HOW I’VE LEARNED FROM Daniel Williams
teaching online is overwhelming! WHY?? There are no set course hours, you work twenty-four hours a day, and seven days a week. Reduce the amount of time spent facilitating and managing your online course
Effective Time Management Strategies Techniques:
Establish an Efficient System for Effective Feedback and Grading
Log in often (smaller blocks of time)
Clarify expectations, components of assignments, and projects
Assess assignments consistently (Create and use Grading Rubrics)
Address urgent issues quickly but reduce email/resist urge to respond immediately
Manage grades in Blackboard
Maintain record of communication and feedback on a spreadsheet
Manage Course Communications, Record, and Reuse
Save “gets” (repeat responses to recurring questions that you can: copy, paste, and personalize)
Communicate frequently w/concise messages
Create “FAQ” out of common questions + direct and redirect to the FAQ
Establish and maintain a schedule
Plan ahead by using a schedule
Make availability known
Use technology to support your workflow and save time
Identify weekly activities up front
List the frequency of activities and assessments that you have built in to your online course
Create a teaching schedule and strategy to manage your time
Use a “Course Management Checklist”
Course Management Checklist
First Week
Send Welcome Email (before the first day)
Respond to all student introduction posts
Monitor and respond to Q&A forum (start creating “FAQ” out of common questions)
Review and respond to student email (remember to direct/redirect students to FAQ)
Weekly
Monitor Discussion forums and Q&A forum
Review and respond to student email (remember to direct/redirect students to Discussion forums and Q&A)
Grade Assignments and provide feedback
Facilitate weekly/biweekly Office Hours
Provide weekly summary/wrap-up of activity (Announcement)
Last Week
Wrap-up the course (thank students, summarize core concepts, provide closing activity)
Collect and evaluate feedback
Reflect on the course and make plans to adjust for the next offering