should professors already know how to build an online course?

Now that faculty know how to use the technology-side of things, it’s time to tackle the next step – the elements they’ll need to build quality online courses. With the right strategies, instructors can interact with online students, be attuned to their questions, and give personalized feedback, all while measuring participation and comprehension.

Full Answer

What should I know before teaching my first online course?

The best piece of advice I could give an instructor who would be teaching his/her first online course is to ensure you’ve gotten the proper training to teach online! That is, it’s important to appreciate the notion that just because you may be an effective face-to-face instructor does not mean, by any stretch, you’d be an effective online one.

Who is the professor who mentored me to start teaching online courses?

Catherine Spann, research scientist, University of Texas at Arlington, instructor, edX Gratefully George Siemens, executive director of LINK Research Lab at the University of Texas at Arlington, mentored me through the process of creating and teaching my first online course. One thing he mentioned that stuck with me: be a learner.

How can we make online courses more effective?

2) Utilize backward design. We do this in our face-to-face courses, and we should also use it in our online courses. Backward design requires instructors to identify learning objectives for their course as well as the evidence that support those objectives.

Do students really show up for online classes?

So while “showing up” for online classes may take more intrinsic motivation as no one is directly noticing student absence, the absence is still noticed. Elarcosa notes that if students fall behind in their online classes, he emails them to remind them that they are not fulfilling course requirements.

How do I train faculty to create quality online courses?

How to Train Faculty to Use New Video SoftwareMake training relatable with webcam. ... Explain the entire workflow across tools (not just each separate tool) ... Work with what you have (but plan to get integrated video) ... Skip all-university invites. ... Where do I host training? ... Plan for online-only training, too.More items...

How do you structure an online course?

How to Structure Your Online Course?Group Similar Ideas into Modules.A progressive flow that depends on the order.A collection of tips – not dependent on order.Select Type of Content.Organize Online Course by Choosing a Format.Providing Supportive Content to Students.Consistency is Important.Add a Link for Discussions.More items...•

Do professors make their own curriculum?

Professor: Professors are given certain classes to teach based on their specialty. These instructors are in charge of creating the curriculum, assignments, exams, and projects for their students.

How long does it take to build an online course?

It can take anywhere between 3 days to 2 months to create an online course, assuming that you are working on it full time. A mini-course covering a very narrow topic can be produced in only 3 days or less, while a complete in-depth 20h masterclass covering all levels can take several months to produce.

How do I create and sell a course online?

In this article, you'll find an overview of the 10 major stages of online course creation:Pick the perfect course topic.Ensure your course idea has high market demand.Create Magnetic and Compelling Learning Outcomes.Select and Gather your Course Content.Structure Your Modules and Course Plan.More items...•

How do you develop a course?

To design an effective course, you need to:Consider timing and logistics.Recognize who your students are.Identify the situational constraints.Articulate your learning objectives.Identify potential assessments.Identify appropriate instructional strategies.Plan your course content and schedule.

What do you call a female professor?

Unless your instructor you instructor specifically expresses a preference for “Mrs.” or “Miss”, “Ms” is now the standard English title for an adult woman—married or not. First Names: Some professors prefer that their students call them by their first names while others find it. rude and presumptuous.

Do faculty own their course materials?

No. Faculty do not own the copyrights in the online course materials they create if the materials are a “work made for hire” or if the faculty member assigns their copyrights in full to another party.

Can a professor teach whatever they want?

Professors enjoy academic freedom, but it doesn't allow them to teach or say whatever they want in class.

How much does it cost to develop an online course?

At an estimated 80 to 280 hours required to develop a 1-hour course, you can expect to pay roughly $5,850 USD to over $15,000 USD to get a fully polished course, in addition to the cost of your Instructional Designer (ID) and SME.

How long does it take to develop 1 hour of eLearning?

