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University of Maryland University College Graduate Schedule of Classes 2003 3-Fall
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Effective Design and Organization of Online Classes - Tips from Dr. Amjad Ali
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Effective Design and Organization of Online Classes - Tips from Dr.
Amjad Ali
Amjad Ali
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies
Dr. Amjad Ali joined University of Maryland University College (UMUC) as an
adjunct faculty member in August 2000. He was soon named as the Director
of the Technology Management Program in the Graduate School. In addition,
he manages the new Project Management speciality track. He has consistently
received excellent ratings (>4.30) in student evaluations and has achieved
the highest rating (4.53) in student evaluations in the entire department
during Fall 2002 semester. In his role as program director, Dr. Ali provides
guidance to adjunct faculty members on effective design, organization, and
online teaching pedagogy.
He suggests the following strategies for new faculty members to successfully
deliver an online course:
Posting a "Read Me First" file under the course content area can provide a "road map" to help
students locate course material and activities. This single document can help students keep track of the
due dates and location of assignments as well as provides easy access to WebTycho technical support
-- information that some other faculty members may prefer to leave in the syllabus.
1.
Dr. Ali emphasizes that class announcements should be regularly updated, at least once a week.
Every update should be properly dated and previous updates should not be deleted as the semester
proceeds. He suggests that the most recent announcement should always be posted above the previous
ones. The announcements should be kept brief and to the point. This will allow students to keep track
of course activities on a weekly basis, plus it provides periodic updates on the progression of the
course.
The example below is snap shot of Dr. Ali's class announcement area.
2.
Effective Design and Organization of Online Classes - Tips from Dr. Amjad Ali - DE Oracle
Syllabus: Dr. Ali suggests that all applicable areas of the Syllabus be completed and made available
for students to read. He says that the areas that are not applicable to your course should be hidden
from the students' view. (how to hide a syllabus item (http://tychousa9.umuc.edu/wtdocs/wthelp
/html/syllabusfac.html) ). This will eliminate confusion in the classroom and allows students to find the
needed information more efficiently and easily.
3.
Modules/lecturettes/lecture notes should be posted under the course content area, according to Dr. Ali.
The modules should be made available on a weekly basis. In addition to weekly modules, Dr. Ali
provides feedback on all assignments under the course content area. This keeps students engaged in
course activities on a weely basis.
4.
Conference area in Dr. Ali's courses is used for discussion purposes. Dr. Ali creates a "café"
conference for students to post course-related administrative questions and discuss issues. He also
organizes his conferences into weekly sessions, each one clearly indicated with session dates as part of
the title. After the deadline of a conference passes, he closes that conference by providing his feedback
and closing comments.
The example below a snapshot of Dr. Ali's conference area.
It's very important that faculty "leave tracks" in the conference, he says, by providing brief and
encouraging comments on a daily basis to keep the discussion alive. Dr. Ali has found this presence
very helpful in achieving high ratings in student evaluations. Another tip from Dr. Ali is to use the
conference area to seek mid-course feedback from students and know their final thoughts about the
course and the instructor.
5.
Dr. Ali strongly recommends that 6. faculty members use the WebTycho classroom as the prime mode
Effective Design and Organization of Online Classes - Tips from Dr. Amjad Ali - DE Oracle
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for delivering and communicating course content. The use of e-mail for responding to students'
questions of an individual nature is fine, however, he strongly believes that WebTycho provides an
excellent platform for responding to course-wide questions of generic nature. This enables students to
benefit from each other's experience as in the face-to-face class environment.
In Dr. Ali's classes the Gradebook area is effectively used to collect all assignments. He creates folders
for each assignment in order for students to submit their documents. He uses "Gradebook" area for
providing feedback and to calculate students' overall grade. This provides a complete record of a
student's performance and allows the student to keep track of grades and to see progress at a glance.
This discourages e-mail submissions of assignments and significantly facilitates management of
students' work.
7.
Dr. Ali recommends that faculty refrain from participating in the WebTycho chat feature during their
first semester. It is often difficult for many students to participate because they are in different
geographic regions and time zones or simply because of their personal schedules. In sessions which
involve the instructor, it is easy for students to feel at a disadvantage if they cannot, for whatever
reason, participate. The ability to effectively use the chat without alienating those who cannot
participate comes with experience, finds Dr. Ali.
8.
In summary, he believes that the key to success in the online teaching arena is to keep the course
design simple, consistent, predictable, and user friendly where students can easily find study material
and follow course-related activities. Responsiveness and keeping the discussion alive are also
important aspects of successful online teaching.
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Creating High-Quality Streaming Video as _Learning Objects_ for an Online Class - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
PARTICIPANTS - click names for bio's)
Guest CIOs
Walter J. Whalen (#participants) - Partner, Step-Change
Management
Wanda Gibson (#participants) - Director, Department of
Information Technology, Fairfax County, Virginia
Eric Nelson (#participants) - CIO, Netifice Communications
Moderators
Discussion 1: Jack Crosby (#participants) - Adjunct Associate
Professor, UMUC Graduate School
[Moderating other discussions: Alan Carswell (#participants) -
Creating High-Quality Streaming Video as "Learning Objects" for an
Online Class
Alan Carswell
Chair, ITS
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: 0 2003
Category: » University-showcase » Multimedia-learning-objects
In the winter of 2003, adjunct faculty member Jack Crosby wanted to incorporate a videotaped
interview with several Chief Information Officers (CIOs) into his online course. The course was
ADMN645 (Information Technology, the CIO, and Organizational Transformation). The purposes of the
interview were to:
Provide a practitioner's perspective on course issues like new information technologies, applying
technology to business problems, and career choices
1.
2. Provide a richer online student experience beyond text and graphics
3. Demonstrate UMUC's bold use of technology to enhance distance education
4. "Validate" the course's subject matter by incorporating outside recognized experts
Dr. Crosby presented the idea to Alan Carswell, MIS program director in the Graduate School. With Dr.
Carswell's support, an inquiry was forwarded to UMUC's Center for Media and New Technology (CMNT)
on how to create a high-quality video component for the class. Working with CMNT's Media Services,
the project's concept evolved from an initial intention to videotape a single interview of a roundtable
(about a half hour) into the creation of a series of short videos as "learning objects" designed to be
used modularly by Dr. Crosby and other ADMN645 instructors to supplement their teaching of the
course.
Several of these learning objects were made available to students in Dr. Crosby's class in the spring of
2003. The full series will be available for inclusion in the fall ADMN645 sections.
This article summarizes lessons learned (#lessonslearned) in producing the online videos for
ADMN645, as well as feedback (#feedback) from participants and students.
Sample Learning Object: Future of the CIO Role
Discussion 1: What do you see in the next 5 years for
the CIO role?
Creating High-Quality Streaming Video as "Learning Objects" for an Online Class - DE Oracle
Program Director, Management Information Systems,
UMUC Graduate School]
* Real Video (http://marconi.umuc.edu/ramgen
/GSMT/admn/admn645-seg3_01.rm) | *Real Audio
(http://marconi.umuc.edu/ramgen/GSMT/admn
/645/seg3_01audio.rm) | Transcript
*Download and install the latest version of basic
RealOne Player (http://www.real.com
/realoneplayer.html) from Real Networks if you have
difficulty viewing/hearing the video or audio.
(Look for the Free RealOne Player, not the Free
Trial.)
LESSONS LEARNED
Personnel
A number of persons (besides guests) are involved in such a project; in our case, the following:
Jack Crosby, adjunct faculty member and ADMN645 instructor, had the most immediate knowledge of
the topics that should be discussed. He worked with Dr. Carswell in planning content and making
contacts for roundtable participants.
Alan Carswell, program director, coordinated the budgeting and collaborated in content planning and
participant recruiting, as the person administratively and pedagogically responsible for the course.
Pat Johnson, Senior Instructional Support Specialist (note: no longer with the university), assisted with
planning, coordination, and webpage design.
