education/online-learning/topics/online-instructor

Discussion of issues relating to the unique requirements in course design for senior learners online.

Those who are new to the online teaching arena may have to face several pitfalls if they don’t avoid the most common mistakes committed by many new instructors in the field. So, here are the top pitfalls to avoid for a new online instructor.

Creativity in an online classroom keeps the interest of the students and teachers alike while still providing a firm base which upon learning is the foundation. Creativity opens our minds and perks our interest in things we might not otherwise have paid attention to.

Helping students retain the information they learn is an important aspect of teaching. Instructors can accomplish this goal by taking advantage of the way the brain works and structuring their courses to reinforce ideas that are taught. By focusing on concept relationships, students can retain more.

The advantages and disadvantages of online teaching and learning are important for potential student and instructors to understand. The disadvantages include a sense of isolation that can exist for both student and teacher but there are advantages that far outweigh the small number of disadvantages.

Developing online study skills involves involves organization, perspective and the ability to prioritize information. Students can be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the information available when they take their first course. Instructors should help students select an information repository.

Instructors have a solid understanding of what their students need to know about class policies and instructor qualifications but where does this understanding come from? In an online class, instructors can become isolated. In this article, the author has students provide feedback on what they need.

When students that are going to fail ask if they can still pass the class, it is important to respond carefully. These students need a response that informs them thoroughly but is also sensitive. This article describes the techniques for formulating a response that meets the students’ needs.

Managing class discussions is an important and useful policy for instructors to use, especially in an online forum. Without such guidelines, it is likely that discussion threads will go into topics that are unrelated to the course content.

The key requirements for creating a positive learning environment do not come readily packaged. Instead they require an astute grasp of the differences between androgogy and pedagogy. Instructors can then implement the concepts to keep students motivated and engaged in the learning process.