are rolling and packed with articulate interesting people. My job is to help them become a community so they can learn from each other. This is going to be fun!

Dennis/ SanMarcos