Mike Smith, CMNT, Manager, Video Production and Cable Services, provided both aesthetic and
technical oversight and direction.
Evelyn Marren, CMNT, Producer of Media and Cable Programming (note: no longer with the university),
provided aesthetic and practical support, including budgetary and scheduling oversight of video
production.
Todd Larson, CMNT, Media Production Specialist, lit the studio, ran camera and sound, and did the
post-production work of digitizing and encoding the video.
A contract-hire transcriber produced the draft transcription of the video interviews.
Other persons were involved in support roles, including Graduate School administrative personnel to
provide budgeting and administrative assistance; two extra camera operators to record the video segments
with four participants; and CMNT's Web multimedia specialist.
Design
A video delivered online is NOT equivalent to a television talk show delivered via airwaves or cable on a
large display. Here are considerations that affected the planning and the format of the ADMN645 final
video product as it evolved into the shorter-videos format.
In addition to better suiting an online format, shorter clips better lend
themselves to being presented to students in a modular way.
Care was taken during interviews not to "date" the material
discussed.
The small window size and pixelated images of online media mean that
Having only 1 or 2 speakers on-screen is best; if a larger group is needed, plan on no more than 4
individuals. In wide shots of even 4 individuals, it can be difficult to see the individuals' features.
The speaker(s) should be the content expert(s). Even an interviewer can take up important screen
space if not adding much to the discussion. (Off-camera interviewers can be an option.)
Creating High-Quality Streaming Video as "Learning Objects" for an Online Class - DE Oracle
Tight, static shots are most suitable (avoid monotony by cutting length): common TV camera
techniques such as pans, zooms don't work well for streaming video.
Because large streaming files won't display well for some viewers (e.g., those with dialup connections),
small clips of around 3 minutes are best. A 10-12 minute segment is as long as practical. The product
may have to be "chunked" into short segments.
A text version of the video will help ensure accessibility for all students; even small files won't display
well for some viewers with slow computers or unreliable Internet connections. Audio-only files as well
as text files are options. (We hired a transcriber; others may use a prepared script/teleprompter text.)
Get to the point. In addition to technical limitations, viewers' attention spans are more limited with the
small online format, so cut out all unnecessary material, including polite introductions, repetitions,
provision of context, and so forth.
Use text to complement the video material and reduce the amount of smalltalk on-screen. The
ADMN645 video files were designed to be accessed from a webpage, where we provided participants'
biographies, the context/goals of the interviews, and the discussion questions, to give students a "map"
of where the videos were going (see sample (#sample) above).
Text and graphic support for an online video i.e., multimedia) enrich the
presentation. Follow-up discussions online in WebTycho add even
greater dimension.
Planning and Timeline
CMNT is delighted to support this type of project but has limited resources and a sometimes crowded
calendar. A realistic timeline is 4-6 months from initial planning to incorporation of the finished product
in a class. Note that planning decisions such as number of people on-camera and handling of text
(transcripts) affect both costs and timeline.
Although each one is unique, a video project includes all or most of the preproduction (#preproduction) ,
production (#production) , and postproduction (#postproduction) steps we encountered:
Preproduction
Carefully plan the goals and objectives of the video project (but allow flexibility in the actual
discussion items and the format).
Set up an initial planning meeting with Center for Media & New Technolog (CMNT) ,
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . Topics of our initial meeting included dates and deadlines,
guests' discussion items, appropriate media formats and processes, costs, delivery method, and display
of final product.
Contact Administration (or department) regarding funding, as needed. While many of the tasks
are handled by Media Services as part of their regular duties, extra-cost items for us included 2 extra
camera operators; a transcriber; and breakfast, lunch, and gifts for guests. (All of these expenses are
optional.)
Contact guests. Our experience was that it was fairly easy to recruit high-level participants for an
educational video project. (Although we couldn't offer any payment, we did provide a coffee service
and lunch and small UMUC gifts for each.) After the instructor's or program director's initial contacts
leading to a guest's agreement to participate, CMNT worked with the guest(s) regarding scheduling,
attire suitable for video, directions to the studio, signing consent forms, etc. The instructor and
program director communicated with guests regarding content (via a project webpage, email, and
phone calls).
Conduct a second production meeting for feedback and revision of the schedule or format with the
Media Services team. Communicate details as necessary to guests.
CMNT had additional responsibilities to hire extra camera operators (at a cost to us) and to set up the
Creating High-Quality Streaming Video as "Learning Objects" for an Online Class - DE Oracle
television studio (lighting, background, furniture, etc.) for the recording of the video on the day before
the production. Setup usually requires one or two days, depending on the complexity of the plan.
Production
This is actually the least time-consuming phase!
Each of 3 guests was interviewed individually for two short (2-3-minute) video segments, and all three
guests were interviewed as a group for two longer (11-13-minute) video segments. Our goal was to
accomplish all the recording in a single day to avoid repeat visits by participants. This required some
detailed planning to minimize waiting time for panelists while others were being taped.
We allowed time on production day for guests to greet and get comfortable with each other, for
prepping (rehearsing, audio and video checks, makeup as necessary), as well as for taping and retakes
(retakes turned out to be unnecessary). We had a coffee service available in the morning and had
lunch at the Garden Restaurant.
This entire process took from 8:15 a.m. to about 2:15 p.m. (The CMNT team was there longer.)
Postproduction
Principal personnel still have much work to do after the recording session.
CMNT personnel
Edit video and produce graphics, as required.
Duplicate audio or video to send to the transcriber.
Convert the video to digital format, which includes digitizing, compressing, and encoding the video in
one or more online media formats. (Real Media is currently UMUC's preference, and this is what we
used.)
Create separate audio files, if desired.
Review (edited) digital video files (with Instructional Support Specialist and/or content expert).
Place digital video (and audio) file(s) on UMUC's streaming server, Marconi, to be linked into the
classroom as URLs.
Duplicate video in VHS tape format to send to participants, as a courtesy.
Transcriber (if needed)
Produce a good draft transcription of the video/audio content.
Instructor, Program Director, and/or Instructional Support Specialist
Review with Media Services personnel (if necessary) the edited versions of video files.
Test and assess online digital video files (check accessibility and quality of the final product on a variety
of platforms).
Edit the transcript after receipt from contractor (to check and customize it).
Produce and design content for the webpage for the classroom; publish to the Web.
Incorporate the final product(s) in the classroom.
Share final product(s) with guest participants.
Follow-up in discussions with students in WebTycho conference(s).
FEEDBACK
Guests
Our guests were very positive about being included in this type of endeavor. They appreciated being
involved and our attention to them while they were with us.
CMNT
Creating High-Quality Streaming Video as "Learning Objects" for an Online Class - DE Oracle
CMNT was enthusiastic about working with us to create high-quality instructional media for ADMN645.
They asked us to invite other faculty who are considering a video project (need not be filmed in the
studio) to talk to them to customize and help realize their projects, as they did ours. CMNT's ideal client
"knows exactly what s/he wants to convey, but has an open mind as to how."
Students
Although only a portion of the video learning objects were made available to Dr. Crosby's ADMN645
class in the 0302 semester, the students' feedback was very positive. Most students were able to view
the videos without trouble; the single exception was a student in Germany. This reinforces the need to
have supporting transcripts available; in international and military contexts especially, the Internet
infrastructure cannot be taken for granted.
Students appreciated hearing outside experts reinforce the class material, and they remarked how
much the video enriched their online learning experience.
Representative student comments
"I really felt that the use of the videos helps support some of the text and supplemental reading materials
for the class. Sometimes in an online class, you miss the human interaction and I think the guest videos
helped bring us back to a classroom feel."
"This is an excellent way to bring a live lecture type venue to online courses. I have only taken one course
in person out of 8 and this type of conference is very helpful and breaks up the monotony of just reading
and writing."
"Thanks for taking the time and making an effort to incorporate the roundtable discussions into our
curriculum. While Internet classes are convenient, I really miss being able to hear and see experts
discussing current issues."
