The e-Teaching & Learning site is designed to provide you with information about online and hybrid teaching and learning, as well as tips and resources for integrating technology into your classroom.
About e-Learning
Online learning is an approach to teaching and learning that utilizes the web and technology tools to facilitate communication and student learning in a collaborative educational context. These tools can be used to supplement traditional classroom education, or to facilitate the delivery of a complete online learning education. An effective online or hybrid course should incorporate teaching strategies that enhance learner-learner interactions, learner-content interactions, and student-instructor interactions.
Fundamentals of Teaching Online
Through the implementation of an instructional design framework, faculty create activities and develop effective course designs that promote participation, interaction, and communication in the online learning environment. It is then the student’s responsibility to engage in the academic activities (Robinson, & Hullinger, 2008).
Here are some best practices to consider when planning to teach online:
- Avoid “dumping” a face-to-face course onto the web.
- Think about course objectives and outcomes.
- Organize the course and make the organization and requirements clear to students.
- Keep students informed constantly about course updates.
- Test the application of knowledge, not rote memory.
- Integrate the power of the web into the course.
- Apply adult learning principles with nontraditional learners.
- Extend course readings beyond the text (or to replace the text).
- Train students to use the course website.
(Simonson et al., 2012)
Communicating with Students
In an online learning environment, instructors will need to engage and be present. The following list presents best practices that instructors should consider as their role changes from in-class lecturers to online facilitators of learning:
- Use many activities and applications; they are the heart of distance learning.
- Minimize the use of PowerPoint slides as they have the potential to disconnect learners from the learning environment.
- When using videos or synchronous communication tools (real-time podcast, chat tools: Skype, Adobe Connect, etc.), break your talk into smaller sections (10 minutes each) and incorporate questions and answers.
- Emphasize activities rather than content.
Instructor's Role
Beside their role as the content experts, Keengwe and Kidd (2010) identified four categories for the instructor's role in online teaching:
- Pedagogical: facilitating education
- Social role: creating a friendly social environment necessary for online learning
- Managerial role: defining the objectives, rules, and decision making structures
- Technical role: being comfortable with technology and then transferring this comfort to their students
Contact
The resources, recommendations and guidelines in the LTO's e-learning site have been developed by Dalia Hanna, Manager, Learning and Teaching. Please contact Dalia at dhanna@ryerson.ca, with suggestions, ideas or feedback related to e-learning.
Dalia Hanna, PMP | Manager, Teaching and Learning | KHW373A | Phone: 416-979-5000 ext. 6598 |dhanna@ryerson.ca|