How long does it take to develop 1 hour of eLearning? A average 1-hour interactive elearning course will take 197 hours to develop. But development of a 1-hour elearning course can range between 49 hours for the low end of the range of a “basic” course to 716 hours for the high end of the range of an “advanced” course.

How many hours does it take to develop a college course?

In the study, 29% of respondents said it took them over 100 hours, while 87% take up to 16 weeks to develop their course. A good rule of thumb is to allow 2-3 months to account for research, designing the course, testing with students and finalizing.

What are the criticisms of online education?

One of the big criticisms of online education is academic honesty. There is no real way for the instructor to know if the student is the actual brains behind the work. I absolutely loved Elarcosa’s overall attitude towards accountability here: “I’m not too concerned about cheating,” he notes, “If [the students] don’t get the education, it will show up in their jobs. You can’t fake knowledge.” Elarcosa let me know that in some courses, students take exams using Proctorio, a program that monitors students through their computer cameras as they take exams.

Why does Elarcosa teach online?

Elarcosa enjoys teaching online for its flexibility with his business and personal life. He teaches his online courses even while traveling. Students get to draw on the real-life experiences of a variety of in-the-know and in-the-business talents.

Why is it rewarding to see students logging in multiple times a day?

Students may be digesting the discussion throughout their day, and perhaps new ideas are brought to the table due to the gift of time. As an instructor, it is extremely rewarding when we see students logging in multiple times per day to continue a discussion with their peers.

Is creative writing effective?

In written communication, making yourself understood without the tools of presence like facial expression, body language, and voice inflections can be more of a challenge. Conversely, Townsend notes that the subject of creative writing seems to be incredibly effective as an online course.

Is online education a commitment?

Online education is a commitment, and learning takes time and drive. So while “showing up” for online classes may take more intrinsic motivation as no one is directly noticing student absence, the absence is still noticed.

Is the ability to squeeze education into any available moment empowering?

With such busy lives and the convenience of the internet, the ability to squeeze education into any available moment is empowering. Our brains are constantly at work, processing all the knowledge and information our minds are willing to consume.

Does Pepperdine have online classes?

Many of Pepperdine’s graduate programs utilize online learning, but the institution still emphasizes the importance of classroom instruction. At Cerritos College, Elarcosa highlights that the institution sees online delivery as the way of the future, underscored by the few business courses taught on campus.

1. Integrate video creation and sharing with your LMS

One of the keys to training faculty to create quality online course videos is to start with a video platform that is easy to use.

2. Create videos for online courses

With the right strategies, instructors can interact with online students, pay attention to their questions, and give personalized feedback, all while measuring participation and comprehension.

3. Encourage faculty to create accessible course materials

In their fourth year with an accessibility awareness committee, the University of South Carolina Upstate had a significant challenge – to make sure all of the user community is educated about the need for captions, and to encourage faculty to generate them when they create recordings.

4. Get data to share effective online teaching practices

Winner of an Aspen Prize Rising Star Award based on student engagement, retention, and performance, administrators at Odessa College carefully monitor success rates, but not just of students. They monitor success rates of faculty as well.

5. Engage the reluctant online learner

After ten years of teaching online and face-to-face classes, Tracie Lee hit a trifecta of hurdles – teaching online Introductory Business Statistics.

6. Encourage reluctant faculty to create quality course videos

Training faculty to create quality online courses can be challenging. It can involve overcoming barriers in technology, workflow, student-instructor relationships, and mindset. Here are some tactics from other colleges on how they encourage faculty to begin creating course videos.

7. Create mobile videos for effective, in-the-moment instruction

Instructors at Aims Community College needed a way to create valuable, in-the-moment video lessons for students, beyond traditional lecture capture. After adopting software-based TechSmith Knowmia, faculty jumped at the chance to create engaging video lessons from any location, at any time.

How to start an online course?