Jack Crosby (Instructor) and Alan Carswell (Program Director)
Creating these learning objects was much more involved than we initially intended. We had visions of
simply setting up a camcorder and videotaping some folks sitting around a table and talking. While we
still could have done that, we believe that the ultimate product was much more professional-looking,
useful, and well worth the effort.
A significant challenge for us was to find a way to cover current topics of interest but to also "future
proof" the sessions. Mindful of the level of production effort, we designed most of these learning
objects to cover the more timeless issues confronting CIOs. By doing this, we hope to be able to
leverage these products over a number of class sections for many semesters into the future. In
addition, the modular nature of the Roundtable gives us the flexibility to replace one or more of the
segments if it becomes necessary.
Overall, this has been a positive and rewarding experience for us and for students. Our guests were
outstanding: knowledgable, well-spoken, and interested in and comfortable with the process. The CMNT
staff brought to bear their professional experience in a diplomatic way that made a great deal of
difference. We are very pleased with the quality of the products of this team effort: videos, transcripts,
and Website.
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University of Maryland University College Undergraduate Schedule of Classes 2003 1-Spring
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Managing _Virtual Hallway_ Informal Class Conferences_combined - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences
CSI Staff
Staff Writer
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Classroom-communication
Examples are from Professors George Nixon and Mike Sweeney
In hallways outside face-to-face classes, instructors often find themselves surrounded by students
before or after class or during breaks. The relatively informal interaction that takes place satisfies
important informational and emotional needs for all involved. Online instructors may discover similar
rewards in creating "virtual hallways" -- "cyber cafe," "class lounge," and/or "Q&A" conferences -- that
extend the communication of their content-based conferences into more informal and personal realms.
Informal online conferences...
Deal efficiently with "administrivia," since questions about books or assignment requirements are
answered publicly by the first readers who know the answers, thus potentially providing a faster
response time to students while (nearly!) eliminating for the instructor a entire category of email
traffic.
Support students in continuous learning, synthesis of concepts, & personal connection to
materials via unstructured forums for ongoing discussion.
Promote a sense of community among class members, by fostering mutual assistance and
unrequired contribution that help to alleviate feelings of isolation or stress in the online learning
environment -- as well as adding a bit of fun.
The following examples shared by two Graduate School faculty members provide ideas on how
to successfully structure and manage a "virtual hallway" conference to keep it animated, interactive,
and supportive of students all semester:
The Student Union and Qs & As (Raise Your Hand) illustrate George Nixon's management of two
distinct informal conferences.
1.
Sweeney's Coffee Bar and Pub illustrates Mike Sweeney's management of a single "catch-all"
informal conference.
2.
Common principles shared by Drs. Sweeney and Nixon in managing their "virtual hallway" type
conferences include the following:
Stay active in the conferences throughout the semester:
instructor's posts number ~1/2 to 1/5 of total posts
the instructor posts answers/comments within 24-48 hours of student posts
Be first to post in the conferences to provide examples, clarify expectations, and start the ball
rolling.
Gently remind students to remain respectful, even though the informal areas are open-format.
Demonstrate active "listening" by responding to students with clear, personal, and unique
comments.
Maintain a light tone, using humor, photos, etc. Participation here is ungraded.
Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences - DE Oracle
1. George Nixon (OMBA)
The Student Union,Qs & As (Raise
Your Hand)
George Nixon addresses procedural
questions in one informal conference and
provides a class community for informal
interaction in the other, taking care to
clarify the distinctions between the two.
Dr. Nixon guides and models
respectful involvement in his two
conferences:
His policy notes clearly specify the
purposes of each conference, what's
included, what's not; they also help to
set the tone.
In the Qs & As policy note, the text is
business-like and provides brief but
specific examples of questions.
In the Student Union policy note, the
text is more casual and personal, the
tone designed to put students at ease
and start the conversation.
He begins by identifying and
connecting with his students:
He prompts with questions, "Any
jokes you'd like to tell?" "Any
advice to give others in the
program?"
His initial topics further illustrate
the purpose of the conference and invite
student interaction and participation.
The three initial topics he has
provided in the two conferences
reinforce the tone and content
parameters of each conference and
the distinctions between them.
He turns the conferences over to
the students to take the lead after
posting his initial topic(s). They then
create all the main topics, and his role
becomes that of responder and
interested commentator.
He promptly (within 24 hours)
responds to the topics in both
conferences, thereby avoiding email
2. Mike Sweeney (ACCT611,
ADMN630)
Sweeney's Coffee Bar & Pub
Mike Sweeney addresses administrative-class
housekeeping as well as whimsical
and substantive issues in a single
conference that maintains a light and
friendly tone.
Dr. Sweeney draws students into
"Sweeney's" in a variety of ways:
He actively points students there:
Early class announcements tell
students to visit Sweeney's for
specific purposes such as to introduce
themselves or learn how to order the
Wall Street Journal.
His answers to student emails that
ask questions of general interest
suggest the questions be shared in
Sweeney's.
He reminds students in occasional
announcements, "If you have
problems or questions, stop by
Sweeney's," or "When done with your
midterm, pop into Sweeney's and
wake up the bartender."
The housekeeping topics are of
time-tested interest to students.
They answer typical student concerns in
clearly titled topics. (AND these topics
are reusable!)
Housekeeping topics aim to catch
students' attention with humor, as
does the "quiz" in the topic, "Email vs.
Conferences"
Topics are created periodically just
for fun that help class members make
connections and see each other as
individuals without being too personal:
"Your Workspace" asks where
students do WebTycho work.
"Athlete's Annex" asks them
whether/how they exercise.
"Kar Korner" asks about the cars they
drive/have ridden in.
Keep these conferences at the top of the conference index for easy access.
Personal style is also a vital characteristic of successful "virtual hallway" conferences, as illustrated
below by some of the unique characteristics of Dr. Nixon's and Dr. Sweeney's conferences. The tone of
these types of conferences may be more or less informal, depending on the individual instructor.
Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences - DE Oracle
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follow-up by frustrated students and
encouraging them to continue to
contribute.
Prompt responses also demonstrate his
respect for and interest in the students.
Participation is rewarded
A "free beverage of choice" may be
awarded to the best or most unusual
answer to fun topics.
Information shared by students is
referenced to personalize later
responses to them.
Personal opinions, activities, and events
are shared and invited
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Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences - Cyber
Cafe/Class, Lounge/Q&A Conferences
CSI Staff
Staff Writer
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Classroom-management
The following conference indexes for "The Student Union" and "Qs and As (Raise Your Hand)" are from
Dr. George Nixon's 0302 AMBA601 class at approximately week 5 (both shared with permission). Links
to actual posts and student names have been removed.
Please refer to the main page, Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences , for an
overview of managing informal types of online conferences in WebTycho.
Examples:
1A: "The Student Union" (#1a)
1B: "Qs & As (Raise Your Hand) (#1b) "
1A: "The Student Union"
Main Topic Author Date Created
1 My baby picture... (15 responses)
George Nixon 8/19 8:35 am
2 New Year's Resolutions - Your best time management tip? (9
responses)
Student A 1/05 8:14 pm
3 More Help On Time Management (1 response)
Student B 1/07 10:33 am
4 Joe Millionaire (6 responses)
Student C 1/07 4:16 pm
5 1st weeks posting (1 response)
Student D 1/08 1:08 pm
6 It's a girl! (6 responses)
Student E 1/12 10:38 pm
7 Top 50 E-Business "Smart Business" article website is expired
(1 response)
Student F 1/12 10:58 pm
8 Finding the Goleman article (2 responses)
Student C 1/13 12:12 pm
9 Most Exciting Country (14 responses)
Student G 1/13 6:26 pm
Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences - Cyber Cafe/Class, Lounge/Q&A Conferences - DE Oracle
10 Ivy League finally embracing Online Master's Degree (10
responses)
Student H 1/15 8:24 pm
11 Rashida (4 responses)
Student C 1/22 11:18 am
12 Snow at the Beach (2 responses)
Student D 1/23 9:26 am
13 Anyone Received Incorrect Information from UMUC? (4
responses)
