Is Teaching Online Right for Me?

• Ask yourself the following questions before you consider the option of Teaching a Tech Online Learning class.
• Do I have at least one full semester to plan and organize the course materials and the logistics of how it will be delivered?
• Will I realistically have the extra time it may take to teach online?
• Am I familiar with the technology that is required to develop and deliver an online course? Will I be comfortable using it on a regular basis?
• Will my communication methods be as effective online as they are in the classroom? • Do my course materials already have specific long and short-term objectives that will help facilitate expectations, outcomes, and assessment?
• Can my online course facilitate active learning experiences that will give students a sense of participation and involvement?
• Can I accommodate digital submission of assignments and homework?
• Can I minimize the number of, and need for, supervised or proctored quizzes and exams?
• Are there any intellectual property issues that should be considered before I develop my online course materials?

Many faculty and administrators believe that teaching online is the same as teaching a traditional course. Many of the skills do transfer, but need to be adjusted. Quality online courses require careful planning and organization and instructional design that incorporates the strengths of, and opportunities provided in, the different delivery systems (audio, video, computing, and print). Teaching a media delivered course, or any online learning course, is quite different and often requires an instructor to sharpen some teaching skills and incorporate new ones. Without some modification, traditional, podium-based recorded lectures can come across to online learners as "talking heads," instructors' faces talking at the students through video without any type of interaction. “Classroom teachers rely on a number of visual and unobtrusive cues from their students to enhance their delivery of instructional content. A quick glance, for example, reveals who is attentively taking notes, pondering a difficult concept, or preparing to make a comment. The student who is frustrated, confused, tired, or bored is equally evident. The attentive teacher consciously and subconsciously receives and analyzes these visual cues and adjusts the course delivery to meet the needs of the class during a particular lesson.” (Willis, n.d.) Feedback of this kind will not be as readily available from your off-campus students. You will need to consider including alternative methods of communication and feedback with students, like email, online discussion boards, online chats, virtual office hours, desktop video conferencing, and others, when planning a Tech Online Learning class.

Willis, B. (n.d.).. Distance Education at a Glance. Written by Barry Willis, Associate Dean-Engineering, University of Idaho. Edited by Tania H. Gottschalk. Retrieved from University of Idaho Engineering Outreach website. April 1, 2008. http://www.uidaho.edu/eo/dist2.html