Online teaching

Know the course – intimately! 

A well-designed course is key and understanding that design is even more important.  Perhaps you were involved in the original design and development of your course, in which case, you will be intimately familiar with how it is structured and how the course and learning will unfold.  If you have been hired to teach an existing course, though, you’ll need to carefully review all parts of the Moodle site so that you are sure that you: 

• Know and understand the material and the learning activities you will facilitate. 
• Think about when assignments are due and how long it may take to mark them, especially the final assignment as students may need to have their final grade before beginning their next course. 
• Plan for which discussions you need to be an integral part of and which ones may go on with little or no intervention by you. 
• Consider how the learning activities relate to the readings in each week or unit. 

The better you know your course before it even begins, the easier it will be for you to focus on teaching once it starts.  Reaching out to other faculty and Teaching and Learning will help you navigate some of the challenges of online teaching.  Learn from the experience of others! 

How many hours a week will this take? 

Hard to say - it depends on the design of the course and, to some extent, your own teaching style - but a minimum of 10-12 hours a week might be a good guess.  If you have never taught an online course, if you are unfamiliar with YukonU, or if you are not comfortable with Moodle, you will likely spend more time in the course, at least in the first weeks.  The week after an assignment is due will require extra time to mark and give feedback. 

Prior to the start of each week

• You should review the upcoming online activities - what the students should be doing and what you should be doing - and review readings and/or key content (approximately 2-3 hours). 
• How will you start the week?  Some instructors post a “Welcome to Week X “ announcement or video that comments on the previous week, sets the stage for the next week and points out key resources, concepts and/or due dates. 

During the week

You may need to browse student forum posts, commenting at times; you may have student questions to answer, and you may have Zoom sessions to facilitate (if you're teaching synchronously).  While it is not always necessary to spend time on the course site every day, you should plan to spend at least a few hours every other day - perhaps more during the first few weeks.  Most instructors develop a rhythm that works for them.  Hint: Establish a work schedule and try to keep to it - make it a time and place where you can truly focus on the course and not be distracted by other things.  You'll work better and be more efficient. Note: if you are still building when the course begins you can hide future modules until you have finished then make them available as necessary. 

Establishing instructor presence

This is HUGE.  Students need to know that their instructor is engaged and paying attention to the course and is there when needed. They need to feel that you are ‘present’... not just going through the motions. (Think facilitating and coaching rather than monitoring and marking.) Students also like to feel that they know you as an instructor. How will you be you in the course? Consider the use of images, audio, video, and thoughtfully crafted announcements that let some of your personality show through (contact CTET Studio to discuss specific tools that you can use). The way you respond to forum posts, the way you reach out to struggling students, the way you demonstrate your expertise and share your relevant experience all help you establish and maintain a welcoming and friendly presence. Hint: More is not necessarily better.