Student I 1/25 3:19 pm
14 What's your company's goal? (7 responses)
Student J 1/28 6:16 pm
15 The Goal - What do you see when you think of Herbie?
Student I 1/31 5:33 pm
16 A example of a great leader (3 responses)
Student B 2/05 10:38 am
17 Certainly is quiet here this week! (4 responses)
Student K 2/07 9:26 pm
18 Things you never say... (5 responses)
George Nixon 2/08 9:18 am
19 Fun in the snow! (4 responses)
Student G 2/16 10:33 am
20 Ethics (4 responses)
Student C 2/20 12:26 pm
1B: "Qs & As (Raise Your Hand)"
Main Topic Author Date Created
1 Sample Question
George Nixon 8/19 8:40 am
2 How to Pace Yourself
George Nixon 8/31 8:27 am
3 Conference Assignments (4 responses)
Student A 1/06 3:14 pm
4 Pro-active Study Habits (2 responses)
Student B 1/11 12:36 am
5 Researching via the mdusa library..... (4 responses)
Student B 1/13 3:54 pm
6 Assignment Format (1 response)
Student A 1/15 9:05 pm
7 executive summary (4 responses)
Student C 1/16 10:25 am
8 Week 1 grades (2 responses)
Student B 1/17 9:34 pm
9 html document (1 response)
Student B 1/19 4:47 pm
10 PDP (week 3) question: Format (1 response)
Student D 1/20 5:23 pm
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11 About Peer Reviewing (2 responses)
Student E 1/22 1:35 pm
12 Should we talk about situation (decision) first, then post
potential biases (3 responses)
Student D 1/22 7:30 pm
13 What happened to the week 1 conferences? (2 responses)
Student B 1/23 11:53 pm
14 Tony Rizzo Article (1 response)
Student C 1/28 8:56 am
15 RE: Difference between constraints and bottle-necks (4
responses)
Student F 1/29 1:15 pm
16 references and Bibliographies (1 response)
Student A 2/01 2:42 pm
17 End of seminar project (2 responses)
Student G 2/03 7:18 am
18 Outline question (1 response)
Student H 2/07 8:56 pm
19 Powerpoint Presentation question (5 responses)
Student A 2/08 6:00 pm
20 Team Assignment - weeks 7-9 (2 responses)
Student I 2/10 12:25 am
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DE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences - Cyber
Cafe/Class, Lounge/Q&A Conferences
CSI Staff
Staff Writer
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Classroom-management
The following conference indexes for "The Student Union" and "Qs and As (Raise Your Hand)" are from
Dr. George Nixon's 0302 AMBA601 class at approximately week 5 (both shared with permission). Links
to actual posts and student names have been removed.
Please refer to the main page, Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences , for an
overview of managing informal types of online conferences in WebTycho.
Examples:
1A: "The Student Union" (#1a)
1B: "Qs & As (Raise Your Hand) (#1b) "
1A: "The Student Union"
Main Topic Author Date Created
1 My baby picture... (15 responses)
George Nixon 8/19 8:35 am
2 New Year's Resolutions - Your best time management tip? (9
responses)
Student A 1/05 8:14 pm
3 More Help On Time Management (1 response)
Student B 1/07 10:33 am
4 Joe Millionaire (6 responses)
Student C 1/07 4:16 pm
5 1st weeks posting (1 response)
Student D 1/08 1:08 pm
6 It's a girl! (6 responses)
Student E 1/12 10:38 pm
7 Top 50 E-Business "Smart Business" article website is expired
(1 response)
Student F 1/12 10:58 pm
8 Finding the Goleman article (2 responses)
Student C 1/13 12:12 pm
9 Most Exciting Country (14 responses)
Student G 1/13 6:26 pm
Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences - Cyber Cafe/Class, Lounge/Q&A Conferences - DE Oracle
10 Ivy League finally embracing Online Master's Degree (10
responses)
Student H 1/15 8:24 pm
11 Rashida (4 responses)
Student C 1/22 11:18 am
12 Snow at the Beach (2 responses)
Student D 1/23 9:26 am
13 Anyone Received Incorrect Information from UMUC? (4
responses)
Student I 1/25 3:19 pm
14 What's your company's goal? (7 responses)
Student J 1/28 6:16 pm
15 The Goal - What do you see when you think of Herbie?
Student I 1/31 5:33 pm
16 A example of a great leader (3 responses)
Student B 2/05 10:38 am
17 Certainly is quiet here this week! (4 responses)
Student K 2/07 9:26 pm
18 Things you never say... (5 responses)
George Nixon 2/08 9:18 am
19 Fun in the snow! (4 responses)
Student G 2/16 10:33 am
20 Ethics (4 responses)
Student C 2/20 12:26 pm
1B: "Qs & As (Raise Your Hand)"
Main Topic Author Date Created
1 Sample Question
George Nixon 8/19 8:40 am
2 How to Pace Yourself
George Nixon 8/31 8:27 am
3 Conference Assignments (4 responses)
Student A 1/06 3:14 pm
4 Pro-active Study Habits (2 responses)
Student B 1/11 12:36 am
5 Researching via the mdusa library..... (4 responses)
Student B 1/13 3:54 pm
6 Assignment Format (1 response)
Student A 1/15 9:05 pm
7 executive summary (4 responses)
Student C 1/16 10:25 am
8 Week 1 grades (2 responses)
Student B 1/17 9:34 pm
9 html document (1 response)
Student B 1/19 4:47 pm
10 PDP (week 3) question: Format (1 response)
Student D 1/20 5:23 pm
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11 About Peer Reviewing (2 responses)
Student E 1/22 1:35 pm
12 Should we talk about situation (decision) first, then post
potential biases (3 responses)
Student D 1/22 7:30 pm
13 What happened to the week 1 conferences? (2 responses)
Student B 1/23 11:53 pm
14 Tony Rizzo Article (1 response)
Student C 1/28 8:56 am
15 RE: Difference between constraints and bottle-necks (4
responses)
Student F 1/29 1:15 pm
16 references and Bibliographies (1 response)
Student A 2/01 2:42 pm
17 End of seminar project (2 responses)
Student G 2/03 7:18 am
18 Outline question (1 response)
Student H 2/07 8:56 pm
19 Powerpoint Presentation question (5 responses)
Student A 2/08 6:00 pm
20 Team Assignment - weeks 7-9 (2 responses)
Student I 2/10 12:25 am
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
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Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences: George Nixon -
Initial Topics Conference
CSI Staff
Staff Writer
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Classroom-management
Main Article:
Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class
Conferences
Conference Title >
The Student Union Read and Write
My baby picture...
Author: George Nixon
Created:Monday, 8/19/2002 8:35 AM
I had an epiphany one day when my three-year old daughter kept saying "Daddy" when she saw the pleasant-looking,
middle-aged man on the Quaker Oats box. I realized I had a round face. So, I compared it to my baby picture (below)
Hmmmm...not much has changed over the years.
Cheers! Dr. Nixon
[Previous Topic]
My baby picture... (George Nixon)
. . Re: My baby picture... (Student A)
. . . . Re: My baby picture... (George Nixon)
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. . . . Re: My baby picture... (Student B)
. . Re: My baby picture... (Student B)
. . . . Re: My baby picture... (George Nixon)
. . . . Re: My baby picture... (Student C)
. . Re: My baby picture... (Student D)
. . . . Re: My baby picture... (George Nixon)
. . Re: My baby picture... (Student E)
. . . . Re: My baby picture... (George Nixon)
. . Re: My baby picture... (Student F)
. . . . Re: My baby picture... (George Nixon)
. . . . Re: My baby picture... (Student G)
. . . . Re: My baby picture... (George Nixon)
. . . . Re: Photos (Student H)
[Next Topic]
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
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Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences - "Sweeney's
Coffee Bar & Pub"
CSI Staff
Staff Writer
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Classroom-management
The following conference index is that of Dr. Mike Sweeney's conference "Sweeney's Coffee Bar & Pub"
in his 0209 ADMN630 class (shared with permission). Links to actual posts and student names have
been removed.
