Online Teaching Blog

The COVID-19 virus has taken a substantial toll on individual lives, the economy and the every day concerns we face. Among them is how to continue providing education services for our students and employment for faculty and staff while COVID-19, Novel Coronavirus, has disrupted the workplace and our daily activities. Administrators and faculty have a responsibility to do their part to avoid education interruption for learners who have committed to their program of study. However, not all colleges and universities, and not all faculty, are up to speed with some of the basics of online education. As instructional designers and information technology workers scramble to support and move courses online very quickly to avoid college shutdowns, we are relying on our technology and learning management systems more than ever. But, the system is only as good as the courses loaded, and in spite of the triage-type response the current climate necessitates we also need to use some good design and course load principles to avoid learner confusion, frustration or attrition.

So, you are set to teach an online course and you see that there is a Discussion Question in each week’s folder and the students are graded on it. You are not alone, researchers have recently found that Discussion Questions are used by over 85% of institutions in their online courses. To some, they may not seem like the most modern way to assess a learning outcome in an online course, but to others, they are a perfect combination of learner-to-content, learner-to-learner, and learner-to-instructor interaction – a veritable learner engagement trifecta. It is with this context that this article is aptly titled: Discussion Facilitation in a Nutshell.

One strategy for effective teaching is to prepare students to evaluate and address real world situations with the knowledge that is imparted. With the rapid proliferation of technology and the economic focus on globalization, organizations are establishing cross-functional teams where staff members are situated around the globe or hired from various corners of the world. Therefore, it is important that instructors facilitate developing the skills necessary to be prepare students to collaborate successfully in such group environments. This preparation is not only for workplace readiness but also more importantly, to help students understand how to engage and work effectively with a diverse workforce. Two key skills to facilitate such workplace readiness are problem solving, and the ability to interact with other people through understanding the nuances of communication. Faculty can help students build these skills with the use of collaborative group assignments.

Any day now, I expect to receive a letter from a school I have a ten-year relationship with. The contents of the form letter will indicate that I am no longer employed with said school; I know it is coming, but the waiting is the annoying part. I would rather be teaching classes instead of waiting for the ax to fall. The school’s policy, however, is that if you do not teach a class in a calendar year, you are out. My last class with them ended late last year and, given the prior frequency of my schedule and the lack thereof this year, likely there is no reasonable expectation of getting a class before that window closes.