Moving Beyond Read/Test in Online Learning

MOVING BEYOND THE  READ/TEST MODEL of ONLINE TEACHING

Online classes do not have to be read/test nor should they be. There are many activities that online teacher/mentors should think about incorporating into their online teaching, provided that they increase student learning. Don't add just for "glitz."

I think every organization that offers online classes should have an IT department whose major job is helping teachers add alternate material to their classes. I don't think the teachers should be expected to have the time, or to have the professional capability, to do this. While we can be great teachers in the classroom that does not mean we are media professionals.

I think that teacher presence MORE important than multimedia. Yes, we should use multimedia when appropriate, but it is important for the students to know the teacher is there. Some teachers prefer not to participate in the discussions, but then give targeted, extensive feedback in the weekly grade. It really is a balance - as mentors we want to be present but we don't want to overwhelm the discussion.

A self-check (really a quiz) is a good way for students to test themselves. This is referred to as a “formative evaluation” in educational jargon. I especially like to do a “self check” on the Syllabus because I think that it clears up a lot of problems. In most Learning Management Systems (LMS) the Quiz function is robust and allows the teacher/mentor to select either “highest grade counts” or “first grade counts” or “average grade counts.” If you really want students to know the material, then I select “highest grade counts” and give feedback on every question and allow for multiple retakes.

There is some disagreement about posting model answers, but I am all for it. I think students deserve to see what we are looking for..

Online discussions are, to me a must to develop community in online.Whatever activities the teacher/mentor selects we must be careful to allow the students to preserve their personal privacy.

Online classes do not have to be read/test nor should they be!