Please refer to the main page, Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences, for an
overview of managing informal types of online conferences in WebTycho.
Main Topic Author Date Created
1 Hello, my name is ..... (57 responses)
Michael Sweeney 8/20 7:35 pm
2 Online Textbook Ordering
Michael Sweeney 8/20 4:25 pm
3 Homework Teams (5 responses)
Michael Sweeney 8/20 4:09 pm
4 On Weekly Session Questions
Michael Sweeney 8/20 4:09 pm
5 Wall Street Journal Subscriptions Michael Sweeney 8/20 4:09 pm
6 Email vs. Conferences
Michael Sweeney 8/20 4:10 pm
7 How to submit homework - a brief primer Michael Sweeney 8/20 4:09 pm
8 MyPhlip Web Sites
Michael Sweeney 8/20 4:10 pm
9 Hello, my name is ... (3 responses)
Student A 8/28 8:53 pm
10 Hola! My name is...
Student B 8/29 1:23 pm
11 Questions about homework teams (3 responses)
Student C 9/01 2:18 pm
12. Homework (1 response)
Student D 9/02 3:53 pm
13 Hello Class and Professor Sweeney, I am..... (3
responses)
Student E 9/04 10:42 am
14 A question on finding Integrative Problem answers
Michael Sweeney 9/09 3:24 pm
Managing "Virtual Hallway" Informal Class Conferences - "Sweeney's Coffee Bar & Pub" - DE Oracle
15 Question 2-2B (4 responses)
Student F 9/09 5:18 pm
16 Article Homework Link (2 responses)
Student G 9/09 7:48 pm
17 Question about "Homework 1" (3 responses)
Student H 9/09 8:14 pm
18 Integrative problem (2 responses)
Student I 9/10 10:53 am
19 A question answered regarding 2-2B. (1 response)
Student I 9/10 9:46 pm
20 For Anyone Who Is Interested...
Student J 9/12 7:07 pm
21 Your Workspace (23 responses)
Michael Sweeney 2/07 4:28 pm
22 Looking for a teammate
Student K 9/15 1:22 pm
23 Chapter 5 formula (4 responses)
Student F 9/15 2:35 pm
24 Study Groups (2 responses)
Student C 9/16 2:47 pm
25 Homework Grades (1 response)
Student H 9/16 5:13 pm
26 Standard Deviation? (3 responses)
Student C 9/17 11:17 am
27 Question on Submitting Homework
Michael Sweeney 9/18 10:28 am
28 Question 5-30B (1 response)
Student L 9/19 1:11 pm
29 Problem Solutions 9-4A and 9-5A (6 responses)
Student C 9/20 12:17 pm
30 Where is my @##?!! homework grade??!! (2 responses)
Michael Sweeney 6/05 8:18 pm
31 Athletes' Annex (29 responses)
Michael Sweeney 4/10 11:32 pm
32 Canoe Trip (7 responses)
Michael Sweeney 9/23 3:18 pm
33 Integrative Problem #10 (session 3) (2 responses)
Student M 9/23 10:37 pm
34 NPV Formula Question (4 responses)
Student F 9/26 4:10 pm
35 Article Reviews (4 responses)
Student G 9/30 6:36 pm
36 Need help with line slope (4 responses)
Student G 9/30 7:39 pm
37 Session 5? (6 responses)
Student
Avoid Document Discomfort - DE Oracle
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Avoid Document Discomfort
CSI Staff
Staff Writer
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Webtycho » Document-design
Some virtual equivalents to ergonomic engineering of your physical classroom
environment
Written words establish the teaching environment in the online classroom. Document design and
attention to detail can affect "temperature," "noise levels," or "illumination" that in turn affect online
learning. You can improve the comfort, satisfaction, and learning levels of your online students by
improving the documents you create and their suitability for the Web. Although sometimes
time-consuming, document improvement can be accomplished gradually, and it adds value efficiently:
Your work is front-loaded: When you carefully prepare documents before class starts, you can
concentrate on managing class dynamics after class starts.
Up-front work reduces time spent later answering student questions, complaints.
Unlike spoken words, documents (good and bad) remain available for class review.
Your work is reusable: You can use the same materials in more than one section of the course, as well
as for more than one semester, with brief updating/editing.
Consider the following when preparing online course materials:
Are your file type and formatting suitable for the online environment?
Do you take advantage of the Web?
Are you writing for online "scanning"?
Is your web page layout easy on the eye for online reading?
Do your font choices support your desired tone & style?
Are you managing your web pages for maximum clarity (and minimum reediting?)
Are your file type and formatting suitable for the online environment?
Whereas plain text is fine for short communications, longer content documents benefit from formatting.
Are you using HTML (hypertext markup language) to format documents for WebTycho, or are you
attaching formatted word-processing documents? Downloading attachments adds to time and risk of
"infection" for students to access your content.
The more you can present your text in HTML or as webpages, the faster, easier, and safer for students;
the better able you are to take advantage of web link-ability; the more efficiently students can work
online; and the more professional you appear.
Do you take advantage of the Web?
Do you provide working links to relevant and current information available online?
Are you marking up student assignments in electronic format so you can return their papers online,
complete with embedded comments?
Do you occasionally add images, audio, video, animations to clarify difficult material, add variety and
Avoid Document Discomfort - DE Oracle
interest, or enhance your persona as instructor?
Do your documents dovetail with and promote substantive, interactive online student discussions?
Are you writing for online "scanning"?
Research shows that online reading is harder on the eyes and that online readers tend to "scan"
documents for information. A concise, journalistic, "scannable" writing style is most appropriate for
online reading.
Do you put conclusions and main points first, then background and supporting details?
Are you bulleting, bolding, or headlining main points? Are you summarizing key points (via headlines,
summary bullets, etc.) more than once?
Can you make your point in fewer words? A rule of thumb: halve the amount of text, then halve it
again!
Are you linking to points or background stated elsewhere rather than restate?
Is your link "departure" text indicating to students something about where a link will take them and
why they should click it?
Is your web page layout easy on the eye for online reading?
Besides writing in a more abbreviated style for online reading, also pay attention to layout. It is
daunting to read an online document consisting of screen after screen of dense text and long
paragraphs that stretch across the entire monitor width with little visual distinction or relief. In your
documents,
Are there right and left margins (hard copy documents always have these)?
Is there plenty of white space (research shows this is important online)?
Are your backgrounds light or muted enough that they don't overpower the text?
Do you break up your text?
several levels of (meaningful) headings
colored, bolded, italicized fonts
bullets, numbering
frequent paragraph breaks
a (relevant) image or two
Is page organization simple and straightforward?
Would it be beneficial to break up one long document into several parts?
Do your font choices support your desired tone & style?
Carefully choosing font sizes, colors, or faces to be appropriate to the material and your intended
purpose and tone can be an effective communications management tool. Some variety in font faces
and colors can be attractive, improve readability, provide variety, or set different tones for different
kinds of pages: authoritative or friendly, formal or informal. Too much variety can be distracting or
appear frivolous.
Is your font size reasonable? Larger font sizes can improve readability, but too-large sizes appear to
"shout," suggest stand-offishness, condescension, visual or hearing impairment. Too-small fonts can be
uncomfortable to read online, suggest distance.
Does your font style convey the message you want? Too-elaborate, non-standard fonts can be difficult
to read, may display differently on different browsers, and set a "light" tone. Too-dark or too-heavy
fonts may "sound" strident. Standard fonts may be just right or may be too formal for the personal
tone you want.
Are you limiting your number of changes in font size, font color, or font face to meaningful "non-verbal"
communications purposes (desired tone, style, emphasis, visual relief, etc.) to avoid an overly "busy"
appearance or an indecisive tone?
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Are you managing your web pages for maximum clarity (and minimum reediting)?
Are you asking someone to help you check your spelling (this does count!), logic/clarity, and overall
document appearance?