Starting small with a simple course is the best way to get started with online courses, as you’ll: 1 Overcome the mental barriers above without much effort. Even building a small course and getting it in front of people will show you that these concerns can’t hold you back from success. 2 Get valuable student feedback without much time invested. The very best courses aren’t first versions; they’re courses that have been iterated on over time, incorporating student feedback along the way. The most important step in this process is simply to get started. 3 Learn a lot along the way! Everything that may seem challenging to you now, like creating content and writing a sales page, will get much, much easier after you do it for the first time.

What is a course?

A course is a natural stepping stone to upsell from. You could give your course away for free and generate lots of leads. Or, you could charge for your course and generate fewer, but much higher-quality leads who are already paying you money. Research suggests that the probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-20%, ...

Can you create course content if you are not an expert?

And even if you’re not an expert, you can still create valuable course content. Jimmy Daly, content creator at Animalz, has three smart tips to make your lack of expertise a key selling point: Jimmy Daly. It’s likely that you have more expertise than you think. But if you aren’t an expert, don’t fake it.

What is the explosion of online courses?

The explosion of online courses is bringing with it a debate about ownership. It took a year for Christopher Nelson to create a course for a new online degree program in philosophy at South Texas College, where he had to squeeze in the job while also teaching classes in logic, ethics, and social and political philosophy.

Where did Christopher Nelson teach philosophy?

It took a year for Christopher Nelson to create a course for a new online degree program in philosophy at South Texas College, where he had to squeeze in the job while also teaching classes in logic, ethics, and social and political philosophy.

Who taught online before 2008?

That piece of advice I learned about teaching online before I taught my first online course in 2008 came from Erika Beljaars Harris, who worked in the Center for Distance Education (then) at the University of Texas at Arlington.

What are some mistakes instructors make?

One of the most common mistakes I see instructors making is creating course content that cannot be maintained over time. Video, for example, is a very heavy medium: it costs a lot to modify video material, so avoid putting details that are likely to change into course videos, like specific rubric percentages, assignment descriptions, grading policies or staff names. Instead, keep those in more fluid formats, like text, which allow for easier maintenance. If you're unsure of whether some material is good, test it via text before investing the time and energy to film it.

What is the highest completion rate for MOOCs?

Coursera reported that their Learning Hubs participants show higher completion rates, ranging from 30 percent to 100 percent, versus the 6.8 percent Coursera-wide average.

Is it easier to find scholarly content online?

Finding solid, scholarly content online has never been easier, but it takes time. Also important is setting learning goals for the class as well as for units. Rather than thinking of weeks as we tend to do with face-to-face classes, modules work best in online formats.

Survey Before You Create

For my first-ever online course, I knew that I wanted to teach women about business, but I wasn’t 100% certain on what exactly to teach about. I ended up creating my first course after surveying my audience and asking them what they wanted to know about business. I turned the information they asked me for into a course I called the Brand Bootcamp.

Opt Into Platforms With Free Options

I did a side-by-side analysis of all of the features of all the online course platforms I knew at the time, and that helped me decide on Thinkific because it had what I was looking for and was free to get started.

Get Comfortable With Pivoting

I wish I knew this before creating my first online course because I spent a lot of time overthinking and not enough time taking action. When first getting started with online courses, it’s not going to be perfect and you’re going to mess things up sometimes, but don’t let that stop you.

Validate and Inform Your Audience

I had an idea of what I wanted to teach, but I asked my audience what they wanted to have from me first. Based on their answers, I was able to create something that they looked forward to.

Focus on Solutions, Not Course Length

I believe that your online course should honesty be as long as it takes to get from solving the beginning of the problem to the end goal or solution. Mapping that main process out before starting, and then working towards breaking down the steps inside of those steps always work really well.

Lean on Free Design Tools

I think that you should definitely make use of tools with templated designs like Canva and Easil. These platforms have presentation templates and such to get you started on your creative online course journey. I also think that on top of the beauty of design, use the beauty of your knowledge/skill and personality with video content.