Do you reread pages you are reusing before placing them in a new classroom?
Do you recheck links to make sure they work?
Do you recheck webpages (after publishing) — in both Internet Explorer and Netscape — to make sure
they look as you expect, including working images?
Do you incorporate student feedback into your document editing?
Are due dates or directions placed in multiple places, or do you have pointers to important information
located in only ONE place, so that you won't have conflicts between parallel data located on different
pages, and so that a change doesn't require editing multiple documents?
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Helpful Hints for Effective Online Teaching_ Setting Up Your WebTycho Classroom - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Helpful Hints for Effective Online Teaching: Setting Up Your WebTycho
Classroom
CSI Staff
Staff Writer
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Webtycho » Classroom-setup
This is part two of a multi-part series devoted to keys to success for effective online teaching. This
second installment is devoted to approaches for managing your classroom set-up process gleaned from
veteran faculty who, through trial and error over years of experience, have devised strategies and
techniques that ensure a smooth start to the beginning of the semester. Please note that these
suggestions are intended as food for thought and do not replace specific guidelines and procedures
provided by individual academic units.
Class Announcements
Upon registration, students can see the first screen of their WebTycho classroom including the Class
Announcements area. If nothing is visible, students may become concerned and contact you for
information. To minimize individual calls and e-mails from students, we recommend that you post a
preliminary announcement in your online class as soon as it becomes available to you. At minimum,
you should let the students know you're in the process of building the classroom and provide a date
when the course materials will be available. Make sure to include a notice to students that any
materials posted prior to the class start date are subject to change.
Faculty Center
From the Faculty Center (http://tychousa.umuc.edu/wtdocs/wthelp/html/faccenter.html) you can access creation
and management tools for all areas of the WebTycho classroom, as well as control link availability on
the Class Menu. These include Faculty Biography, Class Announcements, Syllabus, Course Content,
Reserved Readings, Conferences, Study Groups, Webliography, Gradebook, Workbook, Chat Room,
Class Members, Class Awareness, and Class Import.
Once you've set up your class, you can eliminate the left-hand menu links to any WebTycho features
you're not using. Students benefit from a "cleaned up" menu because it requires less scrolling and
prevents them from clicking on dead links.
Importing
Prior to posting any new items, import all materials (http://tychousa.umuc.edu/wtdocs/wthelp
/html/classimport.html) from previous classes that you intend to reuse even if you don't want to make them
visible immediately. If you use the import feature after posting items in a particular area of the
WebTycho classroom, the imported materials will overwrite the materials you've posted. Remember to
update any due dates that appear in materials you've imported.
Note that when you import reserved readings, UMUC's office of Information and Library Services is
automatically notified so that their staff can begin the copyright approval process.
Conference Area: Strategies for Better Management
Helpful Hints for Effective Online Teaching: Setting Up Your WebTycho Classroom - DE Oracle
Unlike the course content area which is read-only, the conference area is the site of discussion
and interaction, the "heart" if you will, of the WebTycho classroom. Prior to setting up your
conference area consider how you intend to use it. It's best to clearly separate content-driven
conferences from those intended for social interaction or administrative questions and answers.
Successful faculty utilize non-content related conferences for a myriad of purposes. For example, it's a
good practice to have at least one conference, such as a "Cyber Café" conference, devoted to outside
discussions. This is similar to the discussions you hear among students before and after f2f classes,
and gives students a chance to interact with each other and build relationships. "One of my favorite
activities is visiting the Cyber Café to read my students' postings. They're quite witty and entertaining
and give me a new perspective on the class," according to one faculty member. If you're not planning
to read and respond to notes posted in the Cyber Café, let the students know up front.
Also, it's useful to set up a "Q&A" or a "Questions to the Faculty" conference. That way you can deal
with all administrative issues in one area. As one seasoned faculty member explained, "It's
convenient for me to receive all administrative questions in one location in the online classroom. I've
found that if one student has a question, chances are many more do too, but don't necessarily take the
initiative to ask. By posting my answers in the conference area, all the students have access to the
information." Some faculty members create a "How I'm using WebTycho" conference to inform
students about their specific approaches and expectations including details on which WebTycho
functions will be utilized and for what purpose. "I find this particularly helpful because students don't
get confused about where to post their questions or submit assignments."
To promote interaction among students in the early weeks, consider using an icebreaker in addition
to requesting brief biographies in your required Introduction conference. For example, one instructor
asks students to tell a brief story about themselves. You can further facilitate interaction by requiring
that each student respond to at least two other students’ entries.
Even before the class officially begins, another faculty member establishes a Pre-week conference to
promote early interaction. She asks probing questions such as "What do you think participation is?" and
"Do you think that interaction enhances the learning process?" This serves both to help students get
into the right mind-set for the online experience, and to clarify the faculty member's expectations for
her students.
While the norm for content-related conferences is to hold week-long sessions (i.e. Sunday to
Saturday), some faculty members have experimented successfully with two-week sessions on
particularly complicated topics. On the other hand, try to avoid modules that last less than a week in
duration. It's difficult for students with demanding schedules to manage short turnaround times. If you
elect to use short-duration modules for quizzes and/or exams, please notify the students well in
advance.
Regardless of the types and number of conferences you establish, your goal should be to actively
engage the students in the learning process throughout the semester. Too often faculty experience
great student response in the conference area at the beginning of the semester only to notice
participation decrease over time. Of course, this is due to a number of factors, only some of which the
faculty member can control. One effective means to maintain a high level of student activity, however,
is to require students to respond at least weekly in the conference area. Depending on the level of
participation you require, student class participation should count for between 10-30% of the total
grade.
To avoid an entire classroom full of students posting basically the same response to a question you've
posed, try to post multiple questions and set a limit on how many students may respond to
each question. On the other hand, don't post so many questions that you become overwhelmed and
unable to respond adequately.
Helpful Hints for Effective Online Teaching: Setting Up Your WebTycho Classroom - DE Oracle
Also, consider limiting the length of student conference entries. This serves two purposes: first, it
limits the overall amount that all class members have to read, and two, it teaches the students to make
their points concisely.
Conference Area: Set-Up Fundamentals
For clarity and ease of navigation, label your conferences with a title and session dates. For
example, "Risk Assessment, Session Three, Week Three (9/13-9/19)." This serves to reinforce your
class syllabus by reiterating the time frame for each session and alerting students to assignment
deadlines.
Within each conference, also clearly label each topic with a title and due date. For example,
"Conference Activity: Week Three Discussion Questions (Due 9/19)." In your topic text, provide clear
directions including indicating where the student should turn in the assignment as well as assignment
due dates.
Another technique faculty have employed successfully is to make conferences visible one week at a
time. This allows you to customize later conferences based on how the class is progressing and to
avoid overwhelming your students at the beginning of the semester.
When you add a new conference or topic, reorder the existing items so the most recent one is on top.
Upon logging in, students will easily notice and access the newest material.
For additional assistance, refer to the Beginning of Semester Checklist.
Study Groups
If you're planning to use study groups in your class, to avoid extra work for yourself and potential
confusion among your students, wait until the late registration period is over to assign study group
teams and activities. In part three of this series (scheduled for the March/April 2003 issue of the DE
Oracle) we will examine various strategies for effectively managing study groups in the online
environment.
Preparing Content-Related Materials
While preparing content-related materials, try to keep static pieces including lectures, handouts, and
PowerPoint presentations devoid of specifics such as semester, session, and due dates, or links that
might change over time. That way you can reuse the same materials for multiple sections of the same
course and from one semester to another with a minimum of (or no) revisions.
Of course, you must provide the semester-specific assignment due dates and other
information in your class syllabus, conference area, and/or gradebook area as appropriate. Students
need class due dates in order to properly plan for their semester. Post due dates prominently and in a
consistent location so students can find them easily.
In the event of a change in an assignment due date or exam date, always post the new information in
the announcement area in addition to editing the original site. One faculty member also suggests
adding "revised date" next to the change. As that same faculty member explained, "I started out with
due dates in multiple locations, but that quickly lead to confusion among my students when I made a
change but neglected to correct the information everywhere it was posted. After responding to way too
many individual e-mails from "confused" students, I learned to post a schedule of dates in one location
only (course schedule, lesson guide, or syllabus)."
Summary
Time and again in our discussions with successful online faculty members, they reiterated that the
more pro-active planning and preparation they completed, the smoother the class ran. Another point
Helpful Hints for Effective Online Teaching: Setting Up Your WebTycho Classroom - DE Oracle
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they stressed was that once they had achieved an effective teaching strategy and approach in one
class, it was much easier to replicate that success in subsequent semesters.
We want to thank our experienced faculty members for their valuable insights.
Other articles in this series
Helpful Hints for Effective Online Teaching: Introduction
Pre-Class Preparation
Managing the Online Classroom
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Turning Students' Concerns into a Mutually Beneficial Learning Experience_combined - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
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Turning Students' Concerns into a Mutually Beneficial Learning
Experience
Earl Boatwright
Adjunct Faculty
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies
Attachment I | Attachment II
"I strongly disagree with the continued insistence that we need to prove that we've read all the course
materials in our submission each week. First, I find it offensive. We are in a graduate program, not
high school."
Have you ever received a comment such as this? How would you handle it? I don't mean exactly what
would you say in your reply to him, but rather how would you communicate your reply? The most
common response, I suspect, would be to simply email this person back, explaining why you expect the
things you do and then to move on to other, more pressing issues.
But is that good enough? I have often pleaded with students in my traditional face-to-face classes to
"speak up" and ask questions, because "if you have a question, chances are one or more other
students in the class will have the same question." I think this is probably even more valid in an online
class because it is still a relatively new program to the students, where they are learning a new
educational paradigm on top of learning the course material. Regardless of how extensively we may try
to communicate our expectations and rationale on the web site, some students are bound to have
questions or concerns they are hesitant to bring up. It is even possible that students are
communicating among themselves, grousing about certain issues that could result in significant
dissatisfaction, bad word-of-mouth or even withdrawal from the program.
When I received this email last term (it was actually much longer and expressed more than a half
dozen serious concerns), I carefully crafted a serious response, embedding my comments inside his
original email (admitting the validity of some of his comments as well as explaining my own rationale).
As soon as I hit "reply," however, I began wondering whether other members of the class might be
harboring similar concerns. In a traditional classroom, I would simply address the entire class and
explain why certain things were done certain ways, and then invite questions in order to clear the air.
So why not, I thought, do the same thing online?
As a result I decided to excerpt this student's main concerns and post them, along with my comments,
in my informal "breakroom," titling it "Serious Concerns about My Expectations." For an introduction, I
asked the other students to look it over and let me know if they felt the same way, and whether or not
they felt my expectations were clear and/or reasonable (see Attachment I).
The results were better than I could have hoped for. An active dialog ensued, with students basically
taking one of two general positions. First, several students spoke up about the importance of the
program being rigorous and demanding in order for the degree to have value. Others, however, raised
other related points of concern that they had been feeling, thus providing me with an opportunity to
address those issues as well (Attachment II contains a sampling of their comments). I was so pleased
Turning Students' Concerns into a Mutually Beneficial Learning Experience - DE Oracle
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with the response that I posted the same topic to another class I was teaching at the same time.
In addition, I have begun incorporating a FAQs conference topic in my current classes. I plan to use it
not only to clear up confusion and clarify expectations, but also to help me refine my formal
instructions in future terms. Whenever you write a questionnaire you should always administer it to
members of your targeted segment in advance, in order to test it for clarity and understanding. I think
the same concept applies to writing clear, understandable syllabi and "expectations" documents.
In retrospect, this exercise, though it took a little time and effort, was well worth it. All parties
involved, I believe, wound up learning from this experience. My students learned a little more about my
expectations and why I require the things I do. I learned more about their concerns, which will help me
in my future communications and expectations. And UMUC learned a little more about what their
students are thinking.
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Turning Students' Concerns into a Mutually Beneficial Learning Experience - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Students' Concerns - Attachment 1
Earl Boatwright
Adjunct Faculty
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies
Main Article:
Turning Students' Concerns into a Mutually Beneficial
Learning Experience
Below are some quotes from a student in one of my sections regarding my expectations. I would like to
know if any of the rest of you feel that way, and whether or not you feel my expectations are clear
and/or reasonable.
In addition, the last quote (quote six) pertains to your past UMUC classes. I am particularly interested
in your feedback on that and will forward a summary to UMUC.
First Quote
"I strongly disagree, however, with the continued insistence that we need to prove that
we've read all the course materials in our submission each week. First, I find it offensive. We
are in a graduate program, not high school."
First, let me give you a little insight into why I have been insisting that you all need to demonstrate
that you have read the assigned material. Many of the postings have not been of graduate level quality.
Graduate students are expected to be able to absorb all the material, cull from it the most meaningful
concepts as they relate to the assignment(s) and apply these concepts to new situations in a way that
demonstrates clear understanding. For example, consider the concepts of "personalization" and
"codification" strategies and "explicit" and "tacit" knowledge as delineated in Hansen, Nohria and
Tierney (1999). Any discussion of "knowledge management" and how it is or could be applied in an
organization (based on the assigned readings, as directed in the instructions) would almost have to
frame it in these terms (or paraphrased terminology). To not include them (or other major concepts)
suggests that the student either didn't read or didn't understand them. Students not discussing these
or other major concepts (and some students discussed none of them) are not demonstrating that they
understand the major concepts that are important in accomplishing our learning objectives; in fact,
there is nothing to tell me, their evaluator, that they have even read the material.
Neither is it acceptable to take only one or two concepts out of ten or eleven readings and discuss only
those. Some students, I suspect, would take to only reading one or two articles and expounding on
them; the graduate faculty at UMUC expects each student to read all the assigned readings, or they
wouldn't assign them. My task is judge whether or not they have done that, and without supporting
evidence in the form of their own writing, I have no way of discerning that.
Neither do I expect that every major concept has to be included in every posting. First of all, not every
article contains major concepts that are directly related to the specific questions posed. Part of the task
of the graduate student is to be able to cull the appropriate concepts from the readings and apply them
in a meaningful manner.
Students' Concerns - Attachment 1 - DE Oracle
If all my students were writing at the graduate level, I wouldn't need to be giving the kind of critical
feedback that brings out the areas they need to work on.
Second Quote
"We should not have to do weekly "book reports" to prove that we've completed the
assignments. To me, displaying an understanding of the week's topic and/or learning
objectives is far more valuable than proving I've read each sentence of every assignment. I
do read everything, by the way, but generally feel I get more out of the conference activity if
I try to apply a few concepts relatively deeply rather than many superficially."
I agree! The only possible point of disagreement between us may be in the definition of "a few." As I
insinuated above, one or two out of 10 or 11 articles would only be sufficient if all the other articles
were irrelevant or duplicates. I definitely do not want "book reports." A book or article report is a
summary of what was in that book or article. As I have stated repeatedly in my presentations and
conferences, I am looking to see if students can cull from the articles the most meaningful concepts as
they relate to the assignment(s) and apply these concepts to the assignment.
Displaying an understanding of the week's topic and/or learning objectives is certainly of critical
importance. In order to expand your knowledge, we direct you to read additional material on it. If you
have read the material, but do not include it in your discussion, you are not communicating to me that
you have. If you have read the material and you use that material to "display your understanding," but
do not cite where that information came from, you are guilty of plagiarism. To quote from UMUC's
policy on plagiarism,
" Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional presentation of another person's idea or product as one's
own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the following: copying verbatim all or part of another's
written work; using phrases, charts, figures, illustrations, or mathematical or scientific solutions
without citing the source; paraphrasing ideas, conclusions, or research without citing the source; and
using all or part of a literary plot, poem, film, musical score, or other artistic product without attributing
the work to its creator. Students can avoid unintentional plagiarism by following carefully accepted
scholarly practices. Notes taken for papers and research projects should accurately record sources to
material to be cited, quoted, paraphrased, or summarized, and papers should acknowledge these
sources. The penalties for plagiarism include a zero or a grade of "F" on the work in question, a grade
of "F" in the course, suspension with a file letter, suspension with a transcript notation, or expulsion."
That leaves only one acceptable option: read the material, use it in your discussion, and cite it. And
then, add your own ideas or thoughts.
Finally, I also would rather see the application "of a few concepts relatively deeply rather than many
superficially."
As I stated in my week 3 presentation,
"I would rather see fewer references discussed in greater depth and applied to real world situations,
than see an abundance of references which really don't add anything to the discussion."
Again, the definition of "a few" is critical. As I also said in my week 3 presentation,
"(The number of references) depends on how many articles there are, the nature of those articles and
the questions asked. I can very generally tell you that, in any one week, probably (a minimum of)
40-60% of the readings can be discussed in depth and related to the assignment."
Third Quote
"Second, I think this sort of forced book report is completely counterproductive. As I said
above, I read all of the assignments. I do not benefit at all from having my classmates
Students' Concerns - Attachment 1 - DE Oracle
reiterate the week's readings. I would much rather hear about their interpretations,
opinions and experiences. I look at the conference activities as out (somewhat limited)
substitute for the discussions we would have face-to-face in a typical classroom setting. I
would not benefit from each class member recapping every reading in that setting, and it is
even more tedious to red online. "Book reports" are busywork. Any information that is
gathered for their creation in never translated and/or applied to become valuable
knowledge."
Again, I agree 100% with your sentiments here, as I think I have amply described above. Students do
not get graduate credit for regurgitation, but rather for reasoned, appropriate application of the
concepts in the articles. I, too, want to hear their interpretations (but they must identify what they are
interpreting), opinion (about the concepts in the readings as they apply) and experiences (as they
apply or are illustrated by the material we are studying and learning.
I also agree that online discussions are, at best, a limited substitute for the discussions we would have
"live," but even there I would expect my students to discuss what is in the readings as it applies to the
questions I would ask. I would not expect them to take credit for ideas, conclusions and research not
their own however; in other words, I would expect a "verbal" citation.
Forth Quote
"There are some definite limitations and challenges to online education. Some of the biggest
challenges, in my opinion, are the lag time in getting feedback and our subsequent ability to
modify our performance accordingly."
Yes, I agree. That is one of the disadvantages of online education. Unfortunately, it is one of the
tradeoffs we all have to make for the convenience and availability of the online platform. Synchronous
"chat rooms" are sometimes suggested as at least a partial solution, but they simply are not workable
in a worldwide forum. Time differences are simply too great for every one to participate at the same
time, and a large "chat" is utter chaos. A series of smaller chat rooms is extremely difficult to
administer from this end and I personally wouldn't want to moderate 6-8 chat rooms every week at all
times of the day or night. So, we'll simply have to live with this one and do the best we can.
Fifth Quote
"The four instructors I have had so far at UMUC each have extremely different styles and
expectations."
In one way, this is not surprising. Didn't your face-to-face instructors have different styles and
expectations? That is the reason I take so much time creating the syllabus, developing a conference on
expectations, and addressing the "expectations" issue in my presentations: so that students will know
what they are and have time to adapt to them. Of course, there are some expectations that should be
uniform across all instructors in a program.
Sixth Quote
"In my cohort, most of our work so far has been graded on quantity rather than quality. We
have definitely been judged on the number of conference submissions and the length of our
papers rather than on substance. While I certainly do not agree with this emphasis, it has
been our reality at UMUC. I am not trying to make excuses for the class; rather, I am
suggesting that this is something that should be addressed by the UMUC faculty."
I do not agree with the emphasis on quantity over quality either. I evaluate several issues on every
conference posting for "quality" and relevance before I assign a final grade. For every posting I
evaluate the overall quality of the posting with regard to how effectively the topic was covered, the
quantity and quality of assigned readings discussed, the quality and quantity of outside readings
Students' Concerns - Attachment 1 - DE Oracle
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discussed, the effectiveness with which personal experience was interjected, the number and quality of
responses made to colleagues, and the quality of the writing itself (grammar, punctuation, spelling,
etc.). This is extremely time consuming, but I feel that students deserve it. I DO require a minimum
number of conference responses to other students' postings, but only because we have found that if we
do not require a minimum, many students will not respond at all.
I will forward your comments on to my program manager at UMUC. I know for a fact that the graduate
faculty in Maryland have been regularly and actively meeting to discuss these kinds of concerns, and I
have had to opportunity to provide my own input into that process. I can assure you that the UMUC
faculty is indeed addressing this issue.
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Students' Concerns - Attachment 1 - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Students' Concerns - Attachment 2
Earl Boatwright
Adjunct Faculty
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: 0 2003
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies
Main Article:
Turning Students' Concerns into a Mutually Beneficial
Learning Experience
Student Responses to "Concerns" Posting
"Whomever this student is should spend a little time thinking through his/her comment. Demonstrating
that you've read and understand the material is simply part of being a student. You sign up for the
program -- you sign up for the corresponding workload. If this student is simply looking for the MBA
letters to add to a resume, I highly recommend a "paper mill" type graduate school instead of a
credible, well established MBA program that wants to ensure that their students are thoroughly
prepared to be corporate leaders -- as well as uphold the reputation of the school in their
demonstration of excellence."
"What I'm perceiving is a general frustration in the writing 'load.' I can sympathize, being a 'career' gal
who is currently having to work 60+ hours a week due to drastic downsizing over the past year. It's
tough, however, as an adult student, I do understand the need to prove you've read the material,
understand the concepts, and can apply them effectively yet concisely."
"I think that most students would agree that since we are taking the time to do the postings, we would
prefer to get something out of it in the process. We would also like to learn as much as possible from
our fellow classmates.
We are each paying over $3500 to take this class and although have busy lives, need to remember our
commitment to the program and ourselves. I think that you are starting to get feedback because we
are not truly finding value in the conference activity process.
One of the things that I have learned about myself is that I need to learn how to become more critical
of the reading. I often feel like I read the material and am indifferent on the content. This makes it
harder for me when I am required to read and respond to other postings that did not really share an
opinion either. I know you have stated that we are not writing critically enough for a graduate level. My
only response to this is that I don't feel we have been given any indication of how to do that from the
program thus far."
"When we as students are not writing properly, it is necessary for the instructor to offer us more
feedback to correct the problem. I remember in a previous class, the instructor pointed something out
that I did incorrectly, but did not tell me what I had done wrong. Since I was the one that did it in the
first place, it was not just a slip-up on my side, I honestly did not know it was incorrect. I appreciate
you offering to work with us on our writing, and would ask that you let us know when we in fact need
help or are willing to offer feedback on a particular assignment we posted."
"There are indeed limitations to an on-line program -- mainly the face-to-face interaction. However,
Students' Concerns - Attachment 2 - DE Oracle
most adults enrolled in an on-line program are out in the work force, which should provide plenty of
opportunity for personal interaction for socialization purposes, as well as opportunity to discuss topics
covered in the MBA program with others who may have attended another graduate school. This
interaction offers a wide variety of potential insights from others that could contribute additional value
to a UMUC MBA class (not to mention beef up the 'examples' in weekly conference activities). If on-line
does not provide enough interaction for certain students, they should consider transferring to a more
face-to-face program."
"Regarding timely feedback -- I do believe that is one of the most critical elements of teaching
regardless of the forum. Students need to know where they're going wrong (or right) ASAP to allow
time for correction prior to the next submittal.
If I might ask one question regarding the UMUC program (in light of my perfectionism and
overwhelming fear of getting less than an A or B), is it true that you get kicked out of the program if
you receive a C in a course? I am under that impression, and if true, this adds greater importance to
timely feedback."
"I know I feel overwhelmed when I see 161 posts